Topband: how to hear through static crashes?

[Barry N1EU]

As far as I'm concerned, the main objective would be to limit AGC action.
Depending on the radio, this might mean turning down RF Gain/turning up AF
Gain, increasing AGC Threshold, or turning off AGC.  But for this to work,
you need a wide audio dynamic range so that you have a high ceiling above
the faintest signals you can discern - otherwise the static crashes will
blow your eardrums out with the high AGC threshold.  K3NA has written
extensively on the subject - Google will list his articles.

If you don't have a wide audio dynamic range, you'll have to resort to
other methods but you'll always be hamstrung in battling with the AGC.

Barry N1EU

On Tue, Mar 27, 2012 at 2:57 AM, Robin <wb6tza at socal.rr.com> wrote:

> Maybe this is a good time to share the techniques we individually find
> successful for
> hearing through the giant sparks.
>
> Directional receive antennas, obviously,
>
> Receiver AGC?
> IF bandwidth?
> IF and RF gain distribution? (includes antenna preamps)
> what classes of digital processing do better?
> what's the best way to keep the receiver processing from ringing and
> increasing the
> effective duration of the crash?
> noise blanker performance?
> post receiver audio processing?
> can you let the IF strip "clip" in a modern receiver and be an effective
> "peak limiter"
> without serious ringing?
>
> What do YOU do?  and with which receiver?
>
> some shared experience might remind all of us of things to try to hear
> when the big sparks
> are flying
>
> Robin, WA6CDR
>
>
>
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