[Elecraft] Trade off PR6 vs PR6-10 pre-amp

[Wayne Burdick]

John Buck <kh7t at arrl.net> wrote:

> 
> In attempting to answer my own question, I suspect that the antenna bandwidth on 6M would limit out of band issues.  

That, plus the K3's multi-section 6-meter low-pass filter (assuming you're connecting the PR6-10 between RX ANT IN and OUT).


> The slightly higher gain of the PR6-10 with the same noise figure then might be an advantage by helping overcome cable loss.  At least as long as strong signals are not overloading the front end.

Unlikely; both the PR6 and 6-10 are very high-intercept amplifiers.


> I will probably not switch.  I presently have a good antenna on 24 and 28 MHz and do not really feel the need for more gain there.  

That is probably the case for most K3 owners. We had some requests for 10/12 meter coverage and realized we could create a PR6-10 with a few circuit changes, but the rig's sensitivity on these bands is adequate for the vast majority of operators.

* * *

Earlier, KH7T wrote:

> 
> Would the 6 meter performance with the K3 using the PR6-10 be better or
> worse than the PR6 because of:
> 
> 1. Wider pass band?  More opportunity for out of band noise?
> 
> 2. More gain?  Impact on overall dynamic range and noise figure?

The differences in specs will be insignificant in nearly all cases.


> My real question is should I sell my PR6 and get a PR6-10? 

Only if you need to hear butterfly wings flapping 10,000 miles away on 10 and 12 meters.

73,
Wayne
N6KR