[TenTec] Omni V S-meter?

[Rick Williams]

Today I was playing with the Omni V, RX-320 and Argo V and noticed that the
RX-320 and Argo S-meters agreed on virtually all bands.  The Omni was
similar on 80 and 40 metres but it read significantly lower on frequencies
above 7 MHz.  All rigs were using the same antennas and similar filter
settings.

Now the difference was not critical when listening to weak stations as all
S-meters had similar signal to noise floor readings.  That is an S-6 on the
Argo was 1 S-unit above the S-5 noise and with the same signal the Omni was
S-2 above the S-1 noise floor.  But why the big difference in noise floor
readings at higher frequencies?

I noted that the ARRL 1990 test showed the Omni V they tested had an S-9
reading at 14 MHz of 168 uV while the Argo they tested in 2003 required only
39 uV for an S-9 reading on 20 metres?  (In a similar 1999 test the RX-320
needed a staggering 484 uV.)  But the S-meter adjustment is generic for all
bands and adjusting the pots on the IF/AF board would not likely solve my
problem.

Have others noted this anomaly?  Any ideas as to what's happening?

Thanks.
73,

Rick
VE7TK / VE7ASR

Website:  http://www3.telus.net/ve7tk