[Elecraft] Is the K3 have low sensitivity on 10 M and 6 M

[Jim Brown]

I think Bill's right, but if your QTH is reasonably quiet, you DO need a 
preamp on 12, 10, and 6M for the original K3. The outboard preamp for 
the K3 solved that problem, but the new preamp that's part of the KXV3B 
module does it even better. I've upgraded my K3s to the new KXV3B, and 
am very happy.

My QTH is pretty quiet except when I point the Yagi in the direction of 
my neighbor's solar system. In those quiet directions, the preamp adds 
several dB of weak signals that I wouldn't hear without it. Before that, 
I had a ARR GasFET preamp in front of the radio I used on 6M that also 
worked on 10M, and it was at least as good as the new preamp.

So the executive summary is, "yes, the K3 doesn't hear very well on 10 
and 6 without a preamp."

73, Jim K9YC

On Wed,10/12/2016 9:49 PM, Bill Frantz wrote:
> If you are hearing static, then you have enough sensitivity. It sounds 
> like the problem may be a very local source of noise which is drowning 
> out the signals at your QTH, while your friend is far enough away from 
> that source to not be bothered by it. Try using a portable radio to 
> search for the static source.
>
> 73 Bill AE6JV
>
> On 10/12/16 at 5:46 PM, kc6cnn at gmail.com (KC6CNN) wrote:
>
>> I am curious why a fellow ham and I who both live within two blocks 
>> of each
>> other and have the same wire antenna, Except mine is a little higher. 
>> I have
>> the K3 and he has a Kenwood and Yaesu and he is working people on 10 
>> meters
>> while I can only hear static. The same goes for 6 meters. I think I have
>> worked maybe two stations on 10 meters. Those were the ones I heard. 
>> It the
>> stock K3 sensitivity that far behind the others on 10 meters?
>>
>> Thanks in advance
>> Gerald - KC6CNN
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