[Elecraft] ESSB Works Well

[Ron D'Eau Claire]

I am very curious about this ESSB mode....I am getting my K3 in a few weeks,
and 
wonder what it sounds like with a normal SSB receiver using something like
2.8 KHz 
filter.  Does it sound better/worse/distorted?  Or can you hear no
difference unless 
you have a wider receive filter?  Since most people just have standard SSB
filters, I 
am curious to know if you can use the mode with others, or only with
ESSB-equipped 
stations.  TNX and VY 73, Lance

-- 
Lance Collister, W7GJ (ex: WN3GPL, WA3GPL, WA1JXN, WA1JXN/C6A, ZF2OC/ZF8)
P.O. Box 73 Frenchtown, MT  59834  USA
-------------------------------

On-air testing shows FB reports and frequent enthusiastic responses from
those using "conventional" SSB receivers. 

That seems to be because a significant improvement in high frequency
response clearly helps intelligibility and the "naturalness" of the audio.
It is true that narrower bandwidths have been the standard in communications
for years, but that standard is based on a compromise between minimum
channel width and intelligibility. "Compromise" is the operative word.
There's plenty of evidence that using a little more bandwidth can improve
the quality and intelligibility of speech. 

Ideally, the receiving end should have a filter bandwidth matching the
transmitted signal, but no filter has a "brick wall" cutoff, no matter what
the ads say. So adding some high frequencies out around the high frequency
roll-off point of a normal SSB filter still adds significantly to the high
frequencies heard, even on a non-ESSB receiver. 

The K3 still limits audio below 200-300 Hz at the lower frequency end. That
avoids wasting lots of power in lower audio frequencies, but it does prevent
those who are interested from doing a "big broadcast" voice with lots of
bass pre-emphasis on the ham bands.

The K3's  transmit bandwidth can be controlled so you don't need to greatly
exceed the normal bandwidth transmitting ESSB. When talking to someone using
a conventional SSB receiver, there's probably not much advantage in going
over 3.5 kHz bandwidth - perhaps even less - unless his receiver has a
rather poor filter.

Ron AC7AC