S Meter
An S meter (signal strength meter) is an indicator often provided on communications receivers, such as amateur radio or shortwave broadcast receivers. The scale markings are derived from a system of reporting signal strength from S1 to S9 as part of the R-S-T system. The term S unit refers to the amount of signal strength required to move an S meter indication from one marking to the next. Technical description Analogue S meters are actually sensitive microammeters, with a full scale deflection of 50 to 100 μA. In AM receivers, the S meter can be connected to the main detector or use a separate detector at the final IF stage. This is the preferred method for CW and SSB receivers. Another approach in the days of electronic tubes (valves) was to connect the S meter to the screen grid circuit of the final IF amplifier tube. A third option is to connect the S meter to the AGC line through a suitable level conversion circuit. In FM receivers, the S meter circuit must be connec ...
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