[Elecraft] KX1 build photos
Steve (and others), Here are some photos of my KX1 build from this spring. I have yet to add the 30m/80m mod, but hope to get on with it this month. http://www.flickr.com/photos/shadle/collections/72157600234577810/ (This is a link to a collection of amateur radio photos of mine, but it is easy to find the KX1 photo sets.) Like others have suggested, I decided to install L6 on the bottom side of the board (and there is a photo of that). My major problem during the build was in winding T1. Don't let those wires cross each other! :) Good luck and have fun! It will go quicker than you anticipate (most likely). -john, W4PAH Chapel Hill, NC ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
[Elecraft] Re: KX1 build photos
John, Those are excellent quality construction photos. Thanks for posting them! I was hoping to see a close-up of C56, which has no solder pads and is instead soldered directly to pins 2 and 3 of K1. Can you (or anyone else) suggest how to accomplish this step? Is this where hemostats (which I haven't yet acquired) might come in handy? Steve - Original Message From: John Shadle [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; elecraft@mailman.qth.net Sent: Wednesday, July 11, 2007 6:49:08 AM Subject: KX1 build photos Steve (and others), Here are some photos of my KX1 build from this spring. I have yet to add the 30m/80m mod, but hope to get on with it this month. http://www.flickr.com/photos/shadle/collections/72157600234577810/ (This is a link to a collection of amateur radio photos of mine, but it is easy to find the KX1 photo sets.) Like others have suggested, I decided to install L6 on the bottom side of the board (and there is a photo of that). My major problem during the build was in winding T1. Don't let those wires cross each other! :) Good luck and have fun! It will go quicker than you anticipate (most likely). -john, W4PAH Chapel Hill, NC 8:00? 8:25? 8:40? Find a flick in no time with the Yahoo! Search movie showtime shortcut. http://tools.search.yahoo.com/shortcuts/#news ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
RE: [Elecraft] Re: KX1 build photos
I was hoping to see a close-up of C56, which has no solder pads and is instead soldered directly to pins 2 and 3 of K1. I have page-by-page build photos of my KX1 at: http://www.craigr.com/coppermine/index.php?cat=23 Select the Elecraft KX1 album, select the second page of photos, and you'll see Page 34 (C56 Detail). It's a little dark but you can see what I did. IIRC I tacked one pin down by heating the existing solder then worked on the other pin. Once I was happy with that I went back to the first pin and made sure it was adequately soldered. I also have page-by-page build photos of my K2: http://www.craigr.com/coppermine/thumbnails.php?album=32 And KPA-100 http://www.craigr.com/coppermine/thumbnails.php?album=34 And while we're at it, K3 photos: http://www.craigr.com/coppermine/thumbnails.php?album=63 Craig NZ0R KX1 #1499 K1 #1966 K2/100 #4941 ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
RE: [Elecraft] Got K2, many questions...
1. I need to know about the CAL FIL function. I prefer a CW pitch of 400 Hz. The previous owner had it set at 600 Hz. The manual states I might want to use CAL FIL to adjust the BFO settings for a new pitch. The problem I am having is that I can't get the filters to accept a 400 Hz pitch, even when ST P is set to 400. The exception is the 1.5 kHz filter. The 700 Hz filter sort of passes a 400 Hz tone. Since I didn't build the K2, I don't have the frequency counter test cable mentioned in the CAL FIL section, at least I don't think I do. 400 Hz should be no problem, but you must go through all the calibration steps to reset the bfo and filters. 