diff --git a/CLAUDE.md b/CLAUDE.md
index a3a22a2..e2fcaf5 100644
--- a/CLAUDE.md
+++ b/CLAUDE.md
@@ -174,16 +174,15 @@ checkbox to keep the new tag out of "latest".
   the banner when empty — don't show a stale message.
 - **The server fans out a snapshot on connect.** Don't issue `resync`
   preemptively on connect — the hub already does it.
-- **Range and Alarm are per-channel; firmware ignores them in
-  auto-channel mode.** F3 (`range_step`) and F4 (`alarm_toggle`) are
-  silently dropped by the LP-500/700 firmware when `auto_channel == true`.
-  The server NACKs both verbs in this state with a reason (surfaces in
-  `MeterViewModel.statusBanner`); the UI also greys out the Range / Alarm
-  cycle buttons inside `PowerSWRView`'s `ControlsCard` (and the duplicate
-  Range/Alarm keys in `KeypadView`) when `autoChannel == true`, with a
-  caption pointing at CH 1–4. The Channel button stays enabled so the
-  user can cycle out. Only `range_step` and `alarm_toggle` are gated —
-  `peak_toggle`, `channel_step`, `mode_step` work in any channel state.
+- **Range and Alarm are per-channel.** The LP-500 user-guide v5.4
+  page 4 documents: "The selection is indexed to the current channel
+  selection and is saved in memory" for both Range and Alarm. The
+  meter's front-panel F3 / F4 buttons cycle the *auto-locked
+  channel's* per-channel setting in CH Auto, so the App's
+  `range_step` / `alarm_toggle` verbs are enabled in any channel
+  state. (Earlier code gated these in CH Auto based on a misread
+  empirical probe — see LP-700-Server PR #3 for the corresponding
+  server-side revert.)
 - **Single Controls card with cycle-on-press buttons.** As of the v0.3
   redesign, `PowerSWRView` no longer has separate Channel pills, a
   Range card, a Peak-mode segmented control, and an Alarm card. They
@@ -218,12 +217,17 @@ checkbox to keep the new tag out of "latest".
   as `Ref X.X W` next to the small Avg / Pk labels under the big SWR.
   Returns `nil` (UI shows `— W`) for SWR < 1 / no TX, so we never
   paint a misleading 0.
-- **Auto-scale fallback** for the power bars when `range == "auto"`
-  (typical CH-Auto case): `autoScale()` picks the smallest standard
-  scale (5W..10K) ≥ the highest power in the current snapshot, using
+- **Bargraphs always auto-scale** for the display, independent of
+  the meter's range setting. `autoScale()` picks the smallest standard
+  from `[1, 2, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 250, 500, 1K, 2.5K, 5K, 10K]` ≥
+  the highest power in the current snapshot, using
   `peakHoldW` + `powerPeakW` + `powerAvgW` as a max so the scale stays
-  stable across a transmission envelope. Mirrors how the meter's
-  hardware auto-range chooses scale.
+  stable across a transmission envelope. (1-2-5 progression below
+  10 W for QRP resolution; matches the meter's hardware range ladder
+  above.) This is a display-side choice: a 2 W signal on a 500 W
+  manual meter range would otherwise show as a 0.4 % sliver, which
+  is illegible. The Range label still shows the meter's actual
+  setting; the bar's full-scale is computed from live power.
 - **Window sizing matches Macexpert SPE** (sibling shack utility):
   `.frame(minWidth: 380, minHeight: 520)` + `.defaultSize(width: 400,
   height: 580)`. `.windowResizability(.contentMinSize)` so the user
diff --git a/Sources/LP700App/Views/PowerSWRView.swift b/Sources/LP700App/Views/PowerSWRView.swift
index cfadef8..7e087e9 100644
--- a/Sources/LP700App/Views/PowerSWRView.swift
+++ b/Sources/LP700App/Views/PowerSWRView.swift
@@ -71,7 +71,15 @@ extension PowerSWRModel {
         let baseDisabled = !allowControl || !connected || setupOpen
         let autoCh = snapshot?.autoChannel == true
 
