Re: [Elecraft] Noise cancelling headphones

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

Thanks Mark,

According to a tech at a one of the aviation stores, the latest versions of
the A20 will allow using the headset/mike to access a paired device such as
a smartphone, both to and from. Use it by muting the phone mike and
talking/listening via the A20.

Talking on a phone in a small plane has the same audio issues as radio
communications with flight service without noise cancellation, etc. The A20
handles that kind of problem very well.

The battery and Bluetooth are in an accessible blob on the A20 cord. But
the idea of 1K$ to start with, and then dropping that 1K$ out of warranty
to remove the cord beyond the blob gives me the hives.

73, Guy K2AV

On Sat, Aug 4, 2018 at 12:25 AM Mark Goldberg 
wrote:

> Amazon shows the HP8000 available from third party sellers at wildly
> varying prices. Sometimes they are bad or fake unfortunately. They claim
> new, but don't have enough info listed to tell if it meets your criteria.
>
> As far as I know, aviation headsets will not have wireless for the main
> headset or microphone as it is not reliable enough to be certifiable. They
> will have auxiliary bluetooth inputs for entertainment.
>
> I do not know anything that meets your criteria.
>
> Good luck in your search,
>
> Mark
> W7MLG
>
> On Fri, Aug 3, 2018 at 9:11 PM, Guy Olinger K2AV 
> wrote:
>
>>  This thread seems to be read by some who are familiar with headsets, but
>> I’m asking a slightly different question...
>>
>> A) I am looking for a headset/mike combination, with *all* the following.
>>
>> 1) over-the-ear dual headset
>> 2) noise-cancelling headset
>> 3) active noise-cancelling boom microphone
>> 4) wireless, either bluetooth or wireless to USB dongle, bluetooth
>> preferred, wireless is *required*.
>>
>> I have tried endless hours of searching, dozens and dozens of different
>> search parms but cannot get Google, eBay or Amazon to make a list with all
>> the required conditions. Something always gets ignored.
>>
>> I know that a Bose A20 aircraft headset can be modified using the battery
>> and Bluetooth parts only of the plug/cordset. That’s modifying a 1K$
>> headset.
>>
>> There used to be an “HP8000” that seemed to fit the bill, but only sold in
>> EU and Asia. That also was called QD834.  It apparently not made now and
>> stock gone.
>>
>> Looking for an answer from someone that knows a manufacturer that makes a
>> model that matches A) 1-4) above.
>>
>> Thank you, thank you, thank you if you know the answer.
>>
>> 73, Guy K2AV
>>
>>
>> On Fri, Aug 3, 2018 at 10:16 AM, Chris  wrote:
>>
>> > Is it Sony WH-1000XM2?  I have one and love it.  It is pricey but you
>> get
>> > what you pay for.  I tried both Bose and Sony, and chose Sony because it
>> > seems better with noise cancelling.  When I fly alone for business, I
>> use
>> > it with low volume music from my iphone, and I barely hear the engine
>> > noise.  When I fly with my family, I don't get that luxury.  LOL
>> >
>> > I also use it as ear mufflers when I use my lawnmower.  I can listen to
>> > music or podcast with very low engine noise from the mower.  This is
>> > great.  I wire it when I use for radios.
>> >
>> > DE Chris AD1AD
>> >
>> > On Thu, Aug 2, 2018 at 4:46 PM, Dave Sublette 
>> wrote:
>> >
>> > > So here I am with three hours to wait until my plane boards.  I tried
>> a
>> > set
>> > > of Bluetooth Sony noise cancelling headphones.   Big mistake.  They're
>> > > great.
>> > >
>> > >  $300.00 is too much for me.  What other models are in use with
>> Elecraft
>> > > folks?
>> > >
>> > > Dave, K4TO
>> > > __
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Re: [Elecraft] Noise cancelling headphones

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

 This thread seems to be read by some who are familiar with headsets, but
I’m asking a slightly different question...

A) I am looking for a headset/mike combination, with *all* the following.

1) over-the-ear dual headset
2) noise-cancelling headset
3) active noise-cancelling boom microphone
4) wireless, either bluetooth or wireless to USB dongle, bluetooth
preferred, wireless is *required*.

I have tried endless hours of searching, dozens and dozens of different
search parms but cannot get Google, eBay or Amazon to make a list with all
the required conditions. Something always gets ignored.

I know that a Bose A20 aircraft headset can be modified using the battery
and Bluetooth parts only of the plug/cordset. That’s modifying a 1K$
headset.

There used to be an “HP8000” that seemed to fit the bill, but only sold in
EU and Asia. That also was called QD834.  It apparently not made now and
stock gone.

Looking for an answer from someone that knows a manufacturer that makes a
model that matches A) 1-4) above.

Thank you, thank you, thank you if you know the answer.

73, Guy K2AV


On Fri, Aug 3, 2018 at 10:16 AM, Chris  wrote:

> Is it Sony WH-1000XM2?  I have one and love it.  It is pricey but you get
> what you pay for.  I tried both Bose and Sony, and chose Sony because it
> seems better with noise cancelling.  When I fly alone for business, I use
> it with low volume music from my iphone, and I barely hear the engine
> noise.  When I fly with my family, I don't get that luxury.  LOL
>
> I also use it as ear mufflers when I use my lawnmower.  I can listen to
> music or podcast with very low engine noise from the mower.  This is
> great.  I wire it when I use for radios.
>
> DE Chris AD1AD
>
> On Thu, Aug 2, 2018 at 4:46 PM, Dave Sublette  wrote:
>
> > So here I am with three hours to wait until my plane boards.  I tried a
> set
> > of Bluetooth Sony noise cancelling headphones.   Big mistake.  They're
> > great.
> >
> >  $300.00 is too much for me.  What other models are in use with Elecraft
> > folks?
> >
> > Dave, K4TO
> > __
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> >
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Re: [Elecraft] Horrible APRS QRM on 2 Meters

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

Although I agree with other points, the DSP noise blanking does not work by
pulse-closing the analog 15 kHz IF. It works in the number soup which is
after the high IF, *and* after the low IF, *and most importantly* after the
analog to digital conversion. DSP NB, being accomplished in the number
soup, is not restricted to the limits of analog methodology. While the
signal being corrected is *representative* of the low IF, it is not
accomplished *in* the IF circuitry and is subject to any outcomes of the
analog to digital conversion.

A good rule for using the IF labeled NB in the K3, is to only use it if it
makes NB on ***that particular noise*** work better, otherwise don't use it
at all. Some of the noise I have around here from time to time is better
blanked with IF + DSP. Other noise is blanked better, sometimes much
better, by DSP only. I'm to the point now where I know what each noise
around here sounds like and can put up the best NB settings right away.
Also some combo's that work well on 160 work poorly on 80m and up.

For the new user of K3 NB, remember that METHODS are also being switched as
you turn the knob, it's not at all like a simple 1 to 10 scale. You can use
a (1st) IF method, and a DSP number soup method, or IF only or DSP only.
When you use both methods, they operate separately in series, with the IF
method necessarily being applied first. It appears, to me at least, that
some DSP methods are diminished by running the IF blanking at the same
time.

For 2 and a half years I had an AC pulse noise on 160 that IF NAR4 + DSP
T1-7 or T2-7 cleared out to below the band noise in a certain 5-6 kHz range
and less efficiently away from that. Contest operation in that range was
equal to no pulse noise. It turned out to be leakage in a splice in the
13kV buried line to easterly neighbors' power transformer. When the splice
hard arced this spring, that noise went away and has never returned. The
fuse blow up on the feed pole across US 64 sounded like a bomb. It rattled
windows. They replaced all the buried 13kV line off that aerial 13 kV feed
to our transformers. Noise has never come back. Currently the IF blanker is
not useful for any noise I run into here. That could change, of course, at
any time  :>))

73, Guy K2AV

On Sat, Jul 28, 2018 at 12:10 AM, Jim Brown 
wrote:

> . Fact is, that they are BOTH working in an IF, one in the first IF and
> the other in the second. FAR better to call them IF1 and IF2. NOW it
> becomes clear which is post-xtal filter.
>
>
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[Elecraft] [K3} KXV3B's extra preamp on 160m RX?

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

Is there a way to select the KXV3B's extra preamp for use with low band RX
antennas. I am in the spot of putting a separate preamp in line to do what
the 10/6 m auto extra preamp already does.

I've already been digging for something like that in doc and manual but
can't find anything, so if someone knows where the relevant material
resides, or what the secret word for searching that material is, I would
appreciate that greatly. I am probably the world's worst scratch searcher.

Many Thanks & 73

Guy K2AV
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Re: [Elecraft] K3. FD shutdown

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

With a low number serial K3, (mine is 1239) it really is important to have
kept up with the mods over the years.  One of those was the gold pins. I
kept going with these right through the new synths. Only one I didn't do
was the new IO board with the USB. If I didn't have my contest rigging
already worked out with serial boards in my PC etc, I would have upgraded
the IO board. One of those if-it-ain't-broke-don't-fix-it things. I've been
real light on SSB for other reasons, That might change things since the USB
simplifies audio transfer greatly.

Have to agree on the pins. Got an intermittent and did the gold pin mod.
That was a while ago. No recurrence.

Couple of folks I know have done a 100 percent deoxit on K3 connector pins,
so far 3, 4 years with zero recurrence. They're also very sure on proper
seating for those TMP connectors.

Good luck to all & Happy 4th.

73, Guy K2AV


On Tue, Jul 4, 2017 at 12:07 PM Fred Jensen  wrote:

> This is similar to the fellow who tells his doctor, "It hurts when I do
> this." Doctor replies, "Don't do that. Fifty bucks, pay on the way
> out."  In your case, your K3 doesn't like FD, "don't do that." [:-)
>
> Seriously, with that low a serial # [mine is 642], strange things can
> and do happen. I took mine to Pershing County NV for the 7QP.  It worked
> fine. When I got back home, it didn't and I was really carefulpacking it
> into the truck. Based on an almost countable infinity of previous posts
> here over the years, I pulled and reseated the front panel, and made
> sure all the TMP connectors were fully seated.  Now it works like its
> old self.  Your symptoms are a little different... it doesn't like FD
> ... and it works now, but you might give that a try and then wait til
> the end of June 2018 to see if it fixed the problem[s].
>
> Some of the switches on mine are getting a bit unreliable, sometimes
> BAND DOWN disables the ATU.  Wife has a needlepoint hobby which is every
> bit as expensive as ham radio, at least at my level[my stuff is more
> expensive, but she buys A LOT more of hers than I do mine, and then she
> pays to have Ian frame it].  We have an "Equal Hobby Allowance" policy,
> I'm waaay ahead in my account, I may sell may at a real discount to some
> young new ham who needs a radio and get a shiny new K3s.
>
> 73,
>
> Fred ("Skip") K6DGW
> Sparks NV USA
> Washoe County DM09dn
>
> On 6/29/2017 8:49 AM, Nr4c wrote:
> > My K3 (s/n 453x) has been used for FD and other outdoor events plus use
> at home (till I  rec'd one of the first K3Ss). On at least 2 events in past
> year it has exhibited little output power. Batteries were checked, cables
> checked and replaced, to no avail. Display did not show SWR when TUNE
> button pressed (only "--"). Another K3 was swapped in and everything was
> fine.
> > I took radio home and it worked perfectly.
> >
> > This year at FD, it quit at around midnight. Even tried <12 W to verify
> LPA. Result little or almost no power. Checked LPA screws but they were
> tight.  Voltage on radio was just above 12v on TX. Took it home and it
> shows no sign of low power. It has worked well all week.
> >
> > Reloaded FW from Elecraft and reloaded last CONFIG file (May 2017 just
> before first event of year and did TX cal at this time).
> >
> > Now hooked to dummy load and running stress test with FD CW msg on
> repeat.
> >
> > Anyone have ideas?
> >
> > Sent from my iPhone
> > ...nr4c. bill
> >
> >
> > __
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Re: [Elecraft] K3. FD shutdown

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

TMP connectors that were never fully seated are a common cause of such
issues. When fully inserted, the little wings of the male plug should be
right up against the shell of the female receptacle.

73, Guy K2AV

On Mon, Jul 3, 2017 at 10:51 AM Bob  wrote:

> Hi Ron.
>
> That and banging on it with a rubber mallet are valid percussive
> maintenance techniques.
>
> 73,
> Bob
> K2TK
>
> On 7/2/2017 6:24 PM, Ron D'Eau Claire wrote:
> > If it was mine, I'd start by dropping it onto the operating desk from a
> > height of about 6 inches, onto the bottom feet and, if that didn't make
> it
> > quit, onto the side feet.
> >
> > I presume the cables you checked were external to the K3. There are a
> number
> > of coaxial cables with TMP connectors around the synthesizer and
> reference
> > oscillator boards the might be loose since they are simple friction fit
> > connectors.
> >
> > IF it is a K3/100, be sure the KPA3 amplifier module is fully seated and
> the
> > screws are in place.
> >
> > 73, Ron AC7AC
> >
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Re: [Elecraft] K3S USB audio output needs to be adjustable in Menu

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

Gotta remember that there's no audio here, just numbers that represent
audio. Somewhere in the PC there is a setting that instructs a program to
set a reference level for the digital signal. It's not at all like running
coax from line out jacks. The digital doesn't pick up hum or flat-top. Just
numbers being thrown around. Audio from the K3S via USB is never actual
audio in the K3S. After the low IF hits the A/D converter, it's number soup
everywhere between the A/D and the far end of the USB cable.

On Mon, Jun 26, 2017 at 9:08 PM, dgb  wrote:

> Can't help but wonder, is anyone adjusting the recording and playback in
> Windows?
>
> Mine works fine by adjusting those. I don't do any vhf though.
>
> 73 Dwight NS9I
>
>
>
> On 6/26/2017 7:59 PM, Jim Rogers wrote:
>
>> Richard - I second your report, there is no fine adjustment for the USB
>> audio on the K3s either in received audio or transmitted audio. When the
>> band is noisy, I have to reduce LIN OUT to 01 or alternatively reduce the
>> overall system gain with the RF gain (which in the case of the K3 and K3s
>> is IF gain).
>>
>> When operating meteor scatter on 2M with an Elecraft K144XV transverter I
>> had to reduce the audio drive from the JT65 software to 50% to prevent RF
>> power out overshoot and hunting, typical in over-driven closed loop
>> systems. This allowed me to advance LIN IN and the end result was the power
>> detection system of the K3s settled down.
>>
>> There are work-arounds.
>>
>> Jim, W4ATK
>>
>> K-Line, K2/10
>>
>>
>> On 6/26/2017 6:11 PM, Christopher Hoover wrote:
>>
>>> USB audio with the default settings has been fine for me from the first
>>> day. Check your settings?
>>>
>>> On Thu, Jun 22, 2017 at 10:31 AM, Dick via Elecraft <
>>> elecraft@mailman.qth.net> wrote:
>>>
>>> Hello Elecraft,

 When feeding the audio from the K3S USB port to the CPU, the K3S audio
 level is extremely high and way too hot for good performance on many
 digital
 modes.

 Example, even with my CPU's sound card set at the lowest possible level
 of
 "01" my K3S is hitting the JT-65 software with a super strong signal
 that
 is  much higher than the software wants to see and performance is
 degraded.
 The same is true when operating RTTY using MMTTY or 2Tone software.

 The USB audio output on the K3S needs to be adjustable in the K3S Menu
 as
 it was on the K3 Serial port.

