Re: [Elecraft] KX2 on commercial airplane
I tried telling the TSA guy a little box of electronics and such was for my hearing aid. He thought I was spoofing him and called his supervisor when he asked if it received Fox News, and I said not in my house. I explained it was the Bluetooth gear for broadcasting TV audio into the earpiece. A little demo for the TSA folks was cordial but I almost missed the flight. One step for man, a giant step for mankind. There are restrictions on LiPo batteries for a reason. Restrictions on maximal capacity of the battery and how the battery is packed - inside a radio OK, loose not OK. I am pretty sure the KX2 with built-in cells is OK since these can be sent unrestricted in mail. The Bienno may or may not be - bigger capacity, loose battery, and the cells are only protected by plastic foil. If the cells get crushed in your carry bag, what happens? If you've ever had a LiPo go rogue on you you will understand why TSA has issue with the possibility of LiPo incidents inside a metal tube you cannot step out of. We as hams may "know it better" but the fact of the matter is that the TSA rules are there to keep flights safe. Trying to play them by telling them a lie is dishonest, dangerous and perhaps even illegal. *If* you know better, you should assist TSA in managing the risk, not lie to them, even if that means that you cannot carry the battery you want to carry. I've carried some pretty interesting stuff over the years and always did so fully open. It has raised issues, there has been cases where a manager needed to get involved, but on a proper trip this was all prepared in advance (by asking the airline, not a mailing list) and everyone was happy with the approach and the preparation taken. I also found people to be pretty accommodating if asked correctly. And if you feel otherwise and know it all better - it's a free world and everyone has an opinion! - then I kindly ask you to identify what flight you will be on so I will take the next flight, thank you. 73, Geert Jan PE1HZG __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] KX2 on commercial airplane
On 6/28/2022 1:46 AM, Geert Jan de Groot wrote: And if you feel otherwise and know it all better - it's a free world and everyone has an opinion! - then I kindly ask you to identify what flight you will be on so I will take the next flight, thank you. All of your post is well said, Jan. We have the right to our opinion, but we don't have the right to endanger others by acting out on the basis of our ignorance. For nearly 40 I've been a member of the Standards Committee of the Audio Engineering Society, and lead author our Standards on EMC. I can report that all of our Standards are based on Applied Science, and the result of serious engineers who are practitioners in a broad range of pro audio -- broadcast, recording, live sound -- all with a solid engineering grounding. Those lacking that background, or with "an agenda," or to be unwilling to yield to others who know more about an issue, are quickly sent to the back benches. And all of us have an excellent BS filter. The goal is simple -- write Standards that make systems WORK, in the REAL WORLD. One of the things that design professionals from different engineering disciplines do in design meetings is play "what if" scenarios to evaluate design decisions. A prime example in the real world I've often cited is, the design team of the Fukushima nuclear reactor failing to ask, or failing to have the imagination or education to come up with possible answers to the question, "What Could Possibly Go Wrong With Putting Emergency Power Generators in the basement?" In 2011, Mother Nature answered rather emphatically that question that should have been asked or satisfactorily resolved, but wasn't. Note that this is an example to prove a concept, not an "attack" on anyone. I've been in lots of design meetings, and ain't nobody perfect. 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
[Elecraft] KX2 on commercial airplane
I plan to take a 3AH (36WH) LiFePO4 battery on an international flight (to HC5) in a few weeks. To conform with the FAA's regs (link below), I'll have the Anderson power-pole end & the charging jack sealed with tape. Seems simple enough - I'll post here if there are any problems. https://www.faa.gov/hazmat/packsafe/more_info/?hazmat=7 John AE5X https://ae5x.blogspot.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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
[Elecraft] WHICH USB ADAPTER TO STEREO PLUG TO USE
I had a homemade cable with a 3.5 mm plug on one end which goes to the CAT connection on my stationmaster and a male DB 9 for the RS232 connection for my K3. (I do not have a USB port on my K3). The cable was not reliable, it broke, is now too short, and I was going to replace it with the Elecraft cable made for those connections. It is no longer available and suggested to be replaced by the male DB9 on one end and the male USB on the other end. So I thought I would merely have to get a USB to 3.5 mm stereo plug adapter to add to the DB9 to USB cable. However, there are different versions of USB to 3.5 mm plug adapters. Some that only charge power, some that include MP3 decoders, and some that appear to be for automotive uses only. Has anyone else found a suitable replacement for the cable? Or has anyone else used one of the USB to 3.5 mm adapters and if so, which type and where was it found. 73’s, Greg N9GB __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] Ham Qualifications, Customer Service