-        let scale = fullScaleW(snapshot?.range) ?? autoScale(snapshot)
+        // Always auto-scale the bargraph for the visual display, even
+        // when the meter has a manual range set. The meter's range
+        // setting still matters on the hardware (alarms are indexed
+        // to it, the meter's LCD bargraph uses it) but is irrelevant
+        // for the App's display — a 2 W signal on a 500 W manual
+        // range would otherwise show as a 0.4 % sliver, which is
+        // illegible. The range label still shows the meter's actual
+        // setting; the bar's full-scale is computed from live power.
+        let scale = autoScale(snapshot)
         let active = activePower(snapshot)
         let swr = snapshot?.swr ?? 1.0
         let swrTint = swrTintColor(swr)
@@ -100,10 +108,17 @@ extension PowerSWRModel {
                 alarmLabel: alarmLabel(snapshot),
                 alarmTint: alarmTint(snapshot),
                 channelDisabled: baseDisabled,
-                rangeDisabled: baseDisabled || autoCh,
+                // Range is per-channel on the meter, but F3 / range_step
+                // is accepted by the firmware in pwr/swr mode regardless
+                // of auto-channel state — pressing it cycles the
+                // currently auto-locked channel's range. (Earlier this
+                // was gated with `|| autoCh` based on a misread of an
+                // empirical probe; corrected 2026-05-16 against the
+                // bench LP-700.)
+                rangeDisabled: baseDisabled,
                 peakDisabled: baseDisabled,
                 alarmDisabled: baseDisabled || autoCh,
-                rangeNote: autoCh ? perChannelLockNote : nil
+                rangeNote: nil
             ),
             statusMessage: snapshot?.statusMessage ?? ""
         )
@@ -112,8 +127,6 @@ extension PowerSWRModel {
 
 // MARK: - Pure helpers
 
-private let perChannelLockNote = "Switch to CH 1–4 to use; auto-channel locks per-channel settings."
-
 private func formatScaleLabel(_ w: Double) -> String {
     if w >= 1000 { return String(format: "0 / %g kW", w / 1000.0) }
     return String(format: "0 / %g W", w)
@@ -193,34 +206,20 @@ private func powerBar(for watts: Double?, scale: Double, baseTint: Color) -> Bar
     return BarConfig(fraction: quantized, scale: scale, baseTint: baseTint)
 }
 
-private func fullScaleW(_ range: String?) -> Double? {
-    guard let r = range?.lowercased(), !r.isEmpty, r != "auto" else { return nil }
-    switch r {
-    case "5w":   return 5
-    case "10w":  return 10
-    case "25w":  return 25
-    case "50w":  return 50
-    case "100w": return 100
-    case "250w": return 250
-    case "500w": return 500
-    case "1k":   return 1000
-    case "2.5k": return 2500
-    case "5k":   return 5000
-    case "10k":  return 10000
-    default:     return nil
-    }
-}
-
-// Fallback when range is "auto" or unknown (the typical CH-Auto case):
-// pick the smallest standard scale that comfortably contains the highest
-// power in the current snapshot. `peakHoldW` is the firmware-maintained
-// sticky peak (server fc9bde0+), which gives a stable scale across the
-// natural envelope of a transmission and resets cleanly the moment the
+// Bargraph full-scale: pick the smallest standard scale that
+// comfortably contains the highest power in the current snapshot.
+// `peakHoldW` is the firmware-maintained sticky peak (server
+// fc9bde0+), which gives a stable scale across the natural envelope
+// of a transmission and resets cleanly the moment the
 // operator clears Peak Hold on the meter — no client-side decay loop
 // needed.
 private func autoScale(_ snap: Snapshot?) -> Double {
     let peak = max(snap?.powerPeakW ?? 0, snap?.peakHoldW ?? 0, snap?.powerAvgW ?? 0)
-    let standards: [Double] = [5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 250, 500, 1000, 2500, 5000, 10000]
+    // 1-2-5 progression below 10W (QRP regime), then matches the
+    // LP-700's hardware range ladder (10, 25, 50, 100, 250, 500, 1K,
+    // 2.5K, 5K, 10K) above so the App display steps align with the
+    // meter's physical range labels.
+    let standards: [Double] = [1, 2, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 250, 500, 1000, 2500, 5000, 10000]
     return standards.first(where: { $0 >= peak }) ?? 10000
 }