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Re: Topband: Keyclicks / AGC

To: topband@contesting.com
Subject: Re: Topband: Keyclicks / AGC
From: ws6x@comcast.net
Date: Mon, 28 Jan 2013 19:30:56 +0000 (UTC)
List-post: <topband@contesting.com">mailto:topband@contesting.com>
Message: 4 
Date: Mon, 28 Jan 2013 15:55:23 +0000 
From: "Shoppa, Tim" < tshoppa@wmata.com > 


<SNIP> 

Is it possible... that what folks are attributing to keyclicks in the 
transmitter, are actually AGC artifacts in their receiver? 

=== Of course it's possible. You can also add DSP NR, NB, etc. to the equation 
for false indicators. I for one am very sure that all those culprits are 
eliminated before I send (privately) a panadapter screen shot to the offending 
station. I can further attest -- the 3 WC stations mentioned earlier were 
indeed WIDE. The first mentioned looked like a Christmas tree on my P3. In 
addition, endless CQ-ing at 35 wpm kept the neighborhood pretty well 
"occupied." 

If done politely and with respect, most hams are appreciative of such feedback. 
Several years ago we had a K6 -- a 160 newbie -- tear up the band for over a 
year, before someone kindly mentioned it to him. Not only was he chagrined, but 
you could almost feel his pain when he asked, "Why did you wait so long to tell 
me?" 

I will never forget when I first started puttering around with PSK. One evening 
I had a VE7 send me a screen capture of my signal. It was the most horrible 
waterfall I had ever seen! I'm red-faced to this very day when I remember that 
image. Thank you, thank you, VE7 for putting me out of my (unknown, unintended) 
misery! 

Jim - WS6X 


There are several legal-limit contest stations within a few miles of me and I'm 
used to a strong-signal environment. And how it can pump AGC causing audible 
artifacts that are not in the transmitter. And I will generally disable AGC for 
anything but ear saving purposes. Why set AGC to make all signals sound the 
loudness as each other, or use AGC to make the noise be as loud as a signal? 

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