[Elecraft] An AGC story

[David Gilbert]

That is why it would be highly desirable to be able to quickly change 
AGC settings on the fly, especially when you consider the additional 
effect that different band noise has on the optimum AGC profile.  I can 
understand Elecraft's reluctance to let users mess with the DSP code via 
macros, but I don't understand why it should not be possible to use 
macros to select from a few different AGC settings that have been preset 
using the CONFIG menu.  It doesn't seem rational to me to build all that 
versatility into the AGC system so that it can be tailored to deal with 
all sorts of operating conditions ... different levels and types of band 
noise, different degrees of QRM, different levels of signal strengths, 
etc ... and then force you to choose only one setting for everything, 
especially during a contest.

73,
Dave   AB7E




On 12/9/2010 12:20 PM, Andrew Faber wrote:
> I have no doubt that AGC adjustments are largely a matter of personal
> preference, and I congratulate Elecraft on making the K3 as adjustable as it
> is without overwhelming us with so many variations that we'd go crazy trying
> to figure it out.
>   As an example of individual adjustments, I used the K3 as my run radio in
> CQWW CW  from P49Y in 2009.  Because I wanted help thinning out the pileup,
> I found that setting the SLP to 1, but leaving the AGC on worked well, and
> allowed me to ride the RF gain control to help distinguish signals while
> still offering some AGC protection against very strong signals.
>    OTOH, in this years CQWW CW, where I was just doing some S&P DXing from my
> home station, I set the SLP to 6,  to allow me to turn the gain up higher to
> detect weak signals while still having protection against very strong ones.
> Using SLP 1 in that scenario with the RF gain all the way up was just too
> close to not having AGC at all.
>    So I encourage everyone to experiment within the existing framework.
>    73, Andy ae6y