What do you mean, David? The K3 had a nearly 15 year run as Elecraft's flagship transceiver and is still being serviced within the limits of parts availability. K3S was a mid-life update, not a new design. It had a few revised boards and they were available to retrofit to the earlier K3 units. Other updated boards came along prior to K3S and were also retrofittable. In my 60+ years of ham radio, the K3 stands out as the longest-living, most modular, most upgradeable radio of all, by a wide margin. I have no reason to expect anything less of K4. 73, /Rick N6XI On Mon, Jun 27, 2022 at 8:08 PM David Gilbert wrote: > > > I remember that exact same statement being made about the K3 and K3s > (discontinued after 6 years). Other than the new synths, it wasn't > honored for the K3 series so I see no reason to treat that as part of > the value proposition for the K4. > > > On 6/27/2022 5:32 PM, Wayne Burdick wrote: > > > > - The K4 is designed in highly modular fashion so we can replace modules > in the future as technology changes, including the main processor board, > ADC boards, and DAC board. > > > > > > > > Wayne > > N6KR > > > > > > __ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > Message delivered to rta...@gmail.com -- -- Rick Tavan Truckee and Saratoga, CA __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] Ham Qualifications, Customer Service
Actually no, the K3 isn't still being serviced within the limits of parts availability, and hasn't for some time. When my K3IO board got zapped I wrote Elecraft and asked them to repair it. The repair tech simply and flippantly refused to so. I later went through the parts list from the schematic and all the key parts were available in stock from Digi-Key. Luckily Don had a spare set of boards from someone who had swapped them out for the USB version. In any case, age has nothing to do with it. The original claim was that the modular nature of the K3 would allow it to have an almost unlimited lifetime because redesigns would handle both part obsolescence and technological improvements. Supply chain issues didn't cause that to go by the wayside ... limited resources at Elecraft did. By all accounts the K4 is a great rig, but why should its modularity offer any extended life compared to other brands than the K3 did? It's a flawed premise and a flawed commitment if the ability to follow through isn't there. I don't mean to keep flogging this, but people like you keep dredging it up and trying to convince me I'm wrong. Dave AB7E On 6/28/2022 7:17 AM, Rick Tavan wrote: What do you mean, David? The K3 had a nearly 15 year run as Elecraft's flagship transceiver and is still being serviced within the limits of parts availability. K3S was a mid-life update, not a new design. It had a few revised boards and they were available to retrofit to the earlier K3 units. Other updated boards came along prior to K3S and were also retrofittable. In my 60+ years of ham radio, the K3 stands out as the longest-living, most modular, most upgradeable radio of all, by a wide margin. I have no reason to expect anything less of K4. 73, /Rick N6XI On Mon, Jun 27, 2022 at 8:08 PM David Gilbert wrote: I remember that exact same statement being made about the K3 and K3s (discontinued after 6 years). Other than the new synths, it wasn't honored for the K3 series so I see no reason to treat that as part of the value proposition for the K4. On 6/27/2022 5:32 PM, Wayne Burdick wrote: > > - The K4 is designed in highly modular fashion so we can replace modules in the future as technology changes, including the main processor board, ADC boards, and DAC board. > > > > Wayne > N6KR > > __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to rta...@gmail.com -- -- Rick Tavan Truckee and Saratoga, CA __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] KX2 on commercial airplane
I've been a member of aviation standards committees, and the quality of the members is similar. The best engineers from multiple companies come together, along with hundreds of years of combined experience. The battery standards committee was across the hall from ours one time. Theirs was much more heated. These standards are indeed there for a reason, and based on real world experience. People from the NTSB, Transport Canada, and similar agencies also attend. They have investigated many accidents and want to make sure what went wrong and killed people does not happen again. They, in my experience, are some of the sharpest people I have met and worked with. I had long talks with the folks that investigated Swissair 111. That is one reason I am so careful with electrical installations, at home and even in our RV, which has 400 Ah of LifePO4s under where we sleep. I believe that about a 20 Ah LiFePO4 is about the largest that can be put in your carryon. I have several smaller ones. One advantage to having batteries in your carryon is that you will not be selected to put the carryon in the luggage compartment if the overheads are full. Tell them there are lithium batteries in there and they will select other luggage. 73, Mark W7MLG On Tue, Jun 28, 2022 at 2:29 AM Jim Brown wrote: > On 6/28/2022 1:46 AM, Geert Jan de Groot wrote: > > And if you feel otherwise and know it all better - it's a free world and > > everyone has an opinion! - then I kindly ask you to identify what flight > > you will be on so I will take the next flight, thank you. > > All of your post is well said, Jan. We have the right to our opinion, > but we don't have the right to endanger others by acting out on the > basis of our ignorance. > > For nearly 40 I've been a member of the Standards Committee of the > Audio Engineering Society, and lead author our Standards on EMC. I can > report that all of our Standards are based on Applied Science, and the > result of serious engineers who are practitioners in a broad range of > pro audio -- broadcast, recording, live sound -- all with a solid > engineering grounding. Those lacking that background, or with "an > agenda," or to be unwilling to yield to others who know more about an > issue, are quickly sent to the back benches. And all of us have an > excellent