Hi all,
I have been following this thread with interest. My experience is that my
K3 seems noisy at home where my ambient RF noise floor can be anything up to
s9 at times with the amount of RF producing electrical junk all around me.
However, when I use it at a 'quiet' location such as our
Ian,
You are quite correct - the K3 does have a LOT of gain. It is capable
of bringing the level of even a small amount of band noise up to a large
amount of audio output.
While AGC *can* accomplish that task, it will not be active when there
are pauses in the speech or between CW
Well something isn´t right or different from other radios.
There are radios with lower MDS that sounds much quieter then
the K3.
Here we have proposals to turn of preamp and make MDS even
higher. Not logical and state of the art to me.
So again, I know there are receivers with lower MDS then the
-Original Message-
From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net
[mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Jan Erik Holm
Sent: Saturday, December 19, 2009 10:12 AM
Cc: Elecraft List
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Noisy K3 receiver
Well something isn´t right or different from other radios
Dear Bryan,
As you say, you're not playing with the settings of the K3, you really
must try !
K3 is a Piston Cup winner car compared to a standard limousine.
You have the full choice to adapt all parameters to your own perception
and frankly speaking as I have been owner or tester for most of the
I completely agree and it was the same revelation for me when I first
switched on my K2 on 80m sat next to a FT1k at G6MC contest station: simply
astonishing.
David
G3UNA
I've read all the posts in this thread and have to say ... I just don't
get
it. What noise?! If anything my two
...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of sr...@swbell.net
Sent: Friday, December 18, 2009 1:41 AM
To: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Noisy K3 receiver
You guys may be exceptions to the rule. The # of complaints seem to
far outweigh what you two guys are saying. I'm not saying you
If you routinely and mechanically turn RF Gain to maximum with PRE on,
thinking that's the way to get maximum sensitivity and work dx (it isn't),
your K3 is going to sound noisy with noise rushing up and down with AGC
action. The easiest solution to this dilemna is simply to turn down the
value
Well... if the noisy rx is just way too much to handle... too much to suffer
with...
I could be convinced to help you out... by paying the shipping to get it from
there to here.
Just to help you out you see. Look at all the advantages..
You would be free to find a lot less noise no
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Noisy K3 receiver
Stan,
Those who are complaining are the exceptions to the rule.
There are thousands of K3 users that are not complaining. There are a few,
very vocal complainers here.
73,
Bob W5OV
(with no complaints)
-Original Message-
From: elecraft-boun
:
From: Barry N1EU barry.n...@gmail.com
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Noisy K3 receiver
To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net
Date: Friday, December 18, 2009, 12:08 PM
If you routinely and mechanically turn RF Gain to maximum with PRE on,
thinking that's the way to get maximum sensitivity and work dx (it isn't
Bill W4ZV wrote:
Ralph Parker wrote:
I'm used to leaving the RF gain wide open on the MkV, leaving the audio
gain pretty much alone, and maybe switching between SLOW and FAST
occasionally. I don't seem to have any trouble hearing the weak ones
under
the strong ones.
Now I have to
Bill W4ZV wrote:
4. Now adjust the RF GAIN knob counterclockwise until the antenna noise
on the meter just stops flickering on the meter. This will be familiar to
OTs since this is the way we set RF GAIN many years ago on analog radios.
Someone just questioned this step. I didn't
The more you turn RF GAIN back, the higher the S-Meter will read.
Well, that's the way it should work, but I can assure you that with my K3 with
the factory default RF Gain calibration, turning the control counterclockwise
from max would cause the S-meter to increase at first, then *decrease*
[mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Wes Stewart
Sent: Friday, December 18, 2009 11:10 AM
To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Noisy K3 receiver
The more you turn RF GAIN back, the higher the S-Meter will read.
Well, that's the way it should work, but I can
Bill has linked to and quoted Eric's paper
(http://wiki.contesting.com/index.php/Setting_receiver_gain_controls) which
quite frankly seems way too complicated to me. IMHO, a modern DSP,
microprocessor-controlled receiver should figure all of this stuff out
automatically and do it for me.
