[Elecraft] K3 noise reduction vs. Clear Speech speaker

[Jim Miller]

Maybe what we need here is a tutorial on the K3 Noise Reduction.

I am very new at this as I have only had my K3 for a few hours online and
there are a lot of settings for the noise reduction and noise blanker.  I,
at least, am confused as to a starting point and what might work best on
what types of noise.

Is there a tutorial or explanation online/available?

73, Jim

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Dave Martin" <w5deltahotelmike at gmail.com>
To: "elecraft" <elecraft at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Saturday, August 23, 2008 7:54 AM
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 noise reduction vs. Clear Speech speaker


> > Somebody recently was asking if anyone has compared K3 NR with external
NR
> > systems. I just did, again.
> >
> > With my old analog rig, I used a Clear Speech speaker (it has built-in
> > digital NR). It is VERY effective at reducing any sound that is steady
for
> > more than about 1/2 second, like stable QRN, and even pretty good with
less
> > stable QRN. It introduces very little distortion to the signal. Really
an
> > excellent product. It has since evolved into another company's product,
but
> > I'm not sure which one.
> >
> > When I got the K3, I tried the Clear Speech and found it redundant with
the
> > NR in the K3, so I retired it and went stereo.
> >
> > Then, NR seemed to improve considerably somewhere around FW 1.88. I
thought
> > I'd never use the Clear Speech again with the K3.
> >
> > Changes again ocurred in the NR with subsequent FW versions. I'm not so
> > happy with it. Even on low settings, it seems overly agressive. There is
no
> > setting, even 1-1, that does not unpleasantly distort the audio and make
the
> > volume unstable.
> >
> > So I dusted off the Clear Speech guess what? It now works better for
> > reducing steady QRN than the K3. By "better", I mean I it pleases me
enough
> > to want to use it. I have nearly given up on using the NR after upgrades
of
> > the past 2 months or so. I think it got better, then worse.
> >
> > All it needs to do on low settings is cancel out any sound that's
steady.
> > That was done nicely with a $120 product in the 90's. What's up,
Elecraft?
> >
> > Windy KM5Q
> > Santa Fe, NM
> > K3 #764
> >
> >
> I was the one asking for a comparison, and I received two replies,
> each one saying that the external speaker (two different brands) they
> were using was an improvement over the K3's noise reduction.  I
> ordered one, and sure enough, it's better.  It seems that any NR
> system is far from perfect however.  But now my external NR gives me
> some relief from the constant grind I have.  I had quit using the K3's
> NR not only because it wasn't helping on SSB, but also because if I
> had been using it, the AF gain had to be set so high that the next
> time I powered up the radio I was blasted out of my chair because it
> powers up with NR off, even if it was on before.  So I'll use the
> outboard NR until the K3's NR becomes satisfactory for me.  If it ever
> does, I'll offer my NR speaker to some unfortunate OM with a lesser
> radio.
>
> Dave  W5DHM
> Goshen, Indiana
> _______________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Post to: Elecraft at mailman.qth.net
> You must be a subscriber to post to the list.
> Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.):
>  http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
>
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm
> Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
>