[Elecraft] Receivers

[k6se@juno.com]

Jerry O'Dell wrote
:
"Without lab equipment, you simply can say such things."
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My tests were not with any lab equipment, but with actual on-air weak
signals.  I feel that such testing is as worthwhile as lab testing.

Except for the FT-1000MP (and now the K2), the other rigs used in the
test were borrowed (I'm not a millionaire, either).
==========

"In most places, antenna noise dominates on HF below about 20 MHz or so."
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I assume you mean "band" noise rather than "antenna" noise.  It's true
that band noise is a major factor on the lower amateur frequency bands,
however this is combatted on CW by using the narrowest filter bandwidth
you can get plus any additional audio or DSP filtering the receiver might
have.  It's a well-known fact that S/N ratio improves as the bandwidth
becomes more narrow.  On SSB this is also true, but the narrowest BW you
can use in that mode is about 1800 Hz.  On CW you can go down to less
than 50 Hz.

On receiving weak CW signals, the K2 shines even more on 10 meters where
there's much less band noise, but decreasing the BW there still has a
very significant effect on the S/N ratio.

A ragchewer could care less and doesn't need a super receiver I suppose,
but DXers are always trying to dig those weak ones out of the noise.

73, de Earl, K6SE