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K3 APF/Dual PBT

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Michael Marx

K3 APF/Dual PBT

When I go into my K3’s CONFIG menu to the Dual PB setting, The only value I see in the screen is two dashes — Turning the knob that normally will change a menu value has no effect. I’m wondering if my APF is working properly as even when I tune in a station on CW with the APF, it is very, very hollow and rings a lot. Maybe this is normal. It really does not help with a weak signal as it rings so badly you can’t hear the weak signal. I don’t think this is what is supposed to happen? The APF in my Icom IC746 works much better (and probably shouldn’t).

But it does seem that the item in the config menu doesn’t work at all. Is this normal, or is this because I’m using the latest beta firmware or something is wrong.

73 all,

Mike WB0SND

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w0mu

Re: K3 APF/Dual PBT

What version of the software are you running?

You also need to peak the filter with the shift knob.

Mike W0MU

On 3/14/2015 10:31 PM, Michael Marx wrote:

> When I go into my K3’s CONFIG menu to the Dual PB setting, The only value I see in the screen is two dashes — Turning the knob that normally will change a menu value has no effect. I’m wondering if my APF is working properly as even when I tune in a station on CW with the APF, it is very, very hollow and rings a lot. Maybe this is normal. It really does not help with a weak signal as it rings so badly you can’t hear the weak signal. I don’t think this is what is supposed to happen? The APF in my Icom IC746 works much better (and probably shouldn’t).
>
> But it does seem that the item in the config menu doesn’t work at all. Is this normal, or is this because I’m using the latest beta firmware or something is wrong.
>
> 73 all,
>
> Mike WB0SND
>
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k6dgw

Re: K3 APF/Dual PBT

In reply to this post by Michael Marx

Sounds like something is wrong Mike. My CONFIG:DUAL PB toggles between
"nor" and "APF."

The APF takes a little practice. Except when I'm NCS of our traffic
net, I run about 250 Hz DSP BW. I have found that the APF gets very
hard to tune with anything less than that and 300 Hz is even better.
APF performance also seems to be somewhat connected to AGC settings.

Once I mastered it, mine works great, I use it all the time to pull very
weak SOTA guys running a few watts to a compromise antenna out of the noise.

73,

Fred K6DGW
- Northern California Contest Club
- CU in the 50th Running of the Cal QSO Party 3-4 Oct 2015
- www.cqp.org

On 3/14/2015 9:31 PM, Michael Marx wrote:

> When I go into my K3’s CONFIG menu to the Dual PB setting, The only
> value I see in the screen is two dashes — Turning the knob that
> normally will change a menu value has no effect. I’m wondering if my
> APF is working properly as even when I tune in a station on CW with
> the APF, it is very, very hollow and rings a lot. Maybe this is
> normal. It really does not help with a weak signal as it rings so
> badly you can’t hear the weak signal. I don’t think this is what is
> supposed to happen? The APF in my Icom IC746 works much better (and
> probably shouldn’t).
>
> But it does seem that the item in the config menu doesn’t work at
> all. Is this normal, or is this because I’m using the latest beta
> firmware or something is wrong.
>
> 73 all,
>
> Mike WB0SND

w0mu

Re: K3 APF/Dual PBT

The APF will take signals in the noise and make them very readable. It
is not something you will need to use all the time.

Mike W0MU

On 3/14/2015 10:47 PM, Fred Jensen wrote:

> Sounds like something is wrong Mike. My CONFIG:DUAL PB toggles
> between "nor" and "APF."
>
> The APF takes a little practice. Except when I'm NCS of our traffic
> net, I run about 250 Hz DSP BW. I have found that the APF gets very
> hard to tune with anything less than that and 300 Hz is even better.
> APF performance also seems to be somewhat connected to AGC settings.
>
> Once I mastered it, mine works great, I use it all the time to pull
> very weak SOTA guys running a few watts to a compromise antenna out of
> the noise.
>
> 73,
>
> Fred K6DGW
> - Northern California Contest Club
> - CU in the 50th Running of the Cal QSO Party 3-4 Oct 2015
> - www.cqp.org
>
> On 3/14/2015 9:31 PM, Michael Marx wrote:
>> When I go into my K3’s CONFIG menu to the Dual PB setting, The only
>> value I see in the screen is two dashes — Turning the knob that
>> normally will change a menu value has no effect. I’m wondering if my
>> APF is working properly as even when I tune in a station on CW with
>> the APF, it is very, very hollow and rings a lot. Maybe this is
>> normal. It really does not help with a weak signal as it rings so
>> badly you can’t hear the weak signal. I don’t think this is what is
>> supposed to happen? The APF in my Icom IC746 works much better (and
>> probably shouldn’t).
>>
>> But it does seem that the item in the config menu doesn’t work at
>> all. Is this normal, or is this because I’m using the latest beta
>> firmware or something is wrong.
>>
>> 73 all,
>>
>> Mike WB0SND
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k6dgw

Re: K3 APF/Dual PBT

On 3/14/2015 9:51 PM, W0MU Mike Fatchett wrote:
> The APF will take signals in the noise and make them very readable.

Yes, it is very good once you get the hang of it. I move the peak just
a tad off of the center of the passband. It really seems to make a
difference ... might be a result of my very compromised hearing, don't
know..

It
> is not something you will need to use all the time.

There have been several posts over the time that APF appeared from
people who use it essentially all the time. I use it a lot on weak
signals at the noise, but not nearly "all the time." Any CW signal
that's above my noise just stands out on the K3. APF also seems to help
with multiple very weak signals in the passband. My guess is that when
they're all at the noise, it's hard [at least for me] to actually
associate a tone frequency to each, and they sort of just merge
together. APF will usually yank the one I want out of the muddle.

73,

Fred K6DGW
- Northern California Contest Club
- CU in the 50th Running of the Cal QSO Party 3-4 Oct 2015
- www.cqp.org

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David Olean

Re: K3 APF/Dual PBT

In reply to this post by Michael Marx

Nothing wrong except the firmware. A recent version (5.08 or 5.10) disabled
the dual band audio filter. I had the same problem. Check and see if the APF
is active when you push and hold the DB FIL button while in CW mode. It
should be active. Solution is to upgrade to 5.13.
K1WHS
----- Original Message -----
From: "Michael Marx" <[hidden email]>
To: <[hidden email]>
Sent: Sunday, March 15, 2015 4:31 AM
Subject: [Elecraft] K3 APF/Dual PBT

> When I go into my K3’s CONFIG menu to the Dual PB setting, The only value
> I see in the screen is two dashes — Turning the knob that normally will
> change a menu value has no effect. I’m wondering if my APF is working
> properly as even when I tune in a station on CW with the APF, it is very,
> very hollow and rings a lot. Maybe this is normal. It really does not
> help with a weak signal as it rings so badly you can’t hear the weak
> signal. I don’t think this is what is supposed to happen? The APF in my
> Icom IC746 works much better (and probably shouldn’t).
>
> But it does seem that the item in the config menu doesn’t work at all. Is
> this normal, or is this because I’m using the latest beta firmware or
> something is wrong.
>
> 73 all,
>
> Mike WB0SND
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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
> Message delivered to [hidden email]