2. The K2 has the KAT2 internal ATU. I am getting HI CUR warning on an antenna that is already matched. The antenna is a ladder line fed delta loop through an old 275 watt Johnson Matchbox. I know the antenna is matched for the portion I am using. The coax is connected to the ANTENNA BNC instead of ANT1 or ANT2. I tried setting ATU to CALP or CALS. I simply want to bypass the ATU for home use. But I also want to use the internal SWR function to manually tune the Johnson Matchbox. I will try the ANT1 or ANT2 BNC connector. Perhaps that is what I should do. Reading the manual couldn't hurt either, hi. Use the built in atu, just hit the tune button and the K2 will get the swr low between the K2 and the matchbox. Better yet would be to buy a low power balun and hook the antenna directly to the K2 which can tune and remember all the band settings so you can jump to any band and just operate. In any case, you want to know the swr, power output, and current at the K2. The slightest swr turns down the power of the K2, even 10 feet of coax between the K2 and a tuner may cause power reduction/high current. Also, the current limit is adjustable and may be set too low. 3. My last question is about the adding KPA100 option. I wish to keep the KAT2 for portable operation. I know the KAT2 and KPA100 options are not compatible. Can I switch between them in a short amount of time? I have heard the top lid can be swapped on the fly to switch between the QRP and 100 watt modes. Is this an easy thing to do? I might want to use the KAT2 in the field and KPA100 at home. It takes about 2 minutes to switch, you need to remove and replace 6 screws and swap 3 connectors inside the rig. Do I have any takers on these questions? 73, Steve N6VL The K2 with built in tuner is a slick little package, adding the 100 watt top means a tuner is needed, which spoils the slick little package aspect. Before the K3, I was thinking of mounting the kpa100 with the 100 watt tuner in one standalone box, that allows the basic K2 to work as a standalone rig in the field, and as a 100 watt rig at home, with no changes other than cables between the two boxes. In either case, you push a button and the antenna is tuned. Brett N2DTS ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] Got K2, many questions...
Steve, As others have replied, your filters should be re-aligned (particularly the narrow ones) if you shift the pitch by 200 Hz. A 50 Hz shift can easily be accomplished without re-adjusting the filters, but the response will fall off the edge of the more narrow filters if you go further than that. If you have the KDSP2 installed, you must also change the filter centers on the DSP CW filters too or you will hear nothing. Look for the counter probe or order a replacement kit from Elecraft, download Specrtogram 5.17 (the last freeware version) from www.n0ss.net and look at my website http://w3fpr.qrpradio.com - article 'Setting the K2 Dial Calibration' for information about how to set the filters (the filter setting is in 'Part 3' of the article. 2) When the KAT2 (or the KPA100) is installed, the BNC connector on the lower rear panel of the K2 is no longer to be used - connecting an antenna to that BNC will cause HI CUR warnings because the K2 cannot sense the power output and will ramp the power up to maximum. 3) While swapping the top cover for the KPA100 is not a difficult chore, if you plan the KPA100 and the KAT100, I would opt for putting them both in an external EC2 enclosure. The KAT100-2 has all the 'hooks' for plugging the KPA100 into it's board making the QRP K2 available for portable operations by just removing 2 cables. The coax to the KPA100/KAT100 combo connects to the KAT2 ANT1 connector and the KAT2 is automatically bypassed. I too would suggest that you replace the Matchbox with an Elecraft BL1 or BL2 balun. The K2 will remember the tunings for each band and you can change bands without any manual tuner 'knob twisting'. 73, Don W3FPR Steve Kallal wrote: I just a got second hand K2 today and have some questions. For reference the SN is 2289 and it has the 2004 mods. ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] Re: KX1 build photos
