[Elecraft] [K3] Phase Noise / CW Key Clicks

[Rick Tavan]

Although the dominant competitive specs these days are receiver measurements, the cleanliness of the K3 should get more press. It is perhaps a tough moral sell but drop-dead easy in the multi-TX market. And Field Day is the most popular activity in US ham radio. In addition to enhancing K3 sales, more awareness should also stimulate Elecraft's competition, perhaps some day making a big improvement in inter-station interference everywhere.

There may even be a viable argument that Elecraft has advanced the state of the art enough that eventual tightening of regulatory spectral purity standards for new rigs will be merited. Some may balk at that, but note that we are no longer allowed to operate spark, much to everyone's satisfaction.

Rick

--
Rick Tavan N6XI

On Sep 12, 2012, at 9:18 PM, Matt Zilmer <mzilmer at verizon.net> wrote:

> 
> 
> Phase noise and key clicks are the enemy.  I respectfully suggest that
> Wayne emphasize (as well) that designing a transceiver to
> intentionally not produce either of these is a worthy objective more
> on a moral plane than an operating advantage.  Tactically, having
> clicks and wideband noise could be put to advantage against other FD
> groups.  As Wayne pointed out, phase noise may limit receiver
> sensitivity (if it's not limited first by other factors), but most
> hams have never thought about it that way.  I suspect, in practice,
> that in other transceivers phase noise is not the limiting factor in
> sensitivity - mainly because the front end design is shoddy compared
> to the K3.  Front end noise figure is perhaps a larger factor in many
> cases.
> 
> The main real-world problem is that the K3 is a minority in the
> general ham rig population.  Maybe someday, the K3 penetration rate
> will be high enough that we can hear it in how quiet the bands are.
> Crowded but quiet between signals that is.
> 
>