[Elecraft] Fw: K2 Trouble / Problem

[Bob Tellefsen]

Hello Brian
I hope you see this post.

The problem of noise blankers is that they are not a cure-all or
silver bullet.  They are designed to work on certain kinds of
noise, particularly pulse types that are similar to ignition noise.

There are a lot of other noises out there that drive us crazy, but
are not proper targets for a blanker.  These are the more grinding,
nearly white noise types of problem.

When faced with the type of noise it is designed for, the K2 noise
blanker works very well.  You are more likely to find that kind
of noise in a mobile environment, or a home station with antennas
rather close to the street.

The white-noise-like QRN is more readily addressed by DSP noise
reducers.  Like everything in life, there are tradeoffs.  Maximum noise
reduction is often accompanied by reduced audio or even a form of
digital distortion.  The trick is to find the settings that represent the
best tradeoff in your particular situation.  Your noise won't be just like
my noise, so there is no reason to expect my settings to work satisfactorily
in your situation, and vice versa.

Setting the DSP is not tricky, but it is time consuming.  This is what makes
it so effective, though, the ability to be optimized for your particular
situation.  A one-size-fits-all solution fits all equally poorly.

I hope this gives you food for thought, Brian.
Good luck and 73
Bob N6WG