Actually, I had previously seen your pictures after Googling for elecraft kx1 c56 yesterday, but it was a little too dark to see clearly what you had done. Thanks for the additional explanation. It sounds like your approach of tacking the first capacitor lead down to its pin and then working on the other will work. (I feel a bit squeamish about cutting off those capacitor leads instead of sticking them through holes, but what the heck!) Thanks. Steve - Original Message From: Craig Rairdin [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Sent: Wednesday, July 11, 2007 8:41:59 AM Subject: RE: [Elecraft] Re: KX1 build photos I was hoping to see a close-up of C56, which has no solder pads and is instead soldered directly to pins 2 and 3 of K1. I have page-by-page build photos of my KX1 at: http://www.craigr.com/coppermine/index.php?cat=23 Select the Elecraft KX1 album, select the second page of photos, and you'll see Page 34 (C56 Detail). It's a little dark but you can see what I did. IIRC I tacked one pin down by heating the existing solder then worked on the other pin. Once I was happy with that I went back to the first pin and made sure it was adequately soldered. I also have page-by-page build photos of my K2: http://www.craigr.com/coppermine/thumbnails.php?album=32 And KPA-100 http://www.craigr.com/coppermine/thumbnails.php?album=34 And while we're at it, K3 photos: http://www.craigr.com/coppermine/thumbnails.php?album=63 Craig NZ0R KX1 #1499 K1 #1966 K2/100 #4941 ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com We won't tell. Get more on shows you hate to love (and love to hate): Yahoo! TV's Guilty Pleasures list. http://tv.yahoo.com/collections/265 ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
[Elecraft] KX2 Sneek Preview [OT]
Pictures of the next Elecraft radio kit have been leaked: http://www.shorpy.com/node/1268?size=_original Woodworking skills essential, not yet supported by Ham Radio Deluxe. Simon Brown, HB9DRV ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] KX2 Sneek Preview [OT]
Hello Simon! Pictures of the next Elecraft radio kit have been leaked: http://www.shorpy.com/node/1268?size=_original Woodworking skills essential, not yet supported by Ham Radio Deluxe. As you can see, this is a spread spectrum system. While not using PIN diode switching, it has no relays. And the use of double-cotton-covered wire to control the near-field dielectric characteristics around the tuned interconnects are important, too... Lyle PS - If you can't interface it to HRD via Blue Tooth, it might work using the newer Yellow Fang interconnect. ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] KX2 Sneek Preview [OT]
This was Lyle's early DSP system (Double (sided) Sand Paper) - 73, Greg - AB7R Whidbey Island WA NA-065 On Wed Jul 11 12:59 , Lyle Johnson sent: Hello Simon! Pictures of the next Elecraft radio kit have been leaked: http://www.shorpy.com/node/1268\?size=_original Woodworking skills essential, not yet supported by Ham Radio Deluxe. As you can see, this is a spread spectrum system. While not using PIN diode switching, it has no relays. And the use of double-cotton-covered wire to control the near-field dielectric characteristics around the tuned interconnects are important, too... Lyle PS - If you can't interface it to HRD via Blue Tooth, it might work using the newer Yellow Fang interconnect. ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] KX2 Sneek Preview [OT]
Boy, K3 shipment better start soon... this is degenerating rapidly! :) Bruce, NM5B Santa Fe, NM - Original Message - From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Elecraft elecraft@mailman.qth.net; Lyle Johnson [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, July 11, 2007 11:07 AM Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KX2 Sneek Preview [OT] This was Lyle's early DSP system (Double (sided) Sand Paper) - 73, Greg - AB7R Whidbey Island WA NA-065 On Wed Jul 11 12:59 , Lyle Johnson sent: Hello Simon! Pictures of the next Elecraft radio kit have been leaked: http://www.shorpy.com/node/1268\?size=_original Woodworking skills essential, not yet supported by Ham Radio Deluxe. As you can see, this is a spread spectrum system. While not using PIN diode switching, it has no relays. And the use of double-cotton-covered wire to control the near-field dielectric characteristics around the tuned interconnects are important, too... Lyle PS - If you can't interface it to HRD via Blue Tooth, it might work using the newer Yellow Fang interconnect. ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
[Elecraft] battery backup, etc. for QRO K2?
