K3 S Meter behavior

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K3 S Meter behavior

Edward R Cole
In some areas of ham radio having a fairly accurate measure of signal
strength is more than "nice".  On HF "who really cares" is what I am
getting here on the list.  But if you design, construct and try to
get the optimum performance from your station, measurements become
more than "nice".  Of course most of you must realize I am talking
about eme or moonbounce for my passion.  Knowing if you are 0.5 dB or
1.0 dB over noise or under makes a big difference.  (In fact I
regularly copy eme signals that are -22 dB below noise).  MY software
measures the signal to provide me an exact level, frequency, and
timing - its a synchronous digital mode).

Elecraft already admits to setting S9 = 50uV on the K3.  The standard
is 6-dB/s-unit.  I have not measured or know how close this is
observed in the K3, but I have a receiver that goes one better...it
is calibrated in dBm and I have measured it with professional
-calibrated signal generators to less than a dB accuracey.

Guess what? It is a software defined radio *in fact it is a
SDR-IQ*.  Interestingly, it will display signal steps from 10-dB/div
down to 0.01 dB/div.  So I would maintain that any SDR, including the
K3 can do this.  However, this resolution can not be read on the
linear s-meter scale in present use.  Maybe some day there will be a
numerical readout offered in the menu reading dBm or uV?  It is all
just software.

No more from me on this - seems to be pretty thrashed already ;-)


73, Ed - KL7UW, WD2XSH/45
======================================
BP40IQ   500 KHz - 10-GHz   www.kl7uw.com
EME: 144-QRT*, 432-100w, 1296-QRT*, 3400-fall 2010
DUBUS Magazine USA Rep [hidden email]
======================================
*temp

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