[Elecraft] Re: K3 - Which filters to get?

[ab7r at cablespeed.com]

The filters are working great!  After receiving my beta rig I did alot of listening 
during the first contest I could find.  Hearing weak CW sigs with nearby sigs at 
+30 and +40 2 kHz away was no problem...even with closer spacing there was no 
problem.

I presently have 400 Hz, 1.0 kHz, 2.8 kHz and a 6 kHz.  I will also have a 200 Hz 
filter installed which will be great for CW and digital modes.  What I really like 
is being able to only turn on the filters for a particular mode that I want to 
use.  Its easy to setup....so I activate the 1 kHz and 400 Hz filters for CW and 
DATA modes and the 2.8 and 6 kHz for SSB.  When adjusting the WIDTH control, the 
active roofing filters will will automaticlly be selected as soon as you cross its 
threshsold.  So if I am on CW and listening with a wide BW...say 800 Hz, the 1kHz 
will be in line.  Rotating the knob down to 400 Hz or below will switch to the 400 
Hz filter.  No need to do anything else.  But..if you want, you CAN manually select 
another filter and the DSP BW will normalize to match that BW.

Another neat filtering option is the I/II toggle.  I keep a filter profile set up 
as wide in the I bank and narrow in the II bank.  So instead of having to make 
manual adjustments, I can just use that HOLD feature to toggle between the two 
setting.

For casual operating.....you "can" suffice with the supplied 2.7 kHz filter and use 
the DSP for the final BW.  But you are not going to get the most out of the K3's 
capabilities by doing so.  

Look...you're getting a top of the line receiever here.  And if you are getting 
one, I suspect at SOME time you will dabble in at least a contest or two or some 
DXing....even with casual operating you are at times going to come up against some 
strong nearby signals.  You WILL want the tools available to deal with them 
effectively.  If you work CW....I really recommend at least the 400 or 500 Hz 
filter options.  If you are doing allot of contesting...get one even narrower...and 
it will suit your digital mode needs as well.



-------------------------
73,
Greg - AB7R
Whidbey Island WA
NA-065

On Thu Jul 19  7:57 , "Franki ON5ZO"  sent:

>> If I was into DX or contests on CW, I would likely get
>> a narrow CW filter, but I am not so I did not.
>> I suspect the K3 will work better than any other radio
>> with just the 2.7kc filter.
>
>I was just about to post a question regarding filters yesterday. Then this 
>thread popped up. Which filters I'll be needing (80% CW contesting, 10% 
>other contesting, 10% DX)? Still: no one answered it exactly up to now.
>I currently use 2 TS-850's in SO2R with 270Hz CW filter. I always listen 
>narrow (don't have the 500Hz filter) and use RIT. Would a 250 Hz / 8 pole 
>filter do the trick for me? And / or a 5 pole 500Hz?
>And what with SSB? Those 10% include major SSB contests. 40m SSB from here 
>is... mayhem!
>PSE advice?
>
>In the FAQ, I read that DSP would 'auto track' the right filter. Does that 
>mean that you'd never be switching filters by hand? I'd like that. I almost 
>never have to touch my TS-850 except the VFO dial.
>
>> Then there are the variable filters coming out in the future,
>
>PSE define 'variable filters'?
>
>Well, apart from the filters my wish list has almost become an order form 
>;o)
>
>73 de Franki ON5ZO / OQ5M 
>
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