Topband: Need advice for K3 and RX BC AM

[Mike Greenway]

I use my K3 on the AM 550 - 1700 MW broadcast by just turning the width to 5 
KHhz and selecting the AM mode .  I do turn the PREAMP and receive most 
station fairly well but if you are serious about the MW area outside the ham 
bands you will probably need the General Coverage module installed.  Of 
course you do need a good antenna, beverage, LW etc the low bands either 
way.  The K3 is basically a ham bands only radio as it comes.
73 Mike K4PI

-----Original Message----- 
From: Bill Cromwell
Sent: Monday, March 12, 2012 10:28 AM
To: Topband Reflector
Subject: Re: Topband: Need advice for K3 and RX BC AM

On Mon, 2012-03-12 at 16:09 +0700, Jo, YC0LOW wrote:
> My Elecraft K3 has no AM filters installed. I tried to RX AM broadcast
> stations on MW band but had no success.
> I'd be grateful if you could advice me to add it on, or, is there a way to
> do it as is, now pse?
> I need it as features to check the 160m RX antenna directions in the 
> coming
> YB8Y DXpedition (OC-221, GL PI64mh) starts in March 20th. 2012 .
>
> Tnx es 73 de Jo, YC0LOW
> _______________________________________________
> UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK

Hi Jo,

I am not familiar at all with the K(n) radios. Rick has suggested that
your radio is not going to hear very much below the 160 meter band due
to filtering. But - the way to copy AM with an SSB only receiver is to
tune only one sideband. On AM we usually tune with the carrier in the
center of our AM passband with both sidebands and no BFO. In SSB mode
tune in the station so it's carrier is zero beat with your BFO. One
sideband will then fall into your filter's passband and will be
demodulated for you. It should also activate your S-meter. Without the
board that Rick has describe this may not work for you at all.

SWL operators use the BFO to help with reception of distant SW broadcast
stations on AM.

73,

Bill  KU8H

_______________________________________________
UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK