[Elecraft] KAT500 Suggestions

[Fred Atchley]

Eric and Wayne,

To optimize desktop space I suggest the upcoming KAT500 be designed so that
its tilt stand arm can be installed in either the front (normal) or back of
the unit. That way if I set it atop a front tilted KPA500 I could raise the
back of the tuner to offset the tilt, which would a nice.

And, it would be great if I could switch between the two coax feedlines that
I have set up. Sure, this would require software differentiating the antenna
switching by the K3 and antenna switching by the tuner. However, it would
simplify operation and greatly reduce the possibility of me using the wrong
antenna.

BTW, the KPA500 kit is working FB. Congratulations to all.

Fred, AE6IC, K3 2241, P3 100, KPA500 115

 

 

 

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Re: [Elecraft] K3: KPA100 Squeal

[Geoff Wolf AB3LS]

No go.

Hooked the radio up to a gel cel battery and we're still getting the 12Khz
junk coming from something and the clicking between TX and RX.

I made a longer recording of the 'junk' and posted it. Cycled between TX and
RX a few times using the manual TX button on the front. Then finished off
with a few dits and dahs. All while in TX Test mode.

http://alien.liltechdude.com/files/index.php?dir=Recordings/&file=kpa3squealrev2.mp3

Anyone from Elecraft have anything on this?

AB3LS

On Fri, Jul 1, 2011 at 1:24 AM, Geoff Wolf AB3LS wrote:

> This is a brand new K3 that I assembled about a month ago. The Serial
> Number is 5517.
>
> I have been using an Astron SS-25A power supply with this which is indeed a
> switcher. I have a battery that I'll be hooking up to it to see if this is
> still a problem.
>
>
> On Thu, Jun 30, 2011 at 4:41 PM, Guy Olinger K2AV 
> wrote:
>
>> A repeated 12 kHz would be echoed all over the room and lose a lot of
>> it's pulse nature.  This continues to look suspiciously like crap from
>> a 12 volt switching power supply that is somehow finding something
>> mechanically resonant in the K3.
>>
>> Back to asking for 12 volts from a linear supply (transformer and 60
>> Hz rectifiers) or battery.
>>
>> Is this particular K3 serial # prior to the introduction of gold
>> plated pins for the KPAIO3 connection?
>>
>> 73, Guy.
>>
>> On Thu, Jun 30, 2011 at 1:52 PM, W5UXH  wrote:
>> > I looked at the MP3 file using Goldwave.  It appears to me that the "12
>> KHz"
>> > component is present only during the tics, not continuously.
>> >
>> > The tic period is roughly 270 msec (I have no idea what the tic is of
>> > course).   I zoomed in to a single tic (see PDF of images at the link
>> > below).  It appears that each tic has a very distinct pattern seen in
>> the
>> > individual samples which I suspect is the 12 KHz energy.
>> >
>> > I have no idea what any of this means.
>> >
>> > 73,
>> >
>> > Chuck, W5UXH
>> > Las Cruces, NM
>> >
>> >
>> https://sites.google.com/site/k3lineoutrecordings/ab3ls-mp3-file-analysis
>> > Images and comments from Goldwave view of the MP3 file
>> >
>> >
>> > Guy, K2AV wrote:
>> >>
>> >> Hi Geoff, below...
>> >>
>> >> On Thu, Jun 30, 2011 at 9:24 AM, Geoff Wolf AB3LS
>> >>  wrote:
>> >>> And, for even more information, I analyzed the audio that I recorded
>> and
>> >>> the
>> >>> squeal is right around 12Khz. It peaks at -48dB (louder than the QSK
>> >>> relay
>> >>> clicking)
>> >>>
>> >>> http://imgur.com/V8o5t - image of the analysis
>> >>>
>> >>> AB3LS
>> >>
>> >> With your image I realize I had been making some assumptions.  I need
>> >> to fill in some details...
>> >>
>> >> Are you listening to the audio in earphones or are you hearing it in
>> >> the free air.  I had been assuming listening with your ears only in
>> >> free air to miscellaneous sound in the neighborhood of the K3.
>> >>
>> >
>> >
>> > --
>> > View this message in context:
>> http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/K3-KPA100-Squeal-tp6518460p6534295.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
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>> >
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>> >
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>
>
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Re: [Elecraft] [KAT500] Size??

[Joe Subich, W4TV]

> Has Elecraft mentioned the physical size of the forthcoming (someday)
> of the KAT500 ?

I believe Wayne mentioned the P3 form factor.

73,

... Joe, W4TV


On 6/30/2011 11:50 PM, Phil Hystad wrote:
> Experts --
>
> Has Elecraft mentioned the physical size of the forthcoming (someday) of the 
> KAT500 ?  Is it the same as the K3 and the KPA500?
>
> I am starting to plan a new arrangement for the K-line which will ultimately 
> be:  K3+P3+KPA500+KAT500+KBEAM.
>
> OK, I just sort of threw that KBEAM in there but I think I will start calling 
> everything in my shack with a K-something or other.  I mean, it is almost 
> that already.  I can't forget my Key either, or maybe it is KKey.
>
> 73, phil, K7PEH (yet another K)
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Re: [Elecraft] K3: KPA100 Squeal

[Geoff Wolf AB3LS]

This is a brand new K3 that I assembled about a month ago. The Serial Number
is 5517.

I have been using an Astron SS-25A power supply with this which is indeed a
switcher. I have a battery that I'll be hooking up to it to see if this is
still a problem.


On Thu, Jun 30, 2011 at 4:41 PM, Guy Olinger K2AV wrote:

> A repeated 12 kHz would be echoed all over the room and lose a lot of
> it's pulse nature.  This continues to look suspiciously like crap from
> a 12 volt switching power supply that is somehow finding something
> mechanically resonant in the K3.
>
> Back to asking for 12 volts from a linear supply (transformer and 60
> Hz rectifiers) or battery.
>
> Is this particular K3 serial # prior to the introduction of gold
> plated pins for the KPAIO3 connection?
>
> 73, Guy.
>
> On Thu, Jun 30, 2011 at 1:52 PM, W5UXH  wrote:
> > I looked at the MP3 file using Goldwave.  It appears to me that the "12
> KHz"
> > component is present only during the tics, not continuously.
> >
> > The tic period is roughly 270 msec (I have no idea what the tic is of
> > course).   I zoomed in to a single tic (see PDF of images at the link
> > below).  It appears that each tic has a very distinct pattern seen in the
> > individual samples which I suspect is the 12 KHz energy.
> >
> > I have no idea what any of this means.
> >
> > 73,
> >
> > Chuck, W5UXH
> > Las Cruces, NM
> >
> >
> https://sites.google.com/site/k3lineoutrecordings/ab3ls-mp3-file-analysis
> > Images and comments from Goldwave view of the MP3 file
> >
> >
> > Guy, K2AV wrote:
> >>
> >> Hi Geoff, below...
> >>
> >> On Thu, Jun 30, 2011 at 9:24 AM, Geoff Wolf AB3LS
> >>  wrote:
> >>> And, for even more information, I analyzed the audio that I recorded
> and
> >>> the
> >>> squeal is right around 12Khz. It peaks at -48dB (louder than the QSK
> >>> relay
> >>> clicking)
> >>>
> >>> http://imgur.com/V8o5t - image of the analysis
> >>>
> >>> AB3LS
> >>
> >> With your image I realize I had been making some assumptions.  I need
> >> to fill in some details...
> >>
> >> Are you listening to the audio in earphones or are you hearing it in
> >> the free air.  I had been assuming listening with your ears only in
> >> free air to miscellaneous sound in the neighborhood of the K3.
> >>
> >
> >
> > --
> > View this message in context:
> http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/K3-KPA100-Squeal-tp6518460p6534295.html
> > Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
> > __
> > Elecraft mailing list
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> >
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> >
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Re: [Elecraft] Tech Writing

[Don Wilhelm]

  Al,

I believe the Grade 7 educational level is "standard" for tech writing.
I recall that when I was at IBM evaluating tech documents, that was the 
level they were written for.  It seems as though a technician educated 
in his field is not expected to be able to comprehend the English 
language beyond the 7th grade level.  Doesn't that speak wonders for the 
goals of our education system!!

In my engineering career, I have struggled with engineering graduates 
who could not even form a sentence with proper capitalization and 
punctuation and spacing (two spaces after a period, etc.).

I recall a grumpy old college professor from my engineering curriculum 
who taught a course in what was called "Western Civilization" - which 
was a combination of history, English composition, reading and writing 
skills.  That bold professor had the audacity to state that his course 
was the most important in our engineering studies - we laughed then, but 
it turned out that he was correct.  An engineer who cannot communicate 
effectively through the written word, is just not effective in his task, 
and the rest of the knowledge is for naught.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 6/30/2011 8:56 PM, Al Gulseth wrote:
> Dave,
>
> The reason they told you to write for a Grade 7 educational level was probably
> because they heard about some of the students my dad dealt with when he was a
> junior level radio instructor in the Coast Guard in WWII. From his
> description it sounded like he was teaching a basic "shop" (tool usage) class
> at the time.
>
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[Elecraft] [KAT500] Size??

[Phil Hystad]

Experts --

Has Elecraft mentioned the physical size of the forthcoming (someday) of the 
KAT500 ?  Is it the same as the K3 and the KPA500?

I am starting to plan a new arrangement for the K-line which will ultimately 
be:  K3+P3+KPA500+KAT500+KBEAM.

OK, I just sort of threw that KBEAM in there but I think I will start calling 
everything in my shack with a K-something or other.  I mean, it is almost that 
already.  I can't forget my Key either, or maybe it is KKey.

73, phil, K7PEH (yet another K)
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Re: [Elecraft] Learning Code, Etc.

[Bud Morin]

Reading the various emails on this subject, I can't help but put in some 
of my memories. At age 17 in 1940 I got my ticket with the call W8VHF in 
Detroit, MI. Have never used VHF. Learned the code by using a 2-tube 
regen rcvr to listen to cw on 40 and 80m and by listening to some naval 
stations until I could copy the stuff. Had a buzzer to learn sending. 
Since then I have been using cw about 98% of my operating time. I'm not 
a high speed operator. I remember two guys who were whizzes on cw. One 
was W8CW: I think his name was McDonald, he was a telegrapher for Bell 
Telephone in Detroit, and a runner up to McElroy in cw speed contests. 
The second was Win Peebles, W8GQB, one of my Elmers after I got my 
ticket. Earlier in his life he worked for one of the broadcast stations 
or newspapers copying national and international news sent out by the 
news services. Perhaps it was Press Wireless. He claimed he could do the 
following. Copy the code on a mill, stop and eat a candy bar, get a 
drink from the fountain, and go back to typing where he left off. I 
believe it. By the way one of the emails on this list, or maybe the 
DxLab list, mentioned being trained for maintenance of high power 
transmitters for the navy. When WWII came around the Signal Corps sent 
me to Press Wireless for the same kind of training. However, on arriving 
in the Pacific war, I never got near a big transmitter. That's all folks!

73,
Bud, K9ZT

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Re: [Elecraft] So, how's the backlog on KPA500 kits going?

[Michael Rioux]

#110 received yesterday (Wednesday) on the air tonight. Easy build, pay
attention to use the right screws. 4 hours or so to build from opening the
box. One washer missing, Stephanie did a great job of picking/packing all
the parts. Ordered 4/6/11 at 1:06 PM.
73, Mike W1USN

-Original Message-
From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net
[mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of KD3RF
Sent: Wednesday, June 29, 2011 7:58 PM
To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net
Subject: [Elecraft] So, how's the backlog on KPA500 kits going?

Are we getting any closer to getting caught up on the backlog?

Are shipments still going out?

Lots of KPA500 buyers wondering what the latest status is?

Not seeing many reports beyond S/N 101 received...

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[Elecraft] tech writing

[William H. Droeger, Jr.]

This thread looks like it will go on for eternity.
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Re: [Elecraft] Tech Writing

[Phil Kane]

On 6/30/2011 5:56 PM, Al Gulseth wrote:

> Being a Minnesota farm boy, dad assumed that everybody knew what
> screwdrivers, pliers, etc. were and initially started out
> apologizing for having to go through all the "basics.". However,
> he quickly found out that a lot of the "city boys" had no idea
> which end of a screwdriver to hold.

  My dad was a "city boy", an accountant, yet in the hall coat
  closet he had a toolbox with hand tools.  I, too, am a "city
  boy" and I learned to use them all before I was 12 years old.
  All of my friends did too.  My son is a "city boy" and was a
  first class bicycle mechanic by that age.

  Different pokes for different strokes.

--  73 de K2ASP - Phil Kane
Elecraft K2/100   s/n 5402

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Re: [Elecraft] Power Supply?

[Andrew Moore]

On a related note, since it's been a long time since I asked, is there a
possibility of offering a bare enclosure to match the P3?  That size would
be pretty good for accommodating a speaker and a power supply capable of
driving the K3.  Sure would look nice alongside the K-line, too.

--Andrew, NV1B
..

On Thu, Jun 30, 2011 at 9:25 PM, KC6CNN  wrote:

> I am getting ready to retire. I am going to treat myself to a new elecraft
> station.
> K3 fully loaded and a new KPA500 amp and P3. I really wish they made a
> power
> supply to match and a desktop version of a microphone. I saw a keyer that
> had the name on it.
> Any thoughts of them ever producing a power supply and mic.
> Thanks
> KC6CNN
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[Elecraft] Power supply and mic

[KC6CNN]

I am almost ready to retire. a few more months. I am going to treat myself to
a elecraft complete station. I thinking a fully loaded K3 and KPA500 and a
P3. I wish elecraft made a matching power supply and desk microphone. I
found a paddle that has the name on it. I would like to own a complete
Elecraft station. What do you guys think? will they make them some day?

Thanks
KC6CNN
Gerald Manthey

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[Elecraft] Power Supply?

[KC6CNN]

I am getting ready to retire. I am going to treat myself to a new elecraft
station. 
K3 fully loaded and a new KPA500 amp and P3. I really wish they made a power
supply to match and a desktop version of a microphone. I saw a keyer that
had the name on it. 
Any thoughts of them ever producing a power supply and mic. 
Thanks
KC6CNN
Gerald Manthey

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Re: [Elecraft] Tech Writing

[Al Gulseth]

Dave,

The reason they told you to write for a Grade 7 educational level was probably 
because they heard about some of the students my dad dealt with when he was a 
junior level radio instructor in the Coast Guard in WWII. From his 
description it sounded like he was teaching a basic "shop" (tool usage) class 
at the time.

Being a Minnesota farm boy, dad assumed that everybody knew what screwdrivers, 
pliers, etc. were and initially started out apologizing for having to go 
through all the "basics.". However, he quickly found out that a lot of 
the "city boys" had no idea which end of a screwdriver to hold.

One incident he particularly liked to chuckle about was a fellow who was 
having difficulty cutting a piece of metal with a hacksaw. The fellow was 
giving the saw a workout ("had the blade red hot") but wasn't getting 
anywhere. The fellow was amazed at how much better the saw worked when the 
blade was flipped over so the teeth were pointing down into the work instead 
of up (yep, he had the blade _upside down_)

73, Al


On Wed June 29 2011 11:33:57 pm Dave KK7SS wrote:
> An Operations Manual group I wrote for a US Army Project was rejected with
> instructions that it was to be written to a Grade 7 education level!
> Including pictures, for example, of which way to turn a screwdriver to
> remove or insert a screw - and which end to use!
>
> I kid you not!
>
> --
> Dave G  KK7SS
>  Richland, WA
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Re: [Elecraft] So, how's the backlog on KPA500 kits going?

[KD3RF]

And mine was almost 2 days later, on 4/9... 

Guess I will have to wait a little longer!

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Re: [Elecraft] So, how's the backlog on KPA500 kits going?

[John Buck]

Ordered my kit on 4/7 at 12:17pm, and just received the "pre shipping 
confirmation of order" request from Elecraft. The usual ready to ship 
out your KPA500 order within the next 3-5 business days.
73, John KH7T
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[Elecraft] N2CQ QRP Contest Calendar: July 2011

[Ken Newman]

~
N2CQ QRP CONTEST CALENDAR
July 2011 
~
RAC Canada Day Contest (CW/SSB) ... QRP Category
Jul 1, z to 2359z
Rules: http://www.rac.ca/service/contesting/
~
DL-DX RTTY Contest (RTTY/PSK) 
Jul 2, 1100z to Jul 3, 1059z
Rules: http://www.drcg.de/
~
Original QRP Contest (CW) ... QRP Contest!
Jul 2, 1500z to Jul 3, 1500z
Rules: http://www.qrpcc.de/contestrules/oqrpr.html
~
Firecracker Sprint (PSK31 40M) ... QRP Category
Jul 2, 2000 to Jul 3, 0200 (Local Time)
Rules: http://www.podxs070.com/contest-calendar
~
UBA Foxhunt (CW/PSK31/SSB) *** QRP Contest ***
Jul 4, 1930z to 2030z
Rules: http://www.on5ex.be/foxhunt/foxhunt.html
~
MI QRP Fourth of July Sprint (CW) ... QRP Contest!
Jul 4, 2300z to Jul 5, 0300z
Rules:  http://www.qsl.net/miqrpclub/contest.html
~
Adventure Radio Spartan Sprint (CW) ... QRP Event!
Jul 5, 0100z to 0300z(First Monday 9 PM EDT)
Info: http://adventure-radio.org/wiki/index.php?title=Spartan_Sprints
~
Summer FOX Hunt - QRP 20M CW... QRP Contest!
EDT: July 7, 9 PM  to 1029 PM
UTC: July 8, 0100z to 0229z 
Info: http://www.qrpfoxhunt.org/
~
FISTS Summer Sprint (CW) ... QRP Category
Jul 9, 2000 EDT to 2400 EDT
Rules: http://www.fists.org/sprints.html
~
IARU HF World Championship (CW/SSB) ... QRP Category
Jul 9, 1200z to Jul 10, 1200z
Rules: http://www.arrl.org/iaru-hf-championship
~
SKCC Weekend Sprintathon (Straight Key CW) ... QRP Category
Jul 10, z to 2359z
Rules: http://www.skccgroup.com/sprint/wes/index-wes.html
~
QRP ARCI Summer Homebrew Sprint (CW) ... QRP Contest!
Jul 10, 2000z to 2359z
Rules: http://www.qrparci.org
~
NAQCC-EU Monthly Sprint (CW) *** QRP Contest ***
Jul 11 1800z to 2000z
Rules: http://naqcc-eu.org/sprints
~
UBA Foxhunt (CW/PSK31/SSB) *** QRP Contest ***
Jul 11, 1930z to 2030z
Rules: http://www.on5ex.be/foxhunt/foxhunt.html
~
CWops Mini-CWT Test (CW) ... QRP Category
Jul 13, 1300z to 1400z and
Jul 13, 1900z to 2000z and
Jul 14, 0300z to 0400z
Rules: http://www.cwops.org/onair.html
~
Summer FOX Hunt - QRP 20M CW... QRP Contest!
EDT: July 14, 9 PM  to 1029 PM
UTC: July 15, 0100z to 0229z 
Info: http://www.qrpfoxhunt.org/
~
Digital Mode Club (DMC) Contest (RTTY) ... QRP Category
Jul 16, 1200z to Jul 17, 1200z
Rules: http://www.digital-modes-club.org/
~
CWops Mini-CWT Test (CW) ... QRP Category
Jul 16, 1300z to 1400z and
Jul 16, 1900z to 2000z and
Jul 17, 0300z to 0400z
Rules: http://www.cwops.org/onair.html
~
Feld Hell Club Sprint (Feld Hell) ... QRP Category
Jul 16, 1600z to 1800z
Rules: http://sites.google.com/site/feldhellclub/Home
~
North American QSO Party (RTTY) /QRP Entries Noted
Jul 16, 1800Z to Jul 17, 0600Z
Rules:  http://www.ncjweb.com/naqprules.php
~
CQ WW VHF Contest (All, 6 & 2 Meters) ... QRP (10W) Category
Jul 16, 1800z to Jul 17, 2100z
Rules: http://www.cqww-vhf.com/
~
RSGB Low Power Field Day (CW) ...QRP Contest!
Jul 17, 0900z to 1200z 
Jul 17, 1300z to 1600z 
Rules: http://www.rsgbcc.org/hf/rules/2011/rqrp.shtml
~
Colorado Gold Rush (20 mtr CW QRP) ... QRP Contest
July 17, 2000z to 2159z 
Rules: http://www.cqc.org/contests/index.htm
~
RUN FOR THE BACON (CW) *** QRP CONTEST ***
EDT: Jul 17, 9 PM to 11 PM
UTC: Jul 18, 0100z 0300z
Rules: http://fpqrp.org/
~
UBA Foxhunt (CW/PSK31/SSB) *** QRP Contest ***
Jul 18, 1930z to 2030z
Rules: http://www.on5ex.be/foxhunt/foxhunt.html
~
NAQCC Straight Key/Bug Sprint *** QRP CONTEST! ***
EDT: Jul 20, 8:30 PM to 10:30 PM
UTC: 

Re: [Elecraft] CW Keying

[Phil Kane]

On 6/30/2011 1:32 PM, Tony Estep wrote:

> Ah, the CW test. I still remember the beginning of the text from my General
> exam in 1958: "Turning westward, 300 aircraft blanketed the horizon..."

  My favorite tape was the 13 wpm one with "The launching of the
  four stage rocket..."  I still use that phrase in situations
  such as "That really set me off like a four stage rocket"

  The 20 wpm had one with "...the foreman and his crew..."  The
  code groups had a bunch of interesting combos, and it took me
  a while to realize that there were several pairs, one reading
  forwards (FILSN) and one reading backwards (NSLIF), scattered
  through the chart.

  See what we have lost with Volunteer Examiners??   :-)

--  73 de K2ASP - Phil Kane
Elecraft K2/100   s/n 5402

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Re: [Elecraft] So, how's the backlog on KPA500 kits going?

[Van W1WCG]

Big Brown brought KPA500-K #114 this afternoon, all neatly boxed in 
inimitable Elecraft style.  Going through inventory slowly now, savoring 
every moment.  Resolved to get a commercial Nema6-15P to IEC320 type 
cable (cables.com SKU C13615p10--the 10 denotes 10ft, $15) recommended 
by others so I can use the 220v outlet installed earlier for this 
purpose.  Perhaps the big E should stock some of these cables and offer 
an exchange similar to that currently offered to our overseas friends 
and some, me for one, prefer to use a commercially made up cable rather 
than make one up locally.  Meanwhile, I'll wire it for 110v and try it out.

An exciting weekend looms!

73, Van W1WCG
North Haven, CT

On 6/29/2011 7:57 PM, KD3RF wrote:
> Are we getting any closer to getting caught up on the backlog?
>
> Are shipments still going out?
>
> Lots of KPA500 buyers wondering what the latest status is?
>
> Not seeing many reports beyond S/N 101 received...
>
> --
> View this message in context: 
> http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/So-how-s-the-backlog-on-KPA500-kits-going-tp6531207p6531207.html
> Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
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Re: [Elecraft] CW Keying

[Kate Hutton]

For the last few years, some of the traffic handlers in California have been
running a trivia game, conducted via the NTS.  For a short while, "tough
copy" got taken to somewhat of an extreme.  Try "NAME THE ICELANDIC VOLCANO
WHOSE ASH CLOSED AIRPORTS IN EUROPE IN 2010."  Or "WHAT IS THE SCIENTIFIC
TERM FOR STOMACH RUMBLING QUERY."  Or "WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AA AND
PAHOEHOE QUERY."

At some point we toned it down because we didn't want to scare anyone off!

73 Kate K6HTN

On Thu, Jun 30, 2011 at 2:24 PM, Alan Bloom  wrote:

> Years ago, Chuck Bender W1WPR, chief operator at W1AW, was giving the
> Novice exam to young Jamie White, son of a couple HQ staffers.  He
> didn't want to make the 5 wpm CW test too easy for fear of being accused
> of going easy on the ARRL kid.  The text included:
>
> "McKeesport is situated at the confluence of the Youghiogheny and the
> Monongahela."
>
> I believe Jamie got 100%.
>
> Alan N1AL
>
>
> On Thu, 2011-06-30 at 15:32 -0500, Tony Estep wrote:
> > On Thu, Jun 30, 2011 at 3:23 PM, Chuck Smallhouse 
> wrote:
> >
> > > ...ended up taking the CW test three times
> >
> >
> > Ah, the CW test. I still remember the beginning of the text from my
> General
> > exam in 1958: "Turning westward, 300 aircraft blanketed the horizon..."
> >
> > Tony KT0NY
>
>
>
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Re: [Elecraft] CW Keying

[Alan Bloom]

Years ago, Chuck Bender W1WPR, chief operator at W1AW, was giving the
Novice exam to young Jamie White, son of a couple HQ staffers.  He
didn't want to make the 5 wpm CW test too easy for fear of being accused
of going easy on the ARRL kid.  The text included:

"McKeesport is situated at the confluence of the Youghiogheny and the
Monongahela."

I believe Jamie got 100%.

Alan N1AL


On Thu, 2011-06-30 at 15:32 -0500, Tony Estep wrote:
> On Thu, Jun 30, 2011 at 3:23 PM, Chuck Smallhouse  wrote:
> 
> > ...ended up taking the CW test three times
> 
> 
> Ah, the CW test. I still remember the beginning of the text from my General
> exam in 1958: "Turning westward, 300 aircraft blanketed the horizon..."
> 
> Tony KT0NY



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Re: [Elecraft] OT - Accurate CW Keying

[Ron D'Eau Claire]

While I find pursuing perfect spacing with a hand key a fun activity, I
don't find perfect CW fun to copy. 

Machine perfect (keyer or keyboard sent) CW is, to me, like listening to
computer-generated speech. 

I love a fist with personality - even when that personality makes some a
little hard to follow (like a very deep accent in speech). 

Ron AC7AC

-Original Message-
...I honestly thought my code was darn good which proves how ineffective it 
is to try to evaluate oneself.  It's equally ineffective to expect that 
another human can provide accurate feedback.  The human listener will 
have a tendency to guess the upcoming character, allow his or her mind 
to 'adjust' poor word spacing so the word comes out "right", etc.

Clearly, some device that can objectively evaluate one's sending is the 
best feedback.  This is without doubt the best investment I could have 
made toward my personal goal of developing the 'manual'  fist possible.

Stan WB2LQF

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[Elecraft] OT - Accurate CW Keying

[stan levandowski]

I've been following the recent posts about CW and would like to share an 
epiphany of sorts.

A couple of hours ago, I got my Begali CW Machine.  One of the 
facilities it has is a 'training' facility.  Within this training 
facility is the ability for the machine to evaluate the sender's code 
and provide immediate visual feedback.

Aw geezI've been a proud brass pounder for 51 years. Bugs, 
paddles, 'swipers, straight keys.  I've always thought of myself as 
pretty darn good with all of them.

Well, did I get a dose of reality today.  I sounded great on a paddle 
because it does all the work for me.  On the other stuff I'm really not 
very consistent at all.

That new little blue box is now going to be part of my daily routine 
until IT tells me I'm sending good code.

I honestly thought my code was darn good which proves how ineffective it 
is to try to evaluate oneself.  It's equally ineffective to expect that 
another human can provide accurate feedback.  The human listener will 
have a tendency to guess the upcoming character, allow his or her mind 
to 'adjust' poor word spacing so the word comes out "right", etc.

Clearly, some device that can objectively evaluate one's sending is the 
best feedback.  This is without doubt the best investment I could have 
made toward my personal goal of developing the 'manual'  fist possible.

Stan WB2LQF

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Re: [Elecraft] K3: KPA100 Squeal

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

A repeated 12 kHz would be echoed all over the room and lose a lot of
it's pulse nature.  This continues to look suspiciously like crap from
a 12 volt switching power supply that is somehow finding something
mechanically resonant in the K3.

Back to asking for 12 volts from a linear supply (transformer and 60
Hz rectifiers) or battery.

Is this particular K3 serial # prior to the introduction of gold
plated pins for the KPAIO3 connection?

73, Guy.

On Thu, Jun 30, 2011 at 1:52 PM, W5UXH  wrote:
> I looked at the MP3 file using Goldwave.  It appears to me that the "12 KHz"
> component is present only during the tics, not continuously.
>
> The tic period is roughly 270 msec (I have no idea what the tic is of
> course).   I zoomed in to a single tic (see PDF of images at the link
> below).  It appears that each tic has a very distinct pattern seen in the
> individual samples which I suspect is the 12 KHz energy.
>
> I have no idea what any of this means.
>
> 73,
>
> Chuck, W5UXH
> Las Cruces, NM
>
> https://sites.google.com/site/k3lineoutrecordings/ab3ls-mp3-file-analysis
> Images and comments from Goldwave view of the MP3 file
>
>
> Guy, K2AV wrote:
>>
>> Hi Geoff, below...
>>
>> On Thu, Jun 30, 2011 at 9:24 AM, Geoff Wolf AB3LS
>>  wrote:
>>> And, for even more information, I analyzed the audio that I recorded and
>>> the
>>> squeal is right around 12Khz. It peaks at -48dB (louder than the QSK
>>> relay
>>> clicking)
>>>
>>> http://imgur.com/V8o5t - image of the analysis
>>>
>>> AB3LS
>>
>> With your image I realize I had been making some assumptions.  I need
>> to fill in some details...
>>
>> Are you listening to the audio in earphones or are you hearing it in
>> the free air.  I had been assuming listening with your ears only in
>> free air to miscellaneous sound in the neighborhood of the K3.
>>
>
>
> --
> View this message in context: 
> http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/K3-KPA100-Squeal-tp6518460p6534295.html
> Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
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Re: [Elecraft] CW Keying

[Tony Estep]

On Thu, Jun 30, 2011 at 3:23 PM, Chuck Smallhouse  wrote:

> ...ended up taking the CW test three times


Ah, the CW test. I still remember the beginning of the text from my General
exam in 1958: "Turning westward, 300 aircraft blanketed the horizon..."

Tony KT0NY
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[Elecraft] CW Keying

[Chuck Smallhouse]

To John and all the "Old Timers" with their great historical stories.

My three high school buddies and I were studying the code and theory 
for our Ham licenses under a great mentor, our AZ SCM.  Tucson was in 
the never, never land that only got visited no more than twice a year 
by the FCC examiner (RI).  We all ended up taking the CW test three 
times before passing.  He just turned down the McElroy tape machine 
speed from the 1st Class Commercial test, which totally messed up the 
rhythm (that we were used to).  The 2nd time I had copied120 straight 
letters/characters (65 required), but one in the middle was 
incorrect.  He required also that you be perfect in the straight key 
sending test !  So finally I passed in '47, and at that time I was 
the youngest ham in AZ at 15. A year later, we all with ease, passed 
the Class "A" test.

A couple of years later, a family friend who was a Lt. in the local 
Naval Reserve, inquired if I might like to join his reserve unit.  He 
said that he needed some one to teach his sailor radiomen the code 
and some theory.  Because I had a ham license and was experienced in 
CW use, he could offer me a higher than entry level rate.  So I 
accepted the 3rd Class Petty Officer rank, and at a very young 17, 
began teaching classes of much older seamen.  I found that copying 
with a "mill" was much easier than with a pencil.  My high school 
touch typing class helped me to easily adapt.

The rest of the story :  After a ROTC commission (to basically draft 
dodge Korea), I spent a few years on active duty and many, many in 
the active ("on call") Reserve for a total of 43 (I always was gung 
ho) and full military retirement.

73,  Chuck,  W7CS

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Re: [Elecraft] [K2] K6XX zero beat indicator and the "Spot" function

[Don Wilhelm]

  Chris,

You can reduce the AF voltage at the input of the zero beat indicator 
with a simple series resistor between the AF Gain pick-off point and the 
indicator.  Size it so your ambient noise does not make it blink with 
full RF Gain, so you may have to experiment a bit to get it where you 
want it.  I used 100k and it worked fine for me.

You could also use a voltage divider to reduce the amount of audio 
reaching the detector.
IMHO, reducing the RF gain to achieve a lack of "false indications" is 
not the right way to attack the problem.  If you force the AGC to reduce 
the gain in this case, you will also reduce the dynamic range of the K2 
- not a good way to achieve your goal.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 6/30/2011 11:14 AM, Christopher Kimball wrote:
> I've installed the K6XX zero beat indicator on my K2.  It's a real
> improvement, for me, over the "Spot" button action.  Alas, it blinks
> distractingly on the no-signal condition with the RF gain at max.
> (Reducing the RF gain, fixes this, but I'd rather let the AGC do the
> gain control.)
>
> Is there some point at which I can get a signal from the K2 that
> indicates the "Spot" function is active, so I can activate the K6XX?
> It'd be nice to eliminate the spot signal, too.
>
> Clearly, I don't understand where the spot signal comes from.
>
> Chris Kimball
> WB4WZR
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Re: [Elecraft] Iambic Keying (WAS: Straight key first?)

[Rick McClelland, AA5S]

You're bringing back some memories.  One of the questions in the pool of
my 10 schematic drawing or other short answer
questions was:

Draw a schematic diagram of a maritime battery charging system containing a
six pole double throw switch such
that each of a pair of batteries is either connected to a load or a charger
(and is swapped when the switch is thrown.)

I don't recall the exact phrasing of the question but I do recall that the
toupee was spinning on top of my sixteen year
old head as I tried to work through this question.  I eventually drew the
correct diagram.  I think the 2nd telegraph's
written examination was the most difficult of all the written tests I took,
including the 1st phone written.  I don't want
to start a debate here, that was just my impression.


On Thu, Jun 30, 2011 at 1:38 PM, Mike Morrow  wrote:

> I like **some** iambic keyers.
>
> The important thing in any discussion of iambic keyers is WHAT MODE(S)
> does it use.  When an iambic dit-dash sequence is being sent, mode B
> keyers send a dit if the paddles are released during a dash, or a dash
> if the paddles are released during a dit.  In contrast, mode A keyers
> never send a dit or dash unless the dit or dash paddle is closed.  If
> one is accustomed to one mode, using a keyer in the other mode will be
> hell.  It is very important that mode selection be available in any
> iambic keyer.
>
> There is no paddle manipulation or any other identifiable advantage to
> mode B, but paddle release timing is much more critical than for mode A.
> The incompetent and careless design of MOST commercial ham rigs provides
> Mode B ONLY.  When I asked the ICOM folks at their Dayton booth about the
> reasons for that, the staff was dismissive as if this was an unimportant
> question and they didn't care to waste their time on answering it.  No
> Icom garbage for me, ever!
>
> This is another area where Elecraft really comes through, with full mode
> A or B support on all their transceivers.
>
> And straight key use?  I think it is appropriate to learn first on the
> straight key, if only for the tradition of it.  Back in the days when
> when Morse exams were given by the FCC, there once was a sending test
> that required straight key use.  Also back in those days, the military
> sometimes used Morse and straight keys were all that were provided
> on many radio sets...a young person just might have served in the military
> back then.  But...today it's only tradition, just like the use of Morse
> itself.
>
> Rick wrote:
>
> > I took my 2nd Class Telegraph examination in Oklahoma City in 1978.
>
> I took my Second Class Telegraph exam at the Kansas City FCC office,
> about that same time.
>
> > He fired up the CW test then left the room.  The test finished, I
> > put my pencil down and waited.  No examiner.
>
> The Morse exam for the Second Class had four parts, each requiring perfect
> performance for one minute out of five:
> 1.  20-wpm plain language copy.
> 2.  16-wpm five-character code groups copy, including numbers and
> punctuation.
> 3.  20-wpm plain language, sent with FCC-provided straight key.
> 4.  16-wpm five-character code groups, sent with FCC-provided straight key.
>
> The only part I had trouble with was item 2.  Five or six errors made in
> five minutes spread just right could kill any one-minute of otherwise good
> copy.  (And by "trouble", I mean that I didn't pass my on first attempt.)
>
> More than 20 years ago, the FCC got really lazy and decided to issue Morse
> credit for the commercial license based on the applicant holding the
> Amateur
> Extra license.  What a joke!
>
> > He took the exam with him when I finished it and promptly lost it.
>
> That technical written exam, Element 6, had 90 multiple-choice questions
> and 10 schematic drawing or other short answer questions.  My examiner
> told me that I had a passing score based on the other 90 and did not
> grade those 10 questions.  I never took a written FCC exam anywhere that
> wasn't graded before I left the office or field location.
>
> > "...the examiner lost my test."
>
> That sort of shabby outcome was too often the case with government
> administered exams.  The Nuclear Regulatory Commission's exam results for
> the Senior Reactor Operator license was delayed for several people at
> a plant I worked 30 years ago.  When results finally showed up, the
> office admitted that the completed exams for these people had slipped
> behind someone's desk!  Government...gotta love it.
>
> Mike / KK5F
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-- 
Rick McClelland, AA5S
Fort Collins, CO
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H

Re: [Elecraft] Elecraft Digest, Vol 86, Issue 55

[WILLIS COOKE]

In the Petro Chem bidness we would say "Any time you think you have made it 
fool 
proof, some damn fool will proove you wrong!"
 Willis 'Cookie' Cooke 
K5EWJ & Trustee N5BPS, USS Cavalla, USS Stewart 





From: "k4...@juno.com" 
To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net
Sent: Thu, June 30, 2011 2:27:01 PM
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Elecraft Digest, Vol 86, Issue 55

  6. Re: Tech Writing (Dave KK7SS)


Snip:

Dave,I believe you.A very good friend of mine once told me anyone can idiot 
proof anything, butcan they manager proof it?  The basic answer was NO WAY!

_


Like we used to say in the medical electronics field; 

"You can make it "idiot proof" but you can't make it "nurse proof"!! 

We also said that if you put an x-ray tech in a room with nothing in it but 
padded walls and 

gave her/him three steel balls and came back thirty minutes later, she/he would 
have lost 

two and broken the other one!!

Pat-K4BEH


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[Elecraft] Elecraft Test Post

[Richard Griest]

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[Elecraft] Iambic Keying (WAS: Straight key first?)

[Mike Morrow]

I like **some** iambic keyers.  

The important thing in any discussion of iambic keyers is WHAT MODE(S)
does it use.  When an iambic dit-dash sequence is being sent, mode B
keyers send a dit if the paddles are released during a dash, or a dash
if the paddles are released during a dit.  In contrast, mode A keyers
never send a dit or dash unless the dit or dash paddle is closed.  If
one is accustomed to one mode, using a keyer in the other mode will be
hell.  It is very important that mode selection be available in any 
iambic keyer.

There is no paddle manipulation or any other identifiable advantage to
mode B, but paddle release timing is much more critical than for mode A.
The incompetent and careless design of MOST commercial ham rigs provides
Mode B ONLY.  When I asked the ICOM folks at their Dayton booth about the
reasons for that, the staff was dismissive as if this was an unimportant
question and they didn't care to waste their time on answering it.  No
Icom garbage for me, ever!

This is another area where Elecraft really comes through, with full mode
A or B support on all their transceivers.

And straight key use?  I think it is appropriate to learn first on the
straight key, if only for the tradition of it.  Back in the days when
when Morse exams were given by the FCC, there once was a sending test
that required straight key use.  Also back in those days, the military
sometimes used Morse and straight keys were all that were provided
on many radio sets...a young person just might have served in the military
back then.  But...today it's only tradition, just like the use of Morse
itself.

Rick wrote:

> I took my 2nd Class Telegraph examination in Oklahoma City in 1978.

I took my Second Class Telegraph exam at the Kansas City FCC office,
about that same time.

> He fired up the CW test then left the room.  The test finished, I
> put my pencil down and waited.  No examiner.

The Morse exam for the Second Class had four parts, each requiring perfect
performance for one minute out of five:
1.  20-wpm plain language copy.
2.  16-wpm five-character code groups copy, including numbers and punctuation.
3.  20-wpm plain language, sent with FCC-provided straight key.
4.  16-wpm five-character code groups, sent with FCC-provided straight key.

The only part I had trouble with was item 2.  Five or six errors made in
five minutes spread just right could kill any one-minute of otherwise good
copy.  (And by "trouble", I mean that I didn't pass my on first attempt.)

More than 20 years ago, the FCC got really lazy and decided to issue Morse
credit for the commercial license based on the applicant holding the Amateur
Extra license.  What a joke!

> He took the exam with him when I finished it and promptly lost it.

That technical written exam, Element 6, had 90 multiple-choice questions
and 10 schematic drawing or other short answer questions.  My examiner
told me that I had a passing score based on the other 90 and did not
grade those 10 questions.  I never took a written FCC exam anywhere that
wasn't graded before I left the office or field location.

> "...the examiner lost my test." 

That sort of shabby outcome was too often the case with government
administered exams.  The Nuclear Regulatory Commission's exam results for
the Senior Reactor Operator license was delayed for several people at
a plant I worked 30 years ago.  When results finally showed up, the
office admitted that the completed exams for these people had slipped
behind someone's desk!  Government...gotta love it.

Mike / KK5F
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Re: [Elecraft] Elecraft Digest, Vol 86, Issue 55

[k4...@juno.com]

  6. Re: Tech Writing (Dave KK7SS)
 
 
Snip:
 
Dave,I believe you.A very good friend of mine once told me anyone can idiot 
proof anything, butcan they manager proof it?  The basic answer was NO WAY!

_

Like we used to say in the medical electronics field; 

"You can make it "idiot proof" but you can't make it "nurse proof"!! 

We also said that if you put an x-ray tech in a room with nothing in it but 
padded walls and 
gave her/him three steel balls and came back thirty minutes later, she/he would 
have lost 
two and broken the other one!!

Pat-K4BEH


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Re: [Elecraft] Iambic Keying (WAS: Straight key first?)

[Geoffrey Mackenzie-Kennedy]

Vic, I wonder if this is a special skill or an example of some normal human 
ability which has not been suffocated at an early age by some poor teaching 
process, at school for instance,

In the world of music some of our friends, and many others of course, can 
listen to a short work which they have not heard before (head copy into 
memory), and then play it back (fingers). As far as I know these friends of 
ours all took their first music lesson at a *very* early age before starting 
to go to school, and were not taught to read notes (the dits and dahs) 
during their first lessons. Instead they were introduced to some other 
fundamentals of music such as patterns and time, then notes.

73,
Geoff
GM4ESD



On June 30, 2011 at 4:05 PM, Vic K2VCO wrote:



> I've heard several stories like this. It's a special skill, which is 
> different from what
> most of us who learned the code as hams have developed. The text goes into 
> the brain,
> where it is buffered, and then out the fingers.
>
> In some cases the people who can do this may not be able to tell you the 
> content of what
> they copied. And they can do it with plain text, code groups, or a 
> language they don't
> understand.
>
> On 6/29/2011 9:57 PM, Phil Kane wrote:
>> On 6/29/2011 8:48 PM, WILLIS COOKE wrote:
>>
>>> For that matter, it would be pretty hard to head copy and then
>>> write a full minute with no errors to pass the FCC code test.
>>> Head copy is pretty much a ham radio thing.
>>
>>Starting in the late 1960s I was one of the FCC code examiners in San
>>Francisco.  One day  an "old timer" coast station operator came
>>up for the Radiotelegraph First Class code test - 25 wpm -
>>where a "mill" could be used.




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Re: [Elecraft] K3: KPA100 Squeal

[W5UXH]

I looked at the MP3 file using Goldwave.  It appears to me that the "12 KHz"
component is present only during the tics, not continuously.  

The tic period is roughly 270 msec (I have no idea what the tic is of
course).   I zoomed in to a single tic (see PDF of images at the link
below).  It appears that each tic has a very distinct pattern seen in the
individual samples which I suspect is the 12 KHz energy.  

I have no idea what any of this means.

73,

Chuck, W5UXH
Las Cruces, NM

https://sites.google.com/site/k3lineoutrecordings/ab3ls-mp3-file-analysis
Images and comments from Goldwave view of the MP3 file 


Guy, K2AV wrote:
> 
> Hi Geoff, below...
> 
> On Thu, Jun 30, 2011 at 9:24 AM, Geoff Wolf AB3LS
>  wrote:
>> And, for even more information, I analyzed the audio that I recorded and
>> the
>> squeal is right around 12Khz. It peaks at -48dB (louder than the QSK
>> relay
>> clicking)
>>
>> http://imgur.com/V8o5t - image of the analysis
>>
>> AB3LS
> 
> With your image I realize I had been making some assumptions.  I need
> to fill in some details...
> 
> Are you listening to the audio in earphones or are you hearing it in
> the free air.  I had been assuming listening with your ears only in
> free air to miscellaneous sound in the neighborhood of the K3.
> 


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[Elecraft] test

[Ramon Tristani]

Testing. Please ignore.

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[Elecraft] Tech Writing

[Lu Romero]

Having worked on two separate occassions with folks from
that area of the world on site, I can relate to the second
story. I will never forget my first encounter with a Saudi
Men's Room.

OK, one from me before the plug gets pulled.

On my first sojurn out of Broadcasting in 1980, I became a
partner with a former post production client and a software
developer in a company that did video/computer based
training courses as a subcontractor for a Flight Simulation
company.  One of our projects was cabin attendant emergency
proceedures training courses for Fokker F-27 and F-28
airliners.  We were a three person company.  For my part of
the work, I did everything, wrote, produced, directed,
edited, shot; My ex client did the sales and business and
the other guy did the computer integration and programming
for the laser disk based system we developed.

We really wanted to be the best at this, so we did lots of
study as to how people learned from our courses (it paid
off, our client bought us out and we all made a few
dollars!).  In our research, we found that the cabin crews
from Zimbabwe Airlines absorbed the training exceedingly
well and passed all our courses with the highest averages of
all the airlines that subscribed to our service, which was
surprising, as among them was KLM, Ansett, USAir and
Finnair, all much bigger companies.  Obviously, someone at
Zimbabwe Airlines was serious about making their cabin crews
the best at emergency proceedures.

So my partner had the bright idea to invite the Head of
Cabin Crews and a senior Stewardess to come visit at our
offices in Pittsburgh to find out how they got so good at
emergency proceedures.  He could have done this over the
phone, but he was big on "sizzle" and "face time", and I
didnt want to go to Africa with him, as it would have  put
me behind on other project deadlines.

These two people (the male was 22 and the female 19) show up
after a very expensive and long flight from Harrare on our
nickel, and we sit down and begin the interview.  I started
the video recording and my partners and I went over how
impressed we were with their level of training and how happy
we were that our program was providing them such great
service.  We were especially impressed with their prowess at
manually lowering the landing gear on the Fokker 27
turboprop, a complex operation that most crews rarely did in
actual service.  And their crews were all very young and
relatively inexperienced, which also amazed us.  How did
they get so good at this stuff?  

They looked at each other and looked back at us with
perplexed faces, and then the Cabin Crew Cheif said:  "Mr.
Jordan, Mr. Romero, Mr. Moon... We dont understand... We
have to lower the gear manually quite often on our F-27's. 
You see, hydraulic failures, electrical system problems and
pressurization loss are quite normal in daily operations. 
We thought this part of the training was rather trite, as
these things happen all the time.  We always wondered why
you called them emergency proceedures?"

To Zimbabwe Airlines, emergency proceedures are standard
operating proceedures. And practice makes perfect! Cabin
crew emergency proceedures become normal when aircraft
maintenance is non existent.

Some of the stories they told were incredibly funny in
retrospect, but chilling at how they cheated death by
airplane on a daily basis. Moral of the story: Never fly on
Zimbabwe Airlines!

I wish I had saved that videotape!

-lu-W4LT-
K3, P3 (in assembly)


---


|Message: 15
|Date: Thu, 30 Jun 2011 01:01:15 -0700
|From: Chuck Smallhouse 
|Subject: [Elecraft] Tech Writing
|To: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net
|Message-ID:
<20110630010114.a1073...@dm0219.mta.everyone.net>
|Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed
|
|Before Wayne or Eric cuts this topic off, I'd like offer a
bit of humor.

  



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Re: [Elecraft] Iambic Keying (WAS: Straight key first?)

[Fred Jensen]

On 6/29/2011 9:06 PM, Duncan Carter wrote:
>
> I'm a leftie who was forced to be right handed in elementary school.
>
Same here only it didn't work with me.  I reverted to left-handed 
printing as soon as I hit middle school.  While there, my new found 
Elmer [a leftie] told me "We will learn to send with our right hands so 
we can keep a legible log with our lefts."  In those days, the FCC 
required you to make a log entry every time you transmitted ... 
anything, regardless of whether or not it resulted in a Q.

I normally paddle right to this day, although I can easily paddle left 
too.  My paddle is standard, dits on the thumb.  I cannot write 
right-handed however.  The ability to change the paddle config in 
Elecraft rigs has been more of a usable feature for me than one would think.

73,

Fred K6DGW
- Northern California Contest Club
- CU in the 2011 Cal QSO Party 1-2 Oct 2011
- www.cqp.org
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Re: [Elecraft] KPA500 AUX Cable Keying

[Leigh L. Klotz Jr WA5ZNU]

Jack Brindle wrote:
> 
> Make sure that DIGOUT1 is turned OFF from the K3. Turning it on disables
> the KPA. Note that this is a per-band function, so it needs to be turned
> off for each band you wish to use the KPA500.
> 
> Jack Brindle, W6FB
> 

Just for completeness, it's per-band x per-ANT1/ANT2.

Leigh/WA5ZNU

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Re: [Elecraft] Straight key first...

[Ross Primrose N4RP]

On 6/30/2011 11:17 AM, Tony Estep wrote:
>
> ===
> Very cool. As we all know (or should know), Jimi Hendrix's guitar was strung
> the standard right-handed way.
>

No, it wasn't. He used a right-handed guitar, but it was strung in the 
standard left-handed way.

73, Ross N4RP

-- 
FCC Section 97.313(a) “At all times, an amateur station must use the minimum 
transmitter power necessary to carry out the desired communications.”

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Re: [Elecraft] K3: KPA100 Squeal

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

Hi Geoff, below...

On Thu, Jun 30, 2011 at 9:24 AM, Geoff Wolf AB3LS
 wrote:
> And, for even more information, I analyzed the audio that I recorded and the
> squeal is right around 12Khz. It peaks at -48dB (louder than the QSK relay
> clicking)
>
> http://imgur.com/V8o5t - image of the analysis
>
> AB3LS

With your image I realize I had been making some assumptions.  I need
to fill in some details...

Are you listening to the audio in earphones or are you hearing it in
the free air.  I had been assuming listening with your ears only in
free air to miscellaneous sound in the neighborhood of the K3.

*ASSUMING* open air, what did you use to record the sound levels?
Would point out that the recordings don't get the sound to me,
possibly because the program devices you are using won't pass 12 kHz.
It would we difficult for me in any event as my hearing can barely
hear anything at that frequency.  This as opposed to MY college days,
when I could hear 15 kHz made by the old analog TV set sweep
generator.

There are a lot of us in that highs reduced hearing state, so many
will tell you they don't hear a 12 kHz squeal.  And they don't,
whether or not it is there.  Likewise, any clicking that is made from
a 12 kHz basis.

In any event, I doubt it is being transmitted (have someone check up
and down 12 kHz from you sending) because a spectral purity issue
would have been beaten to death here (no shortage whatsoever of
beaters-to-death on the reflector).  There WERE some spectral purity
issues early on that needed physical mods to boards and are standard
in the mfr version for a long time now.

The puzzler is hearing it when the KPA is set to "not installed" in
the config menu.

This leads me to wonder if you have that spur from your power supply.
You ARE talking about a level that would pass spec.  It could be that
there is something in the KPA that is mechanically resonant to 12 kHz
and will respond to it if it is on the power.  You will need to put an
audio scope on the power supply.   In any event, you need to rule out
having stuff on your DC lead from your power supply.

73, Guy.
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Re: [Elecraft] Straight key first...

[Tony Estep]

>
> On 6/30/2011 7:37 AM, William Ravenel wrote:
> ...Bought a paddle and decided to learn to use it with my left hand so my
> dominant right hand could take notes. I also decided to set the paddle up
> with dits on the left 

===
Very cool. As we all know (or should know), Jimi Hendrix's guitar was strung
the standard right-handed way.

Tony KT0NY
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[Elecraft] 59 from CA

[Johnny Siu]

Just work K6YRA on 20m who is using a K3 as well

TNX & 73,


Johnny VR2XMC
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[Elecraft] [K2] K6XX zero beat indicator and the "Spot" function

[Christopher Kimball]

I've installed the K6XX zero beat indicator on my K2.  It's a real 
improvement, for me, over the "Spot" button action.  Alas, it blinks 
distractingly on the no-signal condition with the RF gain at max. 
(Reducing the RF gain, fixes this, but I'd rather let the AGC do the 
gain control.)

Is there some point at which I can get a signal from the K2 that 
indicates the "Spot" function is active, so I can activate the K6XX?  
It'd be nice to eliminate the spot signal, too. 

Clearly, I don't understand where the spot signal comes from.

Chris Kimball
WB4WZR
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Re: [Elecraft] Iambic Keying (WAS: Straight key first?)

[Vic K2VCO]

I've heard several stories like this. It's a special skill, which is different 
from what 
most of us who learned the code as hams have developed. The text goes into the 
brain, 
where it is buffered, and then out the fingers.

In some cases the people who can do this may not be able to tell you the 
content of what 
they copied. And they can do it with plain text, code groups, or a language 
they don't 
understand.

On 6/29/2011 9:57 PM, Phil Kane wrote:
> On 6/29/2011 8:48 PM, WILLIS COOKE wrote:
>
>> For that matter, it would be pretty hard to head copy and then
>> write a full minute with no errors to pass the FCC code test.
>> Head copy is pretty much a ham radio thing.
>
>Starting in the late 1960s I was one of the FCC code examiners in San
>Francisco.  One day  an "old timer" coast station operator came
>up for the Radiotelegraph First Class code test - 25 wpm -
>where a "mill" could be used.  He said that he wanted "the
>First" before he retired.  He set it up, and just before I
>started the tape he asked whether it was OK to smoke during the
>test. In those days, no problem.  He put on the "cans" and said
>"start the tape".  He reached into his pocket, took out a
>cigarette.  Then he reached into another pocket, and pulled out
>a book of matches, lit the cigarette, put the extinguished
>match in an ashtray, dropped the matchbook on the floor, bent
>down to pick it up, put it back in his pocket, sat back for a
>few seconds, and then started typing like a madman about
>halfway into the 5 minute tape - perfect copy. When the tape
>was finished, he turned to me and said "didn't think I could do
>it, did you, sonny?!
>
>Something I will never forget.
>
> --  73 de K2ASP - Phil Kane
>  Elecraft K2/100   s/n 5402
>
>  Retired and loving every minute of it
>  Work was getting in the way of my hobbies

-- 
Vic, K2VCO
Fresno CA
http://www.qsl.net/k2vco/
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Re: [Elecraft] Iambic Keying (WAS: Straight key first?)

[Rick McClelland, AA5S]

Hi, Phil;

Good story.  Since you were an examiner, I thought I'd pass this along.  I
took my 2nd Class Telegraph examination in Oklahoma City in 1978.  My mother
had to drive me from Enid, OK because I didn't have a driver's license.
There were probably 70 people standing in the hallway waiting for their ham
tests when the examiner came out and shouted "Is the candidated for the 2nd
Class Radiotelegraph examination here?"  The crowd fell silent and I had to
walk past all of them to go into the examination room alone with the
examiner.  He fired up the CW test then left the room.  The test finished, I
put my pencil down and waited.  No examiner.  I didn't know what to do.  I
waited a short time, maybe three minutes, then I heard a knock on the door.
I got up and answered it.  The examiner had locked himself out of the
examination room.  I made a comment that something like this could be
considered funny.  Mr. Stoneface said, "No,  it couldn't."   He took
the exam with him when I finished it and promptly lost it.  I wrote several
letters asking the FCC to find the results of my examination but none of
these produced any results.  I finally sent in a renewal or request for
another examination where there was a field asking what other licenses I
held.  I wrote, "I have no idea, the examiner lost my test."  About a month
later (for a total of about 11 months), I got the results of my test, I had
passed.

Rick, AA5S


On Wed, Jun 29, 2011 at 10:57 PM, Phil Kane  wrote:

> On 6/29/2011 8:48 PM, WILLIS COOKE wrote:
>
> > For that matter, it would be pretty hard to head copy and then
> > write a full minute with no errors to pass the FCC code test.
> > Head copy is pretty much a ham radio thing.
>
>  Starting in the late 1960s I was one of the FCC code examiners in San
>  Francisco.  One day  an "old timer" coast station operator came
>  up for the Radiotelegraph First Class code test - 25 wpm -
>  where a "mill" could be used.  He said that he wanted "the
>  First" before he retired.  He set it up, and just before I
>  started the tape he asked whether it was OK to smoke during the
>  test. In those days, no problem.  He put on the "cans" and said
>  "start the tape".  He reached into his pocket, took out a
>  cigarette.  Then he reached into another pocket, and pulled out
>  a book of matches, lit the cigarette, put the extinguished
>  match in an ashtray, dropped the matchbook on the floor, bent
>  down to pick it up, put it back in his pocket, sat back for a
>  few seconds, and then started typing like a madman about
>  halfway into the 5 minute tape - perfect copy. When the tape
>  was finished, he turned to me and said "didn't think I could do
>  it, did you, sonny?!
>
>  Something I will never forget.
>
> --  73 de K2ASP - Phil Kane
>Elecraft K2/100   s/n 5402
>
>Retired and loving every minute of it
>Work was getting in the way of my hobbies
>
> __
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-- 
Rick McClelland, AA5S
Fort Collins, CO
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Re: [Elecraft] K3: KPA100 Squeal

[Geoff Wolf AB3LS]

Sorry. I shouldn't have said QSK relay.

I took out the KPA and popped the 10W jumper back in. The 12Khz squeal is
gone. I hear a little bit of clicking coming from the LPA board but nothing
that I would suspect is abnormal. Here's the slightest clicking I'm hearing
without the KPA installed (
http://alien.liltechdude.com/files/Recordings/Memo.mp3 )

I popped the KPA back in and changed the setting to KPA not installed and
still hear the 12Khz squeal and the louder 'clicking'. It sounds like it's
coming from either the KPA board or the KPAIO3 (the board the amp plugs
into)

Everything I have described can be heard using the audio files I posted.

AB3LS

On Thu, Jun 30, 2011 at 10:04 AM, Don Wilhelm  wrote:

>  Geoff,
>
> How are you hearing any "QSK relay clicking" in the K3?  There are no
> relays changed between receive and transmit, it is all silent electronic
> switching.  If you are hearing something that sounds like a relay click,
> then that needs to be investigated - it should not be.
>
> Sorry, but I cannot venture any guess about the source of the 12 kHz.
> Have you tried turning the monitor down to zero?  Where does the source
> seem to be located?
> Do you still hear it if you go to the CONFIG menu and set the KPA3 to "not
> installed"?
>
> 73,
> Don W3FPR
>
>
> On 6/30/2011 9:24 AM, Geoff Wolf AB3LS wrote:
>
>> And, for even more information, I analyzed the audio that I recorded and
>> the
>> squeal is right around 12Khz. It peaks at -48dB (louder than the QSK relay
>> clicking)
>>
>> http://imgur.com/V8o5t - image of the analysis
>>
>>
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[Elecraft] Straight key first...

[John Ragle]

Will...

 Yours is an amazing and wonderful story! CW learning is not only 
the learning of a new skill, but also the ability to use an amazing 
weak-signal technique!

 I was 13 years old when I took my "Class B" in 1946 -- and I was 
very scared about the 13 wpm code test. I took the "Class A" a year 
later, then in about 1970 I took took the Extra Class exam */with its 
code test/*. By then, I was fairly experienced with CW, and sailed 
through both the code and the theory part. I was pretty surprised when 
the FCC dropped all code requirements (still think it was a bad idea!), 
but since the then ham community seemed to be in favor,I let my 
objections be held as private misgivings.

 Over the (65) years since my first license, I have continued to use 
CW when the going was marginal or tough. Last night I worked Illinois on 
6 meters using CW, and I am sure the QSO would never have happened on 
SSB -- signals were just too weak.

 I use the full list of digital modes now, CW, PSK, all the way 
through to Olivia and WSJT. When conditions are good to outstanding, I 
use SSB as well, but I don't usually waste spectrum and power that way. 
I don't like to run high power just to waste it on 1 or 2 kHz of 
spectrum space...the digital modes are very amenable to the use of the 
fine narrow-band filters on my K3 and I find particularly PSK31 to be a 
very relaxing rag-chewing mode, with its buffering (with FLDIGI). 
There's time for coffee, and the note-taking is already on the screen...

 Good luck and have fun with CW!

John Ragle -- W1ZI

=

On 6/30/2011 7:37 AM, William Ravenel wrote:
> I passed 13 wpm to pass General in the early 80s and never made a single CW 
> QSO - didn't even use a key to practice. But when I passed the no-code Extra 
> in 2007 I decided to work CW until I could copy at least 20 wpm. Bought a 
> paddle and decided to learn to use it with my left hand so my dominant right 
> hand could take notes. I also decided to set the paddle up with dits on the 
> left since this appeared to be the way the majority of paddle users did it. 
> This way I could pass my paddle to most right handers and there would be no 
> need to reverse the "sense" of the paddle. Similarly, I could move most 
> other's paddle to the left side of the radio and jump right in. I've reached 
> 20 wpm now and wish I'd discovered the joy of CW sooner.
>
> Will, AI4VE
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Re: [Elecraft] K3: KPA100 Squeal

[Don Wilhelm]

  Geoff,

How are you hearing any "QSK relay clicking" in the K3?  There are no 
relays changed between receive and transmit, it is all silent electronic 
switching.  If you are hearing something that sounds like a relay click, 
then that needs to be investigated - it should not be.

Sorry, but I cannot venture any guess about the source of the 12 kHz.
Have you tried turning the monitor down to zero?  Where does the source 
seem to be located?
Do you still hear it if you go to the CONFIG menu and set the KPA3 to 
"not installed"?

73,
Don W3FPR

On 6/30/2011 9:24 AM, Geoff Wolf AB3LS wrote:
> And, for even more information, I analyzed the audio that I recorded and the
> squeal is right around 12Khz. It peaks at -48dB (louder than the QSK relay
> clicking)
>
> http://imgur.com/V8o5t - image of the analysis
>
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Re: [Elecraft] K3: KPA100 Squeal

[Geoff Wolf AB3LS]

And, for even more information, I analyzed the audio that I recorded and the
squeal is right around 12Khz. It peaks at -48dB (louder than the QSK relay
clicking)

http://imgur.com/V8o5t - image of the analysis

AB3LS



On Thu, Jun 30, 2011 at 8:17 AM, Geoff Wolf AB3LS
wrote:

> Forgot to mention,
>
> That recording was made using QSK CW in the TX Test mode.
>
> AB3LS
>
>
> On Thu, Jun 30, 2011 at 8:12 AM, Geoff Wolf AB3LS  > wrote:
>
>> I haven't had a chance to try to run the rig off a battery.
>>
>> However, I was able to record the sound using my iPhone.
>>
>> I have uploaded the audio file here:
>> http://alien.liltechdude.com/files/Recordings/kpasqueal.mp3
>>
>> I made sure the fan power cables weren't touching the fans/each other.
>>
>> AB3LS
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On Mon, Jun 27, 2011 at 10:14 PM, Guy Olinger K2AV > > wrote:
>>
>>> If you can do it, see if you still have the noise running off a
>>> battery.   73, Guy.
>>>
>>> On Mon, Jun 27, 2011 at 8:37 PM, Adi Andrei 
>>> wrote:
>>> > The fans are still but I still hear it. Almost like some switching PSU
>>> > noise.
>>> >
>>> > Adi
>>> > 2e0ttx
>>> >
>>> > On 27/06/2011 15:21, Guy Olinger K2AV wrote:
>>> >>
>>> >> Check to make sure that the cables routed in front of the fans are not
>>> >> touching.  A light touch will result in a sound like that.  It will
>>> >> change or go away with the fan speed.
>>> >>
>>> >> 73, Guy.
>>> >>
>>> >> On Mon, Jun 27, 2011 at 9:10 AM, Adi Andrei
>>> >>  wrote:
>>> >>>
>>> >>> I have the same thing happening, similar series K3 (5k something) ,
>>> also
>>> >>> assembled in March.
>>> >>>
>>> >>> Adi
>>> >>> 2E0TTX
>>> >>>
>>> >>>
>>> >>> On 27/06/2011 13:38, Joe Harris wrote:
>>> 
>>>  I have very similar symptoms in my K3/100 (SN 5284) that I assembled
>>> in
>>>  March. It makes the sound even if I am in TX test mode. Again, no
>>>  performance issues, just a slightly bothersome squeal / whine.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>>  On Sun, Jun 26, 2011 at 8:23 PM, Geoffrey
>>>  Wolfwrote:
>>> 
>>> > First off it was a great Field Day and my new K3 impressed me
>>> extremely
>>> > not
>>> > only in performance but in it's functionality.
>>> >
>>> > To kick off Field Day I installed a new KPA100 into the K3. I did
>>> all
>>> > the
>>> > necessary TX gain calibrations using a dummy load.
>>> >
>>> > One thing I noticed immediately was that I was hearing a very high
>>> > pitched
>>> > squeal coming from either the PA board or possibly the KIO3 (the
>>> board
>>> > the
>>> > amp plugs into). The squeal seems to vary in frequency each time
>>> the
>>> > transmitter keys up (can only hear it when the radio is in TX). The
>>> > squeal
>>> > is not very loud but its loud enough for me to hear it if I listen
>>> > closely.
>>> > It doesn't seem to be power related. The squeal is there even if
>>> the
>>> > radio
>>> > is in TX but no power going out (RF Pwr set to 0W). The closest
>>> thing I
>>> > can
>>> > compare the sound to is perhaps a tiny leak in an air hose. Is this
>>> > typical
>>> > of a bad solder joint or something?
>>> >
>>> > This squeal only pertains to the new KPA100 installation. Before
>>> the
>>> > amp
>>> > was installed I didn't hear a thing.
>>> >
>>> > I should also note that nothing appears to be affecting
>>> performance.
>>> > Puts
>>> > out 100 watts no problem. Clean modulation, etc.
>>> >
>>> > --
>>> > Geoffrey Wolf
>>> > AB3LS (Amateur Radio Callsign)
>>> > University of Pittsburgh '14
>>> > gr...@pitt.edu
>>> > liltechd...@me.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
>>> >>>
>>> >
>>> __
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>>>
>>
>>
>
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[Elecraft] K3 Cal

[David Robertson]

Chuck,
Using CW and CW reverse is really a good procedure. I have used USB/LSB when 
WWV was transmitting a tone with the same effect. Your method doesn't require a 
modulated tone as you are using the actual carrier. The only issue with our 
calibration procedures is you have to have good pitch hearing and many of the 
ham radio operatores are tone deaf. For those who are tone deaf use the zero 
beat method using the side tone in the K3. From now on I will use your method 
as I don't have to wait for a tone to be transmitted by WWV.

73
Dave KD1NA
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Re: [Elecraft] K3: KPA100 Squeal

[Geoff Wolf AB3LS]

Forgot to mention,

That recording was made using QSK CW in the TX Test mode.

AB3LS

On Thu, Jun 30, 2011 at 8:12 AM, Geoff Wolf AB3LS
wrote:

> I haven't had a chance to try to run the rig off a battery.
>
> However, I was able to record the sound using my iPhone.
>
> I have uploaded the audio file here:
> http://alien.liltechdude.com/files/Recordings/kpasqueal.mp3
>
> I made sure the fan power cables weren't touching the fans/each other.
>
> AB3LS
>
>
>
>
> On Mon, Jun 27, 2011 at 10:14 PM, Guy Olinger K2AV 
> wrote:
>
>> If you can do it, see if you still have the noise running off a
>> battery.   73, Guy.
>>
>> On Mon, Jun 27, 2011 at 8:37 PM, Adi Andrei 
>> wrote:
>> > The fans are still but I still hear it. Almost like some switching PSU
>> > noise.
>> >
>> > Adi
>> > 2e0ttx
>> >
>> > On 27/06/2011 15:21, Guy Olinger K2AV wrote:
>> >>
>> >> Check to make sure that the cables routed in front of the fans are not
>> >> touching.  A light touch will result in a sound like that.  It will
>> >> change or go away with the fan speed.
>> >>
>> >> 73, Guy.
>> >>
>> >> On Mon, Jun 27, 2011 at 9:10 AM, Adi Andrei
>> >>  wrote:
>> >>>
>> >>> I have the same thing happening, similar series K3 (5k something) ,
>> also
>> >>> assembled in March.
>> >>>
>> >>> Adi
>> >>> 2E0TTX
>> >>>
>> >>>
>> >>> On 27/06/2011 13:38, Joe Harris wrote:
>> 
>>  I have very similar symptoms in my K3/100 (SN 5284) that I assembled
>> in
>>  March. It makes the sound even if I am in TX test mode. Again, no
>>  performance issues, just a slightly bothersome squeal / whine.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>>  On Sun, Jun 26, 2011 at 8:23 PM, Geoffrey
>>  Wolfwrote:
>> 
>> > First off it was a great Field Day and my new K3 impressed me
>> extremely
>> > not
>> > only in performance but in it's functionality.
>> >
>> > To kick off Field Day I installed a new KPA100 into the K3. I did
>> all
>> > the
>> > necessary TX gain calibrations using a dummy load.
>> >
>> > One thing I noticed immediately was that I was hearing a very high
>> > pitched
>> > squeal coming from either the PA board or possibly the KIO3 (the
>> board
>> > the
>> > amp plugs into). The squeal seems to vary in frequency each time the
>> > transmitter keys up (can only hear it when the radio is in TX). The
>> > squeal
>> > is not very loud but its loud enough for me to hear it if I listen
>> > closely.
>> > It doesn't seem to be power related. The squeal is there even if the
>> > radio
>> > is in TX but no power going out (RF Pwr set to 0W). The closest
>> thing I
>> > can
>> > compare the sound to is perhaps a tiny leak in an air hose. Is this
>> > typical
>> > of a bad solder joint or something?
>> >
>> > This squeal only pertains to the new KPA100 installation. Before the
>> > amp
>> > was installed I didn't hear a thing.
>> >
>> > I should also note that nothing appears to be affecting performance.
>> > Puts
>> > out 100 watts no problem. Clean modulation, etc.
>> >
>> > --
>> > Geoffrey Wolf
>> > AB3LS (Amateur Radio Callsign)
>> > University of Pittsburgh '14
>> > gr...@pitt.edu
>> > liltechd...@me.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
>> >>>
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>> >>> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>> >>>
>> >
>> __
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>
>
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Re: [Elecraft] Iambic Keying (WAS: Straight key first?)

[Tommy Alderman]

Good for you Will!! I have been doing CW for 59 years and having tried RTTY
and all of the digital modes, I still think CW is a truly FUN part of the
hobby which so far, digital cannot replace.

73,
Tom - W4BQF


-Original Message-
From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net
[mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of William Ravenel
Sent: Thursday, June 30, 2011 7:37 AM
To: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Iambic Keying (WAS: Straight key first?)

I passed 13 wpm to pass General in the early 80s and never made a single CW
QSO - didn't even use a key to practice. But when I passed the no-code Extra
in 2007 I decided to work CW until I could copy at least 20 wpm. Bought a
paddle and decided to learn to use it with my left hand so my dominant right
hand could take notes. I also decided to set the paddle up with dits on the
left since this appeared to be the way the majority of paddle users did it.
This way I could pass my paddle to most right handers and there would be no
need to reverse the "sense" of the paddle. Similarly, I could move most
other's paddle to the left side of the radio and jump right in. I've reached
20 wpm now and wish I'd discovered the joy of CW sooner.

Will, AI4VE
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Re: [Elecraft] K3: KPA100 Squeal

[Geoff Wolf AB3LS]

I haven't had a chance to try to run the rig off a battery.

However, I was able to record the sound using my iPhone.

I have uploaded the audio file here:
http://alien.liltechdude.com/files/Recordings/kpasqueal.mp3

I made sure the fan power cables weren't touching the fans/each other.

AB3LS



On Mon, Jun 27, 2011 at 10:14 PM, Guy Olinger K2AV wrote:

> If you can do it, see if you still have the noise running off a
> battery.   73, Guy.
>
> On Mon, Jun 27, 2011 at 8:37 PM, Adi Andrei 
> wrote:
> > The fans are still but I still hear it. Almost like some switching PSU
> > noise.
> >
> > Adi
> > 2e0ttx
> >
> > On 27/06/2011 15:21, Guy Olinger K2AV wrote:
> >>
> >> Check to make sure that the cables routed in front of the fans are not
> >> touching.  A light touch will result in a sound like that.  It will
> >> change or go away with the fan speed.
> >>
> >> 73, Guy.
> >>
> >> On Mon, Jun 27, 2011 at 9:10 AM, Adi Andrei
> >>  wrote:
> >>>
> >>> I have the same thing happening, similar series K3 (5k something) ,
> also
> >>> assembled in March.
> >>>
> >>> Adi
> >>> 2E0TTX
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> On 27/06/2011 13:38, Joe Harris wrote:
> 
>  I have very similar symptoms in my K3/100 (SN 5284) that I assembled
> in
>  March. It makes the sound even if I am in TX test mode. Again, no
>  performance issues, just a slightly bothersome squeal / whine.
> 
> 
> 
>  On Sun, Jun 26, 2011 at 8:23 PM, Geoffrey
>  Wolfwrote:
> 
> > First off it was a great Field Day and my new K3 impressed me
> extremely
> > not
> > only in performance but in it's functionality.
> >
> > To kick off Field Day I installed a new KPA100 into the K3. I did all
> > the
> > necessary TX gain calibrations using a dummy load.
> >
> > One thing I noticed immediately was that I was hearing a very high
> > pitched
> > squeal coming from either the PA board or possibly the KIO3 (the
> board
> > the
> > amp plugs into). The squeal seems to vary in frequency each time the
> > transmitter keys up (can only hear it when the radio is in TX). The
> > squeal
> > is not very loud but its loud enough for me to hear it if I listen
> > closely.
> > It doesn't seem to be power related. The squeal is there even if the
> > radio
> > is in TX but no power going out (RF Pwr set to 0W). The closest thing
> I
> > can
> > compare the sound to is perhaps a tiny leak in an air hose. Is this
> > typical
> > of a bad solder joint or something?
> >
> > This squeal only pertains to the new KPA100 installation. Before the
> > amp
> > was installed I didn't hear a thing.
> >
> > I should also note that nothing appears to be affecting performance.
> > Puts
> > out 100 watts no problem. Clean modulation, etc.
> >
> > --
> > Geoffrey Wolf
> > AB3LS (Amateur Radio Callsign)
> > University of Pittsburgh '14
> > gr...@pitt.edu
> > liltechd...@me.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
> >>>
> >
> __
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Re: [Elecraft] Iambic Keying (WAS: Straight key first?)

[William Ravenel]

I passed 13 wpm to pass General in the early 80s and never made a single CW QSO 
- didn't even use a key to practice. But when I passed the no-code Extra in 
2007 I decided to work CW until I could copy at least 20 wpm. Bought a paddle 
and decided to learn to use it with my left hand so my dominant right hand 
could take notes. I also decided to set the paddle up with dits on the left 
since this appeared to be the way the majority of paddle users did it. This way 
I could pass my paddle to most right handers and there would be no need to 
reverse the "sense" of the paddle. Similarly, I could move most other's paddle 
to the left side of the radio and jump right in. I've reached 20 wpm now and 
wish I'd discovered the joy of CW sooner.

Will, AI4VE
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Re: [Elecraft] KPA500 AUX Cable Keying

[Phil & Debbie Salas]

The plan for Pin 11 (I understand) is to eventually inhibit the KPA500 when 
pressing TUNE on the K3 so that you can tune a manal or auto-tuner at low power 
without having to remember to manually put the KPA500 in standby first.  My 
understanding is that this will be in a future K3 firmware release as a set-up 
option.

Phil - AD5X
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[Elecraft] Tech Writing

[Chuck Smallhouse]

Before Wayne or Eric cuts this topic off, I'd like offer a bit of humor.

In the 70's when the cold war wasn't, between two middle east 
countries, i worked for an aerospace company in Silicon Valley that 
had a large equipment design and installation contract with one of 
them.  One of our other contact tasks was to train their operators 
and also write Tech Manuals in their language.  These "to be" 
operators, mostly from their military, had little if any formal 
schooling, but most could speak a fair amount of English.

During one early class on operating the equipment, during a "hands 
on" and almost "one on one" session, a student was asked to operate a 
knob to tune some part of the equipment or to change the gain.  His 
response was " knob, what's a knob" & " turn it, how do you do that" 
??  He had never operated any kind of electrical/electronic equipment 
before, and had to be sent back to the basic electronic/mechanic 
school, that we also provided.  He was in fact one of a majority.

Another humorus incident, was during the equipment building, 
construction phase.  This was being built out in the middle of a very 
sandy desert and a good equipment ground was hard to come by,  so we 
came up with the idea of installing an earth ground, (rod/wires) into 
the septic system underneath the "John(s)" .  The construction 
workmen were instructed to use these restrooms and not go out in the 
desert.  A week or so after the restroom and septic system were 
installed and in operation, we noticed that they were no longer 
flushing correctly if at all.  Upon removing one of the toilets, we 
discovered that the drain was filled with small rocks.  We had 
neglected to write a manual or give a class on the proper use of a 
modern restroom and in particular the use of toilet paper !!

Chuck,  W7CS


  

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Re: [Elecraft] KPA500 tolerance

[Kjeld Holm]

Dear All, 

The below mail also be of interest:



-Original Message-
From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net
[mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Eric Swartz - WA6HHQ,
Elecraft
Sent: 11. maj 2011 20:10
To: Geoffrey Downs
Cc: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KPA500 and SWR above 1.5:1

The KPA500 bases its SWR protection on reflected power level, not an
absolute SWR. The KPA500 is happy up to a 2:1 SWR at 500-W out. As long as
the actual reflected power is below that for a 2:1 SWR at 500W, it will not
reduce its power. This means you can operate into a higher than
2:1 SWR load at full amplifier gain if you reduce the amp's output power
slightly.

The amp "soft-faults" and reduces output power by about 2.5 dB by switching
in an input attenuator at the 500W 2:1 reflected power point, and it flashes
a red LED to alert you to this so you can adjust driver power (or SWR via an
external tuner) down a bit. Once this is corrected below this threshold by
the operator, the KPA500 automatically goes back to full gain. It also does
this for minor overdrive conditions.

Of course, for excessive SWR events (wrong antenna, open antenna etc), and
severe overdrive, the amp protects itself by immediately hard faulting and
going into bypass mode. After correcting the fault, just push the
operate/standby switch to get back on-line. While at Contest University, our
Italian representative surprised me by demonstrating this feature to
customers by pulling the coax from the dummy load while the amp was
transmitting. After I recovered from my surprise, I realized the amp was
perfectly happy and had protected itself as advertised :-) But don't try
this at home, as he also received a minor RF burn to help him remember this
event..

73, Eric   WA6HHQ
www.elecraft.com

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-Original Message-
From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net
[mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Gary Gregory
Sent: 30. juni 2011 08:31
To: j...@audiosystemsgroup.com
Cc: elecraft@mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KPA500 tolerance

I can confirm Jims findings also1.8:1 is fine here also.

Gary

On 30 June 2011 04:12, Jim Brown  wrote:

> On 6/29/2011 7:43 AM, jgaudron wrote:
> > A friend of of mine has problems with a solid state amplifier that
> switches
> > to safety at the least value of SWR, like 1.2 or 1.4 !
> > He would like to know what is the KPA500 tolerance concerning  SWR.
>
> My KPA500 puts out 600W - 675W (I've seen occasional peaks of 700W 
> without faulting) into a reasonably matched load on the HF bands 
> (1.5:1 or better), and 560W on 6M into a load of about 1.4:1.  If the
match
> gets to about 2:1 on the HF bands, it might fall back to 500-550w.   No
> issues with nuisance faulting.
>
> 73, Jim K9YC
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-- 

VK4FD - Motorhome Mobile
Elecraft Equipment
K3 #679, KPA-500 #018
Living the dream!!!
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