Don't get me wrong guys, but this thread reminds me more and more to the
endless split discussion...
73 de Roland, DC1RS
-
K3/100 #1243, KFL3A-2.8K, KFL3A-2.1K, KFL3A-400, KRX3, KFL3A-2.8K, KFL3A-400,
KAT3, KXV3A
--
View this message in context:
Wow. Sounds like as much fun as a cell phone. No thanks.
No DSP is ever going to match my preferences AND your preferences AND
everyone else's preferences. Heck, we can't even agree on what
proper AGC is, so Elecraft has given us the controls to set as we
see fit.
Different strokes for
This is out of hand.
All I have to say is,
Folks, THAT'S WHY THERE ARE MENUS!!!
Not everyone likes the same thing!!
Now tuning on my mail filter to reject anything with NOISE or noisy in
the subject!
That's all I can do, No AGC, PRE or ATT on my email.
de K2GN/Larry
K3 - S/N 3278
To answer the question of whether the K3 is too noisy - does it have
internal noise that limits its performance, I performed a simple test by
turning off the agc and comparing the unclipped audio output level with
a 50 ohm resistor connected to ANT2 and my multiband vertical dipole on
ANT1; on
: Re: [Elecraft] Noisy K3 receiver
This is out of hand.
All I have to say is,
Folks, THAT'S WHY THERE ARE MENUS!!!
Not everyone likes the same thing!!
Now tuning on my mail filter to reject anything with NOISE or noisy in
the subject!
That's all I can do, No AGC, PRE or ATT on my email.
de K2GN
Let me throw in a penny please.
Just for comparison:
FT1kMP : all controls full gain (except AF of course), antenna connected.
Then disconnect antenna and listen: nearly no audio, only the receiver
noise.
K3: do the same. Difference is that when I disconnect the antenna, the noise
coming from
You're right, Larry! Maybe it's time for Lyle to end this thread? I'm sick an
tired of all this noise!
I had an FT-1000MP (very nice rig) until recently, comparing the two rigs
side by side for over a year, with a coax relay for a quick switchover. Then
I sold the FT1K and kept the K3.
Enough
I agree with Jack's remark below. I especially appreciate Bill Tippett
(W4ZV) sharing his operating tips with the group, and have printed his
recent messages (as well as the referenced info from K3NA) and
enclosed them in my K3 operating manual for future reference.
73,
Chuck NI0C
K2-10 s/n
I would be interested to know how you arrive at that conclusion.
My perception is a LOT of people have posted genuine concerns about
noisy K3 receiver.
I will add my voice to those that find the K3 noisy receiver very
disturbing.
I am a casual user I rarely diddle with settings beyond the
I believe there may be a hardware variation component to this. At least,
my main RX and my sub-RX sound like two different radios (S/N #1595).
In summary: the main RX sounds near-perfect. On the other hand, the
sub-RX has audio hiss above the DSP bandpass at high AF gain settings,
and what
If the suggestions to learn how to use the AGC and Gain settings are
vague, that's probably because there are a lot of settings (some of
which intereact with each other) and because clearly everyone has
differing ideas on what they want to hear anyway.
However, if the help you've received
I agree also, although not a new owner, and one having the noise I try
all the settings recommended and ideas, I have several other radios to
compare to and using S meters is a poor way to compare, all I can say
is my K3 has more internal gain and noise than any other radio I have,
that includes
You clearly don't understand how AGC and gain distribution in a rig work
if you really believe that automatic settings would properly cover
everything from ragchewing to contesting to weak signal DXing, all under
various types of noise. The strength of the K3 is it's adaptability to
On Fri, Dec 18, 2009 at 11:09 AM, Wes Stewart [via Elecraft]
ml-node+4187383-231954...@n2.nabble.comml-node%2b4187383-231954...@n2.nabble.com
wrote:
The more you turn RF GAIN back, the higher the S-Meter will read.
Well, that's the way it should work, but I can assure you that with my K3
Thanks for your vote of confidence.
Since this is a public forum, it's the holiday season and I'm feeling generous,
I'm going to give you a pass.
