OT: Orion AGC OFF (was "learn by doing")

[DOUGLAS ZWIEBEL]

Someone (I really am not going to search through to see "who") said
that when the Orion AGC was in the "off"position, that it kept the
same "volume" or something like that.

This struck a chord with me...I thought that I remembered that AGC
"OFF" in the Orion was not really AGC off.  Sure enough!  See these
two posts from 2004 (one by K3 owner and enthusiast, contester
extraordinaire, and Novice DXCC #1 owner [I think], W4ZV).

http://lists.contesting.com/archives//html/TenTec/2004-02/msg00166.html

http://lists.contesting.com/archives//html/TenTec/2004-02/msg00169.html

When the AGC is really off, be prepared for high output audio blasts
(except maybe with the new Elecraft limit function).

de Doug KR2Q
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[Bill W4ZV]

DOUGLAS ZWIEBEL wrote

Someone (I really am not going to search through to see "who") said
that when the Orion AGC was in the "off"position, that it kept the
same "volume" or something like that.

This struck a chord with me...I thought that I remembered that AGC
"OFF" in the Orion was not really AGC off.  Sure enough!  See these
two posts from 2004 (one by K3 owner and enthusiast, contester
extraordinaire, and Novice DXCC #1 owner [I think], W4ZV).

http://lists.contesting.com/archives//html/TenTec/2004-02/msg00166.html

http://lists.contesting.com/archives//html/TenTec/2004-02/msg00169.html

When the AGC is really off, be prepared for high output audio blasts
(except maybe with the new Elecraft limit function).

Correct on all counts.  Orion's AGC is never truly Off.  Although the K3 has very similar hardware architecture to Orion, Lyle is doing something very different in his DSP code.  I've asked him several times exactly how he achieves "Off" but he never responds, so I take it there must be something proprietary about it.  I like the K3 implementation of AGC much better than Orion.  I was always twiddling my Orion's AGC but just find I just set the K3 and never need to twiddle it (not **once** in 1651 QSOs on 160 this weekend with signals varying from S9+40 to noise floor).

You're correct about the Novice DXCC also.  For a trip down memory lane, there are a bunch of neat Novice stories on www.novice.bappy.com.  Here's mine:

http://www.novice.bappy.com/about_21.html

73,  Bill

[Bill W4ZV]

Bill W4ZV wrote

I was always twiddling my Orion's AGC but just find I just set the K3 and never need to twiddle it (not **once** in 1651 QSOs on 160 this weekend with signals varying from S9+40 to noise floor).

It suddenly dawned on me why small size may not be an ergonomic problem for me with the K3.  This weekend I set up my K3 and normally only touched the VFO knob.  Occasionally I would adjust WIDTH or SHIFT, but basically the K3 is hands-free once you get it set up correctly.  No need to continually adjust AGC, ATT, RF Gain, etc. as with other rigs.  I remember continually adjusting the FT-1000D's ATT switch last year to reduce IMD products during the CQ 160 from VY2ZM.  Jeff has a huge number of RX antennas with varying gains so I was continually having to compensate for the narrower dynamic range by adjusting ATT when IMD products would appear.

The fatigue factor is much less with the K3 than any other rig I've used because it's more of a set-and-forget rig.

73,  Bill