Use a series-tuned “wave trap” on KLIV’s frequency across your feedline. That 
will short out the feedline at that frequency. It will add some inductive load 
above the resonant frequency, but the ATU can deal with that.

The components need to be rated for the transmission line voltages, but they 
probably won’t be handling a lot of current.

wunder
K6WRU
Walter Underwood
CM87wj
http://observer.wunderwood.org/ (my blog)

> On Mar 31, 2017, at 2:36 PM, Bill Frantz <fra...@pwpconsult.com> wrote:
> 
> I have a 160M full length dipole. The center used to be at about 40 feet. 
> About the time version 5.57 of the firmware came out, the mast supporting the 
> center feed point broke and I re-rigged with the center at about 22 feet. (I 
> hate debugging when there were two changes.)
> 
> Measurement of the lowered antenna with a MFJ-259B antenna analyzer show 
> 1.2:1 SWR match at 1.87 KHz with 2,5:1 and 3.3:1 at the band edges from the 
> shack. Because of the mismatch at the band ends, I usually use the antenna 
> using the KAT3A tuner installed in my K3. (I don't have similar figures for 
> the higher antenna, but the SWR curve matches the computer model.)
> 
> I used the antenna with modest success including 10 DXCCs and 41 US states 
> confirmed.
> 
> When I installed 5.57, I noticed significant power drops on 160M, stepping 
> down from 100W to 25W and 50W. With the help of Elecraft support, we have 
> concluded that the antenna is irritating the new firmware feature:
> 
>    K3 MCU 5.57 / DSP 2.88 / FPF 1.26, 2-16-2017
> 
>    * FASTER RESPONSE TO HIGH REFLECTED POWER. The transceiver will now reduce
>    drive more quickly when transient conditions cause excessive reflected
>    power. This roll-back response does not change the set power level (PWR
>    knob); instead, it reduces the drive to get below the reflected power
>    limit. This means that once a better match is restored (such as when using
>    an antenna tuner), the set power level will automatically be restored.
> 
> When I backed off to version 5.50, 160M performance seems to have gone back 
> to what it was.
> 
> Measuring the open-circuit voltage on the antenna feed line with a 
> oscilloscope shows about 600mV peak to peak. I estimate, based on eyeballing 
> the trace and measuring other antennas, that about 200mV of that is 60 cycle 
> hum. Elecraft support thinks this is enough voltage to affect the internal K3 
> SWR bridge.
> 
> The voltage is most likely from AM broadcast stations. The strongest station, 
> measured with the P3, is KLIV (5000W) about 8 miles from my QTH.
> 
> 
> So now, the question is what to do about the problem. Several things I have 
> been able to think of are:
> 
> * Use a broadcast band filter. DXEngineering has one that will handle 200W, 
> but it wants 50 ohms impedance on both ends. Therefore it is recommended to 
> install it between the power amp (internal to the K3) and the tuner (also 
> internal to the K3). I might be tempted to insert one in the K3, but the 
> tuner and power amp are connected through a header, not a simple cable I 
> could reroute to install the filter.
> 
> * Get a KAT500 and the filter. Expensive, but straight forward.
> 
> * Sometimes the power remains at 100W when the internal tuner is in bypass 
> mode, but not always. It might remain stable enough for QSO, but flipping 
> back and fourth seems to be a pain.
> 
> Does anyone have any suggestions?
> 
> Thanks - Bill AE6JV
> 
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> Bill Frantz        | Concurrency is hard. 12 out  | Periwinkle
> (408)356-8506      | 10 programmers get it wrong. | 16345 Englewood Ave
> www.pwpconsult.com |                - Jeff Frantz | Los Gatos, CA 95032
> 
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net
> 
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
> Message delivered to wun...@wunderwood.org

______________________________________________________________
Elecraft mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com

Reply via email to