[Elecraft] Subject: "Another Better Mouse-trap?"

[JIM DAVIS]

This idea was put forth by "Don-W6JL" (Fallbrook, CA)!!!

His quote: "  I have tested many "noise blankers" in modern rigs, on the air.  Both the I.F. noise 
gates and the DSP-based “noise reducers”.  Not one works the way I feel it should.  I think you 
need a separate noise receiver, independent of the main receiver, and tuned to a frequency that is 
outside of a ham band.  (There have been excellent homebrew receivers using this approach for 
noise blanking).  This then drives the noise gate, and is timed so that it gates the I.F before 
the noise pulse arrives there.  A good blanker should have 40 dB minimum of noise pulse 
suppression, with adjustable blanking level and widths.  I notice the K3 has these features, but 
it still does not seem to reduce impulse noise more than an S unit or two (6-12 dB), which is 
inadequate.  I do not use blankers here myself; my entire station is homebrew and the receiver is 
a phasing, image cancelling job with no blanking at all, (or AGC for that matter).  I get along 
fine with neither, even in contests."

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Eric-WA6HHQ & Co. + All the loyal "K3ers" WHADDAHYA THINK???

Jim/nn6ee