[Elecraft] experience with CW and settings

[Fred Jensen]

I think your question is really related to the CW decode function rather 
than using the K3 on CW.

I am probably 90% CW, ~3% SSB [Sweepstakes, NAQP's, and RAC's], and the 
rest RTTY.  This is probably going to touch off a storm on the list, but 
here goes:

I run the RF gain full clockwise, always, I don't even know if the knob 
moves, never tried, never understood the "ride the RF gain argument." 
The K3's AGC is superb and far better than anything I can do. 
Admittedly, it is highly tailorable [maybe a tad too many settings], but 
once I got it where I liked it, I haven't touched it in several years 
[S/N 642 here].  True even when I had KF6T running 1.5 KW 1.7 km from 
me.  I have the "stock" 2.7 KHz [I think] and a 500 Hz roofing filters. 
  I could cuddle up to within 1 KHz of Jack and not hear him.

Preamp is on for 21 MHz and above, off below.  Attenuator is off for 7 
MHz and above, on for 5, 3.5, and 1.8 MHz.  That configuration depends 
some on your ambient noise levels, mine were moderate until we just 
moved, now they're fairly low.

I copy CW the old fashioned way, but I have tried the decoder out of 
curiosity.  Does well on moderately good signals with reasonable sending 
habits.  A SNR of about 4 S-units seems to work fine.  Gets a little 
sketchy with occasional errors [usually in key up periods] below that, 
and pretty much fails if the SNR is around 1 S-unit or less.  I can 
still copy the signal fine at those levels.  I can't remember what I 
used for THRESHOLD, but as I remember at one number nothing decoded and 
at the next one it decoded fine.

The horizontal scroll did tend to cage my eyeballs after a bit. :-)

My K3 was essentially fully operational right after assembly, using all 
the default settings.  I set up my TX EQ using advice from K9YC, and I 
often get unsolicited "great audio" comments in the 3% SSB time.  I lost 
most of my hearing many years ago, and I've got the RX EQ simulating the 
response of my hearing aids [as much as it can], which helps a lot.

73,

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

On 9/24/2015 3:09 PM, KC6CNN wrote:
> I am looking for someone with more experience than me with using the K3 on
> CW.
> I have my K3 set to about 75 percent RF gain, and the width set to around
> 300.
> ATT is off and Pre is off I do not have the dual filter on, and no afx on. I
> can spot and decode signals if they are strong. If they are weak then I can
> only decode with my ears. The THR setting when you hold down the CWT button
> is set on 3. If I set to auto is just sits there and runs jumble letters
> across the vfo b screen.
>
> Any help with good setting I can try would be appreciated.
> Thanks
> Gerald - KC6CNN