 I wrote to you a few months ago about this without a positive reply.
 Please address this serious issue.

 Thank you-

 Richard Van Zandt- K9OM



 In a message dated 6/2/2017 7:28:48 P.M. Central Daylight Time,
 elecraft-requ...@mailman.qth.net writes:

 If you  are using Line Out with a fixed gain setting to feed audio to
 WSJT-X,  adjusting the AF control will not do anything. What I do is
 leave
 my RF  gain control at its normal position (around 3 o'clock) and use
 the
 slider  at the lower left in the WSJT-X window to compensate for  gain
 variations.

 73,
 Rich VE3KI

 W3FPR wrote:

   Bret,
>
> You may have better luck with running the RF Gain full  and adjusting
> with the AF gain.  That way the RX AGC will smooth  out variations in
> the
> signal level.
>
> 73,
> Don  W3FPR
>
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Re: [Elecraft] K3S Noise Blanker

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

On Sun, Jun 4, 2017 at 7:22 PM, Marvin Wheeler  wrote:
> The only way I can tell
> the noise blanker is working is that if I turn the setting to high

Hmmm,

The noise blanker has two separate components, the first is a smart
control of traditional IF noise blanking which has 7 variations of smart based
upon narrow, medium and wide blanking width for a total of 21
varieties.

The second is completely DSP using light, medium and heavy
blanking based on seven different algorithms for a total of 21 DSP
settings.

The two kinds can be used separately or together. Do the combination
math and this is a total of 483 unique settings possible with NB.

K3 and K3S NB is not even remotely described by "turn the setting to high".

Are we talking about the same radio? K3 and K3S NB? If we ARE talking
about K3/K3S, then the A and B knobs setting NB "Level" are really not
a low-high knob like a volume control and explains why you aren't
getting what you want. Wide blanking is not always best. Nor is heavy
DSP blanking always best. With those two knobs you are matching the
blanking METHOD to the noise problem.

For MY PARTICULAR noise blend around here, which absolutely,
certainly, will NOT work for everyone, is DSP T1-7 and IF NAR4.
That's my favorite single pick out of the 483 possibilities for my
noise, and it took me a while to figure it out. But it was worth it.

In winter when I get my usual noises on 160m, that combo will work
decently everywhere on a band-wide S9 noise, good for S&P in contests.
But at various spots in the band will drop the noise as low as S3. The
band-wide result of NB has 5-10 kHz wide nulls where the NB blend hits
it hard and produces those S3 spots, and I do my contest runs in those
nulls. There is more than one source of line noise and the phase and
amplitude relationship between the two varies with frequency, hence
the nulls.

Certain radio settings will also take out key clicks (complex
discussion), which is a real blessing in a CW contest.

With the Sub RX, the NB settings are per receiver, very cool for
diversity and I can set them different ways if that works.

Some folks do have a tougher learning curve than others on the
Elecraft NB, but it's worth it.

73, Guy K2AV
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Re: [Elecraft] K3S oscillation issue

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

Talking to the masses as well as the original poster.

Many of us, this writer included, have experienced RFI, and it almost
never involves something wrong with the K3, or any transceiver, for
that matter. It was lack of bonding and/or grounding, loose leads,
plugs only halfway in, PL259's or BNC's not fastened down all the way,
broken or unsoldered or untightened shield connections, some
unfortunate wide-open physical path into the shack, an RF open barn
door, and more, a long list, sometimes humorous, but all physical,
physical, physical.

Sometimes double digit volts RF wandering around on station conductors.

Need RF blocking? Read K9YC's web page until you understand it, do the
work, don't cheat, don't cheep, don't use junk toroids you can't
positively identify, follow the formula. Do it everywhere, all the
way, by the book.

Many people simply cannot provide sufficient linear separation and the
station is unavoidably in the near field of one antenna or another.
Then the station wiring, RF wise, needs to get clean and tight, just
because the RF is so unavoidably high. Your club buddy can get away
with some stuff, but you can't.

Everyone I personally know that went after RFI studiously and
seriously, also solved it. And it was never fixed by modifying the
transceiver, and I'm talking about multiple brands and models.

If you get RFI now and then, and if you get in contests, be firmly
assured that Murphy knows it, and he will strike in the middle of the
best run you ever had.  :>)

Do the work.

73 and good luck,
Guy K2AV



On Wed, May 31, 2017 at 5:49 AM, Richard Hoffman, K1DJ via Elecraft
 wrote:
> My recent model K3S feeds a SteppIR 3-element beam with the 30/40 meter 
> trombone-shaped driven element on a (short) 40-foot tower.  Thanks to the 
> SteppIR's tuneability, the SWR is always at or close to 1:1.  I operate 
> primarily CW, primarily using the internal keyer.
>
> I have noticed that on 20 meters, primarily, but not only, when I am sending 
> a contest-type message from the K3S's internal memories, the rig occasionally 
> seems to go into some kind of self-oscillation loop.  Because it seems to 
> happen more often when my beam is pointed in particular directions, I think 
> it's most likely an as-yet unsolved RFI/insufficient or improper grounding 
> problem in my shack.
>
> But I would appreciate hearing whether you have experienced, and hopefully 
> solved, similar problems with the K3 or K3S?
>
> Please let me know, and thanks!
>
> Rich, K1DJ
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Re: [Elecraft] Dayton Dropoff

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

Call em up and ask them directly.

73, Guy K2AV

On Mon, May 15, 2017 at 1:12 PM, Scott Manthe  wrote:
> Hello to the list,
> I'm getting ready to send my K3 off to Elecraft for some updates. Does
> anyone know if it would be possible for me to drop the radio off to them at
> Dayton, saving $50 shipping? The better question might be has anyone
> actually done this?
>
> 73,
> Scott N9AA
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Re: [Elecraft] Elecraft's source code

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

On Fri, May 12, 2017 at 1:09 PM, EUGENE GABRY  wrote:
> This one is an easy one if it were open... A very simply stated statement 
> that any modifications done via re-writes of code are now responsibility of 
> owner, warranty void.

-

The truth, sadly, about schemes like this is that the customer,
knowing full well that they screwed it up, will often enough lie
through the teeth rather than admit they did something, and if they
are confronted with the illogic of the claim, will get downright nasty
trying to defend the lie, and then spread the ill-will around.

If the scheme is purely open source, all the way open source, every
time open source, then that experience has its own plusses and
minuses, but everyone gets it.

The problem is that blending open source and proprietary can kill the
advantages of either, and significantly runs up the cost, once all the
cows come home.

Just look at all the 3rd party software issues that get blamed on the
K3/K3S, and hashed out on this reflector. What do you do when the 3rd
party responsible for the software actually is the customer, who
doesn't want to believe they're complicit?

We have such a fortunate situation with Elecraft. I hope they just
keep doing what they're doing.

I'm really pleased they're taking on a 1500 watt solid state amp. That
means they're comfortable that they have solved all the things that
have so far plagued amps over 1000 watts. And even if there is a thing
or two needing mod on that down the road, they'll take care of it
without hanging the customer out to dry.

What a concept. Think maybe "If it ain't broke, don't try to fix it"
might apply to Elecraft's business model and philosophy?

73, Guy K2AV
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Re: [Elecraft] KPA runaway issue

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

Run the 5 and 50 watt TX power calibration on the K3.  It's in the K3
utility program.

73, Guy K2AV

On Sat, May 6, 2017 at 12:51 PM W1GO (Joe)  wrote:

>
> Elecraft faithful,
>
> Any guidance with trouble shooting a KPA500 / K3 issue would be helpful.
>
> Problem: KPA500, primarily in SSB, “redlines” (600W+ LED) after a few
> seconds of transmission / speech.  This seems to be independent of band.
> With the KPA in standby, the K3 output power holds rock steady as indicated
> in the KPA.
>
> Conditions:
> -  Only about 20W of drive in SSB can result in the “redlining”  … To
> eliminate the redlining, I have to turn drive down to about 18W. … about
> 20W in CW provides about 500W fairly solid.
> -  The K3 is powered by a 70A supply that does not sag much upon K3
> keydown (14V to ~13.7V indicated on K3)
> -  KPA is powered off 240 … I tried two different KPA transformer taps as
> I noticed with yellow tap the supply voltage right about 60V and
> occasionally a little below on key down.  Supply voltage stays well above
> 60V with red tap but same “redlining” of the KPA.
> -  Have tried various mic gain compression settings using dynamic mikes.
> Without amp in-line I do fine with gain 30, compression 20 (10db).  I’ve
> gone as low as gain 15 / compression 15 (~5db) with no impact.
> - I’ve tried various TXG VCE rating from -1.5 to 1.5 … no impact.
> -  ALC on … ext ALC off …. varied these to see if there would be an
> impact.  None.
> -  SWR (to different antennas) is <1.7 w/o KAT500 and <1.3 w/ KAT500
>
>
> What I’ve tried / done:
> -  Gain / compression changes as above
> -  Checked K3 supply voltage and no significant voltage drop on key down
> -  Changed power supply to a 35A powering K3 with no change
> -  Varied KPA transformer taps to ensure supply above 60V
> -  Changed coax between K3 and KPA and KPA and KAT500
> -  Tried with two different antennas / coax runs and had same result
> -  Varied TXG VCE from -1.5 to 1.5
> -  Performed gain calibration on K3
>
>
>
> I’ve had the KPA for about 9 months but primarily operated CW so not sure
> if this is a recent occurrence.  Any other suggestions would be appreciated.
>
> Many thanks, all, and have a wonderful weekend.
>
>
>
> Kindest regards,
>
> Joe
> W1GO
>
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Re: [Elecraft] K3 with subrx - intermittent main RX problem and pwr out

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

Must underscore what Don said. Busted BNC connector/coax wiring is so
very common. If they were hand-done with soldering iron and NOT RG400
coax (teflon, won't melt) or were not crimped with specific tool
required for the specific connector and specific coax, they are more
likely to go bad over time. This is because BNC connections get moved
and moved and moved

The basic rule is never open up the Elecraft case until braine phartes
and *all* external connections are *ruled out*, and in extreme cases
the manual is read.  Save yourself tons of time in the long run.

73, Guy K2AV

On Thu, May 4, 2017 at 9:46 AM, Don Wilhelm  wrote:
> Olaf,
>
> The relays used by Elecraft are quite reliable, so I suspect that is not a
> reasonable source of the problem.  In more than 12 years of repairing the
> Elecraft legacy gear (more than 1200 repairs), I have had to replace only a
> small handful of relays due to failure.  I have replaced several where the
> builder has distorted the case with a soldering iron.
>
> I would double and triple check the SUBIN and SUBOUT connectors.  A
> connector failure is much more likely than a relay failure.
>
> You might contact K3support to see if they have encountered a situation like
> yours before.
>
> 73,
> Don W3FPR
>
> On 5/4/2017 3:31 AM, la3rk wrote:
>>
>> I have a K3 approx 8 years old. Fully equipped with subrx, 100W PA,
>> antenna
>> tuner and in/out module.
>>
>> When I connect the subrx, the main rx sometimes loses signal and at the
>> same
>> time power out goes to zero.
>>
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Re: [Elecraft] Older option boards from K3 upgrade

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

The second K3 listing from top on the Sherwood (old syns) vs the first
K3 listing from top (K3 modded with new syns) is as good an A/B RX
test as you will ever get. Note: there is a separate K3S listing.
Print out the first page of the Sherwood listing in landscape mode,
and then fold the paper to put the two listing lines next to one
another.

It is quite true that many typical and ordinary ham situations will
not demonstrate the difference, but weak signal work on any band,
those improvements will make a difference, because phase noise is not
additive, it modulates band noise. This will have more effect on
signals from low signal RX antennas that are not pre-amped.

My K3 with the new syns is better in sound stage diversity, but that
is in the brain and I don't know the mechanism for the improvement,
hence entirely subjective. I suspect something related to allowing
band noise to come through less modulated by phase noise, but
absolutely zero proof.

On a diversity sound stage, noise is scattered around the "horizon"
with some discrete noise taking fixed positions. The noise sounds less
"muddy" with new syns, that's as good as I can describe that.

I'm still trying to find a series of attachments showing a progression
of phase noise on steady TX carrier with one at a time syn changes
between two close K3 owners. I'm now thinking it was on one of those
Tiny URL kinds of things and perhaps not widely distributed. I don't
have email with attachments regarding that synthesizer test.

And I'm one of the worst at figuring out the secret word to pump a
google search.

And yes, the diff in CQ shaping was obvious in seconds after syn replacement.

There is some stuff on Elecraft's Nabble searchable list showing A/B keying.

73, Guy

On Wed, Apr 26, 2017 at 1:20 AM, Vic Rosenthal  wrote:
> The improvement in QSK performance and elimination of jitter in CW timing was 
> immediately noticeable even without an a/b test. Night and day.
>
> Vic 4X6GP
>
>> On 26 Apr 2017, at 0:06, Guy Olinger K2AV  wrote:
>>
>> Many times, with spectrum analyzer screen prints, etc. Some of those
>> in the near-astounding category.
>>
>> At this point can't refer you to them but you can find them with some 
>> searching.
>>
>> A 3 dB improvement in TX strength will not be noticed either, until it
>> is used in a situation where you're close to or in the noise.
>>
>> Close neighbor hams with a sequence of installing the syns, and screen
>> prints in the reduction in phase noise sidebands for each step, and
>> noticeable improvement in interfering with one another. For me that
>> was the killer demo.
>>
>> The "news" aspect of the syns is pretty well past, so don't see much
>> about it any more.
>>
>> 73, Guy
>>
>>
>>
>>> On Tue, Apr 25, 2017 at 4:33 PM, Wes Stewart  wrote:
>>> I've seen these rave reviews about the new synthesizer many times.  Has
>>> anyone actually done an A/B comparison in real time with two otherwise
>>> identical radios.
>>>
>>> I have a K3 with the original synthesizer (the actual one used to develop
>>> the stiffener plate) and a K3S.  I have not run them side-by-side since I
>>> don't have any test equipment with sufficiently low phase noise to use.
>>> Anecdotally, using them one at a time in day-to-day operation, I haven't
>>> noticed a difference.
>>>
>>> Wes  N7WS
>>>
>>>
>>>> On 4/25/2017 1:14 PM, Guy Olinger K2AV wrote:
>>>>
>>>> I tossed my old synthesizers, in accordance with my dropping my old
>>>> closet hoarder policy of keeping any and all for 40 years to see if it
>>>> might be of any use. I actuarially doubt I will see another 40 years.
>>>>
>>>> The synthesizer mod has met with such documented success, that I
>>>> routinely advise someone looking for a used K3 not to bother unless
>>>> the new synthesizer(s) are in it. Or to work a discount on any K3
>>>> without them to offset the cost of the synthesizer(s) to be done
>>>> immediately.
>>>>
>>>> All this became apparent very early on after the new synthesizers were
>>>> introduced.
>>>
>>>
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Re: [Elecraft] Older option boards from K3 upgrade

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

Roger that. I missed the KXV3 in your post. I upgraded to KXV3B and
gave my now spare KXV3 to a friend filling out a K3 he picked up.
Friend had to pay for the shipping plus a cool one for the trouble of
going to the post office.  :>)

Don't throw away the KXV3. Just throw away the Syn boards.

73, Guy K2AV.

