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Re: [TenTec] S meter

To: tentec@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TenTec] S meter
From: Stuart Rohre <rohre@arlut.utexas.edu>
Reply-to: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment <tentec@contesting.com>
Date: Wed, 08 Feb 2017 18:13:57 -0600
List-post: <tentec@contesting.com">mailto:tentec@contesting.com>
To further the discussion on S meter residual readings. If you have static charge, you can make up a soap bubble and water solution and paint a coating on the plastic meter face. Let dry, and then that will keep charge from building up.

This offset may also be an artifact of the circuit. Do not take the meter apart to "re-zero". Do the soap treatment (carefully) and consider the residual some "character" to the meter. The S meter readings will not be much affected by the offset. There is little standardization among ham equipment S meters; thus S 9 is probably pretty close but S5 is "in the ball park" and no more. Some time when you have time on your hands go to the QST archives of ARRL, and read the article about S meters and signal strength.

I think someone pointed out that the zero changes depending on vertical or horizontal placement of the meter. Normally, you don't want all the pointer and coil weight on the one back bearing when adjusting, so adjustments must be done with the meter vertical like it is used for rig sitting normally straight on a table. Small meters are mass produced now, if no front adjustment slot, you are at the mercy of the production yield, quality of the meter pivots, and bearings.

-Stuart Rohre
K5KVH
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