Hank;
Many thanks for your two lengthy and detailed replies although I am a bit
dismayed at your unlucky results with the NCC-1. Not really expecting to hear
something like that so now I am scratching my head wondering whether or not to
jump in anyway or hold off another year if/when the improved model hits the
shelves.
Some of what you wrote is a bit over my head but I got the general gist of it;
obviously there is still room for improvement (perhaps in the quality control
department if there is such a broad range between various units?). Perhaps you
got the one and only Edsel of the lot, though considering that most every other
review I've read has been overwhelmingly positive. I thought the YouTube
demonstrations were compelling; especially the one with two strong BCB stations
on the same frequency---with either one being able to be nulled out almost
completely. Night and day!
I'm not sure whether my simple condo antenna setup will be a better candidate
or not compared to yours and others who have DXE noise antennas set up far away
from their shacks and TX antenna(s). Right now I'm using a variable-length
inverted U dipole (10-12-15-17-20M) with the top horizontal portion/feedpoint
only about 20 feet above ground. It is suspended by some fiberglass poles
mounted at the top of a wooden beam over our front porch balcony and I am able
to work plenty of DX with the help of Ion, the Propagation God and the 650
watts that my KPA500 provides. While far from ideal at least I am able to
enjoy the hobby much more and utilize my entire K-line again since departing
KH6 (DX paradise) three years ago.
As I mentioned before, my noise antenna so far is only the three or four foot
whip atop my ANC-4 and most of the time it works from almost fair to very
good---depending on various factors and the type of noise involved (usually
next door or downstairs TV). My noise antenna is only about 20 feet away from
my balcony dipole (whose ends are hanging down so it has both vertical and
horizontal components---probably helping my signals get beyond the surrounding
obstacles so close to me here.
I am also just about to finish building my first STL (magnetic loop antenna)
for 10-20M which are the bands I operate 98% of the time, too. I have been
taking my time constructing it carefully so that it should perform at optimum
levels for what it is (I rolled a 9.5' copper pipe 1.125" OD into a circle and
it has only two silver brazed connections for the vacuum variable capacitor
clamps).
This loop will probably end up replacing the inverted U and also be less
susceptible to the RFI that I am now experiencing---but I want to go the extra
mile with my station anyway. I plan to roll additional loops (recently
purchased a Hulk tubing roller that works very well) so my noise antenna will
follow in my TX antenna's "footsteps" soon. I can put that 2nd (noise) loop
out on our cramped back balcony and hope for the best. I don't really know
much about how the coupling (or lack of) factors into all of this but it will
be interesting to see how two STLs will perform with an NCC-1 and also the
diversity feature in my K3. ( I also will upgrade both main and sub
synthesizers, too later this year after every little bug is worked out and the
backlog of orders gets caught up).
One last thing I'll mention before I QRT and make a run to Home Depot (building
a wooden stand for my loop); most of my noise is up on the higher
bands---unlike your 160M operation that you used the NCC-1 for---so maybe I
will enjoy better results for this particular usage?
Anyway, I think I will go ahead and take the plunge today and try it out
despite your helpful warning---curiosity might be getting the better of me...
I already have some gold-plated BNCs and RCA phono cables that I can rig up so
I will try it hooked into the KXV3A ports (I'll just remove the PR6 as
nothing's happening on 6M now anyway) as well as make a cable for the PTT line.
I hope to get this up and running by the upcoming WPX this weekend---either
way, I will follow up with my impressions here thereafter in case other K3
owners are considering adding one of these to their ham shack.
Thanks again for taking the time to explain your experience, Hank and if mine
doesn't cut the mustard I can't say you didn't try to warn me, hi hi!
73 to you and the Elecraft forum for listening to my rambling,
Jeff, NH7RO
> From: pfizenma...@q.com
> To: cathrowinternatio...@hotmail.com
> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Anyone using a DXE NCC-1 with K3?
