[Elecraft] Recommended AGC settings for separation of signalsin CW pile-ups

[Jan Erik Holm]

Exactly, I have noticed this too but never said anything before.
It did happen a few times during the SAC CW contest that I operated,
never had time to take part in CQWW CW. The radio do have
a problem in this respect and I can see that 5B4AGN has found
it too.
Something is going on but what it is I of course do not know.
The old FT1000MP had something similar and someone called it
AGC IMD of course this K3 radio is a different animal.

Jim SM2EKM
------------
On 2010-12-05 17:50, Dave Hachadorian wrote:
> This thread is not about copying signals that are separated by
> 100 Hz.  We are talking here about multiple nearly-on-frequency
> callers in a pileup.  In those circumstances, with most rigs, you
> can separate the signals by amplitude, or slight pitch or other
> CW idiosyncrasies.  The K3's agc has a problem dealing with that.
> Signals are compressed together, such that you can't copy anyone,
> unless you reach for the rf gain control.  If you turn agc OFF,
> you have to deal with the crazy AF Limiter.
>
>
> Dave Hachadorian, K6LL
> Yuma, AZ
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Hector Padron
> Sent: Sunday, December 05, 2010 9:22 AM
> To: elecraft at mailman.qth.net
> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Recommended AGC settings for separation
> of signalsin CW pile-ups
>
> Oh well,I don't like to argue anybody or disagree anybody but I
> was at the contest as well and and I could easily separate CW
> stations that were off  between 100 200 Hz with my K3 using the
> 400Hz roofer and the DSP set to 100Hz and also moving the Shift
> acordingly,.no problem at all with the selectivity and also I
> used the great help of the APF as well.
> If it has to be with the AGC or not,these are my settings that
> has been working for me in any case:
>
> AGC DCY.....SoFt
> AGC HLD.....0.05
> AGC PLS.....OFF
> AGC SLP.....0.07
> AGC THR.....007
> AGC-F.........080
> AGC-S.........020
>
> To help in the RX filtering I have set my RX EQ this way:
>
> 0.05 at minus 16
> 0.10 at minus 16
> 0.20 at minus +0
> 0.40 at +3
> 0.80 at +3
> 1.60 at minus 16
> 2.40 at minus 16
> 3.20 at minus 16
> PITCH at 400 (I like to hear better at low pitch)
>
> With these settings my K3 is super selective and have no ringing
> noise even at 50Hz DSP bandwiith.
> In those conditions I can work any contest no matter how crowded
> it will be.
>
> AD4C
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> "If freedom means something,it is the right to tell others what
> they don't want to hear" –George Orwell
>
> --- On Sun, 12/5/10, Tommy Alderman<aldermant at windstream.net>
> wrote:
>
>
> From: Tommy Alderman<aldermant at windstream.net>
> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Recommended AGC settings for separation
> of signals in CW pile-ups
> To: elecraft at mailman.qth.net
> Date: Sunday, December 5, 2010, 10:47 AM
>
>
> Bob -
>
> I agree with the observation about the K3's effectiveness  in
> separating
> contest signals in big piles as that was the only thing that
> irritated me
> during CQWW CW contest. I have just started to try and optimize
> the AGC
> settings for large signal conditions and so far, I'm not anywhere
> close yet.
> If I can find anything useful, I will post it here. I certainly
> do hope
> others who may already have optimized their K3 AGC for large
> signal contest,
> will also post their information.
>
> 161,
> Tom - W4BQF
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net
> [mailto:elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Bob
> Henderson
> Sent: Sunday, December 05, 2010 4:39 AM
> To: elecraft at mailman.qth.net
> Subject: [Elecraft] Recommended AGC settings for separation of
> signals in CW
> pile-ups
>
> CQ WW CW is now over.  We used K3s at P3F this year.  While
> performance was
> generally considered good, some questions were raised over the
> effectiveness
> of the K3 in separating signals in large piles.
>
> Similar concerns appear to have surfaced from other users
> including the guys
> at 9L5VT and C6ATA.  Anecdotal evidence suggests the old TS930
> and TS850
> performed better in such circumstances.  I suspect the AGC
> systems of the
> K3s used had not optimised.
>
> Has collective experience of the K3 contesting community derived
> optimum
> settings for the K3 AGC system in this kind of situation?
>
> Thanks
>
> Bob, 5B4AGN