[Elecraft] K3 receiver desensing on CW during contest

[Gary Smith]

Although my contesting this past weekend was severely interrupted by 
a non-K3 related hardware failure, over the course of the contest I 
did use the K3 throughout all day and night segments on various 
bands.

I did not call CQ except for a very little bit and the majority was 
S&P on all bands except 10M which was for me, dead. There were the 
usual high powered stations crammed in tightly on all bands except 
for 15 where there were some spaces between CQs.

I really put the K3 to the test with this one and made good use of 
the filtering and, considering the desensing thread have this 
observation to make: I noticed no desensing with the K3 in the 
presence of strong signals.

I found that I was able to get rid of all but the most "dead on" of 
signals and those within those 50 Hz were not going to go away. 
Adjacent clicky signals were for the 99% of the time totally removed 
and for that "1%" of the time the clicks remained, I was able to pull 
in the faintest signals.

I know I must have P.O.ed more than a few people as I would scroll up 
the band and work a strong station and within 1Khz, work two others 
that were faint but clearly identifiable. Some of those faint ones, I 
had to call them for them to know I was hearing them. Thing is,as I'd 
tune up with fine tuning, I kept hearing station overlaying another 
and I had to be QRMing most of these other stations including the 
ones I just worked and the ones I would be working next.

If the K3 has a liability, to me, it is not in any way related to 
desensing in the presence of strong signals. My old Omni V was a fine 
CW Rx but was nowhere as good as the K3 and I can say the same for my 
Corsair II which will be my backup rig for life.

The K3 is stellar.

Gary
KA1J

Any spelling ewrrors are the result of my laptop's keyboard...

:)