[Elecraft] K3 Beta 5r10 and LINK

Mon Feb 16 11:01:10 EST 2015

Here's an example where LINK was helpful to me: 

In the early AM I was calling CQ in CQWW160 and heard what I knew was 
someone just the very least bit above the noise level come back to 
me. I was using a HI-Z Triangular for Rx with the main and the 
sloper/INV-L Hybrid for the sub. I went to just the main and couldn't 
copy the signal and then went to LINK and with that I could barely 
make out JH0BBE. I could absolutely not do so otherwise at that 
moment. I just received his QSL for that Q in the mail and his is on 
the way back to him. 

The difference at that time between Main/Diversity/LINK was 
incredibly little but selecting through them at that time provided me 
with a new multiplier. There is I believe an attenuation when using 
Diversity which normally is insignificant but in rare & marginal 
cases, hearing both signals without any attenuation can make the 
difference.

To me, the use of Diversity is almost always an improvement to 
readability but not 100% of the time. I would never give up the use 
of my Sub Rx, it is magnificent and invaluable to me. Sometimes LINK 
is useful. 

Flame suit on.

73,
Gary
KA1J

> While reading this email thread, I just realized that many people don't know how to operate their K3s! Eliminating the LINK function should not cripple the diversity function, let alone eliminate it. I'm yet to read an example that would convince me about the usefulness of the function. In my opinion, the LINK function is a feature that I still don't understand why someone at Aptos bothered to program in the K3. As Don pointed out, the only use of this feature would be if a DX station was moving its TX frequency while working SPLIT. In more than 20 years as a ham chasing DX, I have never ever seen a DX station do that (it's kind of silly to do that because it would put in disadvantage the majority the DX'ers using other transceivers). 
> Sorry for my bluntness....
> 73,Robert-KP4Y 
> 
>      On Monday, February 16, 2015 5:22 AM, Guy Olinger K2AV <k2av.guy at gmail.com> wrote:
>    
> 
>  Link uses both VFO's, with VFO A controlling main RX and VFO B
> controlling sub RX. Diversity uses only VFO A on *both* main RX and
> sub RX.
> 
> Link memorizes the difference between VFO A and VFO B and maintains
> VFO B at that difference while VFO A is being tuned. If you do A>B
> before link, it will still be two synthesizers that are not locked,
> just have the same current input parameters. In my case when I do this
> I rarely hear the band noise spreading out into the band noise "sound
> stage" needed for digging out weak discreet CW signals.
> 
> Diversity is a phase lock between the two RX using the same set of
> frequency generating sources for both RX. This always produces the
> band noise sound stage.
> 
> Note that the sound stage is not something generated in the K3. That
> is done in our minds by the same mechanism that allows us to pick out
> a single voice in a crowded noisy cafeteria. The band noise is spread
> out around the "audio horizon" or "sound stage" in my "mind's ear". A
> discrete signal is in one place on the sound stage. My mind easily
> picks the discrete sound out of the spread-around noise.
> 
> This is very much the same thing as listening to a stereo recording of
> an orchestra that begins with audience buzz, which is all over the
> audio horizon in my mind's ear.  When the music begins I hear the
> violins to the left, though spread out a bit. I hear the tuba at a
> specific spot on the right.
> 
> Once a K3 diversity RX operator has learned to use "sound stage"
> diversity, it is easily an S unit advantage on RX for a station at or
> in the noise that you can't see on the S meter.
> 
> For me diversity is always on 160 through 40. Anything that craps
> diversity, for me throws away an S unit.
> 
> If you are not getting the sound stage trying to use diversity, you
> really are not getting the benefit, and have some fun ahead of you
> when you do.
> 
> 73, Guy K2AV
> 
> On Sun, Feb 15, 2015 at 9:15 PM, Tom Blahovici <tomb18 at videotron.ca> wrote:
> > Hi Joe,
> > I guess there is some confusion then as to the function of Link.
> > Myself,  I thought it was solely there for diversity mode.
> > So,  how else would one use the Link function? What is its purpose?
> > Thanks
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>    
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