On Sat, Jul 11, 2020 at 12:41 PM Frank O'Donnell <vf...@inkbox.net> wrote: > > After a fair time of non-use, today I got out my KX3 and started working > through configuration checklists. Among other things I thought I'd check > the power out. > > For this test I used a Bird 43 and MFJ-260C dummy load. For HF I used a > Bird 2-30 MHz 25w element, and for 2m a 100-250 MHz 10w element. I put > the KX3 in CW mode and keyed with the KXPD3 paddle. When changing to > each HF band I hit the ATU Tune button. > > On 40m and 20m I found that with the Pwr knob set to 15w, the Bird > showed about 8w out. With the Pwr knob set to 5w, the power out is about 3w. > > After changing the antenna port and Bird element, on 2m with the radio > set to 3w the Bird shows about 2.5w out. > > Any thoughts on these results, or suggestions on other things to check? > >The KX3 is running off the Pro Audio Engineering PAE-Kx33 power supply, >plugged into the 9-15 vdc connector.
Do you know that the Bird and slugs are good? Do you know that the dummy load is good? Bird meters, when they are calibrated, are specified at 5% of full scale, so +/- 1.25 W for the 25 W element and +/- 0.5W for the 10W element. Bird meters are rugged, but not really all that accurate. The dummy load should be 50 ohms resistive over the frequency range of interest. If they have been cooked, they often change. So, for two meters being off by 0.5W is within the calibration accuracy, even if the slug was calibrated. Slugs don't usually drift much though, unless cooked. Hams hardly ever calibrate their test equipment because it does cost a lot to do so, and it has to be done every year or two. In the case of the slugs, I think that calibration means measure and if bad, chuck it. The meter itself has a calibration, I believe. For 40M and 20m the readings are so different that it is likely something is wrong. Can you measure a different rig or with a different meter? 73, Mark W7MLG ______________________________________________________________ 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
