Topband: how to hear through static crashes?

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

Best receiver I ever had for lightning static was an ancient National
NC2-40D.  Other than it wasn't that sensitive, I really think that the
signal never hit the saturation point in any of the stages, including
audio, had no transistors, and of course, it didn't have AGC for CW.  The
wider crystal filter settings seemed to work best in the QRN.  High level
audio protection was provided by (necessarily cheap) headphones whose
mechanics hard limited the amplitude.  The headphones simply could not pass
more than a certain drive. Lost those phones somewhere when I went to
college.  Wish I still had them.

The sports analog to this is usually called "winning ugly".  Hearing well
ugly.

Clues to what to do with a K3?

73, Guy.

On Mon, Mar 26, 2012 at 10:57 PM, 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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>