This is the correct take. These logarithmic scales, in all their various forms, reduce the math involved to something tractable. The reduction is so great tha

This is the correct take. These logarithmic scales, in all their various forms, reduce the math involved to something tractable. The reduction is so great that there is no substitute. Griping about the numerous arbitrary reference values and their obscure and ambiguous notations is fine, I suppose, and perhaps fixing this has some value. But ultimately, logarithmic scales are a tool that will be utilized regardless of whatever frustration they create among amateurs. Also, there is certainly the risk that whatever "fix" one might imagine will only produce yet another, parallel "standard." Since you deal in RF, I thought I'd mention an interesting device frequently found in such systems: the logarithmic amplifier, or log amp. I'm certain you are familiar with these, but others might find this interesting. These devices are often used in Automatic Gain Control (AGC). Real signals in RF span a very wide range of power, and stages of an RF system need the power to fall in a narrow range to function optimally. A log amp computes an output signal that is some logarithmic function of its input. The output typically serves as feedback to control the gain of an amplification or attenuation stage. The latter stage can then maintain tight control over the level of the source signal as it rapidly fluctuates in real world conditions. So there you have a logarithmic solution in a physical device, as opposed to some model abstraction.