TO: ALL WOOD COUNTY EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS AMATEURS
ALL NON-WOOD COUNTY EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS AMATEURS
FROM: KEN HARRIS WA8LLM
WOOD COUNTY EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS INCORPORATED
WOOD COUNTY BULLETIN NR 14.32 DATE: August 10, 2014
SUBJECT: METER READINGS CAN FOOL YOU
Have you ever been talking to someone on a repeater, and they tell you that you are giving them a full scale meter reading? You need to remember that you are talking though a repeater, and the signal they are seeing is not your transmitter, they are looking at a meter reading from the output of the repeater. If you are talking on a Simplex Frequency, that meter reading is from your transmitter.
The only way to tell how good your signal is getting into a repeater, or repeater system, is by the amount of noise, or lack of noise, the other person is hearing. If you are getting into a repeater with no noise, then you are said to be "Full Quieting". The strength of the signals getting into a repeater has no effect on how strong the signal is coming out of it. Remember the person who is hearing you through a repeater is looking at the output of the repeater, and it will be the same meter reading for everyone, even if they are noisy, and can barely be heard.
Meter readings are only good if both of you are operating Simplex, either on the same frequency, or split frequencies.
Ken Harris WA8LLM
WCEC
Wood County WV