[Elecraft] need advice on rig

Fri Aug 20 15:04:05 EDT 2010

Aloha:
  I have had my K3 since last October.  I think I have given it a fair trail.  It is just too darned complicated for me.  I have never been able to get it to give the same background noise for cw as it gives for ssb.

I think I want to get rid of it.

Can anyone advise me of a rig, same price range, for me to purchase?

Susan

If you don't change direction you WILL arrive exactly where you're headed!! Susan Meckley, Skipper W7KFI-mm  AFA9SM                         USSV DHARMA 

--- On Fri, 8/20/10, Joe Subich, W4TV <lists at subich.com> wrote:

> From: Joe Subich, W4TV <lists at subich.com>
> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 : SSB modulation
> To: elecraft at mailman.qth.net
> Date: Friday, August 20, 2010, 8:49 AM
> 
>  > Are any of you guys driving your K3 with W2IHY or
> other audio rack
>  > gear?
> 
> Why bother?  The K3 already provides all of the
> capability of the
> W2IHY 8 band EQ/noise gate, adds downward expansion in the
> noise
> gate and there is no issue with external hum loops, RF
> pick-up, etc.
> 
>  > I'm still waiting for my K3 to get back from the
> factory, but I plan
>  > on running the full stack of W2IHY gear with a Heil
> GM-5 Mic.
> 
> I've used wide range (broadcast style) mics and the Heil
> HC-5 element
> with the K3's internal EQ and find that configuring the K3
> for a 6 dB
> per octave roll off below 400 Hz (50 Hz: -16dB, 100 Hz:
> -12dB, 200 Hz:
> -6 dB), a -6dB "notch" at 800 Hz and 6 dB per octave rise
> above 1000 Hz
> (1600 Hz: +6dB, 2400 Hz: +10dB, 3200 Hz: +12dB) yields
> extremely good
> audio reports with the "broadcast" mic and a lot of
> "presence" without
> the "restricted" sound on the HC-5.
> 
> Coupled with "CMP" at 25, this provides plenty of "punch"
> without
> sounding over processed and "all highs" like the HC-4.
> 
> 73,
> 
>     ... Joe, W4TV
> 
> 
> On 8/20/2010 11:54 AM, Tim Tucker wrote:
> > Are any of you guys driving your K3 with W2IHY or
> other audio rack gear?  If
> > so, I'm curious as to the settings you ended up with
> on the rig.  I'm still
> > waiting for my K3 to get back from the factory, but I
> plan on running the
> > full stack of W2IHY gear with a Heil GM-5 Mic.  I
> imagine I will probably
> > end up with the comp and EQ on the rig turned off, but
> I'd like to hear what
> > others do.
> >
> > Tim
> > AE6LX
> >
> > On Fri, Aug 20, 2010 at 7:57 AM, Philippe
> Trottet<TROTTET at unhcr.org> 
> wrote:
> >
> >> Hi James,
> >> I'm using MH2 also for Field day opertions and
> almost same as you, set
> >> MIC=2&  COMP=20  TX equalizer has
> been adjust to my loud voice given
> >>   preferential to medium high
> audio. Great
> >> 73's
> >> Philippe A65BI
> >> K3#3616
> >>
> >>>>> <k2qi.nyc at gmail.com> 
> 20-08-2010 18:54>>>
> >> Who uses the Elecraft hand mic? I do and mic gain
> has to be set low; i.e.
> >> around 8 or 9 to prevent clipping and flat
> topping  as viewed on a monitor
> >> scope.  This is with mic sensitivity set to
> low in the menu.  I was once
> >> told that the hand mics are a tad hot, but mine
> seems to be excessively so.
> >>
> >> Regardless, my comp is set to 15 or 20 and I get
> excellent audio reports.
> >>
> >> James K2QI
> >> Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile
> >>
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: Stephen  Prior<sjp at sjprior.fsnet.co.uk>
> >> Sender: elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net
> >> Date: Fri, 20 Aug 2010 10:21:00
> >> To: elecraft<elecraft at mailman.qth.net>
> >> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 : SSB modulation
> >>
> >> I use the Heil MD2 microphone which has an
> electret element.  I have both
> >> compression and mic gain set to 25, and mic set to
> front panel low with
> >> bias.
> >>
> >> I have far more 'talk power' than I have enjoyed
> with any previous radio.
> >>
> >> 73 Stephen G4SJP
> >>
> >>
> >> On 20/08/2010 04:24, "Joseph Trombino, Jr"<w2kj at bellsouth.net> 
> wrote:
> >>
> >>
> >>>> Hi
> >>>>
> >>>> We are the proud owners of 6 K3/100 used
> at the FY5KE contest station.
> >>>> These radios has been delivered around
> mid-2008 and their serial numbers
> >>>> are in the 012xx range.
> >>>>
> >>>> After using mostly these rigs for SSB
> contesting in FY5KE or in other
> >>>> places, we are still facing a lack of
> "dynamics", "punch",
> >>>> "penetration", "power", whatever you call
> it. In other words, when
> >>>> comparing this rig to our radios we
> previously used (TS-850), with the
> >>>> same microphone (Heil HC-4 element) and
> the same output RF power, the K3
> >>>> is clearly way behind in term of "average
> power" we can read on the Bird
> >>>> wattmeter wired on its RF output. Even if
> observing the wattmeter needle
> >>>> is not a very scientific measurement (we
> admit it), various comparative
> >>>> reports on the air do confirm our
> feeling.
> >>>>
> >>>> We spent time on various available
> settings (mic gain, compressor level,
> >>>> etc), with no luck, excepted a very
> distorted and awful audio to roughly
> >>>> reach the same level, which is not
> acceptable.
> >>>>
> >>>> After a little Googling, it appears that
> other contesters suffers the
> >>>> same issue (e.g.
> www.bavarian-contest-club.de/projects/K3_english.pdf
> >>>> pages 6 and 10).
> >>>>
> >>>> Some questions :
> >>>>
> >>>> - Do other contesters (or not) here have
> noted the same problem ?
> >>>> - What settings did you modified (or not)
> to achieve a good result ?
> >>>> - Is there any possible HW or SW upgrade
> we aren't aware of, that could
> >>>> help us ?
> >>>>
> >>>> We must confess we are currently preparing
> our next contest season, and
> >>>> we are seriously considering reselling
> these radios and bring others
> >>>> Japanese models if we can't solve this
> problem, despite we really
> >>>> appreciate them in many other aspects
> (size, weight, etc.).
> >>>>
> >>>> 73
> >>>>
> >>>> For the FY5KE/Win-Test team,
> >>>>
> >>>> Larry - F6FVY
> >>>
> >>>
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> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
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