[Elecraft] SOLVED: KX3: Hi SWR on 20m & 30m after KX3-2M install
I also sent the same message to Elecraft directly, and received an immediate response. The bad news is that I had to disassemble the KX3 and remove the 2m and tuner modules in order to get a look at the inductors. The good news is that the inductors were OK, but the shell of the SMA connector was in contact with L40, which, according to the schematic, has a direct effect on the 20/30 m tuning. I couldn't move the inductor very much, so I removed the SMA and put a small length of heat shrink tubing over the shell, then put everything back together. The result was I now have 1.0 SWR on both 20 and 30 m bands! The lesson here is that they are not kidding about ensuring the the SMA should not touch the inductors! I thought I had allowed for enough clearance, but I obvious did not. Thanks everyone for your suggestions. Also kudos to Elecraft for their outstanding tech support. 73s Ed/WE2H Sent from my iPad > > Hi > > I just recently installed the 2M transverter in my KX-3. I?m now noticing > high (11 to 25) SWR readings on 20m and I wondered if this might be related > (I don?t recall such high readings before). I?m using an off-center fed > dipole that has worked quite well in the past. The KX3 autotuner worked so > well in the past, and I?ve seen it tune on relatively short random wires, so > inability to tune on a good antenna seems rather odd. > > Part of the installation required displacing L40 and L43 on the main RF board > to make room for the SMA connector. It?s possible to break one of the leads > on the inductor while doing this. L40 (as I recall) felt pretty tight and I > may have inadvertently pushed it too hard. > > What would be the symptoms of an open circuit on either of those inductors? > Other than high SWR on 20m and 30m, I haven?t seen any anomalous behavior. > > 73s > Ed __ 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] KX3: Hi SWR on 20m & 30m after KX3-2M install
Hi I just recently installed the 2M transverter in my KX-3. I’m now noticing high (11 to 25) SWR readings on 20m and I wondered if this might be related (I don’t recall such high readings before). I’m using an off-center fed dipole that has worked quite well in the past. The KX3 autotuner worked so well in the past, and I’ve seen it tune on relatively short random wires, so inability to tune on a good antenna seems rather odd. Part of the installation required displacing L40 and L43 on the main RF board to make room for the SMA connector. It’s possible to break one of the leads on the inductor while doing this. L40 (as I recall) felt pretty tight and I may have inadvertently pushed it too hard. What would be the symptoms of an open circuit on either of those inductors? Other than high SWR on 20m and 30m, I haven’t seen any anomalous behavior. 73s Ed __ 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] KX3 (or other amateur gear) in aircraft
Hi, A KX3 user and lurker who is also an FAA A&P mechanic with inspection authorization. To use any radio transmitter in the aviation bands it must meet standards from and be approved by both FAA and FCC. The bandwidth, power, and emissions requirements are a lot different from amateur equipment. It's probably not cost effective for a producer of amateur equipment to obtain the necessary approvals to operate in the aviation bands. Also, the station must be licensed either as an aircraft or ground station to be legal (usually if the aircraft has existing radios it is already licensed). This is something that is supposed to be verified during the annual inspections. Also a lot of owners of handheld aviation radios ignore the requirements for a ground station license and use it for air to ground comm - it's not something that's heavily enforced and probably not a big issue. Spurious emissions from a non-aviation radio would be, though. Anyway, bottom line is it's OK to have a general coverage receiver that covers the aviation VHF bands, but any transmitter must be approved and the station specially licensed. 73s Ed/WE2H __ 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
