Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Georges Ringotte (F6DFZ), who writes:
When I did tests on my Belka-DX, I noticed that the signal level scale was extremely accurate, each mark is 10 dB
I regretted that the manufacturer didn’t use the IARU S meter scale. So I decided to make my own. With RF Gain to the maximum sensitivity, -73 dBm, or S9, is at the 45 mark. I used Front Designer software to make a scale, with 10 dB graduations above S9, and 6db graduations below S9.
Then this scale was printed on water based transfer, 40 mm by 26 mm, when applied on the existing display.
The result is great, and now I have precise readings of signals reports.
That’s brilliant, Georges! Golly..it looks stock when applied to the screen! Thank you for sharing this!
Tenho um Bella dx max e não consigo entender os sinais que o rádio apresenta, à alguém que me possa ajudar.
Cumprimentos.
Excellent job to figure this out!
Excellent addition to my favorite mini-shortwave radio!
KZ4TN
Excellent…echoing others on getting this reproduced
IARU Region 1 took the “Collins Standard” of 50 uV = S9 (and each S unit 6 dB less) and codified it for their Region (they actually publish a bunch of useful standards). It’s as close as we (hams) get to a standard signal meter scale. It’s still dependent on how the radio is designed, of course. My Icom radios S-meters change depending on how the ATT / PRE-AMP is set … and that shouldn’t be the case – the reading should be at the antenna terminals.
Nonetheless, happy to see that Belka is doing a good job with their RSSI meter! Maybe the dev can update the code to integrate the same scale.
BTW – CB radio uses 100 uV as S9 … just so you know.
A great post. Merci beaucoup, Georges!
Doug VA3DM
This looks really good – but since I do not always have the RF gain – the sensitivity – to the max, it would not be accurate for me.
Rather than the lower-resolution JPEG, how about posting a printer PostScript file or a vector-based PDF file?
Very impressive. I wonder how much it would cost to have these mass produced. I think every Belka owner would buy one.
Frank
W7YAZ