[Elecraft] K3+P3+MFJ-1026 = 3 black boxes = 1 happy camper

[Kenneth A. Christiansen]

  My P3 came a couple of weeks ago and went together just fine. The 
bands have been bad at my QTH for a long time yet every time I go 
camping they are good. The first thing the P3 showed me was a higher 
then expected noise level on all the bands. I had a noise level of -90 
to maybe -100 at best. I took the K3 and P3 out to the camp ground about 
70 miles from home and the noise on the bands ran from -120 to -130 dbm. 
No wonder all these years my 44 ft camping doublet seemed better than my 
Hy-Gain Hy tower or my 105 ft doublet fed with window line at home. I 
also notice on 40 meters at the camp ground that the background noise 
along with the signals came up at night. That would explain why I 
sometimes heard signals at home but always with lots of noise.  When I 
got home I found my old MFJ Noise Canceling Signal Enhancer (MFJ-=1026) 
in my shed and hooked it up. I had never been able to make it work using 
the S meters of my IC-746PRO or K3. The S-meters just did not have 
enough resolution and a receiver does not look at enough of the band. I 
set the P3 to a scale of 30 and band span to 100 khz. I started playing 
with the 1026. I was able to measure the levels of each antenna on the 
P3 than match them. The  phase knob and switch were set for a null in 
the noise than the strongest antenna was adjusted for more of a dip 
until the phase and antenna were adjusted for the minimum noise. I can 
tune in a signal and adjust to 1026 for best signal to noise. Now I can 
hear and work stations on 40, 20 and 30 meters. If I turn off the 1026 
the stations I hear go away except for the strongest and they even get 
noisy. A station with 40 db signal to noise on the P3 becomes 5 db 
signal to noise when I turn off the 1026. When I turn the 1026 back on 
the band again has many stations and I am able to work them just like I 
can from the camp ground. North Dakota is getting cold with winter 
coming so it will be good to camp in my own house and be able to make 
ham radio contacts this winter. I hope I can make 80 and 160 meters work 
too but my antennas may be too close together on this small city lot to 
get enough phase difference. The P3 reminds me of the HP Spectrum 
analyzer I used on the last generation of digital microwave at the phone 
company and I always missed using that after I retired. It has already 
proved it's worth to me and I see the software is only going to get 
better. Thanks to Elecraft for the K3 and P3 giving me back ham radio in 
my retirement.

Ken W0CZ