[Elecraft] K3 and HRD CW Decode

[Jim Rogers]

Bands pretty lousy today, but heard a weak YR10RRO on 17M.  Noise level 
about an S5 to 7.  I was using DM780 and the WinKeyer option for sending 
as my fist is not good due to arthritis.  When I looked up at the decode 
screen on DM780 it was doing a very good job.  So I began to play with 
the settings for bandwidth and squelch and it was doing a really good job.

After reading some of the comments lately on the K3 CW decoder, I 
decided I would do some playing with it as well. YR10RRO was gone but 
ZF35LC was there and I am pleased to say, the K3 was doing a good job as 
well.  So again I began to play with the available settings and by 
adjusting the threshold and bandwith, I found it to do a really good job.

All of the above was done with slow AGC.  I suspect further improvement 
would be possible by running with AGC off and reducing the RF gain to 
improve the S/N ratio.  Like virtually all of the decoders I have tried 
from CWGET on to the present, it takes a character or two for the 
software to "lock on".  After that, the results were very good.

I probably would give the edge to HRD with DM780, but the K3 was hanging 
in there, perfectly acceptable as far as I am concerned were I an CW OP 
looking for a bit of help.

The lineup here is a K-Line with a Navigator interface and I will have 
to give credit to the Navigator as well for its very low noise CODEC.

Just thought some might be interested so thought I would pass it on.

73s Jim, W4ATK