There are at least two excellent reasons for the narrow crystal filters in the first IF of the K3(s).  (Wayne can correct me if I'm wrong.)  One, of course, is to reject the image of the second IF.  However, the dynamic range of the ADC in the second IF, by itself, just isn't enough to provide the 140 or so dB we need.  The combination of the ADC/DSP and the crystal filter does the trick, even though 8 MHz crystal filters aren't all that great.  As I recall, there were some earlier DSP only receivers, but their dynamic range was poor. Crystal filters are expensive, but until we have fast ADC's linear to at least 24 bits, they're necessary to get that kind of dynamic range.

I've often wondered if any other communication system requires the close in dynamic range we do.  Why would anyone design a system that allowed signals 2 kHz apart to differ in strength by 140 dB?

73,
Scott K9MA




On 6/14/2018 20:33, WILLIE BABER wrote:
Wes,

"A "Roofing filter" is simply a filter in the radio's first IF through which all signals must pass before they 
will be "seen" by later receiver stages. The narrower this filter is, the less exposure later stages will have. Thus a 
"narrow" roofing filter is desirable -- but "narrow" is relative, as I'll explain."

What Elecraft said (above) is exactly what I said.  Moreover, Elecraft's 
explanation is required because the term roofing filter is now applied to 
up-conversion in multiple conversion radios (with relatively wide first I-F 
filters compared to what is achievable at a low first I-F) which is what the 
term initially sought to rebuff in the first place, also my point.

73, Will, wj9b

CWops #1085
CWA Advisor levels II and III
http://cwops.org/

--------------------------------------------
On Thu, 6/14/18, Wes Stewart <wes_n...@triconet.org> wrote:

  Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Field Day rig experience
  To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net
  Date: Thursday, June 14, 2018, 4:47 PM
Will, First of all I have said before and will repeat
  it, I detest the term "roofing
  filter."  That said, by the generally
  accepted definition, you are wrong. See
  Elecraft's take on this:
http://www.elecraft.com/K3/Roofing_Filters.htm If you will think in
  Wayne's terms, the post-mixer filter is a
  "protective"
  filter, not a
  mode-specific filter.  So the question becomes, how much
protection is necessary?  In
  Elecraft's case, quite a lot, IMHO.  With its QRP
  DNA, Elecraft uses post crystal filter
  circuitry that minimizes current
  consumption.  The trade off for this is the
  need for a bank of pricey crystal
  filters
  to limit the frequencies that the circuitry is exposed
  to.
Now what if the
  subsequent circuitry doesn't require this much
  protection
  because it is more robust?  We
  now have direct-sampling radios that can digitize
  a whole ham band with good performance. If the
  BW was limited to 10-15 kHz in an
  up
  conversion configuration they should be even better.  The
  limitation now
  becomes LO phase noise, but
  newer synthesizer designs overcome that obstacle.
  Another thing to note is that IMD in crystal
  filters is reported to be inversely
  proportional to BW. So a wider filter might
  actually be better from that
  perspective.
  Some Elecraft filters exhibit passive IMD BTW.
Wes  N7WS On 6/14/2018 8:01 AM, WILLIE BABER wrote:
  > Hello Wes,
  >
  > I took a look.  Both designs are using
  the idea of "roofing filter" to refer to
  up-conversion radios similar to the use of up-conversion
  3khz filters as roofing filters in Icom radios.
  >
  > "Roofing
  filter" (a mode specific filter after the first mixer
  including narrow cw filters) only makes sense in the
  context  of the history of superhet design and in
  particular the use of one broad 15 khz first I-F (so that
  all modes may pass through it) typical of all Japanese
  radios until recently.  Calling a 45 mhz filter at the
  first I-F a "roofing filter" as noted in the info
  you sent entirely misses the point of what roofing filter
  means.  Or, to put it another way, all Ten-Tec radios had
  roofing filters in them (and were ssb and cw only) well
  before the term roofing filter was coined!  Which is why an
  Omni C will out perform any wide (15 khz) first I-F Japanese
  radio, even those built well after the 1980 vintage Omni
  C.
  >
  > Unless mode
  specific up-conversion crystal filters can be made and as
  narrow as 200 hz (this is possible with down-conversion)
  then "roofing filter" and up conversion
  doesn't make sense historically or in reality.
  >
  > Actually, Icom says
  that did it with 1.2khz filter at 64 mhz in the Icom 7851,
  though I'm not convinced the filter is that narrow, and
  1.2khz is far from the 200hz filter that my K3 has in it
  (however, the placement of this filter is why the 7851 is
  among the best radios in Sherwood's chart, on cw).
  >
  > It is possible to
  make very narrow and precise crystal filters as narrow as
  the 200 hz inexpensively, and this is the point of having
  multiple roofing filters at the first I-F.  So, this is the
  origin of the term roofing filter---in comparison to the
  barn-door up conversion first I-F.
  >
  > 73, Will, wj9b
  >
  > CWops #1085
  > CWA
  Advisor levels II and III
  > http://cwops.org/
  >
  >
  --------------------------------------------
  > On Wed, 6/13/18, Wes Stewart<wes_n...@triconet.org>
  wrote:
  >
  >   Subject:
  Re: [Elecraft] Field Day rig experience
  >   To:elecraft@mailman.qth.net
  >   Date: Wednesday, June 13, 2018, 3:08
  PM
  >
  >
  Certainly not to disparage the
  >   K3(S)
  architecture (I have two of them) there is
  >   nothing inherently wrong with an
  up-conversion
  >   receiver, if modern
  hardware is used.
  >
  >   See:https://martein.home.xs4all.nl/pa3ake/hmode/g3sbi_intro.html
  >
  >   and my friend
  Cornell's,
  >   Star-10
  transceiver.
  >   
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/eb33/5c12858779a653d9b9b93ca20120aebb7616.pdf
  >
  >   Wes  N7WS
  >
  >
  >     On 6/13/2018 11:38 AM, WILLIE
  BABER
  >   wrote:
  >
  > Robert is talking about the
  >
  crystal filters, also known as roofing filters now-days,
  >   that are typically placed after the
  first mixer (I
  >   mistakenly typed
  "ahead" but I meant
  >
  "after" as Robert notes), though there is a
  post
  >   amp and NB before these filters
  in K2 and K3.
  >   >
  >   > The idea is that a
  >   crystal filter right after the first
  mixer gives high
  >   dynamic range
  because high selectivity comes before the
  >   receiver has developed stages of gain
  that otherwise could
  >   cause blocking
  or IMD, especially when selectivity is
  >   postponed to the second mixer while
  ignoring gain
  >   distribution in prior
  stages of the receiver.  This basic
  >
  idea was popularized in Solid State Design for the Radio
  >   Amateur, and it was applied to Ten-Tec
  radios for decades
  >   (at a 9 mhz
  I-F).
  >   >
  >
  >
  >   Roofing filter gets defined in
  relationship to Japanese
  >   radios that
  had up conversion 15 khz filters at the first
  >   I-F, and generally lower dynamic range
  as a result, (but you
  >   got all modes,
  general coverage, and optional crystal
  >   filters at the second I-F).
  >   >
  >   > Good
  for everyone radios.... but with
  >
  lower dynamic range and phase noise from the early
  >   synthesizers.  This is why Ten-Tec
  radios were so popular
  >   among
  contesters, especially Omni V and VI (modified with a
  >   narrow cw filter at the first I-F).
  >   >
  >   > 73,
  Will, wj9b
  >   >
  >
  >
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--
Scott  K9MA

k...@sdellington.us

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