[Elecraft] Power Settings for no AGC in Elecraft Radios

[WILLIS COOKE]

Any time your amplifier cuts back your driver power it introduces a certain amount of distortion which is undesirable, but not as undesirable as over-driving your amplifier.  The best practice is to turn your driver power down until the AGC is used only to eliminate spikes in power when something overdrives your transceiver.  This is good practice with any transceiver but the K2 and K3 have better controls than some other transceivers.  I have never owned a K2 but my K3 can be set at any output power very reliably.  I can't say as much for my Kenwood TS-440 which has a control, but it is too sensitive at high power settings.
 
Willis 'Cookie' Cooke 
K5EWJ & Trustee N5BPS, USS Cavalla, USS Stewart


----- Original Message -----
From: Guy Olinger K2AV <olinger at bellsouth.net>
To: John <kx4o at hamradio.me>
Cc: elecraft at mailman.qth.net
Sent: Friday, July 6, 2012 12:45 AM
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Power Settings for no AGC in Elecraft Radios

Why would you want to "avoid" level control in the transmitter?  What issue
do you avoid by doing that?  73, Guy.

On Thu, Jul 5, 2012 at 8:46 PM, John <kx4o at hamradio.me> wrote:

> All (especially Don),
>
> I have heard it explained on this reflector the Elecraft power control
> loop is such that the usual advice to...
>
>    "max out the power setting and adjust the audio level input to avoid
> AGC action"
>
> ...is not appropriate for the K2 and, I suppose, the K3.
>
> I accept this, but don't quite understand the reasoning.  Don can you
> please explain the key differences between a rig, such as my Icom 746,
> and the K2 that mandate this?
>
> Are there other radio brands with power control loops like Elecraft
> products?
>
> Thanks.
>
> John, kx4o
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