[Elecraft] RX Mush, why the fuss?

[Fred Jensen]

I too have come to that same surmise, Wes, and I hope whoever explains 
it [someone always does] does so on the reflector so I can benefit too.  
One of my K3's two AGC systems is highly configurable.  I finally found 
a threshold and fairly flat slope that, for my compromised hearing works 
very well.  I operate very little SSB, and I notice nothing I'd call 
"mush" on CW at narrow DSP bandwidths.  If there are multiple signals in 
that BW, the strongest one sets the gain, and all the others respond 
accordingly.

I normally use AGC-F on CW.  Occasionally, with a large difference in 
signal strengths, the gain reduction from the code elements of the 
stronger signal make copy of the weaker signal at a different pitch 
difficult.  AGC-S almost always cures that issue.

73,

Fred ["Skip"] K6DGW
Sparks NV DM09dn
Washoe County

On 2/28/2017 12:53 PM, Wes Stewart wrote:
> My reading between the lines suggests that the "mush" proponents think 
> that after achieving threshold, changing the slope somehow changes the 
> ratio between signals, i.e. there is less gain for strong signals than 
> there is for weaker ones.
>
> Frankly, after 60 years of listening to shortwave noise and in my 
> youth working in a machine shop and hanging around too many alcohol 
> and nitro burning race cars, my tinnitus practically drives me nuts at 
> times; I welcome a flat AGC slope.
>
> If I'm all wet with this, I'd like to be enlightened.
>
> Wes N7WS