[Elecraft] Re: KX1 and your favorite SWL band segments

[Morrow, Michael A.]

Wayne Burdick wrote:

> ...we'd like to include some information in the KX1 manual
> about where the "action" is within the covered tuning ranges.
> ...What SWL segments near these three ham bands are the richest
> lode of interesting broadcasts? What stations do you listen to
> most often?

I listen most often to US Armed Forces Network shortwave broadcasts,
whose SW frequencies (they change periodically) can be found at:

http://myafn.dodmedia.osd.mil/radio/shortwave/ .

Currently the strongest transmitters heard in the southeast US are
on 5446.5, 7507, and 12133.5 kHz.  Occasionally some of the other
frequencies may be heard, such as 13855 kHz.

But...these broadcasts are all on USB, so that introduces a problem
unless the frequency is being tuned in from the 20m band of the KX1.

Also, CHU Canadian time signals on 7335 and 14670 kHz are broadcast
on carrier-inserted USB, and almost all outside ham band voice
communications (military, aviation, marine, SHARES, most MARS, etc.)
are USB.

As an aside, the KX1 product brochure should explicitly state that
the receiver sideband mode depends on which band is selected, as
determined by whether local oscillator injection is above or below
the received carrier frequency.  The brochure needs to list the
sideband received on each band (40, 30, 20 meters).  One could
erroneously mis-interpret the current brochure as implying 
selectable sideband.

Presumably, the user won't be bothered by the fact that tuning
upward in frequency on a band using LSB mode will result in an
rising pitch in signal audio, while the reverse will be true
on a band that uses USB mode.

Looks like a great little rig.  I'll put one on my list of "to
be acquired" items.  The main thing about the KX1 that I like
over my K1 is the stability of the DDS.  I know there are
theoretical concerns about using a DDS without PLL to generate
the receiver local oscillator, but I've never observed any
practical problem to that approach in the three DSW mono-band
units I have.

73,
Mike / KK5F