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Poor band conditions? Try the SCAN function

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wayne burdick

Poor band conditions? Try the SCAN function

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Here in Northern California, at least at my QTH, the bands seem to be in very poor shape. (It doesn't help that my OCF dipole has one leg on the ground due to high winds.)

At times like this, the SCAN function available on most Elecraft transceivers can help you find signals you might otherwise miss. SCAN does the work for you while you check your email, play chess, re-read The Lord of the Rings, shave, etc.

When a signal pops up, scanning stops, and the receiver unmutes briefly so you can consider the signal's worthiness. As you'll discover, bands that were "dead" may not be, in reality. My favorite band for this sort of thing is 15 meters, in the late afternoon. A minute or two after starting a scan, you may hear DX appear from out of nowhere.

For specific instructions for your rig, check the table of contents in the owner's manual.

Here a few general tips:

- use a narrow filter passband when possible, especially if the band is noisy

- the tuning RATE in effect when scan starts determines how long it takes
to scan the selected segment; finer-tuning slows things down, and may result
in detection of weaker signals

- if the band is noisy (QRN), the SCAN function may unmute too frequently; try
using the noise blanker

73,
Wayne
N6KR

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Rose

Re: Poor band conditions? Try the SCAN function

There was a large solar "event" a few days ago. (;-(

73

K0PP
On Apr 24, 2016 6:44 PM, "Wayne Burdick" <[hidden email]> wrote:

> Here in Northern California, at least at my QTH, the bands seem to be in
> very poor shape. (It doesn't help that my OCF dipole has one leg on the
> ground due to high winds.)
>
> At times like this, the SCAN function available on most Elecraft
> transceivers can help you find signals you might otherwise miss. SCAN does
> the work for you while you check your email, play chess, re-read The Lord
> of the Rings, shave, etc.
>
> When a signal pops up, scanning stops, and the receiver unmutes briefly so
> you can consider the signal's worthiness. As you'll discover, bands that
> were "dead" may not be, in reality. My favorite band for this sort of thing
> is 15 meters, in the late afternoon. A minute or two after starting a scan,
> you may hear DX appear from out of nowhere.
>
> For specific instructions for your rig, check the table of contents in the
> owner's manual.
>
> Here a few general tips:
>
> - use a narrow filter passband when possible, especially if the band is
> noisy
>
> - the tuning RATE in effect when scan starts determines how long it takes
> to scan the selected segment; finer-tuning slows things down, and may
> result
> in detection of weaker signals
>
> - if the band is noisy (QRN), the SCAN function may unmute too frequently;
> try
> using the noise blanker
>
> 73,
> Wayne
> N6KR
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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]
>

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Gary Smith-2

Re: Poor band conditions? Try the SCAN function

In reply to this post by wayne burdick

The bands have indeed been in lousy shape lately; There was a SP RTTY
contest on this weekend and I made two QSOs on 21 MHz, zero on 28 MHz
and around 130 of them on 20M & 40M. Only three Q's on 80M. The bands
were just lousy.

While the bands just aren't good at all right now, thanks for the
reminder of that excellent "search" feature. Thanks to the beauty of
the P3, I use that to find where there's "life" on the bands but sans
P3, the search is golden.

73,

Gary
KA1J

> Here in Northern California, at least at my QTH, the bands seem to be in very poor shape. (It doesn't help that my OCF dipole has one leg on the ground due to high winds.)
>
> At times like this, the SCAN function available on most Elecraft transceivers can help you find signals you might otherwise miss. SCAN does the work for you while you check your email, play chess, re-read The Lord of the Rings, shave, etc.
>
> When a signal pops up, scanning stops, and the receiver unmutes briefly so you can consider the signal's worthiness. As you'll discover, bands that were "dead" may not be, in reality. My favorite band for this sort of thing is 15 meters, in the late afternoon. A minute or two after starting a scan, you may hear DX appear from out of nowhere.
>
> For specific instructions for your rig, check the table of contents in the owner's manual.
>
> Here a few general tips:
>
> - use a narrow filter passband when possible, especially if the band is noisy
>
> - the tuning RATE in effect when scan starts determines how long it takes
> to scan the selected segment; finer-tuning slows things down, and may result
> in detection of weaker signals
>
> - if the band is noisy (QRN), the SCAN function may unmute too frequently; try
> using the noise blanker
>
> 73,
> Wayne
> N6KR
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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]
>