On Tue, Apr 25, 2017 at 5:56 PM, Michael Stringfellow
 wrote:
> Guy:
>
> All noted.  I just hate to trash perfectly good boards when there might be
> someone who could use them.
>
> Not everyone will need the latest KXV3 if they're not too bothered about ten
> and six meters and it's possible someone could even use an old synthesizer
> board.  They are still installed in the majority of K3 rigs out there and,
> as others note, work perfectly acceptably for most users.
>
> Mike
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Re: [Elecraft] Older option boards from K3 upgrade

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

Many times, with spectrum analyzer screen prints, etc. Some of those
in the near-astounding category.

At this point can't refer you to them but you can find them with some searching.

A 3 dB improvement in TX strength will not be noticed either, until it
is used in a situation where you're close to or in the noise.

Close neighbor hams with a sequence of installing the syns, and screen
prints in the reduction in phase noise sidebands for each step, and
noticeable improvement in interfering with one another. For me that
was the killer demo.

The "news" aspect of the syns is pretty well past, so don't see much
about it any more.

73, Guy



On Tue, Apr 25, 2017 at 4:33 PM, Wes Stewart  wrote:
> I've seen these rave reviews about the new synthesizer many times.  Has
> anyone actually done an A/B comparison in real time with two otherwise
> identical radios.
>
> I have a K3 with the original synthesizer (the actual one used to develop
> the stiffener plate) and a K3S.  I have not run them side-by-side since I
> don't have any test equipment with sufficiently low phase noise to use.
> Anecdotally, using them one at a time in day-to-day operation, I haven't
> noticed a difference.
>
> Wes  N7WS
>
>
> On 4/25/2017 1:14 PM, Guy Olinger K2AV wrote:
>>
>> I tossed my old synthesizers, in accordance with my dropping my old
>> closet hoarder policy of keeping any and all for 40 years to see if it
>> might be of any use. I actuarially doubt I will see another 40 years.
>>
>> The synthesizer mod has met with such documented success, that I
>> routinely advise someone looking for a used K3 not to bother unless
>> the new synthesizer(s) are in it. Or to work a discount on any K3
>> without them to offset the cost of the synthesizer(s) to be done
>> immediately.
>>
>> All this became apparent very early on after the new synthesizers were
>> introduced.
>
>
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Re: [Elecraft] Older option boards from K3 upgrade

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

I tossed my old synthesizers, in accordance with my dropping my old
closet hoarder policy of keeping any and all for 40 years to see if it
might be of any use. I actuarially doubt I will see another 40 years.

The synthesizer mod has met with such documented success, that I
routinely advise someone looking for a used K3 not to bother unless
the new synthesizer(s) are in it. Or to work a discount on any K3
without them to offset the cost of the synthesizer(s) to be done
immediately.

All this became apparent very early on after the new synthesizers were
introduced.

Anyone who is adding a KRX3 sub RX to a K3 which still has the old
Synth for the main RX, I tell them to do the synth mod right then,
because the easy time to do that is when the space for the sub RX is
not occupied.

A fully modded K3 is an awesome piece of used electronics, a very good
value. I have noted, watching eBay and sales via this reflector, that
compared to the overall K3 count of nearly 10,000, that only a small
percentage in the low single digits appear to have come up for sale
overall. These days you see one for sale every one or two weeks, which
goes quickly. 25 to 50 units for visible sale out of a universe of
10,000 is a tiny number less than 1%.

I'm sure there are more than that which trade privately. People sell
their K3's to friends and members of their own radio club.

I haven't done the new board that has the built-in sound card and USB
interface. That's because I already have all the stuff working and
debugged to do all those functions without that board, such as true
serial cards in my PC etc. If any of that stuff gets zinged (not
hoping for that), leaving others in a questionable state, I'll do a
wholesale switch to the USB upgrade and remove some number of cables.
Buying a K3S outright requires a financial negotiation with the war
dept, and is highly unlikely unless fire or lightning has turned my K3
into an insurance reimbursement.

In the meantime, my limiting factor is better 160m RX antennas to feed
the remarkable sound-stage diversity possible with the K3/K3S, made
even better with the new synthesizers.

All this contributes to the effectively zero value of the old synthesizers.

73, Guy K2AV



On Tue, Apr 25, 2017 at 12:36 PM, Michael Stringfellow
 wrote:
> I successfully upgraded my late model K3 with the new synthesizer board
> (KSYN3A) and KXV3B and have the removed boards with hardware. I guess there
> may still be some demand for these - is this a good place to ask?
>
> Mike
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Re: [Elecraft] K2 Rev A to Rev B Upgrade

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

Revision B fixed a lot of things.

With your experience, I would do the A:B upgrades and all the other
mods. I'm not sure the DSP board is available any more from Elecraft,
DSP's CPU part not made any more is what I'm remembering.

I did them one at a time, spread out. Not a one or two night project.

The result of all the mods + DSP was impressive. It heard better on
the low bands than my FT1000MP.

73, Guy K2AV

On Fri, Apr 21, 2017 at 10:59 AM, Ralph Perreca  wrote:
> Hi All
> I purchased my Elecraft K2 several months ago Ser # 1913 firmware 1.06F 1.02 
> with ATU And SSB options I am considering doing the Rev A to Rev B upgrade 
> and would like some feedback as to whether it is worth doing and why as well 
> as approx build time for a builder with average experience I have built 
> several small kits and the Elecraft K1
> Thank you
> Ralph
> KD2EJR
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Re: [Elecraft] A little theory

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

Kind of like the sea drawing out before a tsunami :>)

73, Guy K2AV

On Thu, Apr 20, 2017 at 12:08 PM Terry Schieler  wrote:

> Good point.  Here is my "theory" on this OT overload thing, Ron.  When the
> Off Topic contents of the posts become so frequent and overbearing, there
> appears to be a direct correlation with a void in new product announcements
> from the boys at Elecraft, which normally incite On Topic comments that
> fill
> this space.  Perhaps there is something looming on the horizon.  ;o)
>
> 73,  Terry  WØFM
>
>
>
> -Original Message-
> From: Ron D'Eau Claire [mailto:r...@cobi.biz]
> Sent: Tuesday, April 18, 2017 9:45 PM
> To: kev...@coho.net; elecraft@mailman.qth.net; 'QRP-L Mailing List'
> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] A little theory
>
> I forgot to add, if you have any comments, let us take them off the
> Elecraft
> list. The OT Traffic here has been FIERCE  lately, Hi!
>
> 73, Ron AC7AC
>
>
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Re: [Elecraft] Sub Receiver & KBPF3

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

I get the "big hands in small spaces" complaint. I have very small
hands and can do some stuff that some of my friends just simply cannot
do. On the other hand there is no way I can swing a sledge hammer on a
ground rod like they can.

Ham friends that you can bribe with 807's and a backyard grill steak
dinner are very cool.

73, Guy K2AV

On Wed, Apr 19, 2017 at 4:47 PM, M. George  wrote:
> I don't see what all the consternation is about either.  Its not that big
> of a deal and I have the K3XREF (a little less room) in a K3s and a K3 and
> both radios have the sub receiver.  Fiddly???
> 
> really?
> I don't think so.  You need to consider the design!  This isn't a 60lb
> transceiver we are talking about that you can't upgrade hardly at all.
> The foot print and weight as compared to the performance can't be beat and
> the modular design is very impressive.  It's a portable radio!  For real!
> And if you want to talk PITA, try rolling a 60 lb radio around to remove
> this, that or the other.
>
> Taking out a couple of screws and gently lifting up the sub receiver and
> remove the coax connections?  Sheesh... it's like it was the end of the
> world or something.  Take a few pictures with your phone and take your time
> and RTFM!.  Its not like there is a need to remove the sub receiver on a
> weekly basis.  I swear, I think if you were to give a $20 bill to some
> folks, they would complain that you didn't give them two $10 bills. :)
>  Just take your time and install things back again and refer to your
> pictures from your phone and did I mention RTFM?.  And on another note the
> sub receiver as installed is solid and sound mechanically IMHO.
>
> Maybe if I was 99 years old and my fingers were the size of uncooked
> bratwursts and my thumbs were the size of cucumbers, then it would be
> Fiddly (and I chewed my thumb and finger nails profusely).  I say move on
> folks!  Off my soab box... it's getting Fiddly
> up
> here!
>
> Max NG7M
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Re: [Elecraft] OT: Feedline Question

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

Hi, Jim,

What you appear to refer to by "open wire line" is BARE wire with small
spacers widely separated. Performance changes a lot if the "open wire line"
is constructed with unstripped THHN. Particularly with surface tension on
new THHN. Where hung on the level in a misting rain, I have seen a droplet
per centimeter hanging on THHN insulation. Along with a rather large
variation in Z as seen in the shack.

Just one more reason to keep to bare wire. Bare wire sloughs rain.

I remember 300 ohm TV open wire line from bare #18 copperweld with molded
spacers every three inches.

The 300 ohm ladder line if run near a furnace or fireplace flue would "go
bad" on TV channel 2 as well as the UHF channels. There was also this
phenomenon called acid rain which could severely modify electrical
behavior, including etching the copper conductors.

With the PE formed 300 ohm line, the reduction in signal strength could be
blamed on "the rain", which was true in one sense. But since it got better
when it dried up, the PE supported balanced line would never get the blame.

73, Guy K2AV



On Tue, Apr 18, 2017 at 1:37 PM, Jim Brown 
wrote:

> On Tue,4/18/2017 10:10 AM, Guy Olinger K2AV wrote:
>
>> Then there is the loss based on number of spacers and loss tangent of the
>> spacer material modifying the lesser air loss.
>>
>
> Below UHF, loss in transmission line is virtually all due to copper losses
> unless the dielectric material is wet or is otherwise made conductive.
>
> Quite a few years ago, N6WS did some excellent work showing that losses in
> window line are greatly increased when it is wet. His work was published in
> QST and later included in Antenna Compendium #6. It should be required
> reading for anyone considering window line. He measured four types of
> window line and some open wire line he built himself. Putting some numbers
> to it, Wes's measurements showed loss at 50 MHz increased from about 0.4
> dB/100 ft to more almost 6 dB/100 ft when it was wet. The open wire line
> showed no increased loss when wet.
>
> 73, Jim K9YC
>
>
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Re: [Elecraft] Feedline Question

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

Guy, K2AV wrote:

> The constant wire diameter reduces the manufacturing setup and run costs
> passed on to a cheep penny pinching ham population.


Please excuse, that should be "The constant wire SPACING reduces the
manufacturing setup and run costs.

73, Guy K2AV
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Re: [Elecraft] OT: Ground rods and concrete

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

Part of the mental imaging problem here is that our brains, in their
internal emotional response to orders of magnitude, simply cannot scale the
destructive power in lightning. Lightning is quite capable of melting the
leads to six properly done ground rods, AND at the same time blowing up a
perfectly done to code concrete base with reinforcing rods.

It just needs to be a big enough strike. I would guess (zero proof, just a
nagging inclination) that the odds of this are considerably reduced by the
presence of decently tall trees in the immediate vicinity (another lng
discussion).

Anyone who has seen a lightning strike turn three or four cubic yards of
ground dirt into glass in milliseconds, or seen a huge strike on a lake
surface boil water within a 10 foot radius has a good gut based lightning
strike power scaling device.

Every now and then I will get on YouTube and watch the cellphone videos of
the 2011 Japanese Tsunami to remind myself of the absolutely enormous
kinetic energy in a twenty foot high wall of water moving at 20 miles per
hour.

Nature can completely blast any one of us to smithereens if it wants to.
Thankfully that is nowhere near norm.

The question is how much moolah do you want to lay down, how many otherwise
good solutions do you want to shelve, for a rarity? Like how to invest,
that is a very personal decision. Good luck to all.

73, Guy K2AV

On Mon, Apr 17, 2017 at 11:32 PM, Doug Renwick  wrote:

> That myth refuses to die. I have 5 concrete tower bases with ground rods
> partially encased and never a worry about an exploding base.
>
> Doug
>
>
> -Original Message-
>
> -NEVER- encase a ground rod in concrete ... especially a tower base.
>
> As a retired 2-way radio tech, I'm aware of two towers that had to be
> re-installed because of lightening strikes exploding their concrete bases.
>
> 73!
>
> Ken - K0PP
>
>
>
> ---
> This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
> https://www.avast.com/antivirus
>
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Re: [Elecraft] OT: Feedline Question

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

The effect of spacers is a very complex equation. One large modifier to the
end result is the number of spacers per unit of length. Then there is the
issue that the relative permittivity in between spacers reverts to air away
from the spacer. Then there is the area on either side of a spacer where
the effective permittivity blends from that of the spacer to that of air.

Then there is the loss based on number of spacers and loss tangent of the
spacer material modifying the lesser air loss.

Beyond that there is this peculiar ham inclination to use indoor insulated
electrical wire (THHN - rated dry indoors inside conduit only, 600 volts at
60 Hz) for QRO outdoor RF purposes. E.g.
https://www.73cnc.com/product_p/ls31.htm

Figure the wildly variant composition of PVC insulation at manufacture
followed by years of deteriorating UV outdoors.

In the end it is far easier to construct a feedline with a scientific guess
to obtain a target Z zero and then measure and adjust design to hit it on
the head and/or reduce its loss.

In practice there is little difference between 400 and 450 that is not
soaked up by all the tuner or circuitry finaglement we must engage in to
convert a wild range of Z to the narrow, narrow range actually tolerated by
our transistor finals.

Wireman for years has been selling various window lines we all
euphemistically call "450 ohm" which in fact vary between 360 and 440 ohm Z
zero. The reason for the variance is the spacing on all those lines is
identical regardless of the variation in wire diameter.

The constant wire diameter reduces the manufacturing setup and run costs
passed on to a cheep penny pinching ham population. [I include myself as
afflicted by this penny-pinching malaise. I just try to keep this nearly
irresistible inclination from dragging me into stupidity, as it has already
done on some number of occasions.]

73, Guy K2AV


On Tue, Apr 18, 2017 at 11:00 AM, k...@juno.com  wrote:

>
>
> Message: 4
> Date: Tue, 18 Apr 2017 03:31:59 + (UTC)
> From: Al Lorona 
> To: "elecraft@mailman.qth.net" 
> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] OT; Feedline question
> Message-ID: <852881305.2998918.1492486319...@mail.yahoo.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
>
> If instead of using the relative permittivity of air, 1.00059, for
> calculations of open-wire line, you use the effective permittivity
> including any spacers used to homebrew the line, this value will increase
> slightly.
>
>
>
> For instance, I am using spacers made of a material called "nylon 6,6 30%
> glass fiber-reinforced" which happens to have a relative permittivity of
> 3.9. This has the effect of increasing the effective permittivity between
> the wires from 1.00059 to 1.08656. Another way of saying this is that the
> velocity factor goes from 1 (for pure air) to 0.959, or about 96% with the
> spacers. The effect of this is to make the characteristic impedance of the
> line drop from around 480 to around 460 ohms.
>
> ( See http://www.emclab.cei.uec.ac.jp/xiao/Wire/index.html )
>
> This obsessive exercise on my part illustrates that spacers don't make a
> whole lot of difference, but they do make a difference. You may want to
> include their effect or not.
>
> Al  W6LX OM Al, Thank you for taking the time to share your results on
> this forum.
> "That which is not rigorous is meaningless."...Attributed to Blaise
> Pascal The results may not be significant or even of minor interest to
> many, but how would we know had this work not be done and presented here.
> 72, Tim Colbert  K3HX
> 
> "Better Than Adderall" Pill Now Legal For Your State Residents
> Health Tips Daily
> http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL3131/58f62a48922102a474f94st04duc
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Re: [Elecraft] [K2] Odd "Hi Refl"/high current problem only in TUNE

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

Sounds more to me like an arc out in feedline/antenna somewhere. While the
arc is flashed, the feed Z goes very low. And the SWR therefore goes very
high. And it takes less energy to continue the arc than to start it.

