Hi Doug, I've been doing CW contests with the K3 for nearly 11 years now. After using an early release of the K4 firmware, which should only improve over time, I'm convinced that the K4 far outperforms the K3 in CW pileup scenarios, mainly due to much improved audio performance. I predict other Field Testers will come to the same conclusion, but I'll let them speak for themselves.
Wayne can explain technically why this is the case (the K4 DAC hardware and CPU is 11 years newer and faster of course), but all I can ask is to listen closely to the first recording I posted <https://www.kkn.net/~n6tv/Pileup_Audio_on_K4D_Field_Test_N6TV.mp3>. Please ignore the RFI artifacts during transmissions, and just listen to the callers, preferably with headphones and a good PC sound card, not a phone or tablet. Try to pick out a callsign from the pile. Then rewind and try to pick out the *other* callsign. I think you'll be able to get a partial or full callsign almost every time, assuming normal hearing and "contester ears," even though the stations are quite close to each other. In a K3, under similar conditions, I would often hear annoying "beat notes" or "buzzes" (audio distortion) with as few as two callers in the passband. I have yet to hear that in the K4, though of course I've only used it for 6 hours of contesting. But I've heard enough to place an order for a 2nd K4, mainly so that I can do SO2R with two identical radios. Disclosure: I am not paid or employed by Elecraft, I have never worked there, and I receive no compensation from the company beyond a small discount on the price paid for an early Field Test Unit, and the chance to play and provide direct feedback to the company before the general release. Fun stuff (and more work than you might think). 73, Bob, N6TV On Thu, Jun 25, 2020 at 2:43 PM Douglas Zwiebel <doug...@gmail.com> wrote: > Thanks to TV for doing these. > > I really think that while well intentioned, these recordings are "not much" > in terms of comparing the two radios (or even just the K4 alone), unless > you're an operator who is concerned about exactly the conditions > (parameters) which are being used for the recordings. > > It's great to hear that "a neighbor" with a 65db over 9 signal can be > "handled" with ease. > > I don't think many of us experience that scenario. > > RM just asked for a "pile-up" simulation. OK, that's good, but how well > will the recording be an honest representation of what a human with > headphones connected to the radio be? I mean, you can't see what 4K Ulta > HD TV looks like by watching an example on an "older" TV. > > I am more concerned about how the radio works under "contest" conditions; > that is, with many big signals on the band (not just one at 65db over 9) > while trying to pull out 4th tier signals in a pileup. For me, that's the > test that matters. > > I don't know how many guys on here are serious DXer or are serious > contesters. For me, if the k4 can "pass the test" for the latter group, > then the receiver should be fine for everybody else. Maybe FD will give us > an idea (if recorded as forecast). But still, we are all listening through > a myriad of different devices to hear / observe what we hope to discern > about the K4 receiver. > > Finally, while it is encouraging that Elecraft can provide some "hints" > about how to tweak the K4 to get to what TV is looking for, it is a > reminder that this is still a work in progress. > > Patience is a virtue. > > de Doug KR2Q > I have two K3 radios, original owner, both 3 digit SN, both "kit" form. > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > Message delivered to n...@arrl.net > ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
