[Elecraft] Base Station

[Barry LaZar]

Bill,
     I am aware that the KX3 has dual watch. It's like having a second 
receiver but limited in frequency excursion. I also have a Tentec Orion 
II which does have a second receiver.

     Here's what I've sort of discovered. I came to find that I could 
zoom the spectrum to blow it up around the pile up. I could see who the 
DX station was working. I leave my receiver on the DX station, and use 
VFO B to move my transmit frequency to the station he is working. When 
he, the DX station, sends TU or QRZ, I drop my call in. Remember the DX 
station's receiver is still tuned to his last contact. If it turns out 
that I've walked into a really nasty pile up, like on a really rare one 
or DXpedition,  I find out how he is operating. He probably is working 
split and is going a bit up and then down, 1-5 KHz up from his 
transmitting frequency. I can find a hole in the pile up and wait. With 
a second receiver, you'll need to tune to find a hole and you may not be 
sure what is happening. I can see faster than I can tune. When I figured 
this out, I no longer used a second receiver or dual watch, and my 
success rate went up.

     My take on the need to have a second receiver is it's very useful 
contesting by the really good/high scoring operators; I am no where 
being in that group called good contesters. These operator hang out on a 
single frequency and call CQ; you hear these guys in all the big 
contests. They will tune around with their second receiver, OR, put the 
#2 receiver on another band to see if it's hot so that they can time a 
switch.  With my little antenna farm, it really isn't realistic to 
expect that I could hold a frequency, so running isn't going to be in my 
future. But I sure can search and pounce, and using a spectrum display 
does allow me to maximize my QSO rate and break pile ups.

73,
Barry
K3NDM


------ Original Message ------
From: "Bill Frantz" <frantz at pwpconsult.com>
To: "Elecraft List" <elecraft at mailman.qth.net>
Cc: "Enzo Adrian-Reyes" <enzo.adrianreyes at gmail.com>; "Barry LaZar" 
<k3ndm at comcast.net>
Sent: 6/20/2016 10:10:29 PM
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Base Station

>While I agree about the usefulness of a spectrum display we should note 
>that the KX3 has Dual Watch which permits listening to the pileup with 
>one ear while listening to the DX with the other. I covers most of the 
>issues in working pileups.
>
>I do remember one of the W1AW/P operators, wanting to work EU only, 
>transmitting on the US SSB subband, but listening down in the CW band. 
>That strategy made it illegal for US stations to call him. I also made 
>his split too wide for the KX3 dual watch. But these kinds of 
>situations are really very very rare.
>
>73 Bill AE6JV
>
>On 6/20/16 at 4:43 PM, k3ndm at comcast.net (Barry LaZar) wrote:
>
>>Bottom line in my opinion is the KX3 addresses more issues than any 
>>other radio I know. It doesn't have a second receiver, but I believe 
>>using a spectrum display is better for many things.
>-----------------------------------------------------------------------
>Bill Frantz        | I like the farmers' market   | Periwinkle
>(408)356-8506      | because I can get fruits and | 16345 Englewood Ave
>www.pwpconsult.com | vegetables without stickers. | Los Gatos, CA 95032
>