When first getting on 160 meters I was trying to figure out how to give a
report on CW with the S meter reading from S8 to20 over with the crashes.
The copy was miserable R3/ R2. So the report is ??????????? The signal in
the noise is not moving the meter at all, yet it is copyable to a degree.
The S (signal strength) varies from S1-- Faint signals, barely perceptible
to S 9 --Extremely strong signals.
In real practice, is the S meter to be used for signal reports, or is the S6
"Good signal " to be used???? S4 "Fair Siganls" to be used???? S3 "Weak
Signal" to be used??
I am confused especially in the case with much QRN and still a copy. Would
the report be R2, S 9, T 9?????? or is it R2 S1 T9. The signal is not
moving the S meter at all.
Mike Michon
AB5XP
-----Original Message-----
From: Radio WC6W <wc6w@juno.com>
To: amps@contesting.com <amps@contesting.com>
To: <amps@contesting.com>
Date: Tuesday, July 13, 1999 3:21 PM
Subject: Re: [AMPS] S units
>
>
>On Tue, 13 Jul 1999 09:13:55 -0400 "Tom Rauch" <w8ji@contesting.com>
>writes:
>>About 3-4 dB is more common than about six dB, so your
>>Kenwood looks good.
>
> If not good, at least typical.
>
>>Now for something to think about. One of the question for getting a
>>license is how many dB is an S unit. No where, in any reference
>>standard I've been able to find, is it listed as six dB. Very few if any
>
>>receivers use six dB, and most never even tried. The most common
>>values "tried for" are around five dB or less.
>
> My ARRL Handbooks from 1976 thru 1990 mention the 6dB grail in the
>discussion under S-Meters but, allude to the poor compliance over the
>years.
>
> Amateur SIngle Sideband (Collins Radio 1962) states that they set the
>S-meters in the old S-Line to read S-9 at 100 uV with AGC onset at 1.5
>uV, with some variance depending on the band, so that an S-unit
>approximated 3.3 to 4 dB.
>
>>The correct answer for that question would be "what ever it winds
>>up at".
>
> Seems to be... sigh.
>
> If it was worth the effort, one of the new Analog Devices (AD8307; it
>memory serves) wide range log IC's could be made into a truly accurate
>S-meter circuit.
>
> But, isn't everyone "S-9+" in the real world no matter what the meter
>reads?
>
>73,
> Marv WC6W
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>*
>
>
>
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