[Elecraft] [K3] The "Best" Settings

[Al Lorona]

An opinion: I have a different take on the continual variations of the question, 
"Which settings are best?", that pop up frequently on this and any e-mail list.

Surprisingly frequently, some of the advice that gets posted on this list is in 
direct opposition to my personal experience. Whether the topic is AGC settings, 
or the discussion is about maximizing readability and intelligibility, or 
whatever else, it is always startling how much of this advice is contrary to 
what I have found to be optimum. And once 'common knowledge' sets in on a 
particular topic, it's very difficult to give any alternate point of view.

I believe it comes down to this: use whichever settings your ears tell you sound 
best. This is going to require that you spend time tweaking controls to see how 
you perceive their effect.

If you can't hear any effect, don't sweat it. It simply means that that control 
doesn't do anything for you and your operating style. There is no need to be 
concerned. You're not necessarily missing out on anything.

For example, if your ears tell you that certain NR settings don't sound good, 
avoid those settings. Or, for instance, if it turns out that you can hear better 
with Dual PB than you can with APF, use it instead, no matter what anybody says.

There are a lot of controls on the K3. Spend an evening playing with the AFX. If 
one of the settings sounds particularly good, use it, and if not, don't. Do the 
same for RX EQ on another day, and another control on another night. Your ears 
will tell you what's best for you. Trust them.

You may find that you like your SHIFT knob slightly off-center, or your AGC set 
in a way that differs from that of the rest of us. That's okay;  it's why the 
controls are variable! Don't feel bad if you prefer settings outside of the 
'norm'.

We don't all have the same hearing. Some of us have hearing loss; others of us 
have acute sensitivity to certain sounds or radically different notions of what 
'sounds good'. As a result, our receivers' controls are not all going to be at 
the same settings.

Al  W6LX