[Elecraft] K3 S Meter behavior

[Robert Mitilieri - N9EF]

Actually the S meter is used so the Strength of the signal report is *not* subjective, that's reserved for Readability. I firmly believe that the Strength report must *not* be subjective, why else ever put a meter to measure signal Strength? In the case of signal Strength we *must* differentiate between perception and reality so we can let different stations know how strong their signals are received at our location, not how loud they sound; the two can be vastly different. 

...and use of the S meter to report signal strength is supported by the referenced link:

"The S stands for "Strength". Strength is an assessment of how powerful the received signal is at the receiving location. Although an accurate signal strength meter can determine a quantitative value for signal strength, in practice this portion of the RST code is a qualitative assessment, often made based on the S meter of the radio receiver at the location of signal reception."

On Jul 15, 2010, at 11:00 AM, K5WA wrote:

> TheSmiths said:
> 
> "559 still MEANS Receive Excellent, Signal 5 S UNITS, Tone Excellent."
> 
> Actually, this statement is inaccurate and the RST code never specifies S meter readings but this perception is a common misconception.  
> 
> 559 means Readability Excellent, Fairly Strong Signals, Perfect tone, no trace of ripple or modulation of any kind.  
> 
> The S-meter reading has little to do with the RST or RS report.  RST is a subjective code and depends on an operator's opinion of the signal.  An S-meter reading is a stand alone method of comparing relative signal
> strength that may help support an operator's opinion when needed.
> 
> The RST code is fully explained at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RST_code
>