[Elecraft] S meters in the USA

[Toby Deinhardt]

> Check out what the ARRL says about RST (page 2 of the document).
> NOTHING about volts.  It's all subjective.
>
> http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/forms/fsd220.pdf

A definition from the 1930s when one could not expect anything better.

There is a better definition now (IARU Region 1 Technical Recommendation 
R.1) and it should imho be used.

RST should be more than "Raten, Schätzen, Täuschen"


> For me the purpose of an S meter is as a RELATIVE comparison tool.

As long as the quality of the meters is as poor as most are, they are 
not even usable for relative comparisons excepting "stronger/weaker but 
absolutely no idea how much more or less". One should not expect a 
S-Meter to replace a R&S ESU test receiver, but they should be more than 
"feel good" meters. How can any regulator can take an interference 
report using S-Meter values seriously is beyond me, when one considers 
the current state of most meters.

vy 73 de toby


PS: raten = to guess, schätzen = to approximate, täuschen = to delude

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