++++++++++++++++++++ From: "Jonathan Taylor, K1RFD" To: Subject: Re: [Elecraft] S-Meter Calibration Date: Mon, 11 Feb 2002 13:52:51 -0500 Ron's is an excellent point. Signal reports, at least according to the RS(T) system, were probably never intended to be made according to an S-meter. It brings out a pet peeve... Here is the "official" definition of RS reports: Readability 1--Unreadable 2--Barely readable, occasional words distinguishable. 3--Readable with considerable difficulty. 4--Readable with practically no difficulty. 5--Perfectly readable. Signal Strength 1--Faint signals, barely perceptible. 2--Very weak signals. 3--Weak signals. 4--Fair signals. 5--Fairly good signals. 6--Good signals. 7--Moderately strong signals. 8--Strong signals. 9--Extremely strong signals. ...and here is how it seems most hams interpret it, with tongue in cheek: Readability 1--(not used) 2--(not used) 3--(not used; could be taken as an insult) 4--Barely readable. Do not use if other station has given you a "good" report. 5--Perfectly readable, or readable with considerable difficulty. Use "5" if signal is unreadable due to interference, since that's not his fault. Signal Strength 1--(not used) 2--(not used) 3--(not used) 4--(not used) 5--(not used; could be taken as an insult) 6--Faint to very weak signals. 7--Weak signals. 8--Fair signals. 9--Good to strong signals, or signals of any strength in contests or DX pileups. On phone, be sure to indicate how many dB the S-meter swings above the "9" mark, and whether the meter is "Scotch" (S) or "Very Scotch" (VS). If readability or signal strength varies, always use the highest numbers. Increase both numbers somewhat if other station reports 599. Be sure to say "thanks" for "FB" reports such as 589 or 599. ++++++++++++++++++ Date: Mon, 11 Feb 2002 14:53:50 -0500 (EST) From: kc4kgu at EnterZone.Net To: "Jonathan Taylor, K1RFD" Cc: elecraft at mailman.qth.net Subject: Re: [Elecraft] S-Meter Calibration On Mon, 11 Feb 2002, Jonathan Taylor, K1RFD wrote: > Signal Strength > > 1--Faint signals, barely perceptible. > 2--Very weak signals. > 3--Weak signals. > 4--Fair signals. > 5--Fairly good signals. > 6--Good signals. > 7--Moderately strong signals. > 8--Strong signals. > 9--Extremely strong signals. That pretty much goes in line with what my S-meter on the TS2000 reports. As for giving reports, you're not getting a 599 from me unless you were Q5 copy with an S9 smeter indication with BEUTIFUL audio. If your audio sounds like you just left Billy-Bobs CB shop with a new Overkill Inkorpuratid MEGA Butt-Kicking power-mic, I'm going to tell you that your audio sounds like $#!+ and that you should fix it before bothering to TX again. > > On phone, be sure to indicate how many dB the S-meter swings above the "9" > mark, and whether the meter is "Scotch" (S) or "Very Scotch" (VS). I haven't heard the S and VS but, I am personally guilty of giving the dB units above S9 and quite honestly, if I'm S9+40dB on someones meter, I want to know it. In ragchew mode, if we all have +40db on each other, that is a good indication that we can turn the burner down and we will do so. So, in short, the RST report that *I* want is that of: Readability 1--Unreadable 2--Barely readable, occasional words distinguishable. 3--Readable with considerable difficulty. 4--Readable with practically no difficulty. 5--Perfectly readable. Signal Report 1--| 2--| 3--| 4--| 5--| 6--| 7--| 8--| AS INDICATED on the Smeter. 9--| +10| +20| +30| +40| +50| +60| I want an HONEST report. If you can barely hear me, I want to know it. This bullcrap of giving an amateur the report that you *think* he wants to receive is just that, bullcrap. This does NOTHING but give a false sense of confidence to that operator. Then, a situation comes along where he NEEDS to have reliable communications during an emergency and he DOESN'T because every single op he's QSO'd with was "nice" to him and didn't give him any indication that he perhaps needed to do some antenna work, fix some noisy audio, etc. What a load of horse dung. Give an HONEST report and tell the other OP that an HONEST report is what you want from them. When I get a "5/9+20dB/wonderful audio" report from Bob Heil, K9EID (and it happens consistantly folks) I can take him at his word. He's not trying to make me feel