Thanks Ron...I had my suspicions about that trace.
The instructions are clear about the enamel lengths; it's just that one
of them really matters if you get it too long; the others don't seem to
(but I may be wrong).
I think calling out that L2-1 insulation is important would do the trick.
Another thing I noticed is that I used to get 3.5W out on 30m and 3W on
40 and 2.5 on 20 and now I get 2.5W out on 30 and 1.82W on the other
bands, measured with the DL1.
Either my LPF wasn't up to snuff in the past, or I have some other
problem.
Leigh/WA5ZNU
Thanks Leigh!! Your comments will result in some clarifications in future
editions of the manual.
Confession time: That "cut trace" in the manual photo was done by editing
the photograph digitally. Mine looks like yours, I'll bet, because I did it
exactly like the manual says. It wasn't clear on the photo so it justified a
little digital "help" to make sure it showed up well.
Your comments are all very helpful. I might be easier for builders to strip
lead L2-1 after the toroid is mounted on the LPF1 board, so it is easy to
see where to stop. I'm always dubious about calling for using soldering
irons close to relays though <G>. Still, we might change the procedure to
call for that.
Congratulations on a successful build! I know that Wayne "sweated bullets"
making the extra inductors required for 80 meters fit in the space
available. It's clear from the success stories that he did a great job of
it!
A four-band rig 80-20 meter CW rig with self-contained power, a superhet
receiver and variable crystal filter, wide range receive for listening to
everything from the "top end" of the standard broadcast band up through 20
meters and most of he SWL frequencies in between, super stable digital
tuning, nice CW break in operation, the comfy little plug-in paddles and it
all fits in my jacket pocket! It was just a few years ago I had an HP hand
held calculator that as big as my whole KX1 station.
Ron AC7AC
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of
Leigh L. Klotz, Jr.
Sent: Sunday, March 26, 2006 12:04 AM
To: Elecraft Discussion List
Subject: [Elecraft] KXB3080 Done
I finished my 80m board for the KX1 today. I did it over 3 or 4 days a
bit at a time.
The first signal I heard on 80m was noted KX1 owner Bill K6ACJ, but I
don't think he was on his KX1. He signed before I had a chance to call him.
WA7OSQ Art in Pasco, WA (about 630 miles) was my first QSO, on 3719 with
my 400' low-loop, and Art gave me a 569 QSB to my ~1.5W out. The loop has a
resonance around there, so it didn't really give the
KXAT1 a workout at all, and the ATU reported L=C=0.
On the 40m CW band though, all I get is SSB tonight, hi hi...
All in all, I'm impressed that such a thing was possible and pleased I
got it. Time will tell if I can use the 80m with portable antennas, but
it certainly works with a big resonant one.
A few minor observations on building and installing follow.
73,
Leigh / WA5ZNU
--------------------------------------------
- The 30m alignment seems pickier about hand coupling than on the KXB30
but maybe it's my imagination. I had to use a plastic tuning tool.
When I used a metal one with electrical tape, the 30A peak was way off
and 30B of course had no peak. Signals came way up when I touched the
metal tool to the trimmers, a sign that I needed to use a plastic one.
- On the LPF board, I found the text about running the green wire on
"top" of the relay confusing. The pictures confirmed that "top" didn't
mean the part of the relay with lettering, but instead one of the sides.
- Consulting the online PDF manual with color photos helped a lot with
this and other confusions I had.
- I shortened KB3080 PCB wire B, and later wire F, but the others were
OK in length.
- I didn't trim the relay pins, because I missed the instructions, and
the Elecraft manuals almost always warn you not to, but it soon became
obvious it was required, and I saw the instructions then.
- Somehow I wound up with too much insulation burned off the magnet wire
on L2 where it needs to run past the ATU jack, and was afraid it would
contact the vias on the LPF board, so I ran it around clear. This seems
to be the most important one to get the insulation right on. I suspect
the instructions are correct, though.
- I missed the instructions to solder C1 on the component side of the
LPF1 board and had to redo it.
- My current drain was always about 41ma, a little above what the book
said. I took the opportunity to look for any solder bridges or cold
joints, and touched up a few.
Now it's 44ma and 64ma.
- The advice to test the LPF1 board positioning with the KXAT1 is good.
I can see that installing the KXB3080 would be problematic if don't have
the KXAT1 but plan to get one, as it's hard to get it positioned exactly
right without testing, though I suppose you could re-install the LPF1 if
you purchase a KXAT1 later.
- If Elecraft ever fixes the KXB3080 board to have the correct labeling
for + and -, please consider not just swapping the symbols but using P
and N, to reduce confusion when reading future manuals.
- My cut trace is not as pretty as the one in the manual; the model one
looks like it was done with a laser cutter!
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