I ordered my K3 in June of 2007 after a strong local noise level started
at my Fargo ND QTH. (That was the factor that convinced me I needed a
K3). The noise went away for a few months about the time I got my K3 so
while I was pleased with how the K3 took care of the normal noise of the
city I did not know how it would work if the noise came back. Last night
I was working the Elecraft net on 20 meters and KD5ONS was coming in
about S7 and about the best copy I have had on him in months. I turned
on my IC-746PRO on 2 meters to check into the local 2 meter net and
noticed the S meter sat at S9. I switched to AM and sure enough the bad
line noise was back. I turned off the NB on the K3 and sure enough I
could barely tell KD5ONS was in there as the S meter jumped to S8 and
Kevin was only S7. I was running the K3 with PRE ON, ATT OFF, DSP E3-4,
IF MED3 and the default width of 400 HZ with the 500 HZ roofing filter.
With the NB ON the S meter would drop to S1 when there was a break in
the action and I was copying stations down to S1 with no way to know
there was any noise in the area. I sure made the right decision to buy
the K3 as this noise problem was here all last summer and the K2 and 746
just could not do anything about it. I have an MFJ-852 noise meter and
thought the noise was from my own house but pulling all the AC fuses to
the house and and running the rig on a battery showed no change. There
are 8 of us on the transformer which is in my back yard so it could be
coming from any one of my neighbors. At least I don't have to deal with
it this year due to the fact the K3 does such a good job of getting rid
of the noise. The 746 on 2 meters FM can only pick up the strongest
stations when the noise is there and they have lots of noise on them
unless the strength is over S9. This morning the noise is gone but that
is the way it was last year too. I never figured out a pattern to the
noise as some times it would come on for a few seconds and other times
it would come on for hours at a time.
73
Ken W0CZ
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