I've been running a QRP K2 for about 18 months now. It has the KBT2, and I've been powering the home station with a 10A linear PS that's adjusted to 14.2V, to keep the internal gelcell happy. Now I'm going to add a KPA100/KAT100 in an EC2 (K2 twins!) and have to upgrade my power setup. My current thinking is to use the Alinco DM-330 switching PS for space reasons (my shack shares space with my office :-) Since this will require an upgrade in my PowerPole distribution setup, and because the linear supply will go back out the bench (leaving some space on the floor), I'm thinking about battery backup, too. I know that the RigRunner folks make a couple of battery backup devices http://www.powerwerx.com/category.asp?CtgID=3580 and I have to admit that I'm tempted to buy instead of build. But I'd like to understand the tradeoffs here. I want to keep the system voltage high enough to keep the KBT2's battery happy. I suppose that I could run the system from a large battery and just trickle/float the battery from a smaller supply ... but that seems a lot more complicated (and harder to keep the voltage up for the KBT2). What have other people set up along these lines? What website should I be visiting? Is the super powergate really worth double the price? :-) 73 de chris K6DBG ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
[Elecraft] Sidetone or zero beat
I was just wondering what people prefer. Every radio I have owned has used sidetone matching. I've only owned one radio that actually lets you zero beat a signal and that is the one I prefer the most since I can zero beat a signal a lot quicker that fiddling around trying to match up tones. I then adjust the offset to either side of the carrier to my liking. Before anyone says it just takes practice, I'll have to say that 23 years is probably enough practice. ;-) I can do it, it just takes longer. I would like to see this as an option on radios. How about the K3? Gary, N7HTS ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] KX2 Sneek Preview [OT]
Love those knife switches. 73! Dan KB6NU -- CW Geek and MI Affiliated Club Coordinator Read my ham radio blog at www.kb6nu.com LET'S GET MORE KIDS INTO HAM RADIO! On Jul 11, 2007, at 12:33 PM, Simon Brown (HB9DRV) wrote: Pictures of the next Elecraft radio kit have been leaked: http:// www.shorpy.com/node/1268?size=_original Woodworking skills essential, not yet supported by Ham Radio Deluxe. Simon Brown, HB9DRV ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] battery backup, etc. for QRO K2?
On Wed, 11 Jul 2007 11:22:15 -0700 (PDT), Chris Kantarjiev wrote: What have other people set up along these lines? What website should I be visiting? Is the super powergate really worth double the price? :-) I run my multi-receiver / multi-transceiver station from a 100 AH gel-cell float-charged by an allegedly regulated MFJ 45A switching supply through an isolation diode (one half of an automotive dual-battery isolator connected backwards). The steady-state load approaches 7A with all receivers and transceivers in squelched/receive mode. The battery bus (load) voltage is 13.4V which means that the battery is near the end of its life - it falls to 12.6V under load with the charger removed. I plan to replace it with a higher capacity battery bank by the end of the summer. I would rather set the bus voltage at the recommended 13.8 V float voltage. The only problem with this is getting the supply to maintain 14.6V. Right now it's at 14.2V and the isolator drop is the advertised 0.8V including the 0.2V drop through two shunts for measuring the battery and load currents. I hesitate to remove the isolation diode lest the supply voltage fall below the battery voltage for some reason and reverse current flows into the supply regulator. That can happen when adjusting the variable voltage output and it destroyed a linear supply that I had many years ago. That's how I do it. -- 73 de K2ASP - Phil Kane Elecraft K2/100 s/n 5402 ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
[Elecraft] KX1 build tips
Heya All, Got a don't do as I did for you. I wanted to use the battery holders for power while building my KX1, this turned out to be a mistake because I put the connector on the end without cutting the wires down to size first. This meant I had extra wire to stuff under the battery holders at the end of my build. I was able to do it by looping the wire, but it would have been better to just cut it to length as the manual said to. Not sure if the lead to my second booboo, but somehow I ended up stripping the start of the holes for battery holders on the back plate and ended up having to buy longer 2-56 screws and some nuts. So becareful about installing those screws, it doesn't take much to strip them and even though I made sure as best as I could that the battery holders where flat against the backplate, they stripped anyways. -chris Need a vacation? Get great deals to amazing places on Yahoo! Travel. http://travel.yahoo.com/ ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] battery backup, etc. for QRO K2?
I think optimizing for the KBT2 is an unnecessary constraint on your new QRO power system. The charging system for the KBT2 with the resistor is an expedient and inexpensive solution, but it isn't optimal itself. I'd recommend putting a separate connector on as Don suggests, fused directly to the battery, and then using your Battery Tender Jr to charge it up every now and then. The rest of the time, use your regular power; for example, I use a 41AH AGM and a Battery Tender (not Jr) for my K2 and 35W HFpacker amp right now. For 100W SSB, the Gamma Research HPS1a is the tiniest supply you can imagine, though reports are you need to go down to 80W for CW. It's small enough to take with you on a trip as well, which isn't something you can say about other supplies, even conventional switching supplies. (It's smaller than a KX1...) When my K3 arrives I'll be using the HPS1a at first, but eventually upgrading my 40AH AGM battery to something bigger, probably an Optima Yellow Top. I got a 5A solar panel on closeout recently and plan to use that to keep it charged during power outages, but use a Battery Tender the rest of the time. Leigh/WA5ZNU ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
[Elecraft] Sidetone or zero beat
I can zero beat a signal a lot quicker that fiddling around trying to match up tones. I then adjust the offset to either side of the carrier to my liking. Before anyone says it just takes practice, I'll have to say that 23 years is probably enough practice. ;-) I can do it, it just takes longer. You are actually zero-beating the signal in both cases above. In one case you are matching the tones of your CW pitch (e.g. 400 Hz = 400 Hz) and in the other case the carrier (e.g. 0 Hz = 0 Hz). Unless you are tone deaf, it is much faster to zero beat the pitch since then you are then ready to send. If you zero beat the carrier, then you must then manually offset to the pitch you like before sending, unless your ears have a good response at 0 Hz! :-) For tone deaf folks, Elecraft offers a CW tuning indicator which may be better for you. http://www.elecraft.com/K3/K3FAQ.htm#CW_Spotting 73, Bill W4ZV ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] Sidetone or zero beat
My Z100 kit is intended to allow fast matching the incoming signal with the side tone, through 24 LEDs in a spectrum display, 25 Hz per LED, to give you the direction to adjust and the mis-tuning magnitude. Jack K8ZOA www.cliftonlaboratories.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] battery backup, etc. for QRO K2?
Chris, The way I do it with my K2 twins is to use a Smartcharger (directly connected to the battery terminals - fused of course) to power the base K2. The base K2 always runs on the internal battery. The high current supply is connected to the KPA100/KAT100 combination in the EC2 enclosure. If you find that you need to purchase a new supply just ot keep the voltage up to where the internal battery will be charged, then the Smartcharger may be a better alternative. If you want to see my implementation of the direct battery connection, go to my website http://w3fpr.qrpradio.com. 73, Don W3FPR Chris Kantarjiev wrote: I've been running a QRP K2 for about 18 months now. It has the KBT2, and I've been powering the home station with a 10A linear PS that's adjusted to 14.2V, to keep the internal gelcell happy. Now I'm going to add a KPA100/KAT100 in an EC2 (K2 twins!) and have to upgrade my power setup. My current thinking is to use the Alinco DM-330 switching PS for space reasons (my shack shares space with my office :-) ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
[Elecraft] Sidetone or zero beat
I wrote: For tone deaf folks, Elecraft offers a CW tuning indicator which may be better for you. Actually I short-changed that feature. Get within ~100 Hz and the K3 automatically zero beats for you. From the FAQ: ##Speaking of CW .. is there a method for spotting? There are two methods. The first is the normal spotting tone that you tune for zero beat. TAP the SPOT switch to toggle the tone on and off. There is also a feature called CWT. You press this button and the right half of the S Meter display becomes a zero-center tuning meter. You tune the signal in according to this bar graph. When you are close (within a hundred Hz or so either way) you can either finish tuning yourself, or TAP the SPOT button and voila -- the K3 will tune itself to zero beat. The same feature works in data modes. This is great for tuning in PSK31 and TTY signals. There's a front-panel knob that controls the volume level of the spotting tone. ### Also here's a fun website to test how well you can match two 500 Hz tones (like you would when zero-beating a 500 Hz CW pitch): http://tonometric.com/adaptivepitch/ 73, Bill W4ZV ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
[Elecraft] K3FAQ updated
see Accessory Connector de Doug KR2Q ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] battery backup, etc. for QRO K2?
