[Elecraft] K3S Noise Blanker

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

On Sun, Jun 4, 2017 at 7:22 PM, Marvin Wheeler <marvwheeler at nwlink.com> wrote:
> The only way I can tell
> the noise blanker is working is that if I turn the setting to high

Hmmm,

The noise blanker has two separate components, the first is a smart
control of traditional IF noise blanking which has 7 variations of smart based
upon narrow, medium and wide blanking width for a total of 21
varieties.

The second is completely DSP using light, medium and heavy
blanking based on seven different algorithms for a total of 21 DSP
settings.

The two kinds can be used separately or together. Do the combination
math and this is a total of 483 unique settings possible with NB.

K3 and K3S NB is not even remotely described by "turn the setting to high".

Are we talking about the same radio? K3 and K3S NB? If we ARE talking
about K3/K3S, then the A and B knobs setting NB "Level" are really not
a low-high knob like a volume control and explains why you aren't
getting what you want. Wide blanking is not always best. Nor is heavy
DSP blanking always best. With those two knobs you are matching the
blanking METHOD to the noise problem.

For MY PARTICULAR noise blend around here, which absolutely,
certainly, will NOT work for everyone, is DSP T1-7 and IF NAR4.
That's my favorite single pick out of the 483 possibilities for my
noise, and it took me a while to figure it out. But it was worth it.

In winter when I get my usual noises on 160m, that combo will work
decently everywhere on a band-wide S9 noise, good for S&P in contests.
But at various spots in the band will drop the noise as low as S3. The
band-wide result of NB has 5-10 kHz wide nulls where the NB blend hits
it hard and produces those S3 spots, and I do my contest runs in those
nulls. There is more than one source of line noise and the phase and
amplitude relationship between the two varies with frequency, hence
the nulls.

Certain radio settings will also take out key clicks (complex
discussion), which is a real blessing in a CW contest.

With the Sub RX, the NB settings are per receiver, very cool for
diversity and I can set them different ways if that works.

Some folks do have a tougher learning curve than others on the
Elecraft NB, but it's worth it.

73, Guy K2AV