How about adding an RST meter to the Flex 6600m display?

James Charlton

This RST meter would be primarily for contesters and would appear in a small window on the active slice.   If only background noise were present, it would display RST:000.  If any other signal were present, RST:599 would be displayed.  Of course, for non-cw modes, it would display only 59.

A simpler version would be one where you skip the RST:000 part and just display 599 all the time.

Some readers may claim that this would be inaccurate, but they would be wrong.  A check of contester logs indicates that virtually all contacts are 599 or 59.

So, go for it,Flex.  Be the first to offer an RST meter!

Regards,

Jaimie "Jim"  Charlton   AD0AB

VE7ATJ_Don

Given the API's available, it wouldn't take much coding to create one of these pretty quickly :-)
While we're at it, why not have it automatically log the RST into HRD or N1MM+???

WX7Y

Cool Idea, then all the operator would have to do is turn the radio on add soap and push go to do contests and of course then just go watch a Baseball game and drink a **** when you came back to the radio you would have worked 500 or 600 stations.

HI HI
73's

Rick WN2C

Is it April 1st already?

James Charlton

Isn't that the way FT8 works now? 

James Charlton

Oh, my bad.  I'm retired so, every month is pretty much the same. 

Still, seeing all the comments about degrading the Flex S meter to old boat anchor performance levels caused me to rise to an even greater height of silliness/sarcasm.

Regards, Jaimie "Jim" Charlton  AD0AB

James Whiteway

On a bit of a serious note, how is adding an analog meter, as an "option" (user selectable for those living in Burbank) silly? Don't want it? Don't select it ! Simple. It's no different than not using any of the other "options" in SSDR. It certainly won't degrade SSDR.

James Charlton

You have a point, one man's serious can be another man's silly.  Until I saw the various comments, I hadn't given the S meter a thought. 

In my mind, the S meter on analog radios I've used has always been useless in contests - which is what I often do.  Everybody gives 599 or 59 regardless of signal strength.  In fact, I've been in the IARU contest going on now and I've never received anything less than 599. 

Additionally, if someone wanted a higher S meter reading from a user of an analog radio all the user had to do was turn on a preamp.  Then, like magic, the S meter read higher ahd the far end was happy -  even though the signal didn't get any stronger. 

To your point, there is one case I know of where an S meter reading is useful and that is when the distant station is trying modifications and you are giving him comparative readings.  Even then, it is a poor method or measurement.  Since a change of one S unit in signal strength is supposed to represent a 6dB change which is the equivalent to a change of 4X. 

It's sort of like having a tape measure which only has marks every 4 feet.  Usable, but not very precise.

Personally, I think the dBm scale is far better than any S meter scale.  It is more precise and actually has some technical meaning.

As far as I'm concerned, Flex will make the call.  If they think adding an old-style S meter will increase market share, they'll do it.  In the mean time, I will consider it the electronic equivalent of putting a buggy whip socket on a Tesla.

Jim  AD0AB  

AA0KM

Half Full Or Half Empty?

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Wayne

They already have that mode its called ft8, maybe the fcc could make a license class for ft8 and all it would test is your ability to turn on a computer and load software.