[Elecraft] need advice on rig

kk5na kk5na at kk5na.com
Fri Aug 20 16:39:17 EDT 2010 

Hi Susan,

I love my K3 and it may be worth you trying a little longer to get used
too.  

And if I were going to step down in quality.... to me the next best rig
is the Elecraft K2...not as complicated but a great CW rig.

Joe KK5NA

------------------------
On Fri, 2010-08-20 at 12:04 -0700, ussv dharma wrote:
> 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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