--- On Fri, 12/18/09, David Gilbert xda...@cis-broadband.com wrote:
You clearly don't understand how AGC and gain distribution in a rig
work if
n...@yahoo.com
To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net
Sent: Friday, December 18, 2009 4:09 PM
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Noisy K3 receiver
The more you turn RF GAIN back, the higher the S-Meter will read.
Well, that's the way it should work, but I can assure you that with my K3
with the factory default RF
Graham Kimbell (G3TCT) wrote:
At others' suggestions, I have also experimented with AGC parameters. I
found that the rx sounded better with AGC THR=2 (the minimum), but it
could
do with being even lower. (I mean a lower number).
This is an excellent suggestion for all having the noise
Arie,
As Wayne explained, the K3 has plenty of audio gain, and yes, the audio
gain can be advanced sufficiently to hear the internal receiver noise,
and even hear it as a mild 'roaring' noise.
Gains 'all to the right' is not a good way to compare two receivers -
ideally one would have to
Don all,
I was also besieged with noise. I changed my settings which I acquired, not
sure because the memory is failing :-), and tried your minimum settings...
my GOSH, a whole new world. I will test further, but so far on a very
noisey 75, the radio quited right down. We forget about all
Graham, Wes,
If I have no input signal, my S-meter behaves as normally expected
(S-meter increases with reduced RF Gain), BUT if I am receiving an S-9
signal AND my S-meter is in ABS mode, the behavior is similar to that
which you described.
73,
Don W3FPR
Graham Kimbell (G3TCT) wrote:
Wes,
Yes, AGC can do that. At all settings the AGC will do its job, but if
the settings are agressive, when there is no strong signal, the receiver
goes to full gain and any noise becomes loud - the K3 will try to make
the noise as loud as the signal you were previously listening to.
I personally
Bill,
My experience is the other way 'round - a low threshold makes the AGC
active on a weaker signal, and in the extreme the AGC can be activated
on antenna noise, and can mask weak signals. Used intelligently with
careful operation of the ATT and RF Gain, this would not be a problem
(your
Wes Stewart, N7WS, wrote on Friday December 18, 2009 at 4:43 PM:
snip
We have DXpeditions operating on some chunk of coral that are running
wireless networks between stations and uploading their logbooks in near
real-time to the Internet via satellite yet their operators are still
I concur completely.
Regards,
Wes
--- On Fri, 12/18/09, Geoffrey Mackenzie-Kennedy gm4...@btinternet.com wrote:
From: Geoffrey Mackenzie-Kennedy gm4...@btinternet.com
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Noisy K3 receiver
To: Wes Stewart n...@yahoo.com
Cc: Elecraft Discussion List elecraft
Disclaimer:
I admit that I'm a crochety old-timer, 55 years on the air on this coming
Friday, and have had many receivers/transcievers on the desk. I operate a
lot of contests, mostly CW. I spent 45 years recording sound, and think I
have a pretty good ear. I agree that the K3 has many fine
Ralph Parker wrote:
I'm used to leaving the RF gain wide open on the MkV, leaving the audio
gain pretty much alone, and maybe switching between SLOW and FAST
occasionally. I don't seem to have any trouble hearing the weak ones under
the strong ones.
Now I have to fiddle with the RF gain
I've had #1823 for just over a year, and I still don't like
the sound of the receiver. That's the reason the K3 sat in a
box for months while my trusty FT-1000mkV sat on the
operating desk (until the MkV went on strike in the middle of
the SS CW :-(
I've read all the posts in this thread
...@carolina.rr.com
- Original Message -
From: Ed Muns w...@msn.com
To: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net
Sent: Friday, December 18, 2009 12:03 AM
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Noisy K3 receiver
I've had #1823 for just over a year, and I still don't like
the sound of the receiver. That's the reason
: [Elecraft] Noisy K3 receiver
Ed
I agree. I have no idea what these people are talking about.
I've had a lot of radios. My last was the IC-7800 which sat beside the K3
for a month until I sold it. I can't imagine what this noise is that people
think they hear. Perhaps a .wav file from someone would
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