BS filter. The goal is simple -- write Standards that make > systems WORK, in the REAL WORLD. > > One of the things that design professionals from different engineering > disciplines do in design meetings is play "what if" scenarios to > evaluate design decisions. A prime example in the real world I've often > cited is, the design team of the Fukushima nuclear reactor failing to > ask, or failing to have the imagination or education to come up with > possible answers to the question, "What Could Possibly Go Wrong With > Putting Emergency Power Generators in the basement?" In 2011, Mother > Nature answered rather emphatically that question that should have been > asked or satisfactorily resolved, but wasn't. Note that this is an > example to prove a concept, not an "attack" on anyone. I've been in lots > of design meetings, and ain't nobody perfect. > > 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 > Message delivered to marklgoldb...@gmail.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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] Ham Qualifications, Customer Service
I believe the K3 was manufactured from 2007 to 2015. In 2015 it was replaced by the K3S. If you purchased a K3, you had many years where you could add modules, upgrade the technology and have it serviced if/when needed. This was a great deal however if you purchased a K3S you may have only had a year or so of use before the transceiver became discontinued and the modules became unavailable. John KK9A Rick Tavan N6XI wrote: What do you mean, David? The K3 had a nearly 15 year run as Elecraft's flagship transceiver and is still being serviced within the limits of parts availability. K3S was a mid-life update, not a new design. It had a few revised boards and they were available to retrofit to the earlier K3 units. Other updated boards came along prior to K3S and were also retrofittable. In my 60+ years of ham radio, the K3 stands out as the longest-living, most modular, most upgradeable radio of all, by a wide margin. I have no reason to expect anything less of K4. 73, /Rick N6XI __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] Steve KC6ZKT
On 2022-06-27 15:23, Dynolab wrote: Since the semi manufactures stopped making Bipolar RF Power transistors in the middle of the last decade, most Ham HF transceiver manufactures were forced into using inferior so-called 12 Volt MOSFETs in their finals. And as a result, have had great difficulty in meeting even minimal Intermodulation Distortion (IMD) standards. *** I'm guessing that 12V is just really minimal for these MOSFETS, is that right? I'm kitting up for a homebrew project right now - the design uses a 12V-24V converter to get decent voltage for a 25W output stage. - Jerry, KF6VB __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
[Elecraft] IMD of MOSFETs vs. bipolar
Like everyone else, we switched to 12 V VHF MOSFETs for our 10 and 100 watt PAs. At the recommended supply voltage (~14 V), IMD for these transistors is about the same as for bipolars, with 3rd order products averaging -35 to -40 dBc and worst-case about -30 dB. These stats are borne out by an average of QST review numbers going back over the last 30 years. It is true that at lower supply voltages, bipolars "gracefully degrade" with more grace than MOSFETs. So if IMD is of primary concern when using lower voltages, you may choose to reduce power somewhat. (Of course this is a useful practice when running from batteries.) Reducing power while maintaining communications effectiveness recently became a whole lot easier on the K4 with the addition of CESSB. In our tests, average power went up by over 6 dB between settings of CMP=0 and CMP=30. 73, Wayne N6KR > On Jun 28, 2022, at 7:08 PM, jerry wrote: > > On 2022-06-27 15:23, Dynolab wrote: > >> Since the semi manufactures stopped making Bipolar RF Power transistors in >> the middle of the last decade, most Ham HF transceiver manufactures were >> forced into using ... 12 Volt MOSFETs in their finals. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] IMD of MOSFETs vs. bipolar
I meant to point out another fact about the way the K4 handles power control. In addition to the usual ALC and our very clean CESSB-based compression, the K4 limits maximum drive in AF modes (audio-derived data and voice). This limit is calculated on a per-band basis, ensuring an upper bound on PA RF compression. The result is that it's very difficult to cause overdrive and splatter with a K4, even if you try to do it intentionally. Wayne > On Jun 28, 2022, at 9:18 PM, Wayne Burdick wrote: > > Like everyone else, we switched to 12 V VHF MOSFETs for our 10 and 100 watt > PAs. At the recommended supply voltage (~14 V), IMD for these transistors is > about the same as for bipolars, with 3rd order products averaging -35 to -40 > dBc and worst-case about -30 dB. These stats are borne out by an average of > QST review numbers going back over the last 30 years. > > It is true that at lower supply voltages, bipolars "gracefully degrade" with > more grace than MOSFETs. So if IMD is of primary concern when using lower > voltages, you may choose to reduce power somewhat. (Of course this is a > useful practice when running from batteries.) > > Reducing power while maintaining communications effectiveness recently became > a whole lot easier on the K4 with the addition of CESSB. In our tests, > average power went up by over 6 dB between settings of CMP=0 and CMP=30. > > 73, > Wayne > N6KR > > > >> On Jun 28, 2022, at 7:08 PM, jerry wrote: >> >> On 2022-06-27 15:23, Dynolab wrote: >> >>> Since the semi manufactures stopped making Bipolar RF Power transistors in >>> the middle of the last decade, most Ham HF transceiver manufactures were >>> forced into using ... 12 Volt MOSFETs in their finals. > > > __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
