[Elecraft] K2 - KY Command
Hi, With the KY command - how big is the buffer in the K2? I know that I can send up to 24 bytes per KY, can I send KY repeatedly to load up 100 characters? While sending the KY buffer how to I stop sending and clear the buffer? (Guess who's writing a new CW program?) 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
[Elecraft] K2/K3 - KY Command
Hi, With the KY command - how big is the buffer in the K2? I know that I can send up to 24 bytes per KY, can I send KY repeatedly to load up 100 characters? While sending the KY buffer how to I stop sending and clear the buffer? (Guess who's writing a new CW program?) 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: [SPAM] [Elecraft] A Front-end with an IIP3 +50dBm ?
Thanks Gian. At this QTH, which is in the first hop zone of 40m BC signals on their way to N.America, the receiver's IMD3DR needs to be 110 db approx at 2 kHz spacing if used for weak signal SSB DXing above 7130 kHz. Of course the LO must be very quiet. The big problem I have here is BC transmitter phase noise and the enthusiastic levels of modulation some use especially when broadcasting music. The old mixers might be fighting back but I don't think that they will win :-) 73, Geoff GM4ESD Giancarlo Moda [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Dear friends, A Front-End with an IP3 over +50dBm? Some of you may think …”it’s a joke ! Gian ‘s brain got heated-up by the South Italian sunshine” …. Maybe…. Our friend Martein, PA3AKE, as you know, has done quite an important work on looking and measuring performances associated to the H-Mode Mixer with different kind of switches starting from the FST3125 and ending with the FSA3157, resulting with IP3 around +50dBm. But what can we do with a mixer like that when front-end Band pass filters may have problems to reach an IP3 of +40dBm (see the CDG2000 input coils and transformers IMD limitation) without talking about the post mixer roofing filter that may not even reach an IP3 of +30dBm. snip ___ 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] K2/K3 - KY Command
I wrestled with this when I wrote my K2 remote control program and as far as I can remember, no you can't. You can send 24 characters and then you poll the K2 by sending KY; and test the reply back to find out the buffer state. I think it sends 3 values, to say whether it is empty, full, or able to accept another 6 characters. So you send 24, then keep topping it up 6 at a time until everything is sent. To stop sending and clear the buffer, if I understand my totally uncommented code written 3 years ago, you send KY @;. -- Julian, G4ILO K2 s/n: 392 K3 s/n: ??? G4ILO's Shack: www.g4ilo.com Ham-Directory: www.ham-directory.com On 8/24/07, Simon Brown (HB9DRV) [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hi, With the KY command - how big is the buffer in the K2? I know that I can send up to 24 bytes per KY, can I send KY repeatedly to load up 100 characters? While sending the KY buffer how to I stop sending and clear the buffer? (Guess who's writing a new CW program?) 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 ___ 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] TS870
TS870 has best RX audio I ever heard. This is often neglected area in RX design, but stays in line from antenna to our brains. My experience of many RX building is to keep amplifier naturally linear without almost any feedback. Pass-band may be 20Hz30kHz. I hope K3 has the same quality in audio part. TS870 can be modified with Inrad filters, but the real problem is still broad up-conversion band. Even the canadian gain-modification is just a partial help. To replace 0603 and 0805 SMD resistors was just on the limit for my eyes. TS870 has a genuine RF-clipper with real monitoring. But K3 seems to have these and much more. I wait for mine and look forward for manual published here. Benny OH9NB ___ 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] TS870
Sadly, the 870 was Kenwood's last real ham radio effort. And it came up short with anyone who had another good rig to compare it to like the MP, etc. Too bad Kenwood is now out of the high end rig game The other 2 from JA soon to follow? Charles Harpole [EMAIL PROTECTED] _ See what youre getting into before you go there http://newlivehotmail.com/?ocid=TXT_TAGHM_migration_HM_viral_preview_0507 ___ 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] K2/K3 - KY Command
Thanks Julian and thanks for the off list replies as well. Simon Brown, HB9DRV - Original Message - From: Julian G4ILO [EMAIL PROTECTED] I wrestled with this when I wrote my K2 remote control program and as far as I can remember, no you can't. You can send 24 characters and then you poll the K2 by sending KY; and test the reply back to find out the buffer state. I think it sends 3 values, to say whether it is empty, full, or able to accept another 6 characters. So you send 24, then keep topping it up 6 at a time until everything is sent. To stop sending and clear the buffer, if I understand my totally uncommented code written 3 years ago, you send KY @;. ___ 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] K2 #6201 on air
Hi, my K2 #6201 is on air and I like this radio so much :-) 73 de thomas, dk2nb ___ 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] K2 - RF choke identification
You can buy a DMM that measures inductance. I have a wavetech meterman model that was under $100.00 that does capacitance from many micro farads to pico farads, inductance from henrys to micro henrys, frequency to 10 Mhz, plus all the other usual DMM stuff. I also ran into problems with some chokes, on a green body the colors don't show well, and the DMM told me what was a choke and what value it was. Its also great to measure vari cap settings in homebrew stuff, and to identify what value those big chokes are that I use for the big tube transmitters, the inductance of coils used in the homebrew receivers, even the range of slug tuned coils Well worth the investment is you do a lot of electronics... Brett N2DTS let me start out with the fact that i am colorblind.. this isn't too bad for resistors, as i can always use an ohmmeter to verify.. but for rf chokes, this is killing me.. i usually ask my son and wife to help me sort them, but this time, even they are having alot of trouble sorting them out.. it looks like we have them all sorted out but one.. RFC 15 does have a tan body, but it is the same size as the other 100uH choke, as the builder note talks about this.. the one remaining i cannot ID is RFC10.. it is supposed to have a green body, and marked brown black red.. the last one i have is VERY small, and marked green-brown-green.. it is very tiny, which makes sense, as the value is alot smaller.. but the colors are not even close.. anyone have any ideas? thanks! 73 de kb8qpt ___ peace, sergio photographer, journalist, visionary www.coffee-black.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
RE: [Elecraft] K3 Question
I plan on eventually getting the 2nd receiver, as I think all sorts of cool things can/will eventually be done with the K3 in respect to the diversity thing. Maybe even a noise nuller type setup where you have a noise antenna that picks up local noise and eliminates it. Diversity itself would be great, 2 different antennas can act very different under QSB situations. I have actually switched between the G5RV and the vertical antenna manually during slow QSB situations! Brett N2DTS -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Terry Conboy Sent: Thursday, August 23, 2007 5:49 PM To: Elecraft Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 Question At 11:41 AM 2007-08-23, Don Rasmussen wrote: Assume a non-contester is looking at a K3. There would be no need for a second receiver nor the absolute selectivity of the K3. Aside from those points, can anyone suggest how the K3 might compare to the Kenwood TS870? If you operate 160m or SWL in the tropical bands, the phase-locked dual receiver in the K3 could be beneficial for diversity (binaural) weak-signal reception using two separate antennas. 73, Terry N6RY ___ 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] TS870
I don't know anything about the 870, but most other modern rigs really seem to fall down in the audio department. The ratings typically are 2.5 watts or less at 10% distortion, no frequency response range or noise figures... But even using the line out into a hifi amp and good speaker does not improve things much, as a lot of noise and distortion is in earlier stages. Add in the off frequency overload and you have a really poor sounding radio. You can get an audio chip that puts out 20 watts times 2 and runs off 12 volts, with close to true hifi specs for about $3.00 (car radio amps). I just cant understand how they can make boxes that cost $5000.00 and up with every feature you can think of and put in a 1.5 watt 10% distortion amp and a 2 inch no fi speaker! Brett N2DTS TS870 has best RX audio I ever heard. This is often neglected area in RX design, but stays in line from antenna to our brains. My experience of many RX building is to keep amplifier naturally linear without almost any feedback. Pass-band may be 20Hz30kHz. I hope K3 has the same quality in audio part. TS870 can be modified with Inrad filters, but the real problem is still broad up-conversion band. Even the canadian gain-modification is just a partial help. To replace 0603 and 0805 SMD resistors was just on the limit for my eyes. TS870 has a genuine RF-clipper with real monitoring. But K3 seems to have these and much more. I wait for mine and look forward for manual published here. Benny OH9NB ___ 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] TS870
Agreed - as I get older I need more audio - my IC-7800 was very good in this department, hoping the K3 will be! Simon Brown, HB9DRV - Original Message - From: Brett gazdzinski [EMAIL PROTECTED] The ratings typically are 2.5 watts or less at 10% distortion, no frequency response range or noise figures... ___ 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] K2 - RF choke identification
I finally broke down an purchased the AADE L/C meter after I got tired of doing the calculations required when using my homebrewed K6OLG LC Tester (the AADE meter is based on that LC Tester). I believe it is a bit more trustworthy for small values than the typical DMM with capacitance and inductance measurement capability, but if all you have is the DMM, it can be a big help. Some DMM LC measurements can be quite accurate, but I would not trust the exact measurements on a DMM until it has proven its worth - give it +/- 20% uncertainty until you prove it is more accurate - and remember that the leads contribute to stray inductance and capacity too, so your measurement fixture can be a big factor when measuring small values. 73, Don W3FPR Brett gazdzinski wrote: You can buy a DMM that measures inductance. I have a wavetech meterman model that was under $100.00 that does capacitance from many micro farads to pico farads, inductance from henrys to micro henrys, frequency to 10 Mhz, plus all the other usual DMM stuff. ___ 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] TS870
I looked up the specs on the TS-870, and its 1.5 watts of audio out at 10% distortion. People say it sounds great?? 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] K2 - RF choke identification
I can recommend the Almost All Digital Electronics L/C meter Model IIB, available as kit at $99.95. http://www.aade.com/lcmeter.htm It can be built in a couple of hours and works a treat. 73 David G4DMP In a recent message, Brett gazdzinski [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote ... You can buy a DMM that measures inductance. I have a wavetech meterman model that was under $100.00 that does capacitance from many micro farads to pico farads, inductance from henrys to micro henrys, frequency to 10 Mhz, plus all the other usual DMM stuff. ___ 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] K2 - RF choke identification
In most cases, I don't think you need to be more than in the ballpark, at least when identifying parts. My cheap meter reads 14 pico farads with nothing hooked up, and has no null knob. I just ADD 14 pico farads to the small values. A 1 pico farad cap reads as 15 Inductance seems much better, and I don't often need to know the exact value of parts, just a ballpark or comparison to other parts (to find matching parts), or a range. I often compare known value new parts with old or unknown parts to get the values close enough. A real LC meter would be nice, and they sell them cheap also, but you get what you pay for. If you need a DMM, or have a limited test equipment budget, it might pay to get one that measures inductance and capacitance, even if its not precise... Brett N2DTS -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Don Wilhelm Sent: Friday, August 24, 2007 8:50 AM To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K2 - RF choke identification I finally broke down an purchased the AADE L/C meter after I got tired of doing the calculations required when using my homebrewed K6OLG LC Tester (the AADE meter is based on that LC Tester). I believe it is a bit more trustworthy for small values than the typical DMM with capacitance and inductance measurement capability, but if all you have is the DMM, it can be a big help. Some DMM LC measurements can be quite accurate, but I would not trust the exact measurements on a DMM until it has proven its worth - give it +/- 20% uncertainty until you prove it is more accurate - and remember that the leads contribute to stray inductance and capacity too, so your measurement fixture can be a big factor when measuring small values. 73, Don W3FPR Brett gazdzinski wrote: You can buy a DMM that measures inductance. I have a wavetech meterman model that was under $100.00 that does capacitance from many micro farads to pico farads, inductance from henrys to micro henrys, frequency to 10 Mhz, plus all the other usual DMM stuff. ___ 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] K2 - RF choke identification
But it only does small values I often need to measure caps to 100 mf, chokes to 50 henrys Brett N2DTS -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of David Pratt Sent: Friday, August 24, 2007 9:28 AM To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K2 - RF choke identification I can recommend the Almost All Digital Electronics L/C meter Model IIB, available as kit at $99.95. http://www.aade.com/lcmeter.htm It can be built in a couple of hours and works a treat. 73 David G4DMP In a recent message, Brett gazdzinski [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote ... You can buy a DMM that measures inductance. I have a wavetech meterman model that was under $100.00 that does capacitance from many micro farads to pico farads, inductance from henrys to micro henrys, frequency to 10 Mhz, plus all the other usual DMM stuff. ___ 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] TS870
I plan to put an external amplifier and speaker on my K3. The K2 was designed with audio 'just strong enough' so that the the receiver current drain would be low, and the K3 does not draw a huge amount of receive current either - which tells me that there is not a BIG audio amplifier in it either - but it will be adequate, the bare K2 *is* adequate in most situations, just not powerful and not 'hi-fi'. To expect great sound from a tiny speaker and an LM380 amplifier is simply unrealistic IMHO. I run all my shack receivers into an external audio amplifier. I have a dedicated 'communications quality' amplifier/speaker combination with a homebrew audio mixer as the front end. There is a good quality stereo system here in the shack/office that I can feed the receivers into if I want the best fidelity audio, but that is not usually the case for ham receivers. Bottom line is that I have never encountered a modern ham receiver with an internal speaker that has what I would call good audio - that went away when the big vacuum tube behemoths with their big external speakers and big transformers went out of production, so I provide my own. 73, Don W3FPR Simon Brown (HB9DRV) wrote: Agreed - as I get older I need more audio - my IC-7800 was very good in this department, hoping the K3 will be! Simon Brown, HB9DRV - Original Message - From: Brett gazdzinski [EMAIL PROTECTED] The ratings typically are 2.5 watts or less at 10% distortion, no frequency response range or noise figures... ___ 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] K2 - RF choke identification
Brett, You are absolutely correct - when identifying parts the meter does not have to be accurate, a relative measurement will do fine. My point is that one must realize the fact that all such DMM capacitance/inductance measurements can be subject to these inaccuracies. Use what you have, but use it intelligently - 'technician, know your tools' (and their limitations). 73, Don W3FPR Brett gazdzinski wrote: In most cases, I don't think you need to be more than in the ballpark, at least when identifying parts. ___ 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] K3 Question
I'd order the second receiver in an instant if that option became a reality. -- Julian, G4ILO K2 s/n: 392 K3 s/n: ??? G4ILO's Shack: www.g4ilo.com Ham-Directory: www.ham-directory.com On 8/24/07, Brett gazdzinski [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Maybe even a noise nuller type setup where you have a noise antenna that picks up local noise and eliminates it. ___ 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] TS870
I do the exact same thing, I use an old Marantz amplifier into a big floor standing hifi speaker. The Marantz has bass, mid and treble controls, plus low and high filters, which allows me to select any sort of audio bandpass I want. I can select various receivers and have one speaker in the shack, plus the tape out if I want to record something. My K2 audio sounds fine on cw. Not a huge amount of background hiss from the chips and there seems to be plenty for me. I don't have the ssb board, so cant say how it sounds on ssb, but that is somewhat pointless to me anyway. Funny, but there are good sounding modern swl receivers, with nice speakers, adequate audio power, bass and treble controls, etc. The very expensive ham gear has general coverage, but what for? Maybe the manufacturers limit the fidelity to reduce the noise, but that should/could be an adjustable option... Brett N2DTS I plan to put an external amplifier and speaker on my K3. The K2 was designed with audio 'just strong enough' so that the the receiver current drain would be low, and the K3 does not draw a huge amount of receive current either - which tells me that there is not a BIG audio amplifier in it either - but it will be adequate, the bare K2 *is* adequate in most situations, just not powerful and not 'hi-fi'. To expect great sound from a tiny speaker and an LM380 amplifier is simply unrealistic IMHO. I run all my shack receivers into an external audio amplifier. I have a dedicated 'communications quality' amplifier/speaker combination with a homebrew audio mixer as the front end. There is a good quality stereo system here in the shack/office that I can feed the receivers into if I want the best fidelity audio, but that is not usually the case for ham receivers. Bottom line is that I have never encountered a modern ham receiver with an internal speaker that has what I would call good audio - that went away when the big vacuum tube behemoths with their big external speakers and big transformers went out of production, so I provide my own. 73, Don W3FPR ___ 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] TS870
Hello Don, I have finished my K2 a couple of weeks ago and did not expect much from the speaker. One can be wrong. The audio from the speaker is really excellent, at least on CW. I can't follow the remarks on low audio volume, because my unit has ample of it. Over the years I have used a LM380 in all my home made projects and been very pleased with the results. On an other note, I have also found that for weak signal work my brain seems to work best with a low audio volume. Thus a quiet room has proved to be more important than strong audio. When the going gets tough I even switch off my quiet PC. 73, Roelof, pa0rdt -- Mijn Postvak In wordt beschermd door SPAMfighter. 253 spam-mails zijn er tot op heden geblokkeerd. Download de gratis SPAMfighter via deze link: http://www.spamfighter.com/lnl ___ 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: Love Those K3 Memories!
But let me toss out an idea. These first 10 memories *could* store exactly the same thing as the normal band memories (those you get to by tapping BAND UP/DN), but only for 10 bands (say 160-10 m). This behavior could be specified using a future menu entry. It would give you two-tap, per-band recall over the entire range. 10 bands is 160 - 6 (I don't count 60 G). Using the first 10 memories as the last used frequency for each band makes a lot of sense. Adding the ability to cycle through a four frequency per band stack for each key would be even better. 73, ... Joe, W4TV -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of wayne burdick Sent: Friday, August 24, 2007 1:24 AM To: Don Rasmussen Cc: Elecraft Reflector Subject: [Elecraft] Re: Love Those K3 Memories! Don wrote: My view of it is that it is not a space limited shortcoming. All that would need to happen would be to allow the M1-M4 to be updated as the transceiver is tuned Don, I normally just tap BAND UP/DN, since I typically operate on just a few closely spaced bands during the day, and a different set of closely spaced bands at night. To me (as the UI designer), the added convenience of per-band switches didn't seem a worthy complication of the already multi-function keypad array. (So it's not a space issue -- it's a UI complexity issue.) As Rick mentioned, you can also get quickly to a band of interest by tapping M-V followed by 0..9, if you've stored a memory from each band you use in these. But let me toss out an idea. These first 10 memories *could* store exactly the same thing as the normal band memories (those you get to by tapping BAND UP/DN), but only for 10 bands (say 160-10 m). This behavior could be specified using a future menu entry. It would give you two-tap, per-band recall over the entire range. I wouldn't ever assign this functionality to M1..M4, which are intended to be fixed, per-band starting points for each mode, as Rick explained. The field testers, as well as myself and the engineering staff, have been using this scheme for weeks, and speaking strictly for me, we really like it :) 73, Wayne N6KR --- 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
Re: [Elecraft] TS870
Roelof, Your experience substantiates my idea that everyone's ears and perceptions are a bit different. I did say the K2 is adequate, and that small speaker is good and very efficient, but not really to my liking. IMHO, as a society, we may declining rapidly in audio perception when I hear advertising statements which hint that MP3 recordings are better quality than CD recordings! We have finally achieved good quality digital preservation of sound waves, and now the iPod crowd and its popularity may be diminishing the easy availability of high quality recordings for the consumer - that trend concerns me. 73, Don W3FPR Roelof Bakker wrote: Hello Don, I have finished my K2 a couple of weeks ago and did not expect much from the speaker. One can be wrong. The audio from the speaker is really excellent, at least on CW. I can't follow the remarks on low audio volume, because my unit has ample of it. Over the years I have used a LM380 in all my home made projects and been very pleased with the results. On an other note, I have also found that for weak signal work my brain seems to work best with a low audio volume. Thus a quiet room has proved to be more important than strong audio. When the going gets tough I even switch off my quiet PC. 73, Roelof, pa0rdt ___ 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] K3 Question
Julian G4ILO wrote: I'd order the second receiver in an instant if that option became a reality. On 8/24/07, Brett gazdzinski [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Maybe even a noise nuller type setup where you have a noise antenna that picks up local noise and eliminates it. If you order KXV-3 transverter interface with the K3, you get antenna in/out jacks. This is very handy for connecting such things as bandpass filters or noise cancellers. It allows you to insert something in the receiver antenna path. I have an MFJ noise canceller which is designed to work with a transceiver. It has a slow, clunky bypass relay which takes it out of the circuit when you transmit. Unfortunately, this relay only works (and poorly, at that) with semi-QSK. I stopped bothering with it as a result. However, with the MFJ connected between the antenna in/out jacks, the K3 takes care of the t/r switching. The MFJ seems to work well with just its little whip for a noise antenna (it has a connector for a bigger antenna if you wish). Although it does not help with stuff like distant thunderstorms, it is effective for locally generated noises, like ethernet birdies, plasma TV noise, aquarium thermostats, power line noise, etc. You need to diddle with the controls to null a noise. It doesn't always work, but sometimes it is a lifesaver. -- 73, Vic, K2VCO Fresno CA K3 (James) s/n 0007 http://www.qsl.net/k2vco ___ 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] FS: KX1 30m board and firmware, built
Spoken for. Leigh L. Klotz, Jr. wrote: Having upgraded some time ago to the 3080, I have the KX1 30m board and its associated firmware chip. The manual is available online, but you'll have to supply your own hookup wire. Yours for the cost of postage to your QTH from US 94303. Please reply offlist. 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] lousy audio ham radios
You guys crack me up. On the one hand, some of us are trying to get as narrow as possible (200hz) and on the other hand, some of us are looking for high-fidelity, surround sound, theatre quality. Gee whiz...this is ham radio (communications). This is not your home theatre (dolby 5.1 etc). Speakers? What's a speaker? I haven't used a speaker since 1967 when I learned how to plug in a set of headphones. You'll have plenty of drive (enough to blow your ears off, I'm sure) and you can get a hi fi set of 'phones for not much $ (or spend as much as you like). Good luck getting a rig to match the quality and range of the 'phones. I use communciations headphones...great on CW, rather restricted on SSB (but then again, I have mostly forgetten the phone.). If I want to hear 20 to 20k, I'm not going to use ham radio as the driver. Each to his own (a liberal paraphrasing of Don's comment). I do hope and pray that the audio output is not tarnished with hisss and noise (ala the Drake TR7 - great front end for its day, worst audio amp ever made). Must be the doldrums of summer...at least here in the Northern Hemisphere! LOL 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] TS870
When you listen to the music most people listen to, the quality hardly matters. :) However, there are lossless audio compression formats, and formats that can support higher bit-rates (and therefore presumably higher fidelity) than standard CDs, so I guess the advertising is true. It's just that most people are happy to trade quality for small file size. As far as amateur communications go I think the quality of the transmitted audio makes more difference than the quality of the receiver. Some of the cleanest sounding SSB I have ever heard came from the Kenwood TS-520 / TS-820 / TS-830 transceivers with their tube finals. Then solid state PAs came along. I doubt if even the K3 output stages will have better linearity and IMD than a pair of 6146Bs in push-pull, but Elecraft is always capable of surprising us. ;) -- Julian, G4ILO K2 s/n: 392 K3 s/n: ??? G4ILO's Shack: www.g4ilo.com Ham-Directory: www.ham-directory.com On 8/24/07, Don Wilhelm [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: IMHO, as a society, we may declining rapidly in audio perception when I hear advertising statements which hint that MP3 recordings are better quality than CD recordings! We have finally achieved good quality digital preservation of sound waves, and now the iPod crowd and its popularity may be diminishing the easy availability of high quality recordings for the consumer - that trend concerns me. ___ 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] Older K2 Problem and fix
I have noticed my old K2 (S/N 023) has been showing its age. I did do most of the Rev B mods, except the audio pot mod, which didn't seem necessary at the time. Well, the audio pot finally started to get scratchy. Also the Power pot and the RIT were jumpy. So I broke down and took it apart, applied a little Deoxit(tm) to all the connectors between the Front panel, Control and Main board, as well as seeping a little into all the pots and working them a few times. Put it all back together and realigned the filters with Spectrogram. It's like a new rig now, no scratchy pots, and the audio level has even improved. So I guess every 8 years or so, a little preventive maintenance is in order. ;-) -- --- _____ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ John L. Sielke ( W )( 2 )( A )( G )( N ) http://w2agn.net \_/ \_/ \_/ \_/ \_/ http://www.blurty.com/users/w2agn Member screwed by QRP-ARCI! http://w2agn.net/noarci.html ___ 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] K2 Bandpass Filter Mystery
Hi Beth, Check to make sure that you have the correct band selected. At one time I made the mistake of having the 12M band selected with the VFO tuned to 28 MHz (10M) and experienced the same symptom. GL 73, Bob Johansen WB2SRF K2 S/N 5622 ___ 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] TS870
It would be nice if the K3 has a perfectly designed ALC which results in all IMD products being down 40 db at 5khz and 80db down at 20khz. For the needs of VHF contesting IMD products should ideally be down 100 db down at 20 khz. However expecting this level of IMD performance from any modern ham radio is truly a dream. However older radios like the TS520S and TS830s could achieve or come close to this level of performance. I don't know if the K3 has a perfectly designed ALC, or if it has a some way of controlling the drive level without activating the ALC like the FT1000D and IC7800 radios. A drive control is a great way of driving the PA even when the ALC has a tendency too overshoot which causes much of the horrendous IMD that we hear so much of on the bands. Unfortunately 2 tone numbers don't tell us much about how the transmitter performs under real world voice conditions. Lets hope that the K3 has got it right. Craig VK3HE --- Julian G4ILO [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: When you listen to the music most people listen to, the quality hardly matters. :) However, there are lossless audio compression formats, and formats that can support higher bit-rates (and therefore presumably higher fidelity) than standard CDs, so I guess the advertising is true. It's just that most people are happy to trade quality for small file size. As far as amateur communications go I think the quality of the transmitted audio makes more difference than the quality of the receiver. Some of the cleanest sounding SSB I have ever heard came from the Kenwood TS-520 / TS-820 / TS-830 transceivers with their tube finals. Then solid state PAs came along. I doubt if even the K3 output stages will have better linearity and IMD than a pair of 6146Bs in push-pull, but Elecraft is always capable of surprising us. ;) -- Julian, G4ILO K2 s/n: 392 K3 s/n: ??? G4ILO's Shack: www.g4ilo.com Ham-Directory: www.ham-directory.com On 8/24/07, Don Wilhelm [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: IMHO, as a society, we may declining rapidly in audio perception when I hear advertising statements which hint that MP3 recordings are better quality than CD recordings! We have finally achieved good quality digital preservation of sound waves, and now the iPod crowd and its popularity may be diminishing the easy availability of high quality recordings for the consumer - that trend concerns me. ___ 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 Ready for the edge of your seat? Check out tonight's top picks on Yahoo! TV. http://tv.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] lousy audio ham radios
I asked a wisened ham about voice guys striving for that perfect mic for the perfect sound and then you see CW guys with a shelf filled with keys, each key used at different times and why is that, to which he replied, 'quite simple, one voice, ten fingers.' de Joe, aa4nn You guys crack me up. On the one hand, some of us are trying to get as narrow as possible (200hz) and on the other hand, some of us are looking for high-fidelity, surround sound, theatre quality. ___ 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] K2 - RF choke identification
David Pratt wrote: I can recommend the Almost All Digital Electronics L/C meter snip while we are going along this route, I also have an LCRZ meter I will highly recommend... the M3 LCRZ meter was an easy assemble and has exceeded all my hopes and expectations http://www.m3electronix.com/saleslcr.html try it you'll like it g usual disclaimer just a very satisfied customer -- GB 73's KA5OAI Sam Morgan ___ 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: Love Those K3 Memories!
