[Elecraft] LP Pan versus P3 Panadapters

[Bill Davis Jr]

Hello all -- K0AWU here 

I am reading this thread with great interest.  I apologize to those that have seen similar messages from me on this subject in the past. I had SO HOPED that with such a large number of P3s now in the field I would have seen reports on weak sig detection from some of the EME or weak sig VHF/UHF/Microwave operators.

 I use the Softrock SDR based panadapter (with buffer amp) for detection of weak microwave signals. Seeing sigs too weak to work allows optimizing beam/dish headings and elevations often enough to allow communications. Power SDR here does NOT allow that but VE3NA's Rocky slow waterfall does exceptionally well with "beaconing" CW signal detection and display. Rocky however requires more CPU time than PSDR.

Normal operations here will be with the displayed bandwidth to me around 40Khz or more. (96Khz sample rate)

 Rocky allows me to see 2 or 3 db below what I can hear and 5db or so too weak to work, plus I don't have to be concerned about having the K3 on frequency. As you can imagine, at 10,368.100 MHz or even 1296.100 MHz we aren't always starting within 500Hz of ON frequency. The ability to read the sig strength relative to the noise floor is of great value in that it allows real sig levels to be recorded and exchanged.

Google my call for links to my SDR/K3 webpages if you are interested in more info.

 I too have a shack computer, 5yr old Dell DIM4700 Pentium 4 at 2.8GHz with 3GB of RAM. I can run the SDR1000, Rocky or PSDR for K3 panadapter and logging programs plus several other applications with few issues. So I had a shack computer already. (M Audio Delta 44 sound card)

I am not promoting an SDR based panadapter over a P3. I just am VERY interested if the P3 can see deeper.... Somewhere someone knows or is finding out .... RIGHT??

73  Bill  K0AWU  En37ed

> 
> Bill,
> 
>    I can tell you that just last night, on 160 meters, I copied 2 very weak
> stations perfectly Q5 that did not show on the P3 waterfall.  Now, Its
> entirely possible its my adjustment skills but I dont think so.  Yes..the K3
> IF Mod was factory installed.	 This has happened more than once.  For
> some reason I was expecting the P3 to show these very weak signals better
> than I could find them myself while tuning but no amount of adjustment so
> far will do this.  I may be expecting too much?
> Just so you know what anothers experience has been so far.
> 73
> 
> (K0AWU email follows)
> 
> 
>   I too would like to see details of the improvement over LPan etc. I am a
> long time user of SDR/computer panadapters for use in detecting very weak
> signals at UHF/VHF/microwave. I use a Softrock on the K3 IF port since I got
> my K3 a year ago.  I have yet to see one report regarding weak sig detection
> with the P3 after many requests to the initial testers of the P3. ANYONE out
> there looking for weak weak sigs with a P3??
> 
> 73  Bill K0AWU  EN37ed
>