[Elecraft] K2 has ONLY 80dB of third order dynamic range vs SDR-1000 98dB

[Robert McGwier]

Mark:

As you know I am a big supporter of the SDR-1000, having written much of 
the code that makes it run.  I also own K2 serial number 4201 which I 
built and proudly operate all the time.  For years, there was not a 
receiver that could compare to the Elecraft K2.  It was and in many ways 
still is the "standard to beat".  The debt of gratitude we owe Wayne and 
Eric for doing this project and the many others they have done and are 
doing, is beyond compare.  Elecraft is DIRECTLY responsible in my 
opinion for the levels to which receivers have risen.  Until the 
SDR-1000 with its new front end,  you had to pay thousands to get a 
comparable receiver.   Every single day that I worked on the SDR-1000 
front end refinements,  cajoling,  begging, and FINALLY doing it 
myself,  was directly attributable to the fact that I could not stand 
the front end overload on the SDR-1000 and saw what Elecraft had achieved.

Time and technology marches on.  The Sirenza parts we now use in the 
SDR-1000 did not exist when Eric and Wayne did the engineering.   That 
said, the Elecraft K2 still kicks EVERYONE's behind in the total 
composite noise department because of their foresight in making this 
both a DDS based VFO AND following that DDS based VFO with a PLL to 
clean up the spurs.  In the article you point to, which will be in the 
upcoming QST,   
http://www.flex-radio.com/articles_files/2005-10_QST_Review.pdf,  you 
can the DDS spurs in the "worst case" composite noise picture.  You can 
see that at 60 wpm,  the dits are two entire elements behind the key 
closure.  I could go on, but the facts are, there is much more to 
comparing transceivers and receivers, than just the receiver dynamics 
numbers.  Yes the SDR-1000 has the best close in dynamic range right 
now.  That will fall soon.  The need to pack more transmitters into more 
and more crowded spectrum is driving the manufacturer of higher dynamic 
range and higher "IP2,IP3" and BDR receivers.

I am EXTREMELY proud of the work I have done on the SDR-1000 with AB2KT 
and the folks at Flex.  Frank and I are proud owners and regular users 
of our Elecraft equipment, and we will continue to be. 


73's
Bob
N4HY


Mark Tyler wrote:

>http://www3.qth.com/pipermail/flexradio_flex-radio.biz/2005-September/00
>2299.html
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