On Wed, 11 Jul 2007 11:22:15 -0700 (PDT), Chris Kantarjiev wrote: What have other people set up along these lines? What website should I be visiting? Is the super powergate really worth double the price? :-) I run my multi-receiver / multi-transceiver station from a 100 AH gel-cell float-charged by an allegedly regulated MFJ 45A switching supply through an isolation diode (one half of an automotive dual-battery isolator connected backwards). The steady-state load approaches 7A with all receivers and transceivers in squelched/receive mode. The battery bus (load) voltage is 13.4V which means that the battery is near the end of its life - it falls to 12.6V under load with the charger removed. I plan to replace it with a higher capacity battery bank by the end of the summer. I would rather set the bus voltage at the recommended 13.8 V float voltage. The only problem with this is getting the supply to maintain 14.6V. Right now it's at 14.2V and the isolator drop is the advertised 0.8V including the 0.2V drop through two shunts for measuring the battery and load currents. I hesitate to remove the isolation diode lest the supply voltage fall below the battery voltage for some reason and reverse current flows into the supply regulator. That can happen when adjusting the variable voltage output and it destroyed a linear supply that I had many years ago. That's how I do it. -- 73 de K2ASP - Phil Kane Elecraft K2/100 s/n 5402 ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] Sidetone or zero beat
Thanks Bill. It's good to know that the K3 will do that. I understand that I am zero beating in both cases. I'm not tone deaf, it's just that it takes me longer to match tones. Usually, by the time I get the tones matched the station I wanted to contact is either gone or in a QSO with another station. It's much faster and easier with strong signals but, with weaker signals that are just above the noise, it tends to be much more difficult. It's ironic how we have gone to using a visual indicator to zero beat a station when so much of ham radio still depends on the ears. :-) Gary, N7HTS On Wed, 11 Jul 2007 16:11:55 -0400 Bill Tippett [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I can zero beat a signal a lot quicker that fiddling around trying to match up tones. I then adjust the offset to either side of the carrier to my liking. Before anyone says it just takes practice, I'll have to say that 23 years is probably enough practice. ;-) I can do it, it just takes longer. You are actually zero-beating the signal in both cases above. In one case you are matching the tones of your CW pitch (e.g. 400 Hz = 400 Hz) and in the other case the carrier (e.g. 0 Hz = 0 Hz). Unless you are tone deaf, it is much faster to zero beat the pitch since then you are then ready to send. If you zero beat the carrier, then you must then manually offset to the pitch you like before sending, unless your ears have a good response at 0 Hz! :-) For tone deaf folks, Elecraft offers a CW tuning indicator which may be better for you. http://www.elecraft.com/K3/K3FAQ.htm#CW_Spotting 73, Bill W4ZV ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] Sidetone or zero beat
On Wednesday 11 July 2007 14:25:35 Gary D Krause wrote: I was just wondering what people prefer. I have used audio zero beating since my first station: separates, an Eddystone EA12 and Yaesu FL-101. And I tune my own pianos. Ian, G4ICV, AB2GR, K2 #4962 -- ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Fwd: Re: [Elecraft] battery backup, etc. for QRO K2?
A better technique is to use a power supply that is designed to float across and manage batteries. They call them RV Converters. They are very cost effective, and at least some of them are very RF quiet. No diodes are required, and the supplies are designed to withstand the loads and voltages of batteries connected across their output terminals. I recently put together such a system and made a web page with some of my experience. The one I have is rated at 60 amps and together with a 100 amp hour AGM battery powers several rigs and occasionally even a solid state amplifier requiring up to 100 amps. It has a Charge Wizard to manage the voltage profile to properly charge and maintain the battery bank, which a fixed voltage cannot do: http://www.hsfdg.org/wiki/DcPowerSystem -- Alan, wb6zqz --- Original message -- On Wed, 11 Jul 2007 11:22:15 -0700 (PDT), Chris Kantarjiev wrote: What have other people set up along these lines? What website should I be visiting? Is the super powergate really worth double the price? :-) ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] Re: radios on networks
On Jun 5, 2007, at 12:57 PM, Brian Lloyd wrote: The problem is, USB is a bad choice in this situation. It is a short-range master-slave system. It is intended to have a single master controller control a few attached devices. That works for peripherals on your PC but it is not general purpose for our shack. We really want something that is peer-to-peer and has no limitations. FireWire. Given the cost of serial and the cost of Ethernet I would tend to disagree. Other than perhaps some backward compatibility there is no real advantage to serial RS-232 over Ethernet and a lot of disadvantages. Yes. But, Ethernet is just the physical layer. What you really need is a set of higher-level protocols that run over a high-speed connection. The single-connection aspect of serial ports is the source of the limitation. (Although I did work on an multi-connection serial protocol while I was at Hayes called AutoStream) No, that would be a bad decision as it would not make anything any better. Ethernet provides multiplexing already. Serial does not. Ethernet provides 1000 Mbps. Serial does not. I could go on and on. Ethernet-to-serial is just a band-aid. Better to put the ethernet controller right on the processor's bus where it belongs then you have all the features of Ethernet. And you can still emulate a serial interface if you really want to. Yup. Sounds like a good idea. To me, though, whether Ethernet, USB or FireWire, you'd get this advantage. Bill Coleman, AA4LR, PP-ASELMail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Quote: Not within a thousand years will man ever fly! -- Wilbur Wright, 1901 ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] battery backup, etc. for QRO K2?
