[Amps] Time for New Power Meter

[Roger (K8RI)]

Having spent much of my life (Every Monday for nearly 23 years) 
calibrating instruments in the lab, maintenance, QA and production, it's 
normal for me to see readings I can believe in, whether that accuracy is 
necessary or not.  Other than those first few years in production I did 
that until I went to college.

I think it's similar for many hams, although they don't realize just how 
poor the accuracy of that equipment is and refuse to believe it when 
shown.  Generally, as I've said before, "It's good enough for who it's for"

I'm not asking for an answer to me or the reflector.

How many on the reflector can honestly say they regularly check the 
power out when running the legal limit?  Did you allow for meter error?  
How often do you check?  Have you ever had the meter actually checked 
for accuracy?
How long since your multimeter was properly calibrated?  What is its 
accuracy when properly calibrated.  What is the accuracy of your digital 
multimeter?  How about half scale?  Is the accuracy a percent of full 
scale, or of the reading?

Who actually measures output power withy care to stay legal, given the 
accuracy of measurement.
How about close to the band edge? USB and LSB? Other modes? VFO accuracy 
and stability.  How wide is your CW?  It depends on the speed.
How do you scale readings and accuracy?

There are many places where accuracy is important and many others where 
it isn't critical if allowed for in the measurements.


73

Roger (K8RI)



On 5/4/2015 1:44 AM, Richard Solomon wrote:
> You left out one important item, some folks need more accuracy at the test
> bench. Proper alignment of the power chain requires it.
>
> 73, Dick, W1KSZ
> On May 3, 2015 10:29 PM, "Mike Waters" <mikewate at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> I can only think of a couple of situations where an accurate wattmeter
>> matters.
>>
>> Some amateurs seem to think that a given increase in their wattmeter
>> deflection --or a corresponding decrease in their reflected power--
>> corresponds to an equal S-meter increase on the other end of the QSO.
>>
>> It just doesn't work that way.
>>
>> 73, Mike
>> www.w0btu.com
>>
>> On Sat, May 2, 2015 at 7:47 AM, John Simmons <jasimmons at pinewooddata.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> ... Why are so many hams obsessed with accurate power measurements? Go
>>> figure.
>>>
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