Compression with Speech Processor-Low Meter Reading

Problem: "What is happening is that I can get good ALC on SSB, but very little compression reading on the meter. The PROC is turned all the way up and the PROC LET is on, but I get very little COMP reading on the meter. The mike gain is at 9 o'clock."

Comments and Suggestions: Be careful! More than a few DB of compression will bring up the background noise in the shack (blowers, kids, dogs) and you'll be making your own QRM. The object should be more readability (and hopefully quality) at the other end, not just higher meter readings. Listen to any SSB DX contest to hear what over-use will do. VE7XF

Processors bring up the average power level very quickly and need only be set slightly to improve the average power. Audio gets real nasty real quickly when any processor is much higher than just being tickled. I run mic gain at 9:30 I run the processor at 9:30 With the Heil Gold Line equals Fantastic Audio KB6GKC

Years ago I read an article by ON4UN on speech processing, and his 'test' was to be able to run 1400 watts OUT and the wattmeter NOT show more than 2-3 watts or so ... I took that one step further and with 1500w out, the wattmeter sits still on the ZERO peg when I am not speaking ... I also use AL1200 amps here, which have very noisy blowers, so the addition of the W2IHY units has helped to ensure that when I am S9+20, the background is NOT S9+10 ! Just as a data point ... on the MPs here ... MIC is at 9 o clock, the PROC is at 12:45, and the mikes are Heil ProSet w/HC4. 73 Billy AA4NU