lstavenhagen

Re: Poor band conditions? Try the SCAN function

In reply to this post by Rose

Yes, I use the scan function on both my K2's and my K3 and K3S. Next best thing to a panadapter available.

One thing I have noticed about it on my K2 (and probably the K3 also), is it has two lengths of pauses - one which is just a few seconds and another about 30 secs or so. But which length of pause it uses on what type of signal it stops on seems a bit random. Sometimes it'll open up and pause on an actual CW signal for the short pause, but then the long 30 sec. pause on a continuous noise source. And sometimes the reverse.

Not a complaint, though I wonder if there's a way to specify a pause time somewhere. forgive me if that's in the manual somewhere already...

And yes the bands have been nearly dead lately. Practically nothing on 20M and up today, tho lots of stateside sigs on 30 and 40M....

DM

wayne burdick

Re: Poor band conditions? Try the SCAN function

Administrator

On Apr 24, 2016, at 8:42 PM, lstavenhagen <[hidden email]> wrote:

> Yes, I use the scan function on both my K2's and my K3 and K3S. Next best
> thing to a panadapter available.
>
> One thing I have noticed about it on my K2 (and probably the K3 also), is it
> has two lengths of pauses - one which is just a few seconds and another
> about 30 secs or so. But which length of pause it uses on what type of
> signal it stops on seems a bit random. Sometimes it'll open up and pause on
> an actual CW signal for the short pause, but then the long 30 sec. pause on
> a continuous noise source. And sometimes the reverse.

I'll have a look at this when I get a chance.

tnx
Wayne
N6KR

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Drew AF2Z

Re: Poor band conditions? Try the SCAN function

In reply to this post by lstavenhagen

I also have often thought that a user settable pause time would be most
useful. I usually scan when I'm doing other things around the shack (or
in another room), not sitting right in front of the rig watching the scan.

73,
Drew
AF2Z

On 04/24/16 23:42, lstavenhagen wrote:

> Yes, I use the scan function on both my K2's and my K3 and K3S. Next best
> thing to a panadapter available.
>
> One thing I have noticed about it on my K2 (and probably the K3 also), is it
> has two lengths of pauses - one which is just a few seconds and another
> about 30 secs or so. But which length of pause it uses on what type of
> signal it stops on seems a bit random. Sometimes it'll open up and pause on
> an actual CW signal for the short pause, but then the long 30 sec. pause on
> a continuous noise source. And sometimes the reverse.
>
> Not a complaint, though I wonder if there's a way to specify a pause time
> somewhere. forgive me if that's in the manual somewhere already...
>
> And yes the bands have been nearly dead lately. Practically nothing on 20M
> and up today, tho lots of stateside sigs on 30 and 40M....
>
> DM
>
>
>
> --
> View this message in context: http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/Poor-band-conditions-Try-the-SCAN-function-tp7616635p7616639.html
> Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
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> Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>
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> Message delivered to [hidden email]
>

Drew AF2Z

Re: Poor band conditions? Try the SCAN function

In reply to this post by wayne burdick

From time to time I set up a wireless intercom/camera ("baby cam") in
front of the K3 while scanning. Then I can monitor the action remotely
down in the workshop or while working out, fixing dinner, etc. (Now, if
I only had a wireless remote control to fully operate the K3's receiver...)

73,
Drew
AF2Z

On 04/24/16 20:42, Wayne Burdick wrote: