Re: [Elecraft] K3 unstable ssb power
Hi Ruben The K3 also has problems with intense RF fields on the coax cables. I use a 3cx3000 amp which causes the K3 to stutter. Basically when driving the amp, the power output becomes erratic. Common mode chokes helped a bit, however I still have problems. I dont have these problems on other radios. I am going to rewire the amplifier with some quad shield Habia coax. I will then use multiple common chokes per K9YC's recipe book. As a last resort I will mount the K3 in a shielded 19 inch rack cabinet. Although I not sure if this will help. I am using a single vacuum DPDT vacuum relay on the rf deck. The coax comes from the RF deck directly from the relay, then directly to the radio. Any suggestions for a fix, besides running qrp? John --- On Sun, 3/28/10, Ruben Navarro Huedo runa...@gmail.com wrote: From: Ruben Navarro Huedo runa...@gmail.com Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 unstable ssb power To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Date: Sunday, March 28, 2010, 11:41 AM Same here. I have to overload a little ALC and CMP and it solves almost all the problem, but it continues. Before the k3 i owned an Icom 7700 and with the correct ALC and CMP it had a very stable SSB Power. I am sure it can be solved with a firmware update. El 28/03/2010 20:30, Jan Erik Holm escribió: Doesn´t seem to be a fix. My K3 is just about the same. Jim SM2EKM -- Juha Kasari wrote: Thanks, Ok, so it is feature! Yes I have adjust MIC and CMP just like manual, not effect. So there is no solution to problem. juha 2010/3/28 Dave, G4AONelecr...@astromag.co.uk Juha this problem is an old one. Some time back the K3 had poor ALC which allowed for overshoot on peaks, the firmware was altered to soften the ALC control with the results you (and the rest of us) experience. The power can slowly increase over the first few seconds on SSB, the effect is less if you TUNE first via the front panel button. Also, have you checked that you are driving the ALC meter reasonably well, as per the manual? For comparison, my TS-480SAT is also quite soft on ALC control with the peak power seeming to vary from one moment to the next. With some previous radios I recall seeing the peaks on an oscilloscope looking like a trimmed hedge, which is liable to create excessive IMD. I use an LP-100 peak reading power meter and the K3 is similar in it's peaks compared to my TS-480 with the same linear (Acom 1000). I don't think it's anything to worry about. 73 Dave, G4AON K3/100 #80 f/w 3.79 - I have K3 #2100. On CW power is very stable, but not on SSB. There is some change on output power, it is not constant. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html -- Rubén Navarro Huedo - EA5BZ http://www.palotes.com __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] K3 unstable ssb power
Hi Juha, Are you use 2.7KHz filter? If so please check the shift freqency setting. One of my friend meet this problem on SSB mode, I checked his setting, found he did not correctly set the filter shift freqency. After set to correct value, no problem now. 73 de ba4rf,David 2010/3/29 Juha Kasari juhakas...@gmail.com Help! I have K3 #2100. On CW power is very stable, but not on SSB. There is some change on output power, it is not constant. If I tune my linear (Titan) on CW with 50 W, output is stable 1500 W. but on SSB with the same driving power I get only about 1200 W? If I whistle to mic it takes about 2-3 seconds and power rising to 1500W. Titan has peak power meter and I have also Bird 43. I have tested also to 50 ohm dummy load and without linear, with and without tuner. Really, power is first about 80 W and then it go to 100 W very slowly on SSB. TXG VCE has no effect. Why? Is that normal behavior of K3? I have latest firmware, today loaded. I think it is like ALC react too much and too quickly. 73 de Juha - oh6os __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html -- All the best! David,ba4rf __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] How to disable DVR in N1MM
You probably want to turn ESM in N1MM off. With it off, this prevents the automatic sending of DVR messages as you log contacts manually. You can still press the F-keys to send individual messages if you want. Ctrl-M toggles ESM on and off. So, if you want to stop automatically using the DVR hit Ctrl-M. If you want it back, hit Ctrl-M again. You'll see the confirmation message at the bottom of the logging window that enter sends messages mode is on or enter sends messages mode is off. 73, Bob W5OV P.S. The K3 DVR works perfectly with N1MM. I should have bought the DVR with the radio originally. Highly recommended! -Original Message- From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net [mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Ignacy Sent: Sunday, March 28, 2010 4:15 PM To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: [Elecraft] How to disable DVR in N1MM I have N1MM programmed to use DVR. It works well but sometimes it is better without. Is there an easy way to temporarily disable voice memories in N1MM but so they can be easily reinstated? Ignacy -- View this message in context: http://n2.nabble.com/How-to-disable-DVR-in-N1MM-tp4814856p4814856.html Sent from the [K3] mailing list archive at Nabble.com. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] Grounding Mat Chatter
Well you can just imagine the problem for Elecraft if they decided to approve a particular ESD mat: - they'd have to choose one or two out of the bunches of the ones available - offer some reason they preferred these one or two over the others. - get them in stock, set a price for them. - endlessly dodge emails, phone calls about why they chose the ones they did. - more endless emails, phone calls about what's wrong with the ones they didn't choose. - try to make money reselling the mats they chose. Reselling something even at break-even doesn't make good business sense, in fact that's kind of a dumb thing to do. A lot of work for no gain. - more endless emails, phone calls about how they're now charging too much for the mats, we can get the same ones from Mouser for X instead of Y that you're charging, etc. etc... C'mon fellers, lets use our heads on this one hi hi Just get a mat and ESD strap from Mouser or etc., read the archives on the reflector and etc. for proper ESD procedures and don't worry about it. I also wouldn't bother pestering Elecraft on this - they know what they're doing. And the precautions we need to take are in the manuals already. etc. Just my .02, 73, LS W5QD (K3 arrives tomorrow according to UPS) -- View this message in context: http://n2.nabble.com/Grounding-Mat-Chatter-tp4811425p4818128.html Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] Bare Foot
Sam, I lack proof, but I believe that the only thing that bare foot technique provides is one cold foot. Spray your clothing and the immediate area with Static Guard will provide greater protection than the anti-static mat and wrist strap alone. 73, Don W3FPR Sam Scripter wrote: Re: Effectiveness of going Bare Foot? I'm writing in search of technical opinions. Am I in the right place? ; ) I am _not_ writing about running a rig barefoot, without an amplifier. I am writing about building my K2 and add-on kits _with one foot bare_ -- bare foot skin in direct contact with a linoleum-tile floor, and _never while on a carpet_. I do this in addition to having an anti-static mat and a wristband attached thereto. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] Bare Foot
It's (at least was when I was still working) common to use heel straps as part of ESD protection in industry. These were of similar material to wrist straps and contacted the sweat layer inside the shoe on one end and the floor on the other. The floor had to be treated with an ESD safe coating, however. Likewise, ESD mats were only cleaned with an approved cleaner and smocks that didn't generate static charges were worn over street clothing. Modern linoleum (the real stuff) often has a coating on the surface which is likely to be some kind of plastic and if you're using linoleum generically, then you might have vinyl that is also plastic and potentially an ESD generator, albeit probably not as bad as carpet. You will no doubt get an argument from some saying being connected to the floor is an unsafe thing while working on things electrical. This is true if you stand a chance of coming in contact with the A/C mains. That said, I use the bare foot technique sometimes, although the floors in my house are brick and not plastic. Wes N7WS --- On Sun, 3/28/10, Sam Scripter moscow...@verizon.net wrote: I'm writing in search of technical opinions. Am I in the right place? ; ) I am _not_ writing about running a rig barefoot, without an amplifier. I am writing about building my K2 and add-on kits _with one foot bare_ -- bare foot skin in direct contact with a linoleum-tile floor, and _never while on a carpet_. I do this in addition to having an anti-static mat and a wristband attached thereto. My questions are the following: Does the bare foot on the bare floor provide any protection at all? Does it provide protection without a mat? Does a bare foot on a non-carpeted floor add to the protection provided by an anti-static mat. I first began employing this practice in the 1980's, when I was building and frequently working on my own desktop PC clones. 73 Sam KN7C __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] Bare Foot
It's (at least was when I was still working) common to use heel straps as part of ESD protection in industry. Last time I saw heel straps in use was in the late 80s at a site that builds solid fuel rocket motors for military and aerospace uses. They also had testing equipment to check that your shoes really would dissipate any static charge. When you are in a bay with a booster containing 600,000lbs of fuel, static discharges are discouraged. Mark AD5SS On Mon, Mar 29, 2010 at 9:42 AM, Wes Stewart n...@yahoo.com wrote: It's (at least was when I was still working) common to use heel straps as part of ESD protection in industry. These were of similar material to wrist straps and contacted the sweat layer inside the shoe on one end and the floor on the other. The floor had to be treated with an ESD safe coating, however. Likewise, ESD mats were only cleaned with an approved cleaner and smocks that didn't generate static charges were worn over street clothing. Modern linoleum (the real stuff) often has a coating on the surface which is likely to be some kind of plastic and if you're using linoleum generically, then you might have vinyl that is also plastic and potentially an ESD generator, albeit probably not as bad as carpet. You will no doubt get an argument from some saying being connected to the floor is an unsafe thing while working on things electrical. This is true if you stand a chance of coming in contact with the A/C mains. That said, I use the bare foot technique sometimes, although the floors in my house are brick and not plastic. Wes N7WS __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
[Elecraft] USB adapter for K3...
Does anyone know the nature of the K3 USB - COMM adapter sold by Elecraft? I cannot find anything in the Elecraft literature about it (other than the price, of course). For example: Does it come with a pre-defined COMM port number? A settable COMM port number between 1 and 10? A settable COMM port number which may be anything (e.g. 17 or 25 or...). How do driver software programs/suites such as DigiPan, FLDIGI, HRDeluxe recognize this adapter (if at all)? [Some software will not recognize ports above 10, while other programs are more relaxed about such things.] Can the adapter be used for CAT control? Any information would be useful. John Ragle -- W1ZI P.S. Grumbling about the fact that RS-232 is still being used when long obsolete...grumble grumble grumble...USB-2.0 on a chip...etc. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] Bare Foot
I work for a PCB assembly contract manufacturer, and we use foot straps to dissipate static charge. Of course, as mentioned previously, the floor must be treated to make it conductive. Art WB8ENE -- View this message in context: http://n2.nabble.com/Bare-Foot-tp4816301p4818793.html Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] Bare Foot
The heel straps we wore in the factory had a strap that went up your leg and connected to bare skin above your socks with a conductive band with velcro. There wasn't any expected conductivity through your shoes. And for additional information, they were only valid on floors with conductive mats or floors that had been modified with concuctive surfaces that were connected to the ground network. The pain was leaving the protective areas, we had to remove them so they wouldn't get dirty. Static damage generally isn't immediately detectable and will fail later or cause degraded performance. Just becaues it still works doesn't mean you don't have static damage. We had electron microscopes (the company, not my job but we got to look at the damage) they used in diagnosing cause of failures and it was easy to see damage. 73, de Jim KG0KP - Original Message - From: Mark Bayern plcm...@gmail.com To: Wes Stewart n...@yahoo.com Cc: Elecraft List elecraft@mailman.qth.net Sent: Monday, March 29, 2010 10:04 AM Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Bare Foot It's (at least was when I was still working) common to use heel straps as part of ESD protection in industry. Last time I saw heel straps in use was in the late 80s at a site that builds solid fuel rocket motors for military and aerospace uses. They also had testing equipment to check that your shoes really would dissipate any static charge. When you are in a bay with a booster containing 600,000lbs of fuel, static discharges are discouraged. Mark AD5SS On Mon, Mar 29, 2010 at 9:42 AM, Wes Stewart n...@yahoo.com wrote: It's (at least was when I was still working) common to use heel straps as part of ESD protection in industry. These were of similar material to wrist straps and contacted the sweat layer inside the shoe on one end and the floor on the other. The floor had to be treated with an ESD safe coating, however. Likewise, ESD mats were only cleaned with an approved cleaner and smocks that didn't generate static charges were worn over street clothing. Modern linoleum (the real stuff) often has a coating on the surface which is likely to be some kind of plastic and if you're using linoleum generically, then you might have vinyl that is also plastic and potentially an ESD generator, albeit probably not as bad as carpet. You will no doubt get an argument from some saying being connected to the floor is an unsafe thing while working on things electrical. This is true if you stand a chance of coming in contact with the A/C mains. That said, I use the bare foot technique sometimes, although the floors in my house are brick and not plastic. Wes N7WS __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
[Elecraft] K3 power output on SSB
Hello, When I whistle to mic and tune my linear amplifier, I notice that last watts going up very slowly. Without linear I tested and sometimes first 80 watts out normally but from 80 to 100 watts it takes about 2-3 seconds. When I am using my linear (Titan, has peak power meter by led) last one or two leds don't light on ssb, on cw they do with the same driving power. I tried TXG VCE, but not effect. It is like ALC over react to voice peak. Is that normal behavior? 73 de juha - oh6os K3 #2100 __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] USB adapter for K3...
John, There is nothing special about the adapter Elecraft sells. It may be convenient to do one-stop shopping. The most widely approved adapters (judging by comments here and on some other discussions) use the FTDI chipset. I have adapters from at least 2 manufacturers and they both work flawlessly. Where you may run onto trouble is if you use them to connect to an FSK RTTY interface. Not a problem with th K3, cuz of AFSK is so easy to hook up. No adapter has a pre-assigned port number. Windows assigns those, and you can change it (in Control Panel) to anyone you like. If you're using Windows XP and above, you probably won't even have to load a driver. YMMV. To any software looking at the port, it's just a serial port. You tell the software what port to use. Note that if you un-plug the adapter and plug it back in later, the com port number MAY change. Yes, it can be used for CAT control. 73, Mike NF4L John Ragle wrote: Does anyone know the nature of the K3 USB - COMM adapter sold by Elecraft? I cannot find anything in the Elecraft literature about it (other than the price, of course). For example: Does it come with a pre-defined COMM port number? A settable COMM port number between 1 and 10? A settable COMM port number which may be anything (e.g. 17 or 25 or...). How do driver software programs/suites such as DigiPan, FLDIGI, HRDeluxe recognize this adapter (if at all)? [Some software will not recognize ports above 10, while other programs are more relaxed about such things.] Can the adapter be used for CAT control? Any information would be useful. John Ragle -- W1ZI P.S. Grumbling about the fact that RS-232 is still being used when long obsolete...grumble grumble grumble...USB-2.0 on a chip...etc. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] USB adapter for K3...
A look in the archives will bring up a long long series of posts about USB/RS232 that does not need repeating from beginning. The adapter sold by Elecraft is Prolific chip based. Issues with USB are mostly in the drivers, but not always. The Prolific chip had problems with Windows 7, particularly 64 bit, and only the very latest Prolific drivers, with build date middle December, address those issues. That the drivers are written by manufacturers that cannot possibly test the millions of unique combinations of apps, and then certified by a process that cannot test them all either, dooms us to a cycle where drivers come out and get first tested in small volume situations by customers who are expecting working apps. Some of this blame is always hosed over commercial USERS of such devices, such as Elecraft, who have zero point zero percent chance of solving them. Other issues include trying to connect to the radio over a heavily used USB hub, or an underpowered hub. These are issues that have nothing to do with RS232, but can cloud progress due to the confusion of some apps working and others not. Your operating system sets the comm port number behavior. Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7 seem to vary. Some system bios will make it easier to set, others not. Actual hardware comm ports can usually be set to a permanent comm port. Some laptop manufacturers assign comm ports only in the order they grab the system, making setting comm port numbers in apps a boot up task, every boot. This is what I MUST do if I use my laptop for MM to drive my K3 directly in portable situations. The apps themselves document how many comm port numbers they will look for. N1MM, though many times requested otherwise, remains at 8 for the maximum useable comm port number. There is no universal answer to USB com port issues. Two people with identical setups, one will have problems, the other not, probably only differing in the order that applications were installed on the hard drive. In full size PCs, new motherboards can have three or four PCIX slots (only used by firewalled pedal to the metal gamers). My Asus P6T has four. I am driving a 32 inch monitor with ONE video card, which has never seemed slow on any thing I do. I have three extra PCIX slots that will never be used for video. One can buy inexpensive serial cards for PCIX which never have a problem, because the only task on the card is a serial port, and it's a real serial port UART, not a simulated one. I finally got tired of USB issues and got one of those. It's in a space that will never get used otherwise, and because the mobo itself has no on board serial ports, I set it in Windows Device manager to use COMM 1 and COMM 2. A whole boatload of wierdness, some hard to figure, just went away. Drivers for hardware comm ports are in the OS, long perfected and very stable code. Part of hams' problems with USB is that we are a tiny, microscopic niche in the list of all things USB-able. The BIG stuff, printers, portable devices, etc, garner the lions share of attention. Ipod users started having Ipod sync problems with Vista, and quite more so with Win 7, and how big a market is that to be having problems, and us looking for attention on ham radio logging problems has what chance of attracting resources? Read the archives on why RS232. We just got done with a huge, monster thread on it. It needs to cool off for several months before we start it over again. 73, and absolutely best of luck on your adventure, Guy. On Mon, Mar 29, 2010 at 11:17 AM, John Ragle tpcj1...@crocker.com wrote: Does anyone know the nature of the K3 USB - COMM adapter sold by Elecraft? I cannot find anything in the Elecraft literature about it (other than the price, of course). For example: Does it come with a pre-defined COMM port number? A settable COMM port number between 1 and 10? A settable COMM port number which may be anything (e.g. 17 or 25 or...). How do driver software programs/suites such as DigiPan, FLDIGI, HRDeluxe recognize this adapter (if at all)? [Some software will not recognize ports above 10, while other programs are more relaxed about such things.] Can the adapter be used for CAT control? Any information would be useful. John Ragle -- W1ZI P.S. Grumbling about the fact that RS-232 is still being used when long obsolete...grumble grumble grumble...USB-2.0 on a chip...etc. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by:
Re: [Elecraft] Bare Foot
Actually - About a year ago, I saw both ankle wrist straps in use at a microwave manufacturing company, in both the production service areas. When I asked about the ankle straps use I was informed that the proper use of both straps was a condition of continued employment as well as the daily testing of both. But I guess when dealing with radios retailing for $30,000 and more per unit the owner can be a bit fussy. George AI4VZ It's (at least was when I was still working) common to use heel straps as part of ESD protection in industry. Last time I saw heel straps in use was in the late 80s . __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
[Elecraft] K2PAKIT
Received the K2PAKIT today. Besides the two output transistors there are (2) PNA transistors and another part that looks like a resistor with a color code: brown, green, gold, gold. What am I to do with these xtra parts? Geo/W2BPI __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] Bare Foot
Foot straps are pretty common , but are useless unless you have conductive floors (always get in arguments with QA as my lab has non conductive floors, and they want to get rid of all the chairs without draggers). Matt W8ESE __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] Bare Foot [ END of thread]
Folks - Lets end this thread (and the associated anti-static mat threads). Looks like it has been beaten into submission, and the number of posts on the subject are above the list pain threshold ;-) 73, Eric WA6HHQ List Moderator. On 3/29/2010 8:53 AM, Jim Miller KG0KP wrote: The heel straps we wore in the factory had a strap that went up your leg and connected to bare skin above your socks with a conductive band with velcro. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
[Elecraft] Solary projectors...
Thanks to the responders to my only-half-innocent query about the KUSB cable...my experience with adapter cables from USB-2.0 to RS232 has been as dismal as many of you report. I will probably end up using my CableMax 4-port I/O adapter, which worked well with my (former) K2, but larnin' is fun...I'll give the KUSB a hearty try, but it was useful to learn about the reflector archive. The best solution is probably a dedicated stick-on COMM port. I am fully aware of using Device Manager to play with ports and other goodies. It is an interesting piece of the Ka-Bala (Trans-o-Gram, 1950's game) that is WIN 7. (You watch the Eye of Zohar...Round and round it goes. Where will it stop? Only Ka-Bala knows!) Thanks again! John Ragle -- W1ZI __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] Grounding Mat Chatter
And, hopefully, the UPS truck that delivers your new K3 will have an anti-static grounding strap dangling from the rear axle. ;o) Terry, W0FM -Original Message- From: lstavenhagen [mailto:lstavenha...@hotmail.com] Sent: Monday, March 29, 2010 9:16 AM To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Grounding Mat Chatter Well you can just imagine the problem for Elecraft if they decided to approve a particular ESD mat: - they'd have to choose one or two out of the bunches of the ones available - offer some reason they preferred these one or two over the others. - get them in stock, set a price for them. - endlessly dodge emails, phone calls about why they chose the ones they did. - more endless emails, phone calls about what's wrong with the ones they didn't choose. - try to make money reselling the mats they chose. Reselling something even at break-even doesn't make good business sense, in fact that's kind of a dumb thing to do. A lot of work for no gain. - more endless emails, phone calls about how they're now charging too much for the mats, we can get the same ones from Mouser for X instead of Y that you're charging, etc. etc... C'mon fellers, lets use our heads on this one hi hi Just get a mat and ESD strap from Mouser or etc., read the archives on the reflector and etc. for proper ESD procedures and don't worry about it. I also wouldn't bother pestering Elecraft on this - they know what they're doing. And the precautions we need to take are in the manuals already. etc. Just my .02, 73, LS W5QD (K3 arrives tomorrow according to UPS) -- View this message in context: http://n2.nabble.com/Grounding-Mat-Chatter-tp4811425p4818128.html Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] K2PAKIT
George, Use the PNA transistors to replace Q11 and Q13 - do that even if you think the ones on the board are OK, those transistors control the bias to the base of the PA transistors, and if faulty can zap your new PA transistors. The resistor is a replacement for R50 - older K2s used a 1/4 watt resistor at R50, and those should be replaced with the 1/2 watt resistor. Check to see if your R50 is open - measure the resistance from the emitter of Q6 to ground. If you measure more than 1.5 ohms, replace R50 with the one provided, but if the existing R50 is good, you have a spare 1/2 watt 1.5 ohm resistor for your parts bin. 73, Don W3FPR w2b...@aol.com wrote: Received the K2PAKIT today. Besides the two output transistors there are (2) PNA transistors and another part that looks like a resistor with a color code: brown, green, gold, gold. What am I to do with these xtra parts? Geo/W2BPI __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 9.0.791 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2777 - Release Date: 03/29/10 02:32:00 __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] Solary projectors...
John, The multi-port USB to RS-232 units (I hate to call these adapters) are apparently sold for commercial use and from what information I have been able to find, do not usually give problems. I have a 4 port Edgeport that works great, but the single port adapter that I keep with my laptop does not do so well with some applications. 73, Don W3FPR John Ragle wrote: Thanks to the responders to my only-half-innocent query about the KUSB cable...my experience with adapter cables from USB-2.0 to RS232 has been as dismal as many of you report. I will probably end up using my CableMax 4-port I/O adapter, which worked well with my (former) K2, but larnin' is fun...I'll give the KUSB a hearty try, but it was useful to learn about the reflector archive. The best solution is probably a dedicated stick-on COMM port. I am fully aware of using Device Manager to play with ports and other goodies. It is an interesting piece of the Ka-Bala (Trans-o-Gram, 1950's game) that is WIN 7. (You watch the Eye of Zohar...Round and round it goes. Where will it stop? Only Ka-Bala knows!) Thanks again! John Ragle -- W1ZI __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 9.0.791 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2777 - Release Date: 03/29/10 02:32:00 __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
[Elecraft] K3 Edgeport Adapter with K3 and SteppIR
I have my K3 and SteppIR controller talking perfectly thru the computer logging program and Y cable using a Prolific USB to Serial converter cable. I purchased an Edgeport 8 USB to Serial converter and removed all the Prolific cables to existing devices and connected all directly to the Edgeport. All three devices work perfectly. However the K3 no longer responds to computer control. It's not recognized by the software. I discovered that the K3 is recognized and controlled by the software (both DX4win and N1MM) when I remove the Y cable connection to the SteppIR. If I reconnect the SteppIR controller then the K3 is no longer controlled by software. If I go back to the Prolific USB to Serial cable all works well again. Anyone know or care to guess why the K3 to SteppIR combination won't work thru the Edgeport 8 port adapter or any other of its 7 other ports? 73, Bud W3LL w...@arrl.net __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
[Elecraft] P3 and Digital Mode Operation
I've been testing the P3 URL:http://www.elecraft.com/news.htm for a while now, and it has a really nice feature for Digital Modes that my other panadapter solutions lack. The P3 has a SPAN control. This sets the width of the spectrum display in kHz. When looking at a busy band, for example during last weekend's contest, this made it pretty easy to spot activity on a relatively quiet band (15m) or a hole on a very busy busy band (20m). This isn't much different than other panadapters, just more convenient. However, let's say you decide to operate a digital mode, such as PSK 31. Dial down the SPAN to ± 3 kHz. Suddenly, the display looks like the usual waterfall you are accustomed to when using DM780, MIXW, MultiPSK, CocoaModem, etc. You can easily distinguish individual signals, and see the modulation on them. It is extremely simple to then set the marker on a signal, tap the control to re-tune, then then tap the SPOT button on the K3 to get it nailed. You are now ready for a QSO using PSK-D mode. This same feature is also very useful when operating RTTY. Further, the P3 lets you see nearby signals in fine detail even when you have the K3's dual passband feature turned on. Use of such narrow filtering on the K3 restricts the usual waterfall display on the DM780 or MMTTY console, for example. And, the P3 doesn't consume PC screen real estate. The reason this works so well with the P3 is that as you adjust the SPAN, the P3 automatically adjusts its internal filters, sampling rates and calculations to effectively utilize the display width. If you use the ZOOM control on PowerSDR with LP-PAN, for example, you just get a much coarser display as you zoom in because the sampling rate for the soundcard being used with PowerSDR doesn't automatically adjust as you change displayed bandwidth. If it did, it has limited rate selections depending on the soundcard being used and its drivers. Since the P3 hardware is purpose-built from the outset to be a panadapter rather than a general spectrum display or a soundcard, it does not have these limitations. 73, Lyle KK7P Disclaimer: I work for Elecraft. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] P3 and Digital Mode Operation
Lyle, could we use the P3 as a X-Y Scope to monitor RTTY signal as on MMTTY? 73 de VE2FK - Original Message - From: Lyle Johnson To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Sent: Monday, March 29, 2010 2:40 PM Subject: [Elecraft] P3 and Digital Mode Operation I've been testing the P3 URL:http://www.elecraft.com/news.htm for a while now, and it has a really nice feature for Digital Modes that my other panadapter solutions lack. The P3 has a SPAN control. This sets the width of the spectrum display in kHz. When looking at a busy band, for example during last weekend's contest, this made it pretty easy to spot activity on a relatively quiet band (15m) or a hole on a very busy busy band (20m). This isn't much different than other panadapters, just more convenient. However, let's say you decide to operate a digital mode, such as PSK 31. Dial down the SPAN to ± 3 kHz. Suddenly, the display looks like the usual waterfall you are accustomed to when using DM780, MIXW, MultiPSK, CocoaModem, etc. You can easily distinguish individual signals, and see the modulation on them. It is extremely simple to then set the marker on a signal, tap the control to re-tune, then then tap the SPOT button on the K3 to get it nailed. You are now ready for a QSO using PSK-D mode. This same feature is also very useful when operating RTTY. Further, the P3 lets you see nearby signals in fine detail even when you have the K3's dual passband feature turned on. Use of such narrow filtering on the K3 restricts the usual waterfall display on the DM780 or MMTTY console, for example. And, the P3 doesn't consume PC screen real estate. The reason this works so well with the P3 is that as you adjust the SPAN, the P3 automatically adjusts its internal filters, sampling rates and calculations to effectively utilize the display width. If you use the ZOOM control on PowerSDR with LP-PAN, for example, you just get a much coarser display as you zoom in because the sampling rate for the soundcard being used with PowerSDR doesn't automatically adjust as you change displayed bandwidth. If it did, it has limited rate selections depending on the soundcard being used and its drivers. Since the P3 hardware is purpose-built from the outset to be a panadapter rather than a general spectrum display or a soundcard, it does not have these limitations. 73, Lyle KK7P Disclaimer: I work for Elecraft. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] P3 and Digital Mode Operation
Lyle, am I correct in my understanding that the P3 does not require any connection to a personal computer for any reason? If it does rely on an external PC for anything, will software be available for all platforms (as with the K3 utility) or only for Windows? Those of us who use Macs obviously have an interest in this question. 73 Lew K6LMP On Mar 29, 2010, at 11:40 AM, Lyle Johnson wrote: I've been testing the P3 URL:http://www.elecraft.com/news.htm for a while now, and it has a really nice feature for Digital Modes that my other panadapter solutions lack. [snip] __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] P3 and Digital Mode Operation
My understanding is that F/W upgrades will be performed by the K3 utility, but other thn that, no other reliance upon a computer of any kind. Kinda important to me too 73 de M0XDF, K3 #174, iMac 24 2.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo :-) -- They are ill discoverers that think there is no land, when they can see nothing but sea. -Francis Bacon, essayist, philosopher, and statesman (1561-1626) On 29 Mar 2010, at 19:56, Lew Phelps K6LMP wrote: Lyle, am I correct in my understanding that the P3 does not require any connection to a personal computer for any reason? If it does rely on an external PC for anything, will software be available for all platforms (as with the K3 utility) or only for Windows? Those of us who use Macs obviously have an interest in this question. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] P3 and Digital Mode Operation
Lyle, am I correct in my understanding that the P3 does not require any connection to a personal computer for any reason? Firmware updates are via RS232, using P3 Utility. For normal operation, the P3 does not require a computer to be attached. In general, think of the P3 as bing invisible to the computer, so your logging programs, etc., will continue to interact with the K3, or not, as you wish. 73, Lyle KK7P __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
[Elecraft] Serial #04060
Greetings Everyone !!! As this is quite an investment for me I spent a great deal of time researching and comparing different radios. I read the reviews in QST, read the comments on all the Internet links and it was pretty clear from the specifications that the K3 was as good or better technically then any of the other radios out there. My only previous experience is with Yaesu Radios. I currently own the FT-817, FT-857 and FT-897 and various HT's. These are mostly used for VHF/UHF and occasionally listening to the HF bands. I have to say that HF not being channelized the Yaesu Radios make it somewhat tedious to browse the HF bands. I do use HRD with them and that makes it easier but I have found the SDR-IQ actually much easier to use as it gives you a visual indication of signals on the band. For my HF radio purchase I considered the TenTec Orion II, FLEX 5000 and DZKit Sienna as they were all in the same general price range. My main interest at this point in time is for a state of the art receiver as I only have my tech license so I also briefly considered the IC-R9500 and AR-ALPHA until I saw the prices... definitely out of my price range :) Plus I was planning for the future as I do intend to get my General and Extra license at some point so a good transceiver would be an investment for the future (sounds good when discussing with the BOSS...) I also want to get on the Microwave bands and from my research the best most cost effective way seems to be via transverters. So a foundational requirement is a very good IF radio. So my personal criteria for selecting my main HF radio were 1) Exceptional state of the art receiver performance 2) Affordability 3) Easy upgradability 4) Easy to interface with transverters 5) Computer controllable 6) Good customer Service 7) Portability My experience with the SDR-IQ left me leaning heavily towards one of the FLEX radios. But the requirement of dedicating a computer to the radio really reduces its portability. And the FLEX radios are not as modular as the Elecraft so I had to make a major investment up front. Elecraft 1 and Flex 0. The TEN-TEC radios have a great reputation and great performance specifications and I probably wouldn't be unhappy with that radio but it also lacks modularity and also requires a large investment up front. Elecraft 2 and TEN-TEC 0. The Sienna was very intriguing and also fairly modular but after researching it there seemed to be more soldering involved then I was willing to do or had time for. So in my final analysis the Elecraft satisfied all my criteria at a reasonable price. What did I finally order ? A K3/10 kit with the KXV3A transverter interface, KBPF3 General Coverage RX Bandpass Module, KUSB USB Adapter, KFL3A-400 400 Hz, narrow 8-pole filter, KFL3A-6K 6 kHz AM / ESSB, 8-pole filter, KFL3B-FM 13 kHz FM filter and the stock 2.7 SSB filter. I also ordered the XV222 Transverter but I haven't put it together yet. I ordered my K3 on Monday and received it the following Friday. Between Monday and Friday I read all the owner manuals and assembly manuals. Purchased a static mat and wrist strap and put together a dummy load so I was prepared on Friday to begin the assembly process. I spent about 1 hour making sure that I had all the parts (I did thanks Elecraft). I then worked from about 8pm on Friday to about 4:30am on Saturday to complete the assembly process and smoke tests. Success no problems !! The assembly manuals are unbelievably detailed without being tedious and the kit... ? Well what can I say other than I am no professional electronics expert but I really had no problems building it. The mechanical construction quality is especially worth mentioning as the fit and finish and how well all the mechanical pieces go together is just breath taking. So after going to sleep early on Saturday morning I then woke up about 10am on Saturday and completed all the calibration tasks. Here I did run into one problem with the Calibrating Transmitter Gain . Using the Elecraft utility to calibrate Transmitter Gain it only gave me an error. For some reason even though I had configured the filters manually per the owners manual it seems that I needed to configure them through the Elecraft utility program also. Once I did that the transmitter calibration went flawlessly. So I have now spent two weeks using the K3 and I have to say I have not been disappointed in any way. Living in a deed restricted Townhouse my HF antenna options are limited. And I am on an eternal search for the best antenna. But even with a G5RV just laying in the backyard on the ground this receiver was able to hear much better than my FT-897. I have been using the HF CW beacons to analyse the best antenna for my location and the K3 makes it fun. This weekend was some kind of HF SSB contest and I was able to hear hams in Hawaii, Russia, Afghanistan and all over the United States on 20 meters. Definitely an incentive to
Re: [Elecraft] Bare Foot
Just wondering on the wisdom of attaching a wire to one's ankle and then contacting live voltage with your hand! As an EMT that was the worst scenario for Cardiac Shock and Death due to electrocution. The ankle and wrist straps are supposed to have added resistance to avoid this, still...??? I know that when I work on my 4kV QRO power supply, that I will not be wearing any conductive bracelets, rings, watch bands, etc. But that is a different subject ;-) Most of us probably have the ham shack in a spare bedroom with carpeting (I do), so using an anti-static mat when working with sensitive devices is just being smart with your money. I bought mine from a regional electronic supplier for $29.95 (came with a coiled cord with alligator clip). I had a wrist strap, already. I did not bother with tying this into my home safety ground. But humidity is above 35% and not experiencing any static shocks that are typical in winter's low humidity. I think I will bring my radio ground to the work bench instead of using house wiring (shorter run to earth-ground). 73, Ed The K3 is like the proverbial onion, got a lot of layers to peal! -- Message: 37 Date: Mon, 29 Mar 2010 10:04:55 -0500 From: Mark Bayern plcm...@gmail.com Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Bare Foot To: Wes Stewart n...@yahoo.com Cc: Elecraft List elecraft@mailman.qth.net Message-ID: 20b22a251003290804y510496bbt4cebaa026f7d1...@mail.gmail.com Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 It's (at least was when I was still working) common to use heel straps as part of ESD protection in industry. Last time I saw heel straps in use was in the late 80s at a site that builds solid fuel rocket motors for military and aerospace uses. They also had testing equipment to check that your shoes really would dissipate any static charge. When you are in a bay with a booster containing 600,000lbs of fuel, static discharges are discouraged. Mark AD5SS On Mon, Mar 29, 2010 at 9:42 AM, Wes Stewart n...@yahoo.com wrote: It's (at least was when I was still working) common to use heel straps as part of ESD protection in industry.? These were of similar material to wrist straps and contacted the sweat layer inside the shoe on one end and the floor on the other.? The floor had to be treated with an ESD safe coating, however. ?Likewise, ESD mats were only cleaned with an approved cleaner and smocks that didn't generate static charges were worn over street clothing. Modern linoleum (the real stuff) often has a coating on the surface which is likely to be some kind of plastic and if you're using linoleum generically, then you might have vinyl that is also plastic and potentially an ESD generator, albeit probably not as bad as carpet. You will no doubt get an argument from some saying being connected to the floor is an unsafe thing while working on things electrical. This is true if you stand a chance of coming in contact with the A/C mains. That said, I use the bare foot technique sometimes, although the floors in my house are brick and not plastic. Wes ?N7WS 73, Ed - KL7UW, WD2XSH/45 == BP40IQ 500 KHz - 10-GHz www.kl7uw.com 500-KHz/CW, 144-MHz EME, 1296-MHz EME DUBUS Magazine USA Rep dubus...@hotmail.com == __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] Wanted: KXPD1 Paddle (Yup.. Another one)
I Found One !! :clap: tnx de George WD0AKZ -- View this message in context: http://n2.nabble.com/Wanted-KXPD1-Paddle-Yup-Another-one-tp4797267p4820495.html Sent from the [KX1] mailing list archive at Nabble.com. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] K3 power output on SSB
When I whistle to mic and tune my linear amplifier, I notice that last watts going up very slowly. Without linear I tested and sometimes first 80 watts out normally but from 80 to 100 watts it takes about 2-3 seconds. Sounds like a power calibration issue. Double check the K3 wattmeter calibration, the amplifier gain calibrations and TXG VCE. 73, ... Joe, W4TV -Original Message- From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net [mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Juha Kasari Sent: Sunday, March 28, 2010 5:31 AM To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: [Elecraft] K3 power output on SSB Hello, When I whistle to mic and tune my linear amplifier, I notice that last watts going up very slowly. Without linear I tested and sometimes first 80 watts out normally but from 80 to 100 watts it takes about 2-3 seconds. When I am using my linear (Titan, has peak power meter by led) last one or two leds don't light on ssb, on cw they do with the same driving power. I tried TXG VCE, but not effect. It is like ALC over react to voice peak. Is that normal behavior? 73 de juha - oh6os K3 #2100 __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] K3 Edgeport Adapter with K3 and SteppIR
Do you have an application (the K3 Utility) that can send a command to the K3 and determine if the K3 is responding (e.g., changes mode in response to the MD0;/MD1; commands)? My guess is that the SteppIR controller loads the data line from the K3 to the Edgeport. That loading is most likely too much pull-up current which prevents the K3 from pulling the output data line below -3V as required by the RS-232 standard. It is likely that the consumer grade Prolific converter worked when the data line went below 1V. The Edgeport interfaces are widely used in industrial control applications where the noise margin is critical so they adhere much more closely to the +/-3V minimum signal level standards. 73, ... Joe, W4TV -Original Message- From: Bud Governale, W3LL [mailto:w...@arrl.net] Sent: Monday, March 29, 2010 5:19 PM To: Joe Subich, W4TV Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 Edgeport Adapter with K3 and SteppIR Yes, when I disconnect the leg of the Y cable that attaches to the SteppIR control box and leave the Y cable in place the K3 begins to respond. 73, Bud W3LL - Original Message - From: Joe Subich, W4TV li...@subich.com To: 'Bud Governale, W3LL' w...@arrl.net; Elecraft@mailman.qth.net Sent: Monday, March 29, 2010 5:04 PM Subject: RE: [Elecraft] K3 Edgeport Adapter with K3 and SteppIR Have you checked the Y cable to make sure it is appropriate for the new hardware? If you disconnect the leg of the Y cable that attaches to the SteppIR control box but leave the Y cable in place does the K3 begin to respond? 73, ... Joe, W4TV -Original Message- From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net [mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Bud Governale, W3LL Sent: Monday, March 29, 2010 1:31 PM To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: [Elecraft] K3 Edgeport Adapter with K3 and SteppIR I have my K3 and SteppIR controller talking perfectly thru the computer logging program and Y cable using a Prolific USB to Serial converter cable. I purchased an Edgeport 8 USB to Serial converter and removed all the Prolific cables to existing devices and connected all directly to the Edgeport. All three devices work perfectly. However the K3 no longer responds to computer control. It's not recognized by the software. I discovered that the K3 is recognized and controlled by the software (both DX4win and N1MM) when I remove the Y cable connection to the SteppIR. If I reconnect the SteppIR controller then the K3 is no longer controlled by software. If I go back to the Prolific USB to Serial cable all works well again. Anyone know or care to guess why the K3 to SteppIR combination won't work thru the Edgeport 8 port adapter or any other of its 7 other ports? 73, Bud W3LL w...@arrl.net __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
[Elecraft] K2 photos during construction
Finally! I finished putting my K2 construction photos on my new Joomla site. See http://wilcoxengineering.com/amateur-radio/elecraft-k2 Clicking on a photo will download a larger image with more detail. The K2 is still a hugely popular radio, and I thought you'd enjoy seeing what's involved if you've not built one yet. Cheers, Alan D. Wilcox, W3DVX (K2-5373, K3-40) 570-321-1516 http://WilcoxEngineering.com Williamsport, PA 17701 __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] K3 power output on SSB
Hi, No, please, this is not a power calibration issue! A huge number of K3 users have complained about this propensity of the SSB power to aim conservatively for 50-80% of the requested peak power and then slowly, very slowly climbing up to the requested power. Once reaching 100% it stays there until you perform some kind of QSY operation other than just turning the wheel. It is not a huge irritant to me, but an irritant nonetheless. If I am in a big rush to have full power on SSB after a QSY, I switch mode to TX data FSK D, do a quick squirt of TX and I have instant full SSB peak power. AB2TC - Knut Joe Subich, W4TV-4 wrote: When I whistle to mic and tune my linear amplifier, I notice that last watts going up very slowly. Without linear I tested and sometimes first 80 watts out normally but from 80 to 100 watts it takes about 2-3 seconds. Sounds like a power calibration issue. Double check the K3 wattmeter calibration, the amplifier gain calibrations and TXG VCE. 73, ... Joe, W4TV snip -- View this message in context: http://n2.nabble.com/K3-power-output-on-SSB-tp4818879p4821485.html Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] K3 power output on SSB
An undershoot of ~ 20% for the first few seconds of transmission on a new frequency might be an irritant but an overshoot or aggressive fast acting ALC leads to spatter on peaks, this is very common issue on the bands today An undershoot of ~20% on peaks (it's less on my K3) is negligible in terms of the receiving end signal strength and a small price to pay for a cleaner transmitted signal. 73 Brendan EI6IZ On Mon, 2010-03-29 at 14:59 -0800, ab2tc wrote: Hi, No, please, this is not a power calibration issue! A huge number of K3 users have complained about this propensity of the SSB power to aim conservatively for 50-80% of the requested peak power and then slowly, very slowly climbing up to the requested power. Once reaching 100% it stays there until you perform some kind of QSY operation other than just turning the wheel. It is not a huge irritant to me, but an irritant nonetheless. If I am in a big rush to have full power on SSB after a QSY, I switch mode to TX data FSK D, do a quick squirt of TX and I have instant full SSB peak power. AB2TC - Knut Joe Subich, W4TV-4 wrote: When I whistle to mic and tune my linear amplifier, I notice that last watts going up very slowly. Without linear I tested and sometimes first 80 watts out normally but from 80 to 100 watts it takes about 2-3 seconds. Sounds like a power calibration issue. Double check the K3 wattmeter calibration, the amplifier gain calibrations and TXG VCE. 73, ... Joe, W4TV snip -- 73 Brendan EI6IZ __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] K3 power output on SSB
No, please, this is not a power calibration issue! A huge number of K3 users have complained about this propensity of the SSB power to aim conservatively for 50-80% of the requested peak power and then slowly, very slowly climbing up to the requested power. Once reaching 100% it stays I'm having a weird SSB problem now. I just updated firmware to MCU 03.79, FPF 01.08, and DSP to 02.54 On 20M LSB it behaves pretty much OK, but now on USB it barely makes any average power and has some weird peaks. It's almost like it has severe gain expansion. I reloaded the updates (but did not download fresh files) and I have the same thing. It was working OK with my older firmware. Anyone have any ideas?? Tom __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] K3 power output on SSB
Brendan Minish wrote: An undershoot of ~ 20% for the first few seconds of transmission on a new frequency might be an irritant but an overshoot or aggressive fast acting ALC leads to spatter on peaks, this is very common issue on the bands today An undershoot of ~20% on peaks (it's less on my K3) is negligible in terms of the receiving end signal strength and a small price to pay for a cleaner transmitted signal. Folks, maybe I am missing so much here, but 20% undershoot at 100W requested is 20W. The difference between 80W and 100W is 0.96910 dB, assuming my HP48GX can still do logs after all these years. I think Brendan has it right, a second or two of some power between 80 and 100W really is negligible. On SSB [not often my mode], I step on the switch under the desk and talk ... works every time ... as long as I remember -- Step, then talk. Now, pretending that I actually know what I'm about to say ... I think the power control in the K3 [and K2] is a big negative feedback loop called ALC by some. How would it know where to stabilize to a requested power before power, any power, actually happened? On a different subject, I'd pay money for a published decision tree for firmware updates and whether or not I need to install them. Often -- OK, always -- this occurs just before the contest. Many affect things that don't affect me, others can be another story. 73, Fred K6DGW __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] ALC overshoot
An undershoot of ~ 20% for the first few seconds of transmission on a new frequency might be an irritant but an overshoot or aggressive fast acting ALC leads to spatter on peaks, this is very common issue on the bands today An undershoot of ~20% on peaks (it's less on my K3) is negligible in terms of the receiving end signal strength and a small price to pay for a cleaner transmitted signal. I think overshoot on SSB is greatly overplayed in most radios. There are some truly bad radios, but even in them the overshoot is very short duration. It often won't even show a regular peak reading meter. It is generally a few milliseconds at most from a cold start with no ALC, and then it is gone until the next nearly zero ALC drop. The result from ALC on SSB is an occasional very short syllabic tic. A couple milliseconds of spit or tic once every few seconds is not a big deal breaker. The real annoying crud, and bands like 20 are full of it, is caused by improper loading of amplifiers, poorly designed amps, and overdriving amps. It's the constant spitting and sputtering that wipes out entire words that is damaging, and I don't see the real damaging stuff changing much with work on ALC systems. There are also the occasional phools who get inside radios and crank the power limit controls up. I know this because I repaired the FT1000MP's of a contester, set the power pots back to 100 watts where the radio was about -35 dB PEP on 3rd order, and six months later when I was doing a filter mod to the same radios the power pots were back up to 140 watts where the radios have -20 dB PEP on IM3. Someplace between the two is probably a good compromise, but don't bank on 20 meters and other bands cleaning up if all the ALC's in the world were fixed. 73 Tom __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] P3 and Digital Mode Operation
Good idea, I'll add it to the list of possible future features. I haven't used MTTY, but I assume the X-Y display is like the plus sign on the old analog RTTY demodulators of years ago. Alan N1AL On Mon, 2010-03-29 at 14:47 -0400, Claude Du Berger wrote: Lyle, could we use the P3 as a X-Y Scope to monitor RTTY signal as on MMTTY? 73 de VE2FK - Original Message - From: Lyle Johnson To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Sent: Monday, March 29, 2010 2:40 PM Subject: [Elecraft] P3 and Digital Mode Operation I've been testing the P3 URL:http://www.elecraft.com/news.htm for a while now, and it has a really nice feature for Digital Modes that my other panadapter solutions lack. The P3 has a SPAN control. This sets the width of the spectrum display in kHz. When looking at a busy band, for example during last weekend's contest, this made it pretty easy to spot activity on a relatively quiet band (15m) or a hole on a very busy busy band (20m). This isn't much different than other panadapters, just more convenient. However, let's say you decide to operate a digital mode, such as PSK 31. Dial down the SPAN to ± 3 kHz. Suddenly, the display looks like the usual waterfall you are accustomed to when using DM780, MIXW, MultiPSK, CocoaModem, etc. You can easily distinguish individual signals, and see the modulation on them. It is extremely simple to then set the marker on a signal, tap the control to re-tune, then then tap the SPOT button on the K3 to get it nailed. You are now ready for a QSO using PSK-D mode. This same feature is also very useful when operating RTTY. Further, the P3 lets you see nearby signals in fine detail even when you have the K3's dual passband feature turned on. Use of such narrow filtering on the K3 restricts the usual waterfall display on the DM780 or MMTTY console, for example. And, the P3 doesn't consume PC screen real estate. The reason this works so well with the P3 is that as you adjust the SPAN, the P3 automatically adjusts its internal filters, sampling rates and calculations to effectively utilize the display width. If you use the ZOOM control on PowerSDR with LP-PAN, for example, you just get a much coarser display as you zoom in because the sampling rate for the soundcard being used with PowerSDR doesn't automatically adjust as you change displayed bandwidth. If it did, it has limited rate selections depending on the soundcard being used and its drivers. Since the P3 hardware is purpose-built from the outset to be a panadapter rather than a general spectrum display or a soundcard, it does not have these limitations. 73, Lyle KK7P Disclaimer: I work for Elecraft. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] P3 and Digital Mode Operation
You sure know how to hurt a guys feelings, Alan, I plan to use an old analog RTTY demodulator, the HAL ST-8000 with my K3 :^) !!! I, too, would welcome a good X/Y tuning feature on the P3. Any updates on when we might see the P3 and price?? I am new to the group, just having finished my K3 kit and haven't seen all the past posts on this. 73, Don, WB5HAK __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] P3 and Digital Mode Operation
Yes, and still prefered over waterfall by many RTTY contesters. 73, Claude VE2FK - K3# 3889 - Original Message - From: Alan Bloom To: Claude Du Berger Cc: Lyle Johnson ; elecraft@mailman.qth.net Sent: Monday, March 29, 2010 7:57 PM Subject: Re: [Elecraft] P3 and Digital Mode Operation Good idea, I'll add it to the list of possible future features. I haven't used MTTY, but I assume the X-Y display is like the plus sign on the old analog RTTY demodulators of years ago. Alan N1AL On Mon, 2010-03-29 at 14:47 -0400, Claude Du Berger wrote: Lyle, could we use the P3 as a X-Y Scope to monitor RTTY signal as on MMTTY? 73 de VE2FK - Original Message - From: Lyle Johnson To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Sent: Monday, March 29, 2010 2:40 PM Subject: [Elecraft] P3 and Digital Mode Operation I've been testing the P3 URL:http://www.elecraft.com/news.htm for a while now, and it has a really nice feature for Digital Modes that my other panadapter solutions lack. The P3 has a SPAN control. This sets the width of the spectrum display in kHz. When looking at a busy band, for example during last weekend's contest, this made it pretty easy to spot activity on a relatively quiet band (15m) or a hole on a very busy busy band (20m). This isn't much different than other panadapters, just more convenient. However, let's say you decide to operate a digital mode, such as PSK 31. Dial down the SPAN to ± 3 kHz. Suddenly, the display looks like the usual waterfall you are accustomed to when using DM780, MIXW, MultiPSK, CocoaModem, etc. You can easily distinguish individual signals, and see the modulation on them. It is extremely simple to then set the marker on a signal, tap the control to re-tune, then then tap the SPOT button on the K3 to get it nailed. You are now ready for a QSO using PSK-D mode. This same feature is also very useful when operating RTTY. Further, the P3 lets you see nearby signals in fine detail even when you have the K3's dual passband feature turned on. Use of such narrow filtering on the K3 restricts the usual waterfall display on the DM780 or MMTTY console, for example. And, the P3 doesn't consume PC screen real estate. The reason this works so well with the P3 is that as you adjust the SPAN, the P3 automatically adjusts its internal filters, sampling rates and calculations to effectively utilize the display width. If you use the ZOOM control on PowerSDR with LP-PAN, for example, you just get a much coarser display as you zoom in because the sampling rate for the soundcard being used with PowerSDR doesn't automatically adjust as you change displayed bandwidth. If it did, it has limited rate selections depending on the soundcard being used and its drivers. Since the P3 hardware is purpose-built from the outset to be a panadapter rather than a general spectrum display or a soundcard, it does not have these limitations. 73, Lyle KK7P Disclaimer: I work for Elecraft. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] P3 and Digital Mode Operation
Lyle, How about a few photo's or better still a youtube video showing the P3 in action. I suspect everyone here can visualise what you just described, but you know what they say about a picture (or youtube video) painting a 1000 words etc. Trevor G0KTN __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] ALC overshoot
Hello again, Let's all agree that the undershoot problem is not huge. But it's much more than 20% and it lasts much longer than a couple of seconds. And I object to the notion that a properly working ALC, even a fairly fast one necessarily leads to severe distortion or splatter. I again hold the opinion that the real bad signals heard are due to to PAs being operated with no ALC feedback to the exciter feeding it and operators being clueless to this. A properly operating ALC system should be virtually impossible to talk into serious distortion. AB2TC - Knut W8JI wrote: An undershoot of ~ 20% for the first few seconds of transmission on a new frequency might be an irritant but an overshoot or aggressive fast acting ALC leads to spatter on peaks, this is very common issue on the bands today An undershoot of ~20% on peaks (it's less on my K3) is negligible in terms of the receiving end signal strength and a small price to pay for a cleaner transmitted signal. I think overshoot on SSB is greatly overplayed in most radios. There are some truly bad radios, but even in them the overshoot is very short duration. It often won't even snip -- View this message in context: http://n2.nabble.com/K3-power-output-on-SSB-tp4818879p4821851.html Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] P3 and Digital Mode Operation
The absence of an XY scope for RTTY was an irritant when I had an FT-2000 and DMU, so it would be a nice addition in the P3. I don't remember seeing this mentioned, but will anything be displayed on the P3 during transmit? I've had two SB-610 scopes and one of the last ones, the HO-5???, but don’t have any scope now to monitor my transmitted signal. Jim N7US -Original Message- Yes, and still prefered over waterfall by many RTTY contesters. 73, Claude VE2FK - K3# 3889 - Original Message - Good idea, I'll add it to the list of possible future features. I haven't used MTTY, but I assume the X-Y display is like the plus sign on the old analog RTTY demodulators of years ago. Alan N1AL On Mon, 2010-03-29 at 14:47 -0400, Claude Du Berger wrote: Lyle, could we use the P3 as a X-Y Scope to monitor RTTY signal as on MMTTY? 73 de VE2FK __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] K3 power output on SSB
No, please, this is not a power calibration issue! Bull ... I have seen it and can recreate it at will. If the wattmeter is not properly calibrated and the transmit gains are off, the bower setting routines do not act correctly. With the transmitter properly calibrated I see less than .5dB undershoot (more than 95 W when commanded for 100W) when changing bands. If I intentionally miscalibrate the wattmeter (as I did by accident when building the unit) and then do the transmit gain calibration with an inaccurate wattmeter, the radio will display a 2 to 3 dB undershoot (50 to 60 watts) when first changing bands. 73, ... Joe, W4TV -Original Message- From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net [mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of ab2tc Sent: Monday, March 29, 2010 7:00 PM To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 power output on SSB Hi, No, please, this is not a power calibration issue! A huge number of K3 users have complained about this propensity of the SSB power to aim conservatively for 50-80% of the requested peak power and then slowly, very slowly climbing up to the requested power. Once reaching 100% it stays there until you perform some kind of QSY operation other than just turning the wheel. It is not a huge irritant to me, but an irritant nonetheless. If I am in a big rush to have full power on SSB after a QSY, I switch mode to TX data FSK D, do a quick squirt of TX and I have instant full SSB peak power. AB2TC - Knut Joe Subich, W4TV-4 wrote: When I whistle to mic and tune my linear amplifier, I notice that last watts going up very slowly. Without linear I tested and sometimes first 80 watts out normally but from 80 to 100 watts it takes about 2-3 seconds. Sounds like a power calibration issue. Double check the K3 wattmeter calibration, the amplifier gain calibrations and TXG VCE. 73, ... Joe, W4TV snip -- View this message in context: http://n2.nabble.com/K3-power-output-on-SSB-tp4818879p4821485.html Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
[Elecraft] T32MI K3 rig problem
IZ1CRR Maury, Regarding the 40M problem with Derek's K3, it may be related to stray 40M RF getting into the radio when it is keyed. If this is the cause, an easy fix may be to create an imaginary ground on it by connecting a 1/4 wave long (around 10.56 Meters or 34.6 feet) wire to the ground screw on the back of the K3. The high impedance end of the 1/4 wave wire is transformed to a low impedance at the radio. This should reduce any stray RF around the radio. It is a simple thing to try and may fix the problem. I would be interested to hear if it fixes the 40 Meter problem. I had no difficulty in working T32MI on CW SSB with 100 Watts and a wire antenna from my QTH in Virginia, my IOTA number 964. They are a great operators! 73, Rich - K1HTV Retired from VOA = = = From a post of the K3 Reflector from Roland, DC1RS 2010-03-28 08:30 This morning local time (Saturday 21:00 gmt) we started our journey to Caroline island. Estimate 5 days sailing. Almost 9,000 Qs in our logs from the 3 days on Malvern. Derek's beloved Elecraft K3 has a problem! On 40m only, the instant the rig is keyed, even at min power, it switches off as if the supply plug is disconnected. After an indeterminate delay power is restored and the rig can be used on other bands. Any ideas, please contact Maury, IZ1CRR (iz1crr @ tin.it). 73 Derek __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] ALC overshoot
Most amplifiers have very crummy ALC detection. All they do is same RF level at the cathode of the tube, and that doesn't indicate excessive drive or nonlinearity at all! The only ALC systems I've ever taken seriously are those that are designed together between the transmitter and external amplifier as a system so that the ALC meet me point is optimized. But even among one common manufacturer, that still does not guarantee good ALC performance. Today, a commercial amplifier should be designed to be smart enough to know when it's going into a fault condition from the exciter without requiring an ALC feedback cable -- and some newer amps finally have this capability in their feed-forward designs. Paul, W9AC __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] T32MI K3 rig problem
How do they know it's the radio and not the power supply shutting off? -Original Message- From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net [mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Rich - K1HTV Sent: Monday, March 29, 2010 7:46 PM To: iz1...@tin.it Cc: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: [Elecraft] T32MI K3 rig problem IZ1CRR Maury, Regarding the 40M problem with Derek's K3, it may be related to stray 40M RF getting into the radio when it is keyed. If this is the cause, an easy fix may be to create an imaginary ground on it by connecting a 1/4 wave long (around 10.56 Meters or 34.6 feet) wire to the ground screw on the back of the K3. The high impedance end of the 1/4 wave wire is transformed to a low impedance at the radio. This should reduce any stray RF around the radio. It is a simple thing to try and may fix the problem. I would be interested to hear if it fixes the 40 Meter problem. I had no difficulty in working T32MI on CW SSB with 100 Watts and a wire antenna from my QTH in Virginia, my IOTA number 964. They are a great operators! 73, Rich - K1HTV Retired from VOA = = = From a post of the K3 Reflector from Roland, DC1RS 2010-03-28 08:30 This morning local time (Saturday 21:00 gmt) we started our journey to Caroline island. Estimate 5 days sailing. Almost 9,000 Qs in our logs from the 3 days on Malvern. Derek's beloved Elecraft K3 has a problem! On 40m only, the instant the rig is keyed, even at min power, it switches off as if the supply plug is disconnected. After an indeterminate delay power is restored and the rig can be used on other bands. Any ideas, please contact Maury, IZ1CRR (iz1crr @ tin.it). 73 Derek __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] T32MI K3 rig problem
They don't, but if it is triggered by RF, the proposed suggestion is simple one and worth trying with available parts. Rich - K1HTV -Original Message- From: Bob Naumann [mailto:w...@w5ov.com] Sent: Monday, March 29, 2010 21:00 PM To: 'Rich - K1HTV'; iz1...@tin.it Cc: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: RE: [Elecraft] T32MI K3 rig problem How do they know it's the radio and not the power supply shutting off? -Original Message- From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net [mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Rich - K1HTV Sent: Monday, March 29, 2010 7:46 PM To: iz1...@tin.it Cc: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: [Elecraft] T32MI K3 rig problem IZ1CRR Maury, Regarding the 40M problem with Derek's K3, it may be related to stray 40M RF getting into the radio when it is keyed. If this is the cause, an easy fix may be to create an imaginary ground on it by connecting a 1/4 wave long (around 10.56 Meters or 34.6 feet) wire to the ground screw on the back of the K3. The high impedance end of the 1/4 wave wire is transformed to a low impedance at the radio. This should reduce any stray RF around the radio. It is a simple thing to try and may fix the problem. I would be interested to hear if it fixes the 40 Meter problem. I had no difficulty in working T32MI on CW SSB with 100 Watts and a wire antenna from my QTH in Virginia, my IOTA number 964. They are a great operators! 73, Rich - K1HTV Retired from VOA = = = From a post of the K3 Reflector from Roland, DC1RS 2010-03-28 08:30 This morning local time (Saturday 21:00 gmt) we started our journey to Caroline island. Estimate 5 days sailing. Almost 9,000 Qs in our logs from the 3 days on Malvern. Derek's beloved Elecraft K3 has a problem! On 40m only, the instant the rig is keyed, even at min power, it switches off as if the supply plug is disconnected. After an indeterminate delay power is restored and the rig can be used on other bands. Any ideas, please contact Maury, IZ1CRR (iz1crr @ tin.it). 73 Derek __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
[Elecraft] Odd power/ALC problem
I have an odd power and ALC problem. When I load the latest firmware into my K3, it nearly quits working on USB. The power output is very low with occasional high peaks. LSB remains good. If I offset the filter -800 Hz, USB starts working OK. If I make no other changes and go back to the older firmware, the problem goes away. Any ideas anyone? Tom __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] Odd power/ALC problem
Tom, I certainly don't know what is going on with your problem, but since no one else has mentioned anything like that and teh current firmware has been out for a while, I would guess that you have a corrupt firmware download. I would get a fresh copy from the Elecraft website and re-load it. No promises, but it certainly is worth a try. If that does not fix it, a note th K3support is in order. 73, Don W3FPR Tom W8JI wrote: I have an odd power and ALC problem. When I load the latest firmware into my K3, it nearly quits working on USB. The power output is very low with occasional high peaks. LSB remains good. If I offset the filter -800 Hz, USB starts working OK. If I make no other changes and go back to the older firmware, the problem goes away. Any ideas anyone? Tom __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 9.0.791 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2777 - Release Date: 03/29/10 02:32:00 __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
[Elecraft] internet remote to K3
Can you remote into the K3 from the internet and talk on your rig? Chris W7CTH __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] Elecraft Digest, Vol 71, Issue 43
RS-232 isn't going away any time soon. Witness the large number of USB to COM converters, the large number of mobo's available with COM port, and the huge installed base of equipment. Wayne wrote a paper on why the K3 uses COM vs. USB. I use at least two different varieties. One model from www.byterunner.com and one from www.lonetworks.com. The lonetworks.com unit is purported to understand baudot RTTY although I haven't tried it because I use the actual COM1 on my PC for FSK. Rig control on either of these converters is flawless. This is like the money deal or the electrical outlet deal. There is no such thing as too many ports. Not to say that USB isn't a good idea. It works fine, just like a COM port does, and connectorizing is more compact. OTOH USB cannot perform all the services the COM port does. Bearing the above in mind and rewriting the last part of the complaint below a bit: I bought a handicapped computer that doesn't have a COM port because this model is too cheap to include that feature. So I'm going to fault Elecraft for choice of IO port. 73 Art -- 73 Art Allison, Colorado Whether you believe you can do a thing or not, you are right. --Henry Ford. John Ragle wrote: Does anyone know the nature of the K3 USB - COMM adapter sold by Elecraft? I cannot find anything in the Elecraft literature about it (other than the price, of course). For example: Does it come with a pre-defined COMM port number? A settable COMM port number between 1 and 10? A settable COMM port number which may be anything (e.g. 17 or 25 or...). How do driver software programs/suites such as DigiPan, FLDIGI, HRDeluxe recognize this adapter (if at all)? [Some software will not recognize ports above 10, while other programs are more relaxed about such things.] Can the adapter be used for CAT control? Any information would be useful. John Ragle -- W1ZI P.S. Grumbling about the fact that RS-232 is still being used when long obsolete...grumble grumble grumble...USB-2.0 on a chip...etc. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] internet remote to K3
Chris, I have not tried it, but Ham Radio Deluxe has a 'remote' mode that can be used to provide control of the radio, and Skype (or similar) can provide the audio path. Of course, a computer is required at each end. There are likely other radio control applications that can provide remote radio control, but I am most familiar with HRD. So the answer is YES - but the devil is in the details. The software configuration is your challenge to set-up. HRD has pretty good documentation, and Simon is usually responsive to questions in case of difficulty. For more direct access to the K3 from a remote location (such as loading new firmware, adding macros, and other things that K3 Utility can do), I would suggest that you use one of the VNC applications - I particularly like UltraVNC available from www.sourceforge.net. The latency involved with using UltraVNC to control the K3 (by operating the computer at the K3 site) may make that unusable for actual on-the-air operating time, but is handy for remotely controlling the software applications on the computer located at the K3 site - for instance, one can use UltraVNC to log onto the computer and launch applications such as HRD and Skype (or most anything else). If one wants to get fancy, you can even shut down the K3 using the Power off command through the serial communications port, and then shut down the computer too. The computer can be set up for Wake On LAN, and the K3 powered on by a device that brings the K3 ACC Remote Power On pin low (that part takes some external hardware). The possibilities are endless - whatever you can do from a computer local to the K3 can also be done remotely from anywhere on the globe. 73, Don W3FPR Chris Hembree wrote: Can you remote into the K3 from the internet and talk on your rig? Chris W7CTH __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] T32MI K3 rig problem
On Mon, 29 Mar 2010 20:45:49 -0400, Rich - K1HTV wrote: it may be related to stray 40M RF getting into the radio when it is keyed. If this is the cause, an easy fix may be to create an imaginary ground on it by connecting a 1/4 wave long (around 10.56 Meters or 34.6 feet) wire to the ground screw on the back of the K3. Horsepucky. If RF is getting into the K3, the radio has a design flaw. And it does -- improperly terminated shields, also known as the pin 1 problem, which is a well known and well documented cause of RFI. The ONLY proper connection of a cable shield is ZERO LENGTH to the CHASSIS, and NOT through an RF choke! 73, Jim K9YC __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] 6 meter beam - OT
Gary wrote: I find I have a place for a 6 meter beam. I don't have one but would like to make one if feasible. Does anyone know of good plans for a 6 meter beam that would be realistic to make? As someone else noted, G0KSC has a whole bunch of interesting designs on his web site but I especially like the basic OWA designs for their wide bandwidth and 50 ohm feedpoint with NO matching devices. I actually built this one http://www.g0ksc.co.uk/sc0604s.html by repurposing the parts of my old VHF TV antenna and it works like a charm! You can see a few details of it here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/k6rm/ under the DTV Special heading as well as the CM86 and Kings County Expedition headings. GL 73, Barry K6RM __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
[Elecraft] Bare Foot -- Thank you!
RE: Bare Foot Thank you to all of you who took time to keyboard thoughtful, informative, reasoned, and experiential replies to my questions about building gear with one foot bare to the floor. I did build my K2 on top of an anti-static mat, tied to the attachment screw of a wall receptacle cover plate, and with a wrist band attached to my mat. But, every once in a while, I run into seriously given advice about employing a bare foot when working on the innards of a PC. I wondered why the bare foot was never mentioned in the prolonged antistatic mat thread, here. Now I know. Thank you, again. Topic now DONE! Sam I am in Moscow KN7C __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
