[Elecraft] Re: K3 S-Meter and 6dB

[Bill W5WVO]

Toby,

Interesting. OK, I wasn't aware of that. Over here, it's a source of endless 
debate (a bit of which I was engaging in). I'm quite certain there are no US 
standards for an S-unit (IEEE, ANSI, etc.) Could be wrong, but I've never 
heard anybody claim such.

I guess we give Wayne et al. a chance to get back from Dayton and see what 
they have to say about it. I know Wayne wasn't very keen about a 6 dB S-unit 
when I talked with him earlier, but maybe he isn't aware of this IARU Region 1 
spec, either. Thanks for giving us the reference.

If 6 dB is indeed a recognized standard in at least part of the known world, 
I'd have no trouble accepting that calibration on the K3. I still say 5 dB 
makes more technical and intuitive sense, but no point in bucking the 
established world order.  :-)

Bill / W5WVO


Toby Deinhardt wrote:
> Hi Bill,
>
>> How many dB an S-unit is depends on where you start from to get
>> there.
>
> Nope. At least on our side of the puddle IARU Region 1 Technical
> Recommendation R.1 defines how many dB a S-unit is.
>
> One S-Unit *is* 6dB.
>
> If the K3 is not 6dB per S-Unit, then yet again another useless
> S-meter in the eyes of many (if not most) amateurs over here.
>
> vy 73 de toby