What external meters are used to measure incoming signals? Other that what's on a radio, what are folks using?
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Meters for incoming signals?
- Thread starter Quiksilver
- Start date
The only "S" meter I ever use is the one in the radio. However, it's fairly common for folks to use external software like Ham Radio Deluxe to view the incoming signal on various types of displays. Some rigs have built in scopes also, which can be useful. If you use a Flex-Radio, their software will really blow you away in regards to what you'll see on that incoming signal.
This obsession with a Superwhamodyne S-Meter Dee-Luxe is puzzling. For decades, the S-meter was good enough. And before that, there wasn't even an S-meter on most ham receivers.
And yet we were able to exchange signal reports -- and most of the time they weren't just "five nine" or "5NN". I've given many "327" reports, and the station on the other end of the QSO knew exactly what I meant. And if I received such a report, I knew what I should do immediately.
Why would anybody NEED anything more than an S-meter? Oh, yeah... "Because we can." More bells and whistles to break. More costs to repair.
[/rant]
And yet we were able to exchange signal reports -- and most of the time they weren't just "five nine" or "5NN". I've given many "327" reports, and the station on the other end of the QSO knew exactly what I meant. And if I received such a report, I knew what I should do immediately.
Why would anybody NEED anything more than an S-meter? Oh, yeah... "Because we can." More bells and whistles to break. More costs to repair.
[/rant]
You can't really use a meter by itself without a receiver to go along with it. I just use the rig's S-meter and occasionally I take a look at the receiver's IF out on my scope and actually see what the other guys signal looks like.Sometimes I even run my TS-820S into the dual trace scope and look at my outgoing signal as well as the other guy's incoming signal at the same time.