The key here is that the SWR changes when the trouble starts.

An antenna is constantly subject to mechanical stress. One thing you can
count on with any antenna you put up is that it will fail at some point and
require maintenance. It's not if, it's when and how.

73, Guy K2AV

On Sun, Apr 16, 2017 at 10:52 AM Steve Kavanagh via Elecraft <
elecraft@mailman.qth.net> wrote:

> This one cropped up just today, with no significant change in my home
> station setup, using a K2/100 on 40m using a low inverted Vee.
>
> Sometimes (typically every other or every third time, but randomly), when
> pushing (and holding) the tune button with the power set to 11 watts or
> more, I get a high reflected power message on an antenna which is matched
> at low power.  The power supply voltage reads about the normal 14V and the
> ammeter in the power supply is pinned at 25 A (or more) when this happens.
> An external SWR meter reads lots of reflected power.  Everything unplugged
> from the rig except the power cable and the coax to the external SWR
> meter/antenna tuner/antenna. It's fine on a dummy load.
>
> I'd suspect a simple RF feedback problem, except that with 100 watts of CW
> everything is perfectly normal.  The problem occurs only when using the
> tune button around the nominal tune-mode 20 watts, so the external SWR
> meter reading implies that the PA is probably oscillating at some frequency
> where the antenna is not matched.  I haven't tried any other bands yet, but
> since there does seem to be RF feedback involved, I'm not sure they will
> tell me much of a diagnostic nature.
>
> Any ideas as to what might be happening and how to stop it?
>
> 73,
> Steve VE3SMA
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Re: [Elecraft] Amber display for the K2?

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

K2 #1239 is green at night when the internal light is on, more gray than
green in daylight. But it definitely is not amber.

I suspect that is a function of the LED's that are lighting the screen,
which appears to be lit from the side, not the back.

73, Guy K2AV

On Tue, Apr 4, 2017 at 2:34 PM, Fred Jensen  wrote:

> The main display on my K2, S/N 4398, is VB on NVB [Very Black on Not Very
> Black].  Works great in sunlight.
>
> 73,
>
> Fred ("Skip") K6DGW
> Sparks NV USA
> Washoe County DM09dn
>
> On 4/4/2017 6:12 AM, Charlie T, K3ICH wrote:
>
>> HI thought they were ALL amber ???
>>
>> What color would you call the stock display, orangey-yellow maybe??
>>
>> Not trying to be funny,( well, maybe just a tad) but what am I missing
>> here?
>>
>> 73, Charlie k3ICH
>>
>>
>>
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Re: [Elecraft] [OT] Re: reply to digest

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

Not everyone wants to use Thunderbird and keep their email on their
local PC. Not everybody is Mozilla enamoured.

Finally weaned my wife off Thunderbird and moved to Gmail, and she now
does her admittedly simple email stuff on her smartphone with Gmail's
app. No more dragging the laptop along on trips and trying to get
connectivity on the RV park's overloaded wireless connection.

> Speak for yourselves, but this was easily (and cleanly) replied to from
> the daily digest, by using Thunderbird's "Reply List" button.
>
> Not everyone wants dozens of separate emails...
>
> 73
>
> Dave G0WBX.
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Re: [Elecraft] K3 loss of rx signal

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

Outdoors, PL259 tightened by hand in cool/cold weather will come loose
in warm weather. This is particularly vexing when the connection is up
on a tower out on a boom to a balun on the driven element.

Pliers plus maxi-sealing against the weather is the rule for these.

The teeth can be misaligned with stiff coax where you have to twist
the coax a bit to get the teeth.

Then there are the female UHF connections where there are only FOUR
notches on the female connection for the two teeth on the male
connector. That's very easy to get wrong.

73, Guy K2AV

On Mon, Apr 3, 2017 at 10:58 AM, Phil Hystad  wrote:
> Don,
>
> In my experience, PL-259s do not get tightened properly when the little teeth 
> on the end do not engage properly.  So, when I tighten PL-259s, I make sure 
> that the teeth fit in together properly and this always gives a snug fit.  
> Note: I am not sure if these are called teeth or not.
>
> In almost 60 years of dealing with PL-259s the only time I needed pliers was 
> to undo the PL-259 connector that I had on my truck that had sealant on it 
> (it was very much in the weather) and stuck besides.
>
> Then again, I don’t ever remember having any loose connection problems with 
> PL-259s either.
>
> 73, phil, K7PEH
>
>
>> On Apr 3, 2017, at 7:42 AM, Don Wilhelm  wrote:
>>
>> Phil,
>>
>> PL-259s depend on tightness to make a good connection to the shield.
>> This is an often overlooked cause of problems.
>> After hand tightening, snug them up just a bit more with pliers if you want 
>> them to be reliable.
>>
>> 73,
>> Don W3FPR
>>
>> On 4/3/2017 10:19 AM, Phil Hystad wrote:
>>>
 On Apr 3, 2017, at 5:25 AM, Nr4c  wrote:

 Don't overlook the obvious.  Check to make sure the connectors are all 
 very tight. "Hand snug" is not good enough!

 Sent from my iPad
 ...bc nr4c
>>>
>>> What do you mean “Hand Snug” is not good enough?
>
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Re: [Elecraft] K3 loss of rx signal

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

On Mon, Apr 3, 2017 at 10:19 AM, Phil Hystad  wrote:
> What do you mean “Hand Snug” is not good enough?

Lordee, I've seen, done, and heard of these things so many times...

PL259 the worst offender, with BNC close second. Mini-coax TMP in a
class by itself.

On the PL259, if the teeth around the edge of the mating shell aren't
aligned to move down into the teeth of the SO239, you can "tighten"
the PL259 to what seems tight, but a temperature change or a jiggle
will let the teeth align. The connector is now loose.  A variety of
"false snugs" can occur with PL259, barrel, SO239 that have been
outdoors and gotten stuff in threads.

BNC's, if not inserted straight on, can seem snug, but not go down all
the way. Then the twist shell can go a distance and won't seem to want
to go any farther. It's very easy to not have enough finger strength
to twist the shell enough to go all the way down.

Mini-coax TMP connectors are bad because if the center pin does not
match inside the socket it won't go down and cause an infamous
intermittent that many have experienced. The flares on the male TMP
have to go down until they are prevented from further insertion by the
socket.

73, Guy K2AV
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Re: [Elecraft] K3 loss of rx signal

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

Could be a relay, however

The most common source of intermittents is cords and connectors that are
either only partially connected or have had wires stressed past breaking
but held together intermittently by insulation, or were never soldered, or
were poorly crimped in manufacture.

Banging on the K3 jiggles all the connections on the back of the K3.

Then there's RCA connectors not pushed in all the way or with too-short
pins for the socket and BNC connectors not twisted home.

RULE OUT the connections before tearing apart your K3.

Then inside there are the TMP mini coax connectors inside the K3 not seated
properly. Then pin connections to reseat several times. All these before
relays.

Relays will usually close again by repeatedly going TX RX TX RX TX RX

Don't ask me how much I tore apart before I figured it out or how close I
came to putting the K3 in the shipping box..

73, Guy K2AV

On Mon, Apr 3, 2017 at 4:43 AM LA7NO  wrote:

> Hello group,
>
> I have several times experienced that the K3 receiver goes 100% dead. Same
> as if no antenna was connected.
> A smart bump on the K3 brings it back to normal.
>
> I suspect a relay. The question is which one?
> Suggestion anyone?
>
> 73,
>
> Per-Tore / LA7NO
>
>
>
>
> --
> View this message in context:
> http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/K3-loss-of-rx-signal-tp7628912.html
> Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
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Re: [Elecraft] K2 main encoder wanted

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

If you can see the bend, very slightly file the "off" side of the shaft and
use aluminum foil to shim the other side of the shaft at the end. This may
relieve the drag.

73, Guy K2AV

On Thu, Mar 23, 2017 at 6:00 AM Bob G3PJT  wrote:

> Yes the shaft is very slightly bent
>
> 73 Bob G3PJT
>
>
> On 23/03/2017 09:51, Vic Rosenthal 4X6GP wrote:
> > Are you certain that a bit of fiber from the felt washer hasn't worked
> > its way between the shaft and the bushing? That is a known problem.
> > 73,
> > Vic, 4X6GP
> > Rehovot, Israel
> > Formerly K2VCO
> > http://www.qsl.net/k2vco/
> > On 23 Mar 2017 11:41, Bob G3PJT wrote:
> >> Hi Don
> >>
> >> Thanks for the reply. I did know about the new encoder kit but the
> >> problem is that of its cost when it gets here.
> >>
> >> Elecraft quote 124USD for the kit, that's £100 here which then gets
> >> VAT at 20% and a local handling charge - say a total of £130-140 and
> >> as well if I read things correctly I will need to get a new knob.
> >>
> >> So you can see that my problem is that unless I can get a cheaper
> >> replacement I might as well sell the K2/100 either in bits for spares
> >> or at a discount.
> >>
> >> The encoder does work fine but it has suffered a knock which has made
> >> it slightly stiff to turn, i.e it wont 'spin', but it is useable.
> >>
> >> So thanks for the thoughts
> >>
> >> 73 Bob G3PJT
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >
>
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Re: [Elecraft] OT: RFI problem on 80,40 with AT&T Uverse

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

I had this problem in spades especially 160. In the end, after some number
of repairs to AT&T cabling, etc, the replacement of a 2Wire 3800 gateway
box with a 3801 killed it dead.

IF you have a 3800, it will need to be replaced, although the sudden
appearance seems to sound like something suddenly gone wrong. Make sure all
the little telephone plugs get exercised to clean them up and see if it
"suddenly" goes away.

In any event back in 2011 I was involved in a very careful staged repair,
item by item to see what items made any difference. From my situation and
about a dozen parallel similar extended careful replacement exercises, AT&T
seems to have it solved and the solution is in their "book".

So just let them do their thing.

73 and good luck,

Guy K2AV


On Fri, Mar 17, 2017 at 3:37 PM, John Saxon via Elecraft <
elecraft@mailman.qth.net> wrote:
> Off topic, but perhaps others have had the same problem.
> I have a K3/100 + ATU (ser#3542), purchased as a kit in 2009.  No
problems with RFI until April of 2016.  All of a sudden RFI on 80,40(didn't
try 160).  Been off these bands ever since, although all my buddies hang
out on 40.  Have had AT&T out 4 times, no help.
> OK...I just found an AT&T Uverse user forum that discuss this very thing,
same symptoms as mine, with a ham participating.  If I am reading it
correctly, they are saying that the bands that Uverse uses for multiplexing
includes 160,80 & 40 frequencies.  One of the contributors said that AT&T
eventually upgraded his equipment, including replacing some twisted-pair
cables with CAT5 cables, and it solved the problem.  I am supposed to get a
call Monday from an AT&T guy who is familiar with this.  But I would like
input from my Elecraft ham buddies.
> Anyone out there experienced this before?  I don't think it is just me.
Anyone out there had this problem with AT&T Uverse and gotten it fixed?
> Reply off-line if you wish, but I believe there may be several on this
reflector who would find responses useful to them.
> Thanks!JohnK5ENQ
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Re: [Elecraft] Linear thoughts

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

On Fri, Mar 17, 2017 at 2:21 PM, Wayne Burdick  wrote:
> The what?

K4.

Whatever the K3x finally evolves to, plus a front-end that does
brainwave interpretation by a combination brainwave detector,
microphone, headphone, computer display, eye reading device that looks
like an inverted colander.

No keyboard, no key, no knobs, no buttons, just a monitor display to
show you what state everything is in.

G.
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Re: [Elecraft] Linear thoughts

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

KPA1500?

QSK. Bombproof. IF possible, amp only in K3 form factor, separate
power supply regulated with sense line from the amplifier module.
KAT1500 with ability to place it remotely, able to place KAT1500
control buttons in an otherwise blank spot on KPA1500 front panel.
KAT1500 with memory per antenna jack per frequency. KPA/KAT
communication via telemetry over coax center conductor.

73, Guy K2AV

On Fri, Mar 17, 2017 at 1:06 PM, Eric Swartz - WA6HHQ, Elecraft
 wrote:
> Interesting discussion.
>
> Folks, if we did introduce a 1500 W solid state amp similar to our KPA500 in
> operation, what features etc would be important?
>
> 73,
> Eric
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Re: [Elecraft] K3 upgrade to K3S question

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

The synthesizer upgrade makes a huge improvement in any medium CW speed
operation and gets rid of a slight irregularity in CW formation when keying
slower  tx/rx transition amps. That's in addition to the superb lowering
and narrowing of phase noise.

I have this half notion to get a single rx K3 without tuner as "other RX"
offband and rebuild platform in case other K3 has to go to Aptos, to keep
me on the air. Move tuner from existing K3 to single rx one which becomes
the field day rig. Never needed diversity at fd. Keeps me from having to
undo all the home K3 wiring for fd.

Point is that single rx K3 would have to have syn mod, or reduction in
price.

Moving forward for market value it has to have mods. Especially syns, D DSP
and gold pins if early version.

Since I have existing Microham stuff, serial cards in PC, etc, USB in K3S
doesn't help me with anything.

Still would like to have the K3S upgraded audio board for K3. When's that
coming out? Been waiting.

73, Guy K2AV

On Sun, Mar 12, 2017 at 1:56 PM James Walker 
wrote:

> When faced with the upgrade question, my choice for spending the money was
> to try out the IC-7300. I wouldn’t contend that the IC-7300 is equal to the
> K3S/P3, but the K3 and the IC-7300 combination may be more fun than the
> upgraded K3S for the same money.
>
> Jimmy Walker
> WA4ILO
> Macon, GA
>
> On Mar 12, 2017, at 1:41 PM, Jim Brown  j...@audiosystemsgroup.com>> wrote:
>
> I consider that a real bargain for upgrading a 2008 vintage radio (when
> the K3 was introduced) to a 2015 vintage radio.  Compare that with the cost
> of upgrading a YaKenCOM rig -- buy a new one.
>
> 73, Jim K9YC
>
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Re: [Elecraft] RX Mush, why the fuss?

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

There is some conflation of two quite different concepts going on here.

The first thing you need to know about an AGC response graph is the speed
that the incoming signal was varied to produce the curve. In many cases,
the input signal was steady state from a signal generator, set to a list of
input levels, observing output levels, both recorded in Excel, and the
resultant data pairs used to create a graph line. In this case the input
variation speed is zero. This is a static analysis.

If the input signal was **amplitude**-swept at audio rates, and together
with the output signal, used to provide the X, Y values to drive an
oscilloscope, then you have a dynamic analysis.

At this point it is good to make a note of what test equipment you are
familiar with that will provide an **amplitude**-swept, steady frequency
signal.

Inferences from a static AGC analysis and AGC induced IMD are apples and
oranges.

The second thing that bears heavily is the attack and decay speeds.

Attack speeds are usually quick. If the attack and decay are **BOTH**
quick, and that actual attack/decay is at an audio rate, then there is a
case for distortion, because the variable gain can actually work at an
audio rate.

The question is whether the attack/decay cycle can continuously recur
because the decay goes down as fast as the attack goes up, then intermod is
indeed possible on a grand scale. However if the decay effectively holds
the AGC gain level at a point set by the attack, delaying even as little as
100 milliseconds, then the AGC cannot create audio distortion products
except very short low frequency distortion products only at AGC attacks.

Since well before the significant AGC changes in firmware 4.7x (or whatever
that one was), I have been running my slow AGC (CONFIG: AGC-S) at maximum
fast, and my fast AGC (CONFIG: AGC-F) at maximum slow. In retrospect, that
was probably why I never heard the stuff that a lot of people were
complaining about.

In contests I always use my max fast setting slow AGC, and back off the RF
gain when I have primarily very loud signals in pile-ups to get the signals
out of hardware AGC range, which has zero intelligent tweaks available.

[And yes I have just about guaranteed pile-ups in contests with for-credit
USA to USA QSO's, because of RBN spots which pick up everyone. Those are
"spotting pile-ups" and assisted or unlimited class folks using point and
click on the band map or control characters to move to the next unworked
station.]

My exception to using max fast setting slow AGC is when I'm trying to copy
through lightning static, and need to hear weaker stations down in between
the crashes. Then I use my max slow setting fast AGC.

To summarize, in order for AGC to create audio distortion products strictly
from the AGC, the AGC must be responding at an audio rate. Frankly, why
would anyone want to set it that way escapes me.

To Wayne, I would like to be able to set a minimum hold for fast AGC as
well. That with a fast decay, would be better than what we have.

Decay rate is something left over from analog days, when the way you
decayed AGC was letting a capacitor discharge.

73, Guy K2AV

On Fri, Mar 3, 2017 at 3:02 AM, David Gilbert 
wrote:

>
> I've had my K3 since 2008 or so, and over the years I've seen people
> describe different forms of "mush".  One set of comments indeed involved
> complaints about the hard limit at the upper end that has nothing to do
> with AGC.  It is, as you say, simply a hard limit ... pretty much a clipper
> to protect the ears (and maybe also to help protect the output stage in the
> speaker driver before that issue got addressed).  That creates a
> distortion, but it's not really what I would describe as "mush."
>
> The nonlinearity I described in my earlier post was at the opposite end of
> the curve ... down where the AGC just begins to kick in.  As W6LX says,
> it's a nonlinearity in the curve, and no matter what you call it that
> contributes to the generation of mixing products from multiple signals that
> happen to be at roughly the same level within the passband.  The low end of
> Jack Smith's plots showed that pretty clearly.  During some of my contest
> runs, individual signals were perfectly clear and distinguishable, two not
> terrible, but even three signals could generate enough mixing products to
> cause problems if they were low enough in volume and close enough in
> frequency.  Since I typically operate with a very narrow passband (about
> 150 HZ on CW), the mixing products end up very close to the real signals.
> For example, 2x500Hz - 510 Hz gives another phantom signal at 490 Hz.
> Things get really messy with three or more signals.
>
> It is also, possible, of course, to get mixing anywhere there is a knee in
> the AGC curve, but if you put the knee up higher there is less likelihood
> that multiple signals will be of the same amplitude to cause a problem (one
> will dominate), and their amplitude swings will range further afield o

Re: [Elecraft] RX Mush, why the fuss?

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

One problem here is that a lot of the discussion has been in analog terms.

We have to remember that in the K3, the digital AGC controlled by the AGC
parms is just that, a digital algorithm. What it does has nothing to do
with diodes. It can do anything weird and completely non analog resembling,
it only cares about the program code.

The graphs I have seen are entirely based on steady or very slow moving
signal states, not a photo of an audio rate amplitude varying signal
traversing the AGC knee. They seem intended, well-enough done, just to
convey the rudimentary function variants.

You need to have the program code to estimate exactly what is happening to
the AGC at audio rates. Good luck with that.

The only control you have over the non parameterized hardware AGC is to
reduce the gain in front of it so it isn't engaged. You can't turn it off,
it's always potential if the signal coming through the roofing filter is
getting up to around 20 over 9.

If you have a pile-up of 20 over signals, it's time to turn off PRE, or
turn on ATT, or back off the RF gain. Otherwise you are engaging the
hardware AGC, not sophisticated, which is only there to properly range
input to the ADC chip.

This ain't your grand-daddy's analog radio.

73, Guy

On Thu, Mar 2, 2017 at 11:16 PM, Al Lorona  wrote:

> Oh no! I fear this is going to get bogged down in definitions. From
> Wikipedia:
>
>
> "Limiting can refer to non-linear clipping, in which a signal is passed
> through normally but 'sheared off' when it would normally exceed a certain
> threshold. It can also refer to a type of variable-gain audio level
> compression, in which the gain of an amplifier is changed very quickly to
> prevent the signal from going over a certain amplitude.
> * Hard limiting ("clipping") is a limiting action in which there is
> * (a) over the permitted dynamic range, negligible variation in the
> expected characteristic of the output signal, and
> * (b) a steady-state signal, at the maximum permitted level, for the
> duration of each period when the output would otherwise be required to
> exceed the permitted dynamic range in order to correspond to the transfer
> function of the device."
>
>
>
> AGC of the type we're discussing falls under this definition, and not the
> non-linear "back-to-back diode" clipping you might be thinking of. Look at
> the first graph under the section titled "Adjusting AGC SLP" and observe
> that for Slope=15, above about -104 dBm, the output follows a horizontal
> line. Moreover, the very first table that follows that graph shows that
> with Slope=15 if the input increases by 10 dB the output increase is
> virtually zero. That transfer characteristic is what audio engineers call
> "hard limiting".
>
> I also fear we may be talking past each other when we say 'linear' and
> 'nonlinear'. The AGC curve is 'nonlinear' in the sense that if we pour more
> RF input into the receiver, the output doesn't get any bigger. It's like
> that by design. All I was saying is that it doesn't sound good to me. I'm
> very happy there is Slope = 5.
>
> Call it whatever you want; the curve speaks for itself.
>
> Al  W6LX
>
>
>
>
> >>> There is a huge difference between AGC action (which is
>
> >>> simply a reduction in gain with linearity retained) and hard limiting.
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Re: [Elecraft] Elecraft QSK

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

I've lost four vacuum relays in three different amps. All the failures
occurred in a contest.

#$%**&^@!))(#

Why was that?  Easy to see after cooling down and some minor reflection:

99% of my QSK is in contests because without CW traffic nets, that is the
only place I need it. Which further means that 99.95% of the relay closures
occurred in contests while I was still running amps running QSK. So what
does that do to the odds of failure of the relay in a contest?

Having an intelligent speed sensitive word spaced PTT rail, from the WinKey
chip that knows when the string is actually starting and ending, means the
amp clicks on at the beginning of the logger-generated character stream
passed on by WinKey and clicks off at the end and there is never any
hot-switching.

I get to decide why I don't want to replace those relays based on my own
reasons:

Losing an amp in the middle of a great run in a contest p***es me off. Why
in the middle of a great run? Where *else* would you expect to see the
longest most intense QSK use of a T/R switching relay? The least amount of
cooling off time matched with maximum heat stress?

I can't throw around 80 pound things any more. I have to get one of the
local grandsons or great nephews in for an evening to horse it out of the
operating position for me, lug it to the workbench and then return it. Just
too much work for my back. If I drop it I could really badly hurt myself. I
have seen elder fellows in silly accidents like that turn an active life
into a years-shortened bed-ridden one.

And take risks to prove what? Win an argument about the QSK contest
life-span of a Jennings vacuum relay?

I hear very different stories than you put forward about the Alpha pin
diodes. Congrats on on your pin diode success. Couple of fellas I know/knew
had the same set of 8874's in their Alpha 76A's for the entire couple
decades they owned them. But I have no basis to call their experience
typical either.

As to the switching diodes, as I hear rumors, the availability of less
expensive and more reliable diodes for switching is but one of the reasons
for the KPA500 power break at 500 watts instead of 1500. Those kinds of
diodes were in my failed Ameritron QSK-5 box that I used with my Ameritron
AL-1200. After the third diode blowout failure in the QSK-5, I gave up on
it.

It became clear that I was going to have to adjust everything to favor not
blowing the QSK-5 diodes.

So way back, W2CS and I decided to have an amp mod party and built a
then-new AG6K QSK board into four of our amps. Interesting, the RJ1A style
vacuum relay that wound up in W2CS' SB220 has lasted a decade still in
service while a specific few RJ1A style relays in contest use on the same
Dick Measures board did not made it for a year. As best as I could tell,
the relay closure time goes long as the relay gets heated up and the
resultant hot switching does the rest. It was clearly not the AG6K boards.

I have a KPA500 and it is always used with my KAT500 which is preset for
the band. It is my never-worry-about-incoming-SWR run up and down the band
QSK S&P amp/tuner for 160 and 80. I have not forgotten the lessons from the
QSK-5. On 160 the KAT can take the L/FCP up to 1925 and probably higher.

Running the K3 QSK, hearing in between the dits on an RX antenna, and the
8410 T/R on the WinKey intelligent word space bridging PTT, there's just no
good reason anymore to flagellate the 8410's T/R relay. Best of the fast
and best of the slow at the same time.

73, Guy K2AV

On Tue, Feb 28, 2017 at 6:16 PM  wrote:

> The Elecraft KPA500 silent QSK is achieved without expensive PIN diodes
> but rather with relatively inexpensive switching diodes. I’ll guess that
> the 1500 watt Elecraft prototype amp of some years ago used a similar
> inexpensive, silent design.
>
> Avoiding QSK should be because of operator preference not because of fear
> of relay failure. In the case of operating non-QSK, it’s vital for the
> operator to keep calls short and not be caught in a cycle of doubling with
> the DX that’s heard all too often.
>
> My Alpha 87A of 17 years or so has never had a PIN diode failure. When the
> 87A was first introduced there were indeed PIN diode failures. This was
> attributed to a bad batch (or batches?) of PIN diodes. Subsequent runs of
> 87A's ceased to exhibit PIN diode failures. Yet the urban legend persists
> that 87A’s should be avoided because of the PIN diodes - which are
> expensive to replace.
>
> The real question is why amplifier manufacturers continue to use vacuum
> relays when inexpensive switching diodes can do the job. Thank you Elecraft.
>
> 73 - Steve WB6RSE
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Re: [Elecraft] 80 Metre Verticals

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

Concurring with Tom, assuming you have the polarity of the X correct, and
there's more.

A short 1/4 wave-ish vertical that shows R=57 in the R+jX expression is a
vertical/counterpoise or radial(s) combo that has far too much resistance
and is a dead giveaway for a considerably inefficient antenna and may be
wasting 3 dB somewhere.

A full quarter wave vertical over 60 1/4 wave radials should be showing
32-35 ohms at resonance, e.g. 33+j0. A theoretical 1/4 wave L in free space
with lossless conductors should be 12-15 ohms. In the real world over real
dirt with an efficient counterpoise, and lacking various possible
real-world inefficiencies an L should be something roughly 25 ohms. Mine is
28 ohms on a calm day over dried out dirt.

Frankly, if it really is efficient, 57-j130 sounds like a fairly *longer*
than 1/4 wave-ish L aerial wire over an FCP without using an isolation
transformer. A bad idea for a stack of reasons.

Otherwise, there is likely a lot of dielectric material inside the bend of
the L adding loss in the R measurement in addition to 32-35 ohms. An
efficient L should show lower R yet to be efficient. Mine is 28 ohms,
measured with an AIM4170 with a calibrated feedline factored out by the
software. An occasional measurement right at the feed is always very close.

In your case R = 57 instead of R = 28 probably means that something like 29
ohms of that 57 is recoverable loss for some reason or other.

73, Guy K2AV


On Tue, Feb 28, 2017 at 10:05 AM, Tom Boucher  wrote:

> Fred,
> If your inverted 'L' was a bit less than a quarter wave long, it would have
> been capacitive and showing 57-j130  (not plus). In which case you needed a
> small inductor to match it to your 50 ohm coax, not a capacitor.
>
> 73,
> Tom G3OLB
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Re: [Elecraft] K3 Receiver mush

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

On Sun, Feb 26, 2017 at 12:24 PM, Mike Cox  wrote:

> If CONFIG:PB CTRL is set to .01 in CW mode, then, per the function
> description in the K3 Owners Manual (pp. 62 in Manual Revision A1), you
> will be limited to the Shift/Width controls mode only. Change PB CTRL to
> .05 and you will also enable LO/HI cut on the controls.


The K3 Owners Manual is up to revision D10 dated 8/24/2011 with errata
D10-8 dated 3/31/2015.

Seeing as both are PDF's and fully searchable, probably need to be current
as opposed to something dated back in 2007. Only 8 years out of date.

However, the warning you quoted is still in the newer text.

For myself, not being able to do 10 Hz shift is an issue for CW and the
very steep skirts using a roofing filter with DSP width set to the roofer
width. If the guy up or down gets a little too loud, just a dime Hz shift
or two or three will drop him right out. 50 Hz is way too coarse for that.

Also for normal QSK (not the one which turns on the display +), which *is*
very good with the new synthesizers, I do NOT lose RIT or XIT in QSK. With
the new syns regular QSK is more than adequate to hear between dits or
letters at 30 wpm on the RX antenna.

This is in spite of my having the Microham box and it's built-in WinKey
functions set for unbroken PTT assert to the Alpha 8410 on the TX antenna
until a word space has gone by. The K3 can't do RX/TX one way and it's PTT
out another.

So what I have is the very best of the fast and the very best of the slow
at the same time. I only hear in the right ear on the subRX when the 8410
is keyed, and I hear in between the dits. This allows me to hear when
someone calls late, just a bit after I start calling CQ again on a run.

Best of the fast.

But even though the K3 is cycling TX/RX very fast the 8410 is not banging
the vacuum relay to death trying to follow 30 wpm dits. 30 wpm QSK *does*
significantly shorten relay time to failure. Contesting, I've worn some out
in less than a year.

So to save me that, the Microham box keys up the amp with it's PTT before
it starts the key sequence to the K3. That's because *both* the paddle and
the PC logging program stream go to the Microham box which in turn keys the
K3. I also have inverted the Microham PTT keying to control 12 volt supply
to protect some sensitive stuff, better off not powered during TX.

Best of the slow.

Gotta say, if you don't have the new syns in your K3, that is an absolute
top-run improvement.

73, Guy K2AV
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Re: [Elecraft] Can not connect KIO3B USB with my MacMini

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

From the K3S manual, p. 18:

*Set the CONFIG:RS232 menu parameter to USB. Exit the menu.* • With the USB
cable plugged in and the K3S turned on, determine which COM or sound device
ports have been assigned to the K3S. This can be done from within
applications. On Windows PCs, an alternative is to locate the Device
Manager (Start > Control Panel > System > Hardware), and view its list of
Ports. When you plug in the USB cable from the K3S, a new COM port will
appear in the list.

If you don't have this item set, the K3 won't recognize the USB connection
and will be expecting a serial port connection. In your MAC look for new
connections after you set CONFIG:RS232 to USB.

If it's already at USB and won't recognize, then you need to call Elecraft
tech support.

73, Guy

On Sat, Feb 25, 2017 at 1:42 PM, PHILIP GRAITCER  wrote:

> I am unable to connect the USB on my K3, modified with a KIO3B set of
> boards, to my MacMini, running OS10.9.5. I am not able to connect it to my
> MacbookPro running Sierra, 10.12.3, either. My Macs simply do not see the
> USB port. If I look at the “About This Mac” report on the Macs, I see that
> a “General Purpose USB Hub” is connected when the USB cable from the K3 to
> the Apple products is connected. I have made sure I have the latest
> drivers. I have tried different USB cables. I have Googled and can not find
> an explanation or a solution. I have done several system resets.
> Occasionally when I plug the USB cable into the Mini, but not the Pro, I
> get a message “USB Devices disabled - please disconnect the device drawing
> too much power” - doing that seems to do nothing. But I understand the
> KIO3B draws only 90ma and the Mini puts out 500ma.
>
> Elecraft has told me that they have users who have Macs and KIO3B working.
>
> Has anyone have a suggestion what I should do to fix this? The KIO3B
> boards were installed by Elecraft so I assume it left the factory working,
> although I have not ruled out a short or defect in the board that may have
> occurred
> .
>
> I have not tried the K3/board with a Windows computer but the same thing
> happens when I try to find the ports on Windows10 in Bootcamp.
>
> Thanks in advance for any help.
>
> Phil, W3HZZ
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Re: [Elecraft] K3 Receiver mush

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

Sounds like very strong signals with fast agc with its decay set well into
fast range. And if you have stations using spot frequency that will really
muddle them.

I have my fast agc set to its slowest possible decay and my slow agc set to
fastest possible decay. Then I only use the fast in heavy qrn.

73, Guy K2AV

On Tue, Feb 21, 2017 at 9:26 AM W0MU Mike Fatchett  wrote:

> We noticed again during the contest hat when 3 or 4 stations called, all
> those signals would be flattened to the same level. Once you got to
> where one or two stations were calling the signal level would pop up
> substantially.
>
> I have played endlessly with slope and threshold with little effect.
>
> My K3 has the new syn boards as well and filters from 2.8 to 2.5.
> Latest firmware etc.
>
> Are others still seeing this issue?
>
> W0MU
>
>
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Re: [Elecraft] K3 QRQ

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

Yup. The syn upgrade is an awesome mod.  73, Guy K2AV

On Sun, Feb 19, 2017 at 4:16 PM NE9U - Scott Jasper 
wrote:

> That explains things...My k3 has the S update and seems good.  The other
> one doesn't and is real stuttery at 38+
>
> Scott
>
>
> Scott - NE9U
>
> Sent from my Republic Wireless Cray 1
> On Feb 19, 2017, at 4:34 PM, Guy Olinger K2AV  wrote:
>
> Do you have the new synthesizers? The CW qrq timing issues were greatly
> improved with the new syns. That was matter of less time for the syns to
> settle.
>
> There is also a regular and fast qrq.
>
> 73, Guy K2AV
>
> On Sun, Feb 19, 2017 at 12:00 PM NE9U - Scott Jasper < skjas...@att.net>
> wrote:
>
> Has a solution to stuttery cw been posted for k3 qrq?
> I know there is a cw qrq on/off but first time RIT is invoked it shuts
> off
>
> Thanks
>
>
> ⁣Scott - NE9U
>
> Sent from my Republic Wireless Cray 1​
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Re: [Elecraft] K3 QRQ

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

Do you have the new synthesizers? The CW qrq timing issues were greatly
improved with the new syns. That was matter of less time for the syns to
settle.

There is also a regular and fast qrq.

73, Guy K2AV

On Sun, Feb 19, 2017 at 12:00 PM NE9U - Scott Jasper 
wrote:

> Has a solution to stuttery cw been posted for k3 qrq?
> I know there is a cw qrq on/off but first time RIT is invoked it shuts
> off
>
> Thanks
>
>
> ⁣Scott - NE9U
>
> Sent from my Republic Wireless Cray 1​
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Re: [Elecraft] ECOM scare -- FW: Soldering lesson

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

On Sun, Feb 19, 2017 at 3:37 AM, Edward R Cole  wrote:

> One other consideration,if using metal tools around high current sources
> (like batteries or power supplies): Shorting the terminals may cause rapid
> heating and result in explosions.  An exploding lead-acid battery can hit
> you with shrapnel and acid which can burn you, blind you, or cause death!


Back in the way-back when I was a young communications tech (still had
hair) working for AT&T in Wash DC, the long distance office I worked in had
a 10,000 ampere 12 volt DC supply which supplied entire floors of Western
Electric 310A and 311 vacuum tube filaments, plus other stuff. Was
motor-generators plus floating battery backup. Single cell low gravity lead
acid batteries, about 20x20 inches and 5 feet tall, four strings in
parallel.

The bus bar hook up leading out of the battery room to distribution panels
was four 1 inch thick, 4 inch tall solid bars in parallel for the positive
rail and the same for the negative rail. So the DC conductor was a pair of
"wires" that each had 16 square inches of copper cross section.

It was not insulated, and anyone working in there had to have all metal
jewelry, watches etc removed. Also all tools except for the tip had to be
wrapped in this gunky black cloth tape, two wraps deep. No exceptions, ever.

A contract employee was in there once, and went in there with a large
unwrapped wrench, working over the top of the bus bars. He dropped the
wrench across the plus and minus bars, which were separated by about six
inches, way more than enough to insulate for 12 volts.

Accounts said that there was a flash and both ends of the wrench vanished
into metallic vapor. The center portion dropped through the gap without
ever losing speed and bounced on the concrete floor. It was so hot it
burned leather gloves. The speculation was that the battery line could
easily have supplied a pulse of 30,000 or 40,000 amps. On one occasion I
saw the load ammeter go over 10,000 amps.

Dunno if the idiot that went in there with an unwrapped wrench got canned
or not, and don't know if he suffered eye injuries from the flash. Rumor
was that he immediately left the battery room and exited the building.

The amps that can be supplied by modern lithium batteries are so high that
it can destroy and even explode the battery.

All prior warnings of this sort in these threads are definitely
well-founded and probably understated if anything.

73, and may you never melt down any of *your* wrenches,

Guy K2AV
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Re: [Elecraft] paddles directly to K3 - not working

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

Hi, Jorge,

The Key jack is for a hand key, bug, or a binary keyed stream from the
logging program/WinKey box/etc.

Paddles directly to the K3 internal keyer need to be connected to the
"PADDLE" jack and the only way to affect the speed of the K3 internal keyer
is the speed control on the front panel of the K3.

73, Guy K2AV

On Fri, Feb 17, 2017 at 3:02 PM, Jorge Diez - CX6VM 
wrote:

> Hello
>
> after many year with paddles connected to SO2R and WKUSB boxes, now I want
> to setup a second station for the contest.
>
> All is OK with N1MM sending messages stores in function keys, but I
> couldn´t get working the paddles connected directly to KEY in the back of
> K3
>
> No send dits, and dots are very slow and dont vary if I increase SPEED in
> the K3
>
> Any suggestions to check in MENU or CONFIG?
>
> thanks!
> Jorge
> CX6VM/CW5W
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Re: [Elecraft] [OT] end-fed halfwave antennas

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

In spite of ON4UN's 4.3, I stand by my prior statements concerning the
excellence of end-fed half wave antennas (EFHW), and their non-existent
requirements for vast counterpoise. In that specific regard, ON4UN is
unfortunately off the mark. More on that below.

Those of you using the becoming popular (?) EFHW portable antennas with
your excellent Elecraft portable rigs, you do NOT need to worry about
putting down a dense 0.35 wavelength radial field for them to work very
nicely.

I've had 50 plus years experience with 80m EFHW antennas, particularly the
EFHW inverted L or EFHWL. I, and all those I have helped install one to
improve their signal, have had very successful experience with EFHW aerial
wires. It's long-term lack of general popularity among hams has always been
curious to me. I personally attribute that to the lack of a robust
commercial **remote** tuner **made for the purpose** to go at the base. An
off-the-shelf version has always been needed to serve hams who for whatever
reason are unable or disinclined to construct these devices for themselves.

None of this 50+ years of excellent EFHW experience included a 0.35
wavelength radial field. They all included very minimalist counterpoise,
including maybe one hand's worth fed against a ground rod. I remember one
just outside a window and within a few feet of the property line. I never
recommended a ground rod, but I must admit that those worked tremendously
better than what they were previously using. And it was their house, not
mine. Who knows what kind of blowback they were getting about antennas.
Back then radio could put lines through TV signals and create next door
enemies.

I will further add that an 80 meter end-fed halfwave L, and against very
minimalist ground or counterpoise, is arguably the **best** single wire
80/75m antenna for **both** DX and local contacts, and as such a real
winner for small lot situations. Especially for those small lotters where a
hundred foot radius for Mr. Devoldere's 0.35 wavelength dense 80m radial
field runs into the street and through three or four adjacent houses :>)

At my place that would be through my house, across my driveway, through
neighbor Tim's deer fence, across his driveway and into his wife's flower
garden, and toward the back into dense woods where radials are problematic
elevated or buried.

According to Mr Devoldere, that shouldn't work.

OK. Then do this:

http://3830scores.com/editionscores.php?arg=RNfmy1zEgqmmL

On the "Sort by" line set "show" to USA and click on "go"

Do a CTRL-F on K2AV. That will be 256 Q's, 18 zones and 80 countries in a
distracted, very part-time single band effort. Not bragging (I hate
bragging along with most everyone else), but if minimal counterpoise is no
good for voltage-fed antennas, then explain that score by a distracted
decent but otherwise hardly-a-genius operator.

The antenna was an 80EFHWL over a 160m FCP flipped to 80m (explained
elsewhere). That's essentially an elevated pair of 0.125 wavelength wave
radials, +/- 33 feet. Not on the same planet as a dense 0.35 radial field.
So then how does one reconcile the ON4UN ain't gonna work text with most of
a single weekend 80m DXCC in a frequently interrupted part-time effort?

This 80EFHWL was 80m dual-use-ing my 160 inverted L over an FCP, with no
loading coils or additional radiating wires. We have proven this technique
at two other stations with excellent results. More on that, later,
elsewhere.

Back in the day I had an 80EFHWL with two 15 foot buried bare wires running
away from a basement window as a counterpoise. On 80 meters and living in
New York state, taking message traffic on the Eastern Area Net, I was one
of the handful of stations able to consistently check directly into the
Pacific Area Net and forward that traffic directly to Pacific coast
stations when the normal off-net relay failed to show up earlier on 40 or
20 meters. And that was when 4 811A's running the then 1 kW **input** legal
limit could only put about 700 watts on the antenna.

I do have ON4UN's book, and have always and still do hold him in high
regard. But he, like some number of others, have been led astray by Brown's
curious assertion about halfwaves. That's the Brown from Brown, Lewis, and
Epstein of the famous 1937 RCA study on towers and radials.

That ground current format is not duplicated in a NEC4 model of a base-fed
halfwave vertical. Brown's assertions in this regard have pretty well been
discarded as a model for ground current. Instead what you see in NEC4 has
largely been adopted. In deference to Mr. Brown, many of us (including me)
still harbor an unsatisfied curiosity as to what/where those measurements
and assertions really came from, given our very high regard for the rest of
his work.

A potential clue is that modeling a vertical halfwave **grounded** at the
base, and **fed up at the center**, DOES show the increasing current and
fields peaking out at the extremes of the radial field. Could it be that
Mr. Br

Re: [Elecraft] EFHW

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

On the low bands most end fed half waves are inverted L's or fairly close
and for very good reason.  That's due to the kind of support people
commonly have for an 80 meter wire that's a total of 135 feet long.

Most commonly, a pair of trees, a horizontal wire between them, and at one
end of it connected to a wire dropping vertically to the ground plus some
kind of matching network at the ground or elevated counterpoise. The only
weight is the aerial wire itself, no heavy baluns or coax in the air to rob
the "L" of height.

73, Guy K2AV

On Sun, Feb 12, 2017 at 1:29 PM, Don Wilhelm  wrote:

> Wes,
>
> I do not doubt what you are saying about 1/2 wave verticals, but most EFHW
> antennas are mounted as a sloper or a horizontal antenna.
>
> For portable operation, the main concern is for the ability to feed the
> antenna, and not about maximizing the far field strength.
>
> 73,
> Don W3FPR
>
> On 2/12/2017 12:34 PM, Wes Stewart wrote:
>
>> Alas, if only this was true.
>>
>> Google "radial system design and efficiency in hf verticals" and you
>> should get a cached version of Rudy Severns' paper of the same name.  In
>> it he states:
>>
>> "Alternately we can graph efficiency in terms of Ga as shown in figures
>> 3 and 4. Unfortunately this also shows how inefficient verticals are
>> even over very good ground. Very depressing! For example, with very good
>> soil (0.02/30) and 128 1/2-wave radials, the efficiency of a 1/4-wave
>> vertical is still only -2.76 dB (53%)!"
>>
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Re: [Elecraft] [OT] end-fed halfwave antennas

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

The EFHW antenna was not invented by anyone alive today. It is very
definitely a classic antenna. It's just a very efficient antenna that has
gone through periods of forgotten usefulness.

An end-fed 80m half wave L, or other "bent" form, is an antenna that has
been used successfully at least since 1957 when I first saw one as a 14
year old. The at-the-time 52 year old AM BC chief engineer who explained it
to me, alas, is long gone. He would be 111 today.  No one used center
loading coils back then. Puts the max current in the antenna on the loading
coil. If you couldn't make it long enough, you made it long as you could
and the difference got soaked up in the matching network.

Hams seem irresistibly drawn to antennas where "matching the antenna"
consists of connecting it directly to a piece of coax.

So it is that over the years, especially on 80m, many have shown up on the
air with amazingly inefficient antennas on 80m. They would check into 80m
traffic nets with really puny signals. Many of these weak signals were
excellently solved by going to an end-fed halfwave L fed with a matching
network (usually a tapped coil in parallel with a capacitor) against some
horrible ground. Grounds like a couple of buried bare wires running away
from a basement window, or even a ground rod, did not matter in series with
the end-feds' feed Z's in the 1000, 2000 ohm range and up.

The improvement in signal strength converting to the EFHWL was often
remarkable, as in two or three S units, or as said back then, "gone from a
peep to a pounder".

The EFHWL has never been popular because it always requires a matching
device *at the base of the wire*, and without some remote switching of taps
and/or cap value, only covered 50-100 kHz of the band in today's common SWR
limits. However back then that was often extended as rigs with tetrode tube
finals were far more tolerant of antenna Z. At QRP, particularly among the
SOTA and backpacker crowd, the EFHW is making a comeback.

If we ever get a good manufactured off-the-shelf *QRO* end-fed tuner, the
80m EFHWL will get popular and stay that way.

73, Guy


On Sat, Feb 11, 2017 at 7:59 PM, inventor61 .  wrote:

> My Elecraft rigs are connected to guyed, end-fed half wave vertical
> monopole antennas, one each on 30 meters and 40 meters.  I use
> tapped-L-parallel-C matching networks at the base of these antennas, which
> are ground mounted and insulated.
>
> They radiate at the horizon, or darned close to it, and don't need any
> inconvenient ground radial wires, or even a particularly low impedance
> earth.  To me, that fact alone was worth any other effort.
>
> I got inspiration for my antennas from similar designs used at the
> following addresses ... each have historical markers, incidentally ... if
> you are curious, you can use Google Maps to see them yourself:
>
> 764 Tylersville Road, Mason, Ohio
>
> 8068 Concord Road, Brentwood, Tennessee
>
> While the hams who designed and installed these antennas had bigger budgets
> than I do, they had the same goals.
>
> For portable use, if you can manage an overhead tree branch at a suitable
> height, only 60 feet of wire interrupted in the center with 47 microHenrys
> of L yielded a center-loaded EFHW I used *very* successfully on 80 meters.
> Again, no radials needed, a major consideration to me.  The feedpoint
> impedance was quite high, so the matching network I had to make was
> interesting but still do-able.
>
> Steve KZ1X/4
> K2 #771
> K3 #6081
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Re: [Elecraft] lousy cw signal

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

Hi Jerry,

That is the kind of broadening that can occur if your transmitted signal is
arcing continuously somewhere on the transmission line or antenna when your
key is down.

Fix the antenna and that most likely will go away. "Matching" an arc with a
tuner is illusory, and tends to transfer maximum power into the arcing
site. It can create amazingly broad signals. Back in old analog TV days,
that could have blacked out TV's in your neighborhood.

In any event, don't use that antenna until you have corrected the problem
and your amp no longer faults on it.

Good luck and 73,

Guy K2AV

On Thu, Feb 2, 2017 at 10:36 AM, Jerry  wrote:

> Yesterday I was chasing a 3B8 on 20 cw. Because my antenna (fan dipole)
> got twisted in the last storm, my swr is over 3:1 and I can't use my amp.
> The ant tuner in the K3S easily matches it tho. I received an email from a
> W4 telling me that I had spurious emissions 10 kc either side of my signal.
> He said in the email, "Jerry, I have been monitoring the activity on
> 14.041.I think there is a problem with your transmitter.  When you
> transmit your signal spreads out over 10 kHz each side of your operating
> frequency.  I've never seen anything quite like this before on my
> Panadapter, but when you transmit your signal spreads out over 20 kHz wide
> with the strongest spike on your operating frequency with spikes going
> "down hill" on both sides for at least 10 kHz before sinking below the
> noise level.   Not something that you want to hear, but I thought you would
> like to know. "
> I don't have a separate receiver to check this out but before I go asking
> a local ham to monitor my signal has anyone ever heard of this before?
> Suggestions where to start?
> Thanks!
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Re: [Elecraft] KPA500 Power Supply Environmental/Ergonomic Issue

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

While without reference to quantities I certainly agree with the sentiment,
but to be focused on a night light level power is kind of like swatting at
gnats while pidgeons are flying around in the kitchen.

Does your attic insulation need replacing. Are all of the light fixtures in
your house converted to LED. Are your refrigerators made in the current
decade. Are all of your windows gas-filled double pane. Are your water
heater and all the hot water piping in your house insulated. The list of
things that would bury that 6 watts by a couple of orders of magnitude is
quite long.

Then there is this other thing specific to CPU based equipment. And that is
maintaining signal states relative to other equipment. They get confused
when things go cold off and aren't brought back on in a particular
sequence.

It was always fun when the PC folks at SAS (which is buried in PCs) had to
take down a thousand or so functionally shared PCs for maintenance or
something. They had to be taken off in sequence and brought back in service
with a very complex and specifically ordered startup. Every now and then
that group had to work all hands on deck 48 hour weekends and took naps on
cots put out for the purpose. Those PCs were kept on their own AC mains
with a honking monster UPS that would power my house for weeks off the
grid. Power blips taking down a couple floors of PCs could put a building
full of very high paid advanced programmer types sitting on their hands for
a day or worse. They figured that out early and spent the money.

Your Elecraft gear has some related if not so killer issues on cold starts
that nevertheless result in tech support calls. Think Big E just trying to
keep the noise and confusion down on the TS lines, with a method that has
become pretty much standard practice.

Seems to me it's been a long time since TVs had batteries in them unless it
was a portable intended to be operated off mains. Paying for a service call
to replace a battery gone bad was drummed out long time back.

If you have a PC in the shack, do you do a shutdown when you leave? Or
leave it on to get OS and virus security updates and email?  Check the
power draw on that.

I'm trying to convince the wife to replace our 23 year old kitchen
refrigerator that still works perfectly.

I wish that my KPA's off state power draw was the prime offender at my
house :>).

73, Guy K2AV

On Tue, Jan 31, 2017 at 10:46 PM Dave AD6A  wrote:

> I recently added a KPA500 kit for my home station. It went together just
> fine, and overall I love it.
>
> There is one thing about the way it works that bugs the engineer and
> environmentalist in me.
>
>
>
> Before I bought the PA, I thought I'd be able to turn it on/off entirely
> using the ON button on the front panel.
>
> I thought that maybe there was a supercap or backup battery that kept the
> button's electronics alive to perform the ON button function (like TV's
> have
> in them).
>
> However, it doesn't work like this. In order to turn the PA off completely,
> you have to turn off the main power switch on the rear panel.
>
>
>
> The front panel ON button powers up the PA from what looks like a cold
> state, however, my measurements are as follows:
>
>
>
> 1.  With the main power switch on the back panel turned OFF, the PA
> takes no power at all (0.0W)
> 2.  When you turn the main power switch on the back panel to ON, the PA
> draws 6.9W continuously from the 120V AC power supply
> 3.  When you press the front panel ON button, the PA turns "ON" and
> takes around 13W (measured) in STBY mode
>
>
>
> My home station line up (K3s, P3, 2x SP3, KPA500, KAT500) sits on a large
> operating desk with a shelf unit that I build above the station. My
> computer
> monitors sit on the shelf above the radios.
>
> There is only just enough height clearance (about 2.5") between the top of
> the KPA500 and the underside of the shelf to allow me to put my hand over
> the top of the PA to reach the main power switch.
>
> It's fiddly but I can do it, it's just that it's a major inconvenience not
> being able to turn the KPA500 truly off from the front panel.
>
>
>
> Why is the KPA500 designed this way?
>
> In all good conscience, I can't live with the PA consuming 7W all day,
> every
> day - that's incredibly wasteful.
>
> I suppose I could put a more-easily-reachable external AC power switch on
> the side of my shelf unit to cut power to the whole desk, but that'd be
> ugly.
>
> I'd prefer that either a) the KPA500's main power switch was on the front
> panel, or b) the power supply system was redesigned so it only takes a few
> microwatts when power is applied but the ON button is OFF (not pressed, or
> pressed an even number of times).
>
>
>
> Comments? Ideas?
>
>
>
> Cheers,
> Dave AD6A
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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Re: [Elecraft] Why no love for the 1khz CW filter?

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

Some of us deliberately operate with the roofing and DSP at the same
bandwidth, and with some care to get the skirts coincide. This provides the
maximum possible drop at the edges, quite useful in a crowded contest. I
want to hear equally well in a specific bandwidth, and then I want the
selectivity skirts to drop as close to straight down as possible.

Generally not needed for casual operation, and I will operate the casual
QSO's sometimes with the DSP bandwidth at 700 or 800 Hz just because it
"sounds better". and 1.8 kHz (the contesting SSB width) roofer behind it.
Get people too close and I just tighten the width back up until I don't
hear them any more. Generally people seem to give you 1 kHz spacing for
casual.

73, Guy K2AV

On Tue, Jan 31, 2017 at 9:26 PM, Don Wilhelm  wrote:

> Andy,
>
> For normal operating, you will not find the 1kHz filter any more
> beneficial than using the 2.7 (or 2.8) roofing filter.
> The ultimate selectivity is provided by the DSP bandwidth, and not the
> roofing filter.
>
> The reason for the more narrow roofing filter is to provide isolation from
> nearby strong signals that are within the roofing filter passband, but
> outside the DSP bandwidth.  If strong signals come into the K3 outside
> theDSP bandwidth, but inside the roofing filter bandwidth, they can cause
> AGC "pumping" and reduce the overall sensitivity of the K3 receiver as a
> result.
>
> If you are operating in contest situations, or trying to respond to DX
> stations who are 'working a pileup', that extra bit of roofing filter may
> be needed, but for more casual operation, save your money.
>
> 73,
> Don W3FPR
>
> On 1/31/2017 9:07 PM, abulling...@comcast.net wrote:
>
>> I just got my new (used) K3/10 in the mail yesterday and have been having
>> a blast with it. It came with the 2.8 SSB filter and the 400 hz CW filter
>> and I have been told by a couple friends on the air who also have K3s that
>> that’s all I need.
>>
>> But...nature abhors a vacuum. On my filter board. I was thinking
>> seriously of the 1 khz CW filter because I do a lot of rag chewing on 80
>> meter CW and I would think that filter would cut down the noise a bit and
>> the 500 hz 5 pole filter with the gentler sloping skirts and either the 200
>> or 250 for when things get really hairy. But maybe I’m off base here
>> because I see very little talk of the 1 khz filter. I would love to hear
>> thoughts on this.
>>
>> The guys are telling me forget all that and just get the KPA3A so they
>> can hear me better. Which I will do just to quell the griping but I notice
>> they are copying everything I send at 10 watts.
>>
>> I am looking at all the ideas you guys gave me a few days ago as well and
>> thanks a lot for the suggestions. I think this may be the most fun I’ve
>> ever had with a new rig. It’s just an amazing radio.
>>
>> __
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Re: [Elecraft] K3 VFO link not working

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

The "link" function has been moved to CONFIG: VFO LNK.

You can also use a macro with the "LN" command along with others to do a
one button execute on complex functions involving link.

The SUB button only has tap = SubRx on/off toggle, hold = Diversity toggle.
Also a tap which turns *off* SUB, also turns off Diversity. And a *hold* to
turn on diversity will turn on SUB if it was not on already. Pretty neat.

73, Guy K2AV

On Mon, Jan 30, 2017 at 6:09 PM, Stan AE7UT  wrote:

> I have a K3 with dual receivers.   I used to just push the sub button
> "short
> hold" and the VFOs would
> link.  Sub button "long hold" would activate the diversity receive.
>
> I have not used my K3 for over a year due to a move and that dang job of
> mine.
> I just updated the firmware on the K3, P3, KAT500 and KPA500 system.
> Now when I do a short hold the diversity receieve comes on but not the VFO
> link.
> I can go into the menu system and turn the link on but it turns off if I
> switch bands or do almost anything else.
> Is this a new "feature" or have I inadvertently pushed a button that I
> shouldn't have?
>
> No external logging programs are being used.
>
> Thanks for the help
>
> Stan AE7UT
>
>
>
> --
> View this message in context: http://elecraft.365791.n2.
> nabble.com/K3-VFO-link-not-working-tp7626287.html
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Re: [Elecraft] Solved: Selected post Jan 27, 2017; 9:19pm K3 and right channel dead

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

As to why in the first place, check power supplies and connections. 73, Guy
K2AV

On Friday, January 27, 2017, Ignacy  wrote:

> I looked up an old message about a dead channel. It mentioned SPKRS. Turns
> out SPKRS changed automatically to 1. After changing to 2, everything is
> perfect.
> Sorry for bothering the net.
> Ignacy, NO9E
>
>
>
> --
> View this message in context: http://elecraft.365791.n2.
> nabble.com/Solved-Selected-post-Jan-27-2017-9-19pm-K3-
> and-right-channel-dead-tp7626163.html
> Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
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Re: [Elecraft] K3: past chirp report

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

On Thu, Jan 19, 2017 at 2:09 PM, Doug Smith  wrote:
> 2) Voltage at the K3S is 13.8 key up and 13.2 key down; seems OK.  Power 
> supply is a switcher which I’ve used for some years.
>
> 3) K3S is drawing 21.96 amps key down.  (Not running 100 watts into the amp.)

2) that's too much of a drop. Running 40 watts out to drive my Alpha
8410, the voltage is 14.1 key up and 13.9 key down reading from the
transceiver display. 3) 40 watt current draw is 10.8 amps.

You should run your power supply at 14.2 volts out, use a short cord to the K3S.

73, Guy K2AV
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Re: [Elecraft] Source for K3 weighted knobs

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

Noting I am not saying there is a cost-justification ...

The non-stock weighted knob I have now on my K3 is quite heavy, very
smooth and all rounded edges, so no sharp edges to irritate. Plus it
has a ball-bearing dimple for silk-smooth dimple tuning.

Yeah, it is over the top, but I'm old and get to have over the top now
and then. I didn't buy a Cadillac and stuck with the Fords, so I've
got some left for splurging.

73, Guy K2AV

On Tue, Jan 17, 2017 at 1:36 PM, Wayne Burdick  wrote:
> Both the stock VFO A knob and VFO B knob are weighted. The VFO A knob also 
> has a soft-touch rubber ring.
>
> I have to admit I'm a little baffled as to why any different knobs would be 
> desirable. We tried to optimize for both function and aesthetics. But hey, 
> I'm just an engineer :)
>
> Wayne
> N6KR
>
>
> On Jan 17, 2017, at 10:31 AM, Harry Yingst via Elecraft 
>  wrote:
>
>> The stock one is weighted
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>  Original message 
>> From: W0MU Mike Fatchett 
>> Date: 2017-01-17  11:37 AM  (GMT-05:00)
>> To: Elecraft Reflector 
>> Subject: [Elecraft] Source for K3 weighted knobs
>>
>> I found two sources 73CNC.com and a LZ2 site.  Neither one seem to ever
>> have stock.  Are there any other sources?
>>
>> W0MU
>
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Re: [Elecraft] WSJT-X Problem with K3S

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

Can't argue entirely with success, but often folks just want to put the
trouble In a cage so they can get on with having fun. I get that, it's a
hobby. For sure, been there done that.

But all you have done for the moment is put the snarling dog in a cage
where it can't bite. If you ever run an amp the trouble is likely to return
in some form. You still have the snarling dog.

And there are unanswered oddities like why the RFI only affected the one
sequence of commands.

For others reading this thread, the exhortations for VOX or PTT are
very well taken, particularly where deciding on methodology is part of
planning.

Having a PTT and not-PTT signal available to the station *system* can be
very useful for such things as shutting off remote RX amps during transmit.
Many PC station programs like N1MM+ can add transfer delays only where they
apply, as do WinKey equipped devices which can apply CW key speed related
"word space" intervals.

Not-PTT drives a simple circuit to supply a keyed 12 VDC supply that is
only on when it's safe from TX induced voltages, and can drive relays
to detune towers and de-resonate wires when RX.

Given that the K3S board has both a USB/serial chip and a sound card on it,
no workable scheme proven robust for the K3 has to be discarded for the
K3S.

All that aside, glad you you managed to cage the snarling dog, by whatever
means.  :>)

73, Guy K2AV

On Thursday, January 12, 2017, John Stengrevics 
wrote:

> Three turns of the USB cable through a #43 ferrite and I am good to go at
> full power (95 watts).
>
> John
> WA1EAZ
>
> > On Jan 12, 2017, at 2:40 PM, Edward R Cole  > wrote:
> >
> > Now that the thread has morphed to RFI:
> >
> > I was getting complaints from my wife that my transmissions were getting
> into the home theater audio when she was watching TV.  Specifically, it was
> getting into the new powered woofer.  I determined this was only happening
> on 6m and at 1000w.
> >
> > So I had an extra ferrite donut from building the 50v switching PS and
> wrapped the coaxial audio line thru it a few times, then added a clamp on
> ferrite to the ac cord feeding the woofer.  That fixed it!
> >
> > picture of these applied to the 50v swps:
> > http://www.kl7uw.com/6m_control_panel_back_3.jpg
> >
> > 73, Ed - KL7UW
> >  http://www.kl7uw.com
> > Dubus-NA Business mail:
> >  dubus...@gmail.com 
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Re: [Elecraft] WSJT-X Problem with K3S

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

You should really do what Joe suggested. It is highly unlikely that RFI
would ONLY affect the one CAT command. It more likely is some kind of
timing entanglement which will be difficult to diagnose.