Chris et al: A better technique is to use a power supply that is designed to float across and manage batteries. They call them RV Converters. They are very cost effective, and at least some of them are very RF quiet. No diodes are required, and the supplies are designed to withstand the loads and voltages of batteries connected across their output terminals. I recently put together such a system and made a web page with some of my experience. The one I have is rated at 60 amps and together with a 100 amp hour AGM battery powers several rigs and occasionally even a solid state amplifier requiring up to 100 amps. It has a Charge Wizard to manage the voltage profile to properly charge and maintain the battery bank, which a fixed voltage cannot do: www.hsfdg.org/wiki/DcPowerSystem -- Alan, wb6zqz --- Original message -- On Wed, 11 Jul 2007 11:22:15 -0700 (PDT), Chris Kantarjiev wrote: What have other people set up along these lines? What website should I be visiting? Is the super powergate really worth double the price? ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
RE: [Elecraft] Sidetone or zero beat
It's a mistake to think that a tone deaf person has any trouble zero beating. It just isn't so. That's because the frequency of the tones is immaterial. The trick is to know how to hear the beat note. One doesn't care what the frequency of the signal is or whether it's any where near the sidetone note frequency. Most people I've worked with face-to-face have had a large light bulb go off over their heads and shouted a huge AHA!!! when they finally heard the beat note and discovered they needed to complete ignore the sidetone and the signal when zero beating. The problem is that almost always the person doesn't have the volume of the sidetone and the signal at the same level. They must be at the same level to produce the loudest beat note. The further off they are the weaker the beat note becomes until it's lost among the other sidetone and signal note, which one needs to ignore completely! Once they hear the beat note, they just tune in the direction that makes it decrease in frequency until it drops to a very low, whump-whump-whump sound and finally stops altogether. That's zero beat. With the 10 Hz tuning steps of the K2, sometimes one can't find exact zero beat, but a whump-whump going at, say, five whumps/second means you are only 5 Hz off of the other station's frequency. Zero beating has *nothing* to do with matching tones. A musician might say that at zero beat the tones are matched, but zero beating allows the most completely tone deaf person to get on frequency without a concern. BTW, I agree with Gary, N7HTS. I prefer the way we did it year ago, but that requires a receiver that will produce output when the BFO and carrier are within a few Hz of each other, at least. Most modern transceivers, including the Elecraft rigs, have virtually no output within 100 Hz or so of the carrier frequency, thanks to the excellent I.F. filters they use. That makes finding zero beat with the sidetone mandatory to avoid an error or 100 Hz or more in trying to tune onto the other station's frequency. Ron AC7AC ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] Sidetone or zero beat
Most modern transceivers, including the Elecraft rigs, have virtually no output within 100 Hz or so of the carrier frequency, thanks to the excellent I.F. filters they use. That makes finding zero beat with the sidetone mandatory to avoid an error or 100 Hz or more in trying to tune onto the other station's frequency. Ron AC7AC == My Drake R4C had good IF filters but I could move the filter over to the carrier frequency with the excellent passband tuning and see the beat note on the (analog) S meter. The needle would go from a fast vibration to a slower one with more movement as I approched zero beat. No hearing needed. This was how I set the xtal calibrator to zero beat with WWV. Then , I could read a frequency to the nearest khz, something I could only dream of with older rigs. 73 Rick Dettinger K7MW ___ ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
