This statement (If you run RF GAIN wide open the receiver will sound noisy and you are limiting your dynamic range) is only true for the bands where the band noise is high, but on the higher bands (eg 6m), the band noise is only a little higher than the receiver noise (and maybe not at all if you don't have an external preamp).
And on my K3 (as reported previously with f/w 3.63) backing off the rf gain *reduces* the S/N because the front end noise no longer overcomes the IF/AF noise. There's lots of noise generated in the later stages of the rx, which can still be heard with the rf gain backed off. This does not appear to be a function of the AGC settings. This is a major irritation that has only surfaced with recent firmware changes - the problem wasn't there in f/w 3.27. Other receivers I've used keep the S/N constant with the rf gain backed off presumably because they are reducing the IF gain further back in the rx. And let's be clear I'm NOT talking about 160 or 80m where the band noise may be many dB above the receiver front end noise. Graham ------------------------------- Previous comments include:- > If you run RF GAIN wide open the receiver will sound noisy and you are limiting your dynamic range. and >I find it hard to believe that the K3 receiver is actually noisy, in the sense that it is generating noise internally that makes it harder to hear weak signals compared to another RX. Those MDS figures can't lie, surely? ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[email protected] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
