Grant, Mine does the same thing as yours - it appears as though the S-meter 'abs' setting is the same as S-meter 'nor' with the preamp OFF. So what I did was calibrate the S-meter with the preamp OFF and then set it to 'abs'. Makes sense to me, after all S-9 is supposed to be a 50 uV signal at the antenna.
As an additional point - I had to do a lot of 'fiddlin' to get the S-meter calibrated with the preamp on. With the preamp off, my K3 S-meter parameters are set right at the default values. 73, Don W3FPR Grant Youngman wrote: > So, the S-Meter calibration instructions in the manual indicate that > PRE should be on. When calibration is done, that means that a 50uV > signal reads S-9 with PRE on .. but about S-7 with PRE off. And then > if the mode is changed from Normal to Absolute, a 50uV signal reads > S-7 with or without the preamp. > > Just wondering (maybe I need to RTFM and specs again), why that would > be the case, vs. 50uV being S-9 without the preamp. I have always > just ignored the instruction manual, and calibrated to S-9 with the > preamp off. So a 50uV signal reads S-9 (with or without preamp > engaged if the mode is Absolute). > > Am I screwing something up? Or does it just not matter all that much > since (1) it doesn't impact anything other than the bar graph, (2) an > S-meter reading is not all that terribly important anyway (I don't run > a lab), (3) it's all relative, (4) the P3 is in my future, and (5) > all DX or contest exchanges are 5-9 by definition :-) > > To set the record straight on a related topic -- I posted about an > issue with gain calibration using the updated K3UtilityOSX a couple of > days ago. Turned out it was apparently nothing more than cockpit > error and fat-fingers on my part, which is typical. Dave Fleming and > Elecraft support (Gary Surrency) were both very helpful and got me set > on the path of truth and light ... > > Anyone have any insight on the S-meter cal thing? > > Thanks ... Grant/NQ5T > K3 #2091 with most all the extras. > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:[email protected] > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > Version: 9.0.698 / Virus Database: 270.14.51/2482 - Release Date: 11/05/09 > 02:37:00 > > ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[email protected] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
