[Elecraft] K3 Need for advice was; (More Thorough Documentation)

[Fred Jensen]

Hmmm ... I can't speak to "Another Don's" sales conjecture, but I don't 
think basic tech writing skill is the root problem of this discussion. 
If I know what I'm looking for, I usually find it in the downloadable 
PDF manual most of the time, and it is clearly written.  Nearly always, 
when I can't find it, it's because it is a recent addition/change and 
the PDF manual just can't keep up.  On the bright side, many of the more 
recent firmware upgrades have concentrated on one narrow feature set or 
support for a specific hardware module, and simply pasting the relevant 
part of the release notes into my station journal gives me a running 
update to the PDF manual.

I think the main issue hinges on the difference between, "What can I do 
with a specific feature [like APF] and how do I do it?" and "I need to 
separate a discernible but unreadable signal from the noise, how do I 
combine the various "features" to achieve that goal?"  A professional 
tech writer, whose work I admire, once told me the first was very hard 
but doable.  The second was just about impossible, although a lot of the 
discussion on this list seems to be at least aimed toward it.

I run my K3 with AGC on [usually fast for CW, slow for SSB], RF Gain at 
max, and I've been very pleased by it's performance.  When I still had 
my TS-850, I tried some A/B comparisons and signals I might just discern 
on the 850, I could get fairly good copy on with the K3.  Following some 
of the discussions recently, I've experimented with what I call the 
"SX-28 Method" I used nearly a lifetime ago ... AGC off, AF max, ride 
the RF gain.  I tried it in the Spartan Sprint last night on 40m, when 
all of the signals were very weak ... so far, I think it is a hung jury. 
  We'll see.  In the end, it appears to me that there is no substitute 
for just using it and gaining experience.

73,

Fred K6DGW
- Northern California Contest Club
- CU in the 2011 Cal QSO Party 1-2 Oct 2011
- www.cqp.org



On 12/7/2010 8:52 AM, Don Cunningham wrote:
> Don,
> I wager you are underestimating.  I would bet the number of additional sales
> would be 1,000+, HEAVY on the plus.  Also I fear that MANY people monitor
> the noise on this list and go on to other radios after monitoring for only a
> short time.
> 73,
> Another Don, WB5HAK