> Date: Sun, 22 Mar 2015 16:32:46 -0700
>
> I see I did not address how it was connected - Like you , all the possible
> configurations with the KXV3A and aux ant input to sub rx give you a
> dizzying set of choices.
>
> In my case I wanted to null against my TX antenna. (the KE7X book if you
> have it is a huge help in picking the configuration )
>
> Couple notes - the inputs and outputs are in parallel with a F and RCA jack
> provided- watch any el cheapo BNC to RCA or BNC to F adapters . I finally
> made up RG58 cables with BNC one end and RCA other end.
>
> The NCC has a KEY input that kills B+ to a remote antenna and disables the
> NCC in tx. it is RCA.
>
> I had built my own box to short the rx line to the K3 to ground and also to
> open the line - I depend on the K3 10 msc delay from key down to RF out for
> sequencing . (I did the both opening and the shorting with some nice little
> DPDT relays from All Electronics that have gold flashed contacts for dry
> circuits. My little box also drives the key line on an ALPHA 8410 when I am
> using it instead of the KPA/KAT. Also gives DC isolation so all the
> assorted key lines don't try to talk to each other .
>
> OK - now to the K3/KXV#a -- First I do not have a 10/6 M preamp to worry
> with - so her si hwo I did itv .
>
> Tx ant against the active noise antenna
>
> My TX ant is on ANT1.
>
> NCC1 RX out goes to KXV3A "IN"
>
> NCC! IInput "A" goes the KXV3A "OUT"
>
> NCC1 Input "B" goes to the active antenna line from my box. (forgot to
> mention that I used the little wall wart and DC inserter than came with the
> active antenna so I did not have to modify my little box to take the short
> off )
> All this is pretty similar to the NCC manual Fig 3 on page 10.
>
> When using something other than a little whip like you are with the ANC -
> be sure you KNOW what the coupling is to the noise ant. I have a VNA2180 so
> can measure coupling and typical coupling to my 160 tuned loop is -25 dB and
> about same when I look at most any other combination of things . At 1500
> watt TX on 160 that means about 5 watts coming back the loop ant line .
>
> Hope that helps -
>
> 73 Hank K7Hp
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jeff Cathrow
> Sent: Sunday, March 22, 2015 2:04 PM
> To: Elecraft Digest
> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Anyone using a DXE NCC-1 with K3?
>
> Am contemplating a purchase of a DXE NCC-1 receiving antenna/noise phasing
> unit very soon (tomorrow, actually---so I will have it in time for the WPX
> next weekend) for use with my K3/P3/KPA500 and was wondering if anyone else
> in the group uses one and how they have it configured. Apparently I will
> either need to run it via my RX antenna jack or else with a sequencing unit
> (or RTR-1A controller that DXE also sells) if I want to run it inline with
> my main antennas.
>
> My main usage will be for the reduction of RFI that I am often subject to
> here in our condo complex (plasma or LCD TVs, wall warts and other
> electronic RF garbage producers nearby). I currently use an old JPS ANC-4
> with its attached noise receiving whip that works fairly well---but could
> still be much better. (I don't plan to buy the active antennas that DXE
> also sells with or without the NCC-1; at least not for any foreseeable
> future).
>
> I also use my Elecraft PR6 6M preamp affixed via the XVTR or RX antenna BNC
> jacks and am wondering if I can run the NCC-1 through it with or without the
> PR6 being on (I have it wired so that the PR6 activates only when I am on
> 6M, IIRC)---but I am getting older these days and am more easily
> confused/dyslexic when it comes to IN/OUT jacks than I used to. Will it be
> fairly easy to run both together or will it require removing the PR6 if I
> want to run the NCC-1 through the RX ports?
>
> Any user comments or thoughts on the subject will be appreciated; I have
> seen a few YouTube videos on the NCC-1 and it looks like it can be very
> effective on QRN coming from one particular source (like my ANC-4 but even
> noticeably better). It certainly will be fun to see the noise disappear or
> fall dramatically on my P3, too!
>
> 73, Jeff, NH7RO
>
> K3/P3/KPA500
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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