[TenTec] STANDARDISATION OF S-METER READINGS

[Merle Bone]

The Orion's S-meter calibration certainly isn't anything to "write home about," but it is "representative" of the distant stations signal strength. 
Running V1.373b5 I get the following readings using calibrated signal generator and attenuator on 14.058 MHz:

Sig Level      Preamp On             Preamp Off            "Standard Reading"

50 microvolts         S9+11              S8.1                                 S9
-6dB                        S9                    S7                                     S8
-12dB                      S8.1                 S5.5                                  S7
-18dB                      S7                    S4.5                                  S6
-24dB                      S5.8                 S3                                      S5
-30dB                      S4.5                 S2                                      S4
-36dB                      S3.1                 S2                                      S3
-42dB                       S2.1                S1.8                                   S2
-48dB                       S1.8                S1.8                                   S1

S1.8 is about as low as the S-meter goes on this release of the firmware with the RF gain at 100 and the AGC threshold set for .36 microvolts and the decay set for 200dB/s.  I use the "calibrated measurements" when I am trying to understand antenna performance - particularly "front to back/side" measurements.
73, Merle - W0EWM