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K2 antenna 2 no antenna observation

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George

K2 antenna 2 no antenna observation

I was working a weak station with QSB that was at about my S4 noise level.
Happened to hit ant. 2 button. Now the noise is gone but I can hear the
station weak but now solid copy. Interesting indeed! 72 Geo/W2BPI
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WA2SI

Re: K2 antenna 2 no antenna observation

Just performed the same "test" on my K2/100 copying VP5/W4OX on 18.0861 MHz.
Same result... Go figure!

Vy 73 de Bert
WA2SI

----- Original Message -----
From: <[hidden email]>
To: <[hidden email]>
Sent: Sunday, June 05, 2011 4:52 PM
Subject: [Elecraft] K2 antenna 2 no antenna observation

>I was working a weak station with QSB that was at about my S4 noise level.
> Happened to hit ant. 2 button. Now the noise is gone but I can hear the
> station weak but now solid copy. Interesting indeed! 72 Geo/W2BPI
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html

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Don Wilhelm-4

Re: K2 antenna 2 no antenna observation

In reply to this post by George

There is some leakage between ANT1 and ANT2 -- so you just switched in
an attenuator of some unknown value. I will wager you had the preamp on
too. Next time, you might want to try turning off the preamp to lower
the noise, and possibly turning on the attenuator. That way, you do not
have to switch to "no antenna", and you can answer the station without
changing antennas.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 6/5/2011 4:52 PM, [hidden email] wrote:

> I was working a weak station with QSB that was at about my S4 noise level.
> Happened to hit ant. 2 button. Now the noise is gone but I can hear the
> station weak but now solid copy. Interesting indeed! 72 Geo/W2BPI
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>

Guy, K2AV

Re: K2 antenna 2 no antenna observation

Without thinking at all about it, many people run with the preamp on all the
time. Since one has AGC, this has the effect of compressing the signal to
noise ratio. It IS really important to get used to setting ATT/PRE to move
the noise down to where it is only moderate. Just as true on a K2 as on a
K3. The other thing is to use slow AGC, particularly in non-contest
conditions. I almost never use fast AGC any more, including contests.

73, Guy.

On Sun, Jun 5, 2011 at 5:55 PM, Don Wilhelm <[hidden email]> wrote:

> There is some leakage between ANT1 and ANT2 -- so you just switched in
> an attenuator of some unknown value. I will wager you had the preamp on
> too. Next time, you might want to try turning off the preamp to lower
> the noise, and possibly turning on the attenuator. That way, you do not
> have to switch to "no antenna", and you can answer the station without
> changing antennas.
>
> 73,
> Don W3FPR
>
> On 6/5/2011 4:52 PM, [hidden email] wrote:
> > I was working a weak station with QSB that was at about my S4 noise
> level.
> > Happened to hit ant. 2 button. Now the noise is gone but I can hear the
> > station weak but now solid copy. Interesting indeed! 72 Geo/W2BPI
> > ______________________________________________________________
> > Elecraft mailing list
> > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> > Post: mailto:[hidden email]
> >
> > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
> >
> ______________________________________________________________
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> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
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AC7AC

Re: K2 antenna 2 no antenna observation

In reply to this post by Don Wilhelm-4

CONTENTS DELETED

The author has deleted this message.

Don Wilhelm-4

Re: K2 antenna 2 no antenna observation

In reply to this post by Guy, K2AV

Even with the very poor antenna I use at my test bench (just a piece
of wire hung outside and tied to the deck railing), I would go crazy
listening to the noise on 160, 80, 40, and often 30 meters on my K2 if I
had the preamp on.

The preamp (and attenuator) settings are remembered by band (both the K2
and the K3). If your noise level is bothersome on any band, turn the
preamp off and if that is not enough, turn the attenuator on. You will
hear more signals that you are able to copy. There is nothing more
tiring than listening to a lot of band noise - do your ears/brain a
favor and use those techniques available to us.

AGC will reduce the "noise stuff" on the band if it is above the AGC
threshold - but it reduces the signals too, so that is not the best way
to attack it because that AGC action also reduces the dynamic range of
the receiver. Turning the preamp off when not required and turning the
attenuator on is the right way to control that band noise level -- you
will hear more weak signals that way, and have better Q5 copy.

There are several instructions on the web giving instructions on how to
set a receiver (any brand) for maximum copy-ability. All say to reduce
the RF gain (the preamp off.attenuator on do that) so that the band
noise is just barely audible. That applies to all receivers (not just
the K2 and K3) for all situations where you want to have the best
receiver performance. A lot of band noise in the ears is NOT a good
thing - as the initial post in this thread had indicated - when the band
noise is reduced, weak signals become easier copy.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 6/5/2011 7:25 PM, Guy Olinger K2AV wrote:

> Without thinking at all about it, many people run with the preamp on all the
> time. Since one has AGC, this has the effect of compressing the signal to
> noise ratio. It IS really important to get used to setting ATT/PRE to move
> the noise down to where it is only moderate. Just as true on a K2 as on a
> K3. The other thing is to use slow AGC, particularly in non-contest
> conditions. I almost never use fast AGC any more, including contests.
>
> 73, Guy.
>
> On Sun, Jun 5, 2011 at 5:55 PM, Don Wilhelm<[hidden email]> wrote:
>
>> There is some leakage between ANT1 and ANT2 -- so you just switched in
>> an attenuator of some unknown value. I will wager you had the preamp on
>> too. Next time, you might want to try turning off the preamp to lower
>> the noise, and possibly turning on the attenuator. That way, you do not
>> have to switch to "no antenna", and you can answer the station without
>> changing antennas.
>>
>> 73,
>> Don W3FPR
>>
>> On 6/5/2011 4:52 PM, [hidden email] wrote:
>>> I was working a weak station with QSB that was at about my S4 noise
>> level.
>>> Happened to hit ant. 2 button. Now the noise is gone but I can hear the
>>> station weak but now solid copy. Interesting indeed! 72 Geo/W2BPI
>>> ______________________________________________________________
>>> Elecraft mailing list
>>> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
>>> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
>>> Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>>>
>>> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
>>> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>>>
>> ______________________________________________________________
>> Elecraft mailing list
>> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
>> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
>> Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>>
>> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
>> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>>
> ______________________________________________________________
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>
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> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>