Elecraft

Feature suggestion: Power setting in dBm

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Steve Sergeant

Feature suggestion: Power setting in dBm

Here's a suggestion across the line, from the KX2 to the K3S:

I'd like to have the option to display and set transmit power in dBm
rather than linear watts. Conceptually, it makes more sense to me, and
it's a more meaningful number relating to S-units on the received side.

--... ...--
SteveSgt, KC6ZKT
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Mike Markowski-2

Re: Feature suggestion: Power setting in dBm

It also eases estimating power out after gains and losses due to antenna,
coax, etc. I can handle addition and subtraction. :-)

I added readings in dBm to my now out of date W1 & W2 software faces
http://udel.edu/~mm/ham/elecraft/w1/
(I really should take the time to convert them to python...)

73,
Mike ab3ap

On Thu, Mar 1, 2018 at 3:07 PM, Steve Sergeant <[hidden email]> wrote:

> Here's a suggestion across the line, from the KX2 to the K3S:
>
> I'd like to have the option to display and set transmit power in dBm
> rather than linear watts. Conceptually, it makes more sense to me, and
> it's a more meaningful number relating to S-units on the received side.
>
> --... ...--
> SteveSgt, KC6ZKT
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
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>
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>

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Wes Stewart-2

Re: Feature suggestion: Power setting in dBm

In reply to this post by Steve Sergeant

I fail to see the need, but if I had one I would just do in my head. (and
probably use dBW :-)

Wes N7WS

On 3/1/2018 1:07 PM, Steve Sergeant wrote:
> Here's a suggestion across the line, from the KX2 to the K3S:
>
> I'd like to have the option to display and set transmit power in dBm
> rather than linear watts. Conceptually, it makes more sense to me, and
> it's a more meaningful number relating to S-units on the received side.
>
> --... ...--
> SteveSgt, KC6ZKT
> ______________________________________________________________

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Steve Sergeant

Re: Feature suggestion: Power setting in dBm

I fail to see the need for a hundred steps between 0.1W and 10W on my
KX2, or steps between 1W and 100W on another radio. What difference is
it going to make to anybody whether you're at 71 vs. 74 watts? But a
1.5_dB or a 3_dB step? That's something I can use.

On 3/1/18 14:37 PM, Wes Stewart wrote:

> I fail to see the need, but if I had one I would just do in my head.
> (and probably use dBW :-)
>
> Wes N7WS
>
> On 3/1/2018 1:07 PM, Steve Sergeant wrote:
>> Here's a suggestion across the line, from the KX2 to the K3S:
>>
>> I'd like to have the option to display and set transmit power in dBm
>> rather than linear watts. Conceptually, it makes more sense to me, and
>> it's a more meaningful number relating to S-units on the received side.
>>
>> --... ...--
>> SteveSgt, KC6ZKT
>> ______________________________________________________________
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
> Message delivered to [hidden email]

--
-- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - --
Steve Sergeant Internet: [hidden email]
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EricJ

Re: Feature suggestion: Power setting in dBm

My guess is the average ham doesn't have the slightest concept of dBw
nor would it seem intuitive if they did. Cranking a knob isn't all that
onerous. Even those of us who use dBw regularly on the bench, just pick
one or a couple output powers that they use. In my case, 90% of the time
it's 5w, occasionally 20w and sometimes 100w. And there the knob sits
without further change.

We had similar discussions in the automotive industry. Not about units
of measure, but methods of displaying useful information. When
instrument panels started using digital displays for a few things, we
discovered that they were useful for things like vehicle speed, but they
were disasters for tachometers and engine monitoring or a binary "idiot
light". They work for vehicle speed because you are seeking to maintain
a specific speed flashed at you periodically on road signs. But we don't
use tachometers that way. We're looking for ranges and trends of engine
speed, not a specific number. Same with engine monitoring. We just want
to glance and see it is within range. A digital display makes you have
to think. You shouldn't have to think about water temperature and oil
pressure. In racing, we simplified everything even more. We rotated the
gauges so the needle always pointed straight up on every gauge when it
was centered on the desired range.

There are times when a linear controls and displays works fine and times
when a log controls and displays are more meaningful. Virtually everyone
intuitively understands linear versions. Hardly anyone intuitively
understands logarithmic versions, esp. these days without slide rules.

Eric KE6US

On 3/1/2018 3:46 PM, Steve Sergeant wrote:

> I fail to see the need for a hundred steps between 0.1W and 10W on my
> KX2, or steps between 1W and 100W on another radio. What difference is
> it going to make to anybody whether you're at 71 vs. 74 watts? But a
> 1.5_dB or a 3_dB step? That's something I can use.
>
>
> On 3/1/18 14:37 PM, Wes Stewart wrote:
>> I fail to see the need, but if I had one I would just do in my head.
>> (and probably use dBW :-)
>>
>> Wes N7WS
>>
>> On 3/1/2018 1:07 PM, Steve Sergeant wrote:
>>> Here's a suggestion across the line, from the KX2 to the K3S:
>>>
>>> I'd like to have the option to display and set transmit power in dBm
>>> rather than linear watts. Conceptually, it makes more sense to me, and
>>> it's a more meaningful number relating to S-units on the received side.
>>>
>>> --... ...--
>>> SteveSgt, KC6ZKT
>>> ______________________________________________________________
>> ______________________________________________________________
>> Elecraft mailing list
>> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
>> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
>> Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>>
>> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
>> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>> Message delivered to [hidden email]
>

Vic Rosenthal

Re: Feature suggestion: Power setting in dBm

In reply to this post by Steve Sergeant

It makes a big difference if you are driving an amplifier, where the
precise amount of drive can be important.

73,
Victor, 4X6GP
Rehovot, Israel
Formerly K2VCO
http://www.qsl.net/k2vco/
On 2 Mar 2018 01:46, Steve Sergeant wrote:

Steve Sergeant

Re: Feature suggestion: Power setting in dBm

Again, I'm asking for it to be AN option, NOT the only option.

--... ...--
SteveSgt, KC6ZKT

On 3/1/18 20:12 PM, Victor Rosenthal 4X6GP wrote:

> It makes a big difference if you are driving an amplifier, where the
> precise amount of drive can be important.
>
> 73,
> Victor, 4X6GP
> Rehovot, Israel
> Formerly K2VCO
> http://www.qsl.net/k2vco/
> On 2 Mar 2018 01:46, Steve Sergeant wrote:
>> I fail to see the need for a hundred steps between 0.1W and 10W on my
>> KX2, or steps between 1W and 100W on another radio. What difference is
>> it going to make to anybody whether you're at 71 vs. 74 watts? But a
>> 1.5_dB or a 3_dB step? That's something I can use.
>>
>>
>> On 3/1/18 14:37 PM, Wes Stewart wrote:
>>> I fail to see the need, but if I had one I would just do in my head.
>>> (and probably use dBW :-)
>>>
>>> Wes N7WS
>>>
>>> On 3/1/2018 1:07 PM, Steve Sergeant wrote:
>>>> Here's a suggestion across the line, from the KX2 to the K3S:
>>>>
>>>> I'd like to have the option to display and set transmit power in dBm
>>>> rather than linear watts. Conceptually, it makes more sense to me, and
>>>> it's a more meaningful number relating to S-units on the received side.
>>>>
>>>> --... ...--
>>>> SteveSgt, KC6ZKT
> ______________________________________________________________
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>
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