K3 - Are the bands cleaner with all the K3s being used?

[Rick Stealey]

It's no secret, and this is nothing new, but K3s are really, really clean on cw.
As I saw for myself with my measurements on my K3 that I am doing for QSK
testing I don't see how the cw note on a K3 could be improved.
As a result, and with all the K3s being used by DXers, and DXpeditions have the bands
been cleaned up?  Have you noticed, say on 160 meters in the recent contests,
that there is less QRM from clicky transmitters?
After Eric reported the Malpelo DXpedition using K3/KPA500 was active I listened
for them this morning.  Good signals on 80 meters into NJ before sunrise.
If you want to hear a magnificent cw note listen to those guys.  Tune just below
and above them and note how fast the cw drops off and nothing remains.  No
clicks, no hiss.  "It's a beautiful thing."

Rick  K2XT


     
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[Lou Kolb]

It really is amazing!  I never payed much attention to it with the old
TS-440 but, since I've had the K3, its quite revealing to tune above the
signal and note the drop-off.  The difference between rigs can be dramatic!

73,  Lou  WA3MIX
Lou Kolb
Voice-over Artist:
Radio/TV Adds, Video narrations
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----- Original Message -----
From: "Rick Stealey" <[hidden email]>
To: <[hidden email]>
Sent: Friday, January 13, 2012 8:14 AM
Subject: [Elecraft] K3 - Are the bands cleaner with all the K3s being used?

>
> It's no secret, and this is nothing new, but K3s are really, really clean
> on cw.
> As I saw for myself with my measurements on my K3 that I am doing for QSK
> testing I don't see how the cw note on a K3 could be improved.
> As a result, and with all the K3s being used by DXers, and DXpeditions
> have the bands
> been cleaned up?  Have you noticed, say on 160 meters in the recent
> contests,
> that there is less QRM from clicky transmitters?
> After Eric reported the Malpelo DXpedition using K3/KPA500 was active I
> listened
> for them this morning.  Good signals on 80 meters into NJ before sunrise.
> If you want to hear a magnificent cw note listen to those guys.  Tune just
> below
> and above them and note how fast the cw drops off and nothing remains.  No
> clicks, no hiss.  "It's a beautiful thing."
>
> Rick  K2XT
>
>
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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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[Jim Brown-10]

On 1/13/2012 5:47 AM, Lou Kolb wrote:
> It really is amazing!  I never payed much attention to it with the old
> TS-440 but, since I've had the K3, its quite revealing to tune above the
> signal and note the drop-off.  The difference between rigs can be dramatic!

YES!  With so many contesters using K3s, a dirty rig with a lot more
phase noise and clicks really really stands out.like a you know what in
the punch bowl. Far more contesters can squeeze into the same limited
bandwidth when each is only about 350 Hz wide 50 dB down, which is how a
K3 shows up on my P3, as opposed to 3,000 -4,000 Hz wide for rigs that
used to be the contester's standard.

It's important to realize though that a dirty or badly tuned power amp,
or overdriving an amp and using ALC to control the amplifier's power
output is also a great recipe for a dirty signal. A recent discussion on
the Amps email reflector pointed to a tutorial by W8JI on the topic of
how to tune an amplifier. http://www.w8ji.com/loading_amplifier.htm  He
ought to know -- he's designed a lot of popular power amplifiers for
companies in OH and MS.

One thing that Tom observes as a weakness of many rigs is that when run
at less than full power their own internal ALC system causes them to put
out a spike of full power, which overdrives the amp and generates trash.
He recommends running the rig at full power, with a resistive attenuator
between the rig and the amp.  This is NOT needed with a K3, because the
K3 does not generate that power spike.  But Tom's tuning instructions
ought to be recommended reading for anyone with a tunable power amp.

73, Jim K9YC


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