DOUGLAS ZWIEBEL wrote:
I don't have a Bird watt meter or 'scope. I have an off-the-shelf
Diamond SX200 watt meter that is probably 25 years old. Here is what I
found:
0.5 watts on the K3 = 0.7 watts on the SX200 (5 watt scale, with 0.1
"ticks" below 1 watts)
5.0 watts on the K3 = 4.9 watts on the SX200 (5 watt scale)
20 watts on the K3 = 19.5 watts on the SX200 (20 watt scale)
50 watts on the K3 = 50 watts on the SX200 (200 watt scale)
100 watts on the K3 = "just over" 90 watts on the SX200 (200 watt
scale).
This looks "good enough" for me. Of what value is more accuracy? I
honestly can't see any for ham radio operations. I don't know which of
my two devices is more accurate, but I don't care. If want to run QRP
at 1 watt or 5 watts, I'm right in there. If I am driving an external
amp, do I care what the driving power really is? I don't think so. As
for 100 watts vs 90 watts, I don't know which one is right (probably
neither), but so what. The guy on the other end of the QSO will never
tell (or even measure) the difference between 90 and 100 watts. Does
any of this actually matter?
Yes. If you decide that you want to see 100W on the lowest-reading
meter, that can lead you into overdriving your transmitter. In that case
the rest of us *will* be able to tell the difference - in IMD.
(I know that you personally wouldn't fall into that trap, Doug... but
some people definitely do. It's called Fully Clockwise Syndrome.)
--
73 from Ian GM3SEK
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