good. I am 20dB over S9 on his receiver and have "wonderful audio" coming out of a 100w crown amplifier into JBL studio monitors. Do your fellow amateurs a favor. Give them HONEST reports. If you're giving them the "smeter" style reports that I mentioned above, let them know. > If readability or signal strength varies, always use the highest numbers. In anything other than FM or CW, this is valid. SSB and AM will both have varying S-meter indications depending on the modulating signal. > Be sure to say "thanks" for "FB" reports such as 589 or 599. Be sure to say "thanks" for *any* report that you get. If an operator gives you a bad report, it's not to hurt your feelings. It is so you know that perhaps you need to work on your antennas, your audio, perhaps crank up the wick a bit, etc. If nothing else, thank them for their honesty. 73 de John kc4kgu +++++++++++++++++++ Date: Thu, 14 Mar 2002 14:16:22 -0600 From: "Patrick Cummins" To: Subject: [122090] RE: Space Weather In answer to W2WU -- Space weather data can be found at Home page is http://www.sec.noaa.gov/ Space Weather Now page is http://www.sec.noaa.gov/SWN/ Radio Users page http://www.sec.noaa.gov/radio/ Hope this helps Patrick S. Cummins, W5PSC pcummins at misnet.com ++++++++++++++++++ Date: Thu, 14 Mar 2002 14:31:29 +0000 From: "Rob Matherly" To: qrp-l at lehigh.edu Subject: [122094] Re: Space Weather Don't forget the obvious http://www.spaceweather.com :^)) 72/73/oo Rob, kc0bom ARRL, fpqrp #330, IA Qrp #143, Live Wire #442, SOC #497, QRPp-I #19 +++++++++++++++++++ Date: Wed, 22 May 2002 11:12:14 -0500 (EST) From: Dave Gingrich K9DC To: k6iii at juno.com Cc: elecraft at mailman.qth.net Subject: Re: [Elecraft] running QRP in a major contest On Wed, 22 May 2002 k6iii at juno.com wrote: > TECHNICAL & TECHNIQUE > > Tip of the Week -- (Contributed by Tom, W4BQF) If you are running QRP > in a major contest, do your best to zero beat the station that you're > calling. Most 'running' stations are using a 500 Hz bandwidth or less. > If your signal is outside that narrow receiver bandwidth, most likely > the CQing station is not going to tune to copy a very weak signal. > Most 'run' operators can hear everything within their bandwidth and > will answer you, but seldom will they tune 400-800 Hz outside their > bandwidth to do so. (It is also a good idea to adjust a kit or > homebrew rig's transmit offset to be sure that it places your signal > at the right frequency for the receiving station. -- Ed.) > > ================================ > > Now the question.... how does one adjust the K1/K2 to meet this criteria? S.O.P. for the K1/K2. Just follow the instructions in the manual. Dave K9DC ++++++++++++++++++ Reply-To: "Ron D'Eau Claire" From: "Ron D'Eau Claire" To: , Subject: Re: [Elecraft] running QRP in a major contest Date: Wed, 22 May 2002 09:23:33 -0700 (It is also a good idea to adjust a kit or > homebrew rig's transmit offset to be sure that it places your signal > at the right frequency for the receiving station... > > Now the question.... how does one adjust the K1/K2 to meet this criteria? > > 73 de Jerry/k6iii > San Jose, CA The Elecraft rigs already do that if they are operated properly. Many simple QRP transceiver designs use the same oscillator for both the receiver local oscillator and the transmitter VFO with no provision for adjusting the frequency automatically when switching between transmit and receive. Since you must tune to one side of the received signal to get a "beat note" to hear CW, that means that these simple transceivers transmit on a frequency different from that on which the are listening. Also, it appears that many ops with their big "full featured" Kenwoods, Yaesus, Icoms, etc., don't know how to operate them to zero beat their signal with the other station. Sometimes these ops are using a wide "phone" bandwidth, so their signals may be as much as a one or two kHz away! In the K2, using SPOT to zero beat the incoming signal with the sidetone means that you will transmit exactly on the other station's frequency. Even if you can't seem to figure out where "zero beat" is, putting the K2 in a narrow bandwidth (e.g. 100 Hz) and tuning in the signal so it is in that passband means that you will be within 100 Hz of the other station. Ron AC7AC K2 # 1289 +++++++++++++++++