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

[David Cutter]

That's a very interesting account.  I wonder if anyone who suffers PLT/BPL 
et al noise has similar experience.

David
G3UNA



>  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. >
> Ken W0CZ