[Elecraft] Rob Sherwood's K3 test data -- quick summary

[Ian White GM3SEK]

Wayne Burdick wrote:
>Rob Sherwood, NC0B, an independent and well-known receiver performance 
>specialist, has completed his K3 receiver tests. We're pleased with the 
>results, which will place the K3 at the top of his comparison chart.
>
>Rob will be updating his web site in a few days. For now, I'll just 
>mention a couple of his numbers (with his permission).
>
>Elecraft K3, S/N 00149, 20 meters, preamp off:       
>
>  Dynamic Range 20 kHz          104 dB
>  Dynamic Range 5 kHz           102 
>  Dynamic Range 2 kHz           101*
>
>* with 200 Hz 5-pole filter
>
>  Blocking above noise floor at 100 kHz spacing, AGC On:  140 dB
>  Phase noise (normalized) at 10 kHz spacing:  138 dBc/Hz
>
>Rob performs some tests differently that we (and the ARRL) do, but in 
>general we're all in close agreement. Note that the unit under test had 
>only Elecraft 5-pole filters. Our tests show the 8-pole filters to be 
>as good or better, and we sent some of them to Rob to test when he gets 
>a chance.

Very good!

Did Rob comment on pops and transients generated in the AGC and DSP?

That was  the subject of his presentation at Dayton 2007, where he gave 
many examples to show that "New IF DSP designs [can] seriously 
exaggerate transient noise on weak signals... Some DSP radios make QRN 
much worse."
http://www.sherweng.com/documents/Dayton2007w.pdf

He also said, "I can’t wait to listen to the K3 to see if they got it 
right." And...?


-- 

73 from Ian GM3SEK