[Elecraft] K3S, DDS/PLL induced drift, and precision frequency measurement

[Bob McGraw K4TAX]

I use my K3S to participate in the twice year ARRL FMT.  I've always 
come in with a measurement of better than 1 Hz.   Not at all bad for 
amateur radio equipment.   And we must remember..........the Elecraft 
K3S is amateur radio equipment. If you expect better, then I'd say take 
the cost of your K3 or K3S and multiply it by a factor of 10X and that's 
what you'll likely have to spend to get into the real world of frequency 
measurements.

And in addition to the two events each year for the ARRL FMT, what does 
one do the other 363 days?   That degree of precision is really not 
needed for day in and day out operation.   Most ham transceivers are 
likely to have errors of greater than 1 Hz. anyway.   Just don't believe 
what the digital display indicates unless you have gone through a very 
recent calibration.  I usually check and adjust mine about once per 
month, on one of those days I'm bored, the bands are dead and it is 
raining outside.    As to what others say regarding frequency, I take 
those comments for no more than a grain of salt.

It is ham radio, enjoy it.

73

Bob, K4TAX