[Elecraft] Fwd: Re: K3-P3 SSB spectrum

[Fred Jensen]

I think understand this but then of course I thought I understood
Economics 101 in college which turned out to be seriously untrue ...

Turning the MIC GAIN way up on say an HT-37 increased the drive to the
PA and eventually saturated it, creating havoc on the band.

The K3 does not control power with the MIC GAIN.  The PWR control sets a
"requested" power output.  The internal power control loop then measures
the power level of the RF being made and adjusts it to meet the
requested level.

On SSB [and AFSK/DATA A] the MIC GAIN needs to be high enough so that
the power control loop can meet its target power,  That's the first 4
bars of the ALC meter.  Anything higher than that just lowers the system
gain til the target power is met.  Or something like that [while waving
arms]...

I would imagine that turning the MIC GAIN way up would get a lot of
extraneous room noise onto your signal.  I don't get on SSB all that
often, but mine is set for 4 bars with the 5th just flickering on peaks,
and 10 dB compression on peaks.  Other people seem to like it when I
talk to them.

73,

Fred K6DGW
- Northern California Contest Club
- CU in the 50th Running of the Cal QSO Party 3-4 Oct 2015
- www.cqp.org

PS: There was never any doubt that I did *not* understand O'chem.


On 6/8/2015 10:56 AM, Richard Fjeld wrote:
> Just a comment somewhat related to this thread.  Not long ago, a ham
> with an SDR set-up was comparing signals in a round-table for proper
> bandwidth.
>
> He said my signal was very clean and asked me to crank up my Mic gain
> to the max which I reluctantly did for a short transmission. He said
> it stayed clean with no splatter.  Can that be? I thought any radio
> would splatter if over-driven.
>
> For me, seeing is believing.    Dick, n0ce
>
>> Date: Sun, 7 Jun 2015 16:58:26 -0400 From: lists at subich.com To:
>> elecraft at mailman.qth.net Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3-P3 SSB
>> spectrum
>>
>>
>> The TX Monitor is a time domain display - not a frequency domain
>> display.  If you want to see the frequency domain display of your
>> own signal, temporarily disconnect the RS-232 cable between the two
>> (or connect another SDR to a directional coupler in the antenna
>> line).
>>
>> 73,
>>
>> ... Joe, W4TV