Bill,
I am aware that the KX3 has dual watch. It's like having a second
receiver but limited in frequency excursion. I also have a Tentec Orion
II which does have a second receiver.
Here's what I've sort of discovered. I came to find that I could
zoom the spectrum to blow it up around the pile up. I could see who the
DX station was working. I leave my receiver on the DX station, and use
VFO B to move my transmit frequency to the station he is working. When
he, the DX station, sends TU or QRZ, I drop my call in. Remember the DX
station's receiver is still tuned to his last contact. If it turns out
that I've walked into a really nasty pile up, like on a really rare one
or DXpedition, I find out how he is operating. He probably is working
split and is going a bit up and then down, 1-5 KHz up from his
transmitting frequency. I can find a hole in the pile up and wait. With
a second receiver, you'll need to tune to find a hole and you may not be
sure what is happening. I can see faster than I can tune. When I figured
this out, I no longer used a second receiver or dual watch, and my
success rate went up.
My take on the need to have a second receiver is it's very useful
contesting by the really good/high scoring operators; I am no where
being in that group called good contesters. These operator hang out on a
single frequency and call CQ; you hear these guys in all the big
contests. They will tune around with their second receiver, OR, put the
#2 receiver on another band to see if it's hot so that they can time a
switch. With my little antenna farm, it really isn't realistic to
expect that I could hold a frequency, so running isn't going to be in my
future. But I sure can search and pounce, and using a spectrum display
does allow me to maximize my QSO rate and break pile ups.
73,
Barry
K3NDM
------ Original Message ------
From: "Bill Frantz" <[email protected]>
To: "Elecraft List" <[email protected]>
Cc: "Enzo Adrian-Reyes" <[email protected]>; "Barry LaZar"
<[email protected]>
Sent: 6/20/2016 10:10:29 PM
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Base Station
While I agree about the usefulness of a spectrum display we should note
that the KX3 has Dual Watch which permits listening to the pileup with
one ear while listening to the DX with the other. I covers most of the
issues in working pileups.
I do remember one of the W1AW/P operators, wanting to work EU only,
transmitting on the US SSB subband, but listening down in the CW band.
That strategy made it illegal for US stations to call him. I also made
his split too wide for the KX3 dual watch. But these kinds of
situations are really very very rare.
73 Bill AE6JV
On 6/20/16 at 4:43 PM, [email protected] (Barry LaZar) wrote:
Bottom line in my opinion is the KX3 addresses more issues than any
other radio I know. It doesn't have a second receiver, but I believe
using a spectrum display is better for many things.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Bill Frantz | I like the farmers' market | Periwinkle
(408)356-8506 | because I can get fruits and | 16345 Englewood Ave
www.pwpconsult.com | vegetables without stickers. | Los Gatos, CA 95032
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