Is there anywayt to have the Spectrum Analyzer y-axis scaled like is the S-meter for instance or decorrelated but with possiblity to display dBm or S-meter ? The current scale 0 to 125 doesn’t mean anything to me.
What is the scale on the waterfall ? it seems to me it takes to second to move from the mark 50 to 100 for instance… would be nice having it in seconds
cheers
Stephane
We simply display what the radio presents us with, nothing more and nothing less. We have no way of knowing what the scale is.
Hi Stephane,
If you want to take some measurements (or compile a list) for the scale of your radio, and the other supported radios, then we can indeed include some units on the y scale. Right now we only have scattered reports on how to convert those values to anything meaningful. Add to it that SDR-based Icom radios don’t seem to follow the IARU standard for their s-meter. And all the prior Icom radios did!
I wish radio companies would give us something about the units too!
Believe me, the lack of units is killing me too…
–E
de W6EL
I remember seeing 3dB between S points on a receiver ! Not sure this was on the R8600 I think it is. I was amazed to discover this.
Yes I could characterize the wfview spectrum using a generator. I’ve access to IC-7610 and IC-9700 too in my radioclub.
Would be nice if you could provide a way to seize calibrated data somewhere that will be used for the conversion by wfview. Thus anyone can calibrate it’s own receiver and get dBm or IARU S points on the Y-scale !
Hi Stephane,
It will be possible for the s-meter in the next version of wfview.
I suspect, for the spectrum, “absolute” numbers will be a nightmare of accounting for the scope’s so-called “reference level”, the ATT/Preamp/RF Gain, etc. Some radios will auto-set these parameters for each band as well, causing wfview to have to chase after parameter lists with each band change, shifting the scale all over the place while doing so!
But if we just know how to get it to “relative dB” that will be great. With icom it might be divide by ten and then it’s relative dB. Not sure though.
I think it would be reasonable to just put all the spectrum scales to the same relative scale. We just need to know how many DN (digital number) pass for each dB of signal. Maybe feed in -60dBm and then -50dBm and then -40dBm and record the numbers shown on the scale. Someone surely has done this for a few rigs by now?
The Kenwood TS-890 provides 100 dB relative range on the scope on a scale of 0x00-0x8C, so we have that number now (from the documentation). 0.714 dB per DN.
I’m always willing to entertain these ideas!
–E
de W6EL