Another elegant solution from those that know about them. Thanks for listening guys! [Elecraft] Re: Love Those K3 Memories! wayne burdick n6kr at elecraft.com wrote: But let me toss out an idea. These first 10 memories *could* store exactly the same thing as the normal band memories (those you get to by tapping BAND UP/DN), but only for 10 bands (say 160-10 m). This behavior could be specified using a future menu entry. It would give you two-tap, per-band recall over the entire range. 73, Wayne N6KR ___ 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] Elecraft at HAMCON in Torrance, CA???
_..._ Yes, we'll be there with accessories. 73, Eric Steve Kallal wrote: I think someone on the phone at Elecraft, told me Elecraft is going to be at HAMCON in Torrance, CA next month. If so, will there be a stock of K2 accessories there? I am particularly interested in the K160RX and the K60XV. That could save me the trouble of having it shipped, since I live near the convention site. 73, Steve N6VL ___ 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] TS870
Good sounding speakers need good cabinets - usually big enough to support the speaker and it's bass response. They used to sell matching speakers for this reason, but they didn't sell enough of them to justify the cost. In either case - headphones are superior but tiring and large speakers challenge the need for smaller stations, the cheap small speakers allowed portability and economy. Bottom line, just consider the cheapy a freeby and get the speaker in a box to go with the big rig. BTW ever try listening to an FT-100? Whew!! I like the K2 and it's good speaker even if the space is cramped. AL WA6VNN ** Get a sneak peek of the all-new AOL at http://discover.aol.com/memed/aolcom30tour ___ 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] Curious K2 behavior?
Last weekend I took my K2 to the Huntsville Hamfest to help out with the Elecraft booth there. I had a gel cell battery hooked up to it so folks could twist knobs, push buttons and see what happened. Several folks did. Today I turned the K2 on for the first time since then and strangely I had to retune the KAT2 for all bands on both my dipoles. As far as I can tell, neither dipole has changed physically. One is an attic dipole and the other is an inverted vee hung from trees in the yard. Both are fed with ladderline. The attic dipole uses an LDG BA-1 4:1 balun and the inverted vee uses the Elecraft BL-2 set to 4:1. I had the inverted vee attached to Ant 1 and the attic antenna to Ant 2. Both had been automatically tuned by the KAT2 to better than 1.2:1 on 80m through 10m before the hamfest. I thought at first that maybe something had reset all my internal data, but all the menu parameters I've checked, including the filter settings, are unchanged. Would some set of button punches have cleared my KAT2 settings while leaving everything else ok? I did not have an antenna or dummy load connected to the K2 at the hamfest, but I'm pretty sure I would have noticed someone doing Tune on all the bands on both antennas! Retuning the KAT2 worked fine, so there's no residual problem, but it's a puzzle to me as to how this could have happened??? 73, Randy, KS4L ___ 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] Curious K2 behavior?
Randy, I would suggest that at some time or other, someone pressed the TUNE button while they were exploring the operation of your K2 - in fact, it may have happened several times. Pressing TUNE with something other than your normal antenna will change the ATU settings. Setting the menu items takes multiple button presses, but doing a TUNE is just a one button operation, and yes it is likely that someone 'trying out the K2' would press that button. Next time, connect a dummy load to both the ANT1 and ANT2 jacks to protect your K2 from any possible damage (but that will not prevent changing the ATU settings for each band). 73, Don W3FPR Randy wrote: Last weekend I took my K2 to the Huntsville Hamfest to help out with the Elecraft booth there. I had a gel cell battery hooked up to it so folks could twist knobs, push buttons and see what happened. Several folks did. Today I turned the K2 on for the first time since then and strangely I had to retune the KAT2 for all bands on both my dipoles. As far as I can tell, neither dipole has changed physically. One is an attic dipole and the other is an inverted vee hung from trees in the yard. Both are fed with ladderline. The attic dipole uses an LDG BA-1 4:1 balun and the inverted vee uses the Elecraft BL-2 set to 4:1. I had the inverted vee attached to Ant 1 and the attic antenna to Ant 2. Both had been automatically tuned by the KAT2 to better than 1.2:1 on 80m through 10m before the hamfest. I thought at first that maybe something had reset all my internal data, but all the menu parameters I've checked, including the filter settings, are unchanged. ___ 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
