[Elecraft] K3 - background hiss

[Don Wilhelm]

Bob,

Guy is giving you a lot of good advice, and he has some serious 
operating skills behind him, so he knows what he is saying.

Maybe you can think of it this way -- "You can't copy (with your ears) 
signals that are buried in the atmospheric noise, so why make that noise 
louder".

73,
Don W3FPR

On 4/28/2012 8:20 PM, Bob K6UJ wrote:
> Guy,
> Thanks for the info.
> I think I have "afraid I wont be able to copy weak signal" fobia, hihi.
> I need to experiment more with the RF gain and PRE and convince myself that that I am not sacrificing weak sig copy.
> My problem lies in the space between the headphones, hihihihi
>
> Bob
> K6UJ
>
>
>
> On Apr 28, 2012, at 4:58 PM, Guy Olinger K2AV wrote:
>
>> You only need set PRE/none/ATT and RF gain correctly.  Many people seem to thing that RF gain at max all the time and PRE on all the time, for all bands all the time, is the normal setting.
>>
>> You can make this exact same error on a Ten-Tec Orion.  PRE/ATT/RF gain need to be set for ambient noise with NO signal to be at a very moderate level.  It is not at all uncommon on 160 and 80 for that to be ATT on and RF gain at two PM.  My Yaesu MP dealt with that issue by deliberately making 160/80 insensitive so they would not receive reports of a noisy receiver.
>>
>> On your K3 you have the flexibility to use those on the low bands to supply preamplier gain for low output directional RX antennas.
>>
>> My TX antenna on 160 is ATT on, RF gain at noon, and phased loops-on-ground to NE on the second RX set to PRE on and RF gain at max.  Works balanced and gang-busters on diversity, because the flexibility in the K3 allows me to equalize the noise levels in the antennas.  There is no roaring noise coming out of the RX and NR does not really help for really weak CW signals.  Narrow selectivity does better.
>>
>> 73, Guy.
>>
>> On Sat, Apr 28, 2012 at 6:42 PM, Bob K6UJ<k6uj at pacbell.net>  wrote:
>> I have a Kenwood TS-590S for a back up to my K3 and it has a noticeably quieter background than the K3.
>> I believe we should be able to address this with the NR in the K3,  I'm still learning how to adjust the NR.
>>
>>
>> Bob
>> K6UJ
>>
>>
>>
>> On Apr 28, 2012, at 12:15 PM, hawley, charles j jr wrote:
>>
>>> I remember that my Kenwood 850 was quiet like that compared to my Yeasu 990. Possibly how the agc is handled by Kenwood?
>>>
>>> Sent from my iPad
>>>
>>> On Apr 28, 2012, at 8:07 AM, "Bill"<bill at w2blc.net>  wrote:
>>>
>>>> I have had my K3 for a couple of months - so I am still learning.
>>>>
>>>> At this point, my primary concern is the amount of background hiss that
>>>> I have when no signals are being received. For example: When on 75 this
>>>> AM I am listening to a local net. When no one is talking the background
>>>> hiss rises.
>>>>
>>>> When I switch to my TS-480, signals are just as strong and everything is
>>>> the same - EXCEPT there is nearly zero background hiss. I use the ATT on
>>>> both rigs. I much prefer the near FM silence of the 480.
>>>>
>>>> I have already reduced it somewhat by use of the RX Equalizer. However,
>>>> it needs a lot more reduction to get to what I feel is an acceptable
>>>> level. Of note: I live in a rural area that has no background noise -
>>>> daytime level on 75 meters is zero.
>>>>
>>>> Suggestions would be most appreciated.
>>>>
>>>> Bill W2BLC
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> IN GOD I TRUST (but, NOT a single politician)
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