DO try what Joe said:

On Thu, Jan 12, 2017 at 1:08 PM, Joe Subich, W4TV  wrote:

> Stop using CAT Commands for PTT!  Instead set CONFIG:PTT-Key to
> RTS-OFF and use RTS.  WSJT-X supports PTT Method = RTS by setting
> the PTT Port the same as the CAT Port.
>

No kidding, try it!

73, Guy K2AV
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Re: [Elecraft] K3s meter

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

Hi Richard,

The issue with your request is that there is only **one** line of display
"dots" on the display. The single line of dots is interpreted with the
upper graticule in RX, and with the two lower graticules on TX.

For what you want, there would need to be two rows of dots driven
independently. Or there would need to be a front panel button to switch the
meaning of the single row of dots. Ah, but we already have the button.

Also, the change would require *both* firmware *and* changing out the
display to create the **two** lines of dots on the display. Note that the
graticules do not change. The display is not driven pixels like a
smartphone display. Therefore it could not just be a new CONFIG: option in
firmware. The request would almost certainly need to be implemented with a
new transceiver.

As it is, on voice if CMP and ALC is properly set, on a K3/K3S the power
out is very predictable for a given PWR setting, more so for a K3/K3S than
most. In any event, TX SSB with an amp, various stand-alone power meters
deal more substantially with power out aspects.

73, Guy K2AV

On Sat, Jan 7, 2017 at 10:52 AM, RichardG3ZIY 
wrote:

> It occurred to me that on transmit the S meter is somewhat redundant. A
> suggestion for the next firmware update is that the S meter change to
> power output when on transmit.
>
> I am aware that there is a setting to choose RF power or CMP/ALC, but I
> would like to be able to monitor CMP and ALC and RF power when in
> transmit mode, which I don't think is currently possible... unless I've
> missed some setting somewhere on the rig.
>
> 73,
>
> Richard, G3ZIY.
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Re: [Elecraft] Please do a KPA1500

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

On Dec 30, 2016 12:36 PM, "Fredric Serota"  wrote:
> Now more than ever there is a need for a 1500 watt amplifier of the
> quality and function of the KPA500. PLEASE, Elecraft, reconsider your
> decision to produce a KPA 1500.

Without debating how much use is had from a 5 dB increase in signal
strength (a lot), the real reason Elecraft did not do a 1500 watt amp
is all business and marketing. Elecraft is a small business and as
such does not have the financial "mass" to absorb jabs in the bank
balance from the marketplace that do not doubly pay for the research
and development.

There is a breaking point for ham-priced transistor amp equipment
somewhere beyond 500 watts and before 1500 that has to do with
reliability of components at those stress levels, and the cost of
components and circuits to control the amp's response to the
unbelievably bad treatment afforded amps by some purchasers.

If this were not true, you would have seen dozens of 2K transistor
equivalents to the likes of the Alpha 9500 and 8410, with which you
can actually put a brick on the key and let it run at 1500 watts out
indefinitely or until you lose your nerve.

I'm sure the military has stuff, but then the military has specs and
bidding, and they are willing to pay what it REALLY costs for that
layer of reliability.

Hams are unwilling to pay mil-spec prices, and Big E. knows it. They
also know that a major failure of an expensively developed product
with a lot of warranty returns can put a small business into chapter
11.

Wayne & Co have put out a lot of leading edge products, kept their
business rolling through the Great Recession, and embarassed the fool
out of Yakencom for the better part of a decade, kicking the ham
equipment industry into a new level of performance where they really
didn't want to go.

When Wayne *doesn't* do something that gets repeated requests, there
is a reason. I trust his judgement, because he has earned that.

I particularly do not want them to go out of business and find myself
stuck with Yakencom again.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

73, Guy K2AV
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Re: [Elecraft] K3S Sound Board upgrade for K3

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

I wasn't referring to the USB sound, etc, found in the KIO3BUPKT.

The K3S sound board has higher speaker power power and other
refinements which enhance what you hear in the speaker and headphones.
That is not listed on the page.

73, Guy.

On Thu, Dec 22, 2016 at 10:30 PM, Gary Hembree  wrote:
> Try this:
> http://www.elecraft.com/elecraft_prod_list.htm#kio3bupkt
>
> 73
> Gary, N7IR
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[Elecraft] K3S Sound Board upgrade for K3

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

Whatever happened to distributing the K3S sound board and its various
improvements for the K3. That's been rumored forever it seems. We have the
various other improvements, synthesizers, new preamp, etc. But not the new
sound board.

Is that project still alive, will it actually happen? If so, a time frame,
is anyone in the splendid engineering department actually working on it?

Or have you guys gone all-hands on some huge new splendid offering we
haven't heard about yet.  ????

Just wishing and wondering.

73, Guy, K2AV
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Re: [Elecraft] K3s - 80W on 160 - Resolved

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

One does not need to jam too-large cable into the power pole connector. Do
the power pole normally with the #10 zip cord. Then two or three inches
away from the power pole, splice in two more parallel runs of the #10 zip
cord. Solder and tape these splices.

This will divide your voltage drop by three. 14.6 at PS can be 14.3 at K3,
better for TX IMD.

The IR loss is spread along the entire wire. A few inches of single #10 to
service the connector will not make any difference.

Another approach is to fasten down a length of #4 - 3 plus ground "Romex"
cable. You can get this stuff cut to exact length at the big box store. At
either end terminate with soldered splices to a few inches of #10 zip cord.
Black and green to black, red and white to red. That will allow you to put
PS anywhere you want. You do need a pretty permanent placement of equipment
for this.

73, Guy.

On Wednesday, December 21, 2016, j...@kk9a.com  wrote:

> At my station I use a large 70 amp Astron power supply which sits on the
> floor.  Several month ago, while trouble shooting another issue, I
> discovered that the voltage drop in my 8' cables was significant. So
> rather than crank up the voltage I switched to 8ga and now at full
> transmit wattage the K3S sees 13.5v. The tough part was squeezing 8ga wire
> into a PowerPole connector that is made for 10ga max. For a shorter lead,
> like I use when I travel to the Caribbean, 10ga has a minimal voltage
> drop.
>
> John KK9A
>
> From: Gary Smith ka1j
>
> Hi Jim & the others who replied,
>
> This is a follow-up for someone in the
> future who looks for the same solution.
>
> Yeah, the small amount of difference in
> the wattage is insignificant but
> considering all the radios I've owned, the
> low end of the bands were always the
> highest output. 10M was usually the lowest
> output & with the K3/K3s, 6M was always as
> good as the other bands watt wise and 160
> was full output. This not being the case,
> I was concerned.
>
> I had done the calibration and raised the
> output to 87W but that was it. As was
> suggested, I raised the voltage from the
> PS to give me 13.8V on transmit which
> required 14.6V resting. I'm using the
> cable Elecraft supplies and I'm suspecting
> it could be just a tad lower gauge/thicker
> copper to reduce the resistance but on
> 160M, I am now getting a 115W reading on
> the P3 and 113W on the LP-100A.
>
> So the increased voltage was the
> difference in my case. A thicker wire
> would certainly require less voltage than
> 14.6 and that's what I am going to look
> into. With the power Pole connector, I'll
> have to look a little deeper into what
> will work best. I have no crimping tool
> for Power Pole so that makes it more of a
> challenge.
>
> Anyway, thanks Jim & all who suggested the
> higher voltage, it was the answer in this
> instance.
>
> 73,
>
> Gary
> KA1J
>
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Re: [Elecraft] K3 with P3

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

Referring to the P3 menu's NB setting. That will spread very strong signals
on the P3 display.

73, Guy K2AV

On Monday, December 12, 2016, Richard Fjeld  wrote:

> As I remember, the P3 is un-affected by settings on the K3.  Nice if you
> use the RF gain control, etc.
>
> As for the signals rising and falling in S units because of a stronger
> signal, I am at a loss to explain at the moment.
>
> Dick, n0ce
>
>
> On 12/12/2016 8:37 AM, GW4DVB wrote:
> > Hi... I have a K3 with P3
> >
> > When using on 40m and higher I notice that a stronger signal on the band
> HF
> > and LF affect the background noise level of the band and signals in
> general
> > rise and fall by up to 3 S points.
> >
> > Assuming that the P3 is only displaying what comes out of the K3 I am
> > assuming that this is a setting that needs working on within the K3
> >
> > ATT = On
> >
> > Pre  = Off
> >
> > Has anyone else come across this and found a fix ??
> >
> >
> >
> >
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Re: [Elecraft] K3 with P3

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

Do you have the P3 NB on?

73, Guy K2AV

On Monday, December 12, 2016, GW4DVB  wrote:

> Hi... I have a K3 with P3
>
> When using on 40m and higher I notice that a stronger signal on the band HF
> and LF affect the background noise level of the band and signals in general
> rise and fall by up to 3 S points.
>
> Assuming that the P3 is only displaying what comes out of the K3 I am
> assuming that this is a setting that needs working on within the K3
>
> ATT = On
>
> Pre  = Off
>
> Has anyone else come across this and found a fix ??
>
>
>
>
>
> --
> View this message in context: http://elecraft.365791.n2.
> nabble.com/K3-with-P3-tp7624604.html
> Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
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Re: [Elecraft] Computer Keyboard and P3/SCGA

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

Hi Ed,

You can only mate a device with one receiver, as you suspected. That is so
that you can have two keyboards, mice in the same area, and have them
unambiguously belong to two different PC's. Being able to do otherwise
would kill that very common commercial usage, like close-by desks. That
ain't gonna change.

You can do that with USB mouse and USB keyboard with a USB KVM. Such as
from Best Buy, and many others, like

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/iogear-2-port-usb-kvm-switch-black/9694463.p?skuId=9694463&ref=212&loc=1&ksid=1b84b446-8c57-41a4-bb50-9d45338175e8&ksprof_id=8&ksaffcode=pg199014&ksdevice=c&lsft=ref:212,loc:2

Or you could try putting one wireless receiver in the USB KVM's common USB
port and running a USB cord to both the P3 and PC.

73,
Guy K2AV

On Thu, Dec 8, 2016 at 6:43 PM, Dauer, Edward  wrote:

> Need help figuring out what may be an elementary problem with a computer
> and the P3/SVGA.
> Here's my objective:  I would like to use a single wireless keyboard  /
> mouse both to operate the text functions on the P3/SVGA, and to enter data
> into the computer itself.  While operating I like to switch my monitor back
> and forth between the P3 and the Internet.  That's easy enough, with a DB15
> switch box.  But I can't get the keyboard to mate simultaneously with two
> of the USB receivers (or whatever those little things are called) - one in
> the USB port of the P3, and the other in a USB port of the computer itself.
> I am using a new Logitech keyboard and mouse, each of which came with a
> USB receiver.  Logitech has an app that allows up to six devices to
> communicate with a single receiver - e.g., keyboard, mouse, and whatever
> else through one receiver into the computer.  But when I mate the keyboard
> to the receiver plugged into the P3, it no longer communicates with the
> receiver in the computer, and vice versa.  In other words, I can mate
> multiple interface devices with one receiver, but I can't mate two
> receivers with one device.
> That makes good sense.  If it were otherwise, it would likely cause no end
> of chaos in a multiple-computer environment.  But it leaves me with the
> question - is there a way to use one keyboard switched on the fly with the
> P3/SVGA and the computer itself?
>
> Ted, KN1CBR
>
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Re: [Elecraft] Fwd: Re: LP Bridge crashes with K3

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

Hi George,

I have to agree with Tom on this one, either suspect drivers, or some as
yet undiscovered conflict running on your PC. The slowdown you describe is
a dead giveaway. That the dying program sends some garbage to the K3 as it
expires is irrelevant.

Whatever the program/driver is the problem, it's now so lost in itself that
it has called for a writeout to an external device when there is no data to
send. It has clearly lost its mind.

A common bug in a poorly written program is called a "memory leak". That is
where a program allocates a certain amount of memory for a transient task,
and when the task is done, does not release all the memory back to the
"memory pool". This causes available memory to creep down until there is
not enough to run. The offending program often crashes, because the same
stinky programming causing the memory leak also does not provide a smooth
shut down at out of memory with meaningful messages to inform which program
is exiting and why.

There are variants of this malady, like the one where the program assigns a
FIXED large buffer to a usage, and then exhausts it in the same manner.
This is a lazy solution to a memory leak that they can't find, hoping to
crash just the program and not the operating system. Sometimes these
buffers are without boundary code which detects end of assigned space and
gracefully exits with understandable messages. The stinky code then
proceeds to gradually *overwrite its own program instructions* until it
encounters code it is actually running and then it simply goes insane. This
is possibly a blue screen or PC hang moment, though later OS are getting
better and better at trapping code like this.

Outward symptoms to the PC user could be anything. There are other specific
kinds of stinky programming that present in the same "What the h*ll is
that?" fashion. But there is a way to spy on this stuff as it runs.

You run a CPU monitor that displays what is going on in the PC. One of the
displays will be active memory, Possibly called memory set, listed by
program. Sort on this column and then watch stuff on your system. Often the
offending program sticks out like a sore thumb. There may be multiple
issues that point to conflicts among things you run at the same time.

A better good and free monitor, can be found at
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb795533.aspx.

On the upper right of this page, under Top Ten Downloads, download Process
Explorer and install. This well done monitor does not suffer from a lot of
the clunkies that the Microsoft monitors and some of the other 3rd party
monitors seem to have.

The only complaint I have ever had about it is the default color line of
black text on dark grey or purple for suspended processes and packed
images. Those can be easily fixed in menu bar>options>configure colors,
which also has the color code for what kind of thing each color is. Click
on the column headers Working Set, CPU, and CPU Time. Here you can remove
or add types from the display by checking or unchecking the line.

I would expect Windows 7 should run Process Explorer just fine, though
currently I only have an ancient laptop with XP and all else is upgraded to
Windows 10 Pro, which at this point seems the best OS Microsoft has ever
written. If you really like it, in Windows 10 you can do Process
Explorer>menu bar>Options>Replace Task Monitor. I think MS bought it and at
some point will simply replace their "Resource Monitor" with this one.

It's not yet time to disassemble your K3 and send the pile of pieces back
to Watsonville.

Let us know what you find spying on stuff.

73 and for sure Good Luck

Guy K2AV

On Tue, Dec 6, 2016 at 3:21 PM, Tom  wrote:

> Honestly, I don't believe this is an issue with LPBridge but rather Eltima
> drivers.  I can run the Eltima serial port monitor and even without traffic
> it will always crash after a number of hours.
> Always.
> There is not much that can be done other than rebooting after some time or
> closing it all when you are not using it.
> 73 Tom
>
> -Original Message- From: George Kidder
> Sent: Tuesday, December 6, 2016 1:37 PM
> To: 'Elecraft Reflector'
> Subject: [Elecraft] Fwd: Re: LP Bridge crashes with K3
>
>
> Larry and all,
>
> I have now tried adjusting the buffer settings.  Originally, they were
> set full "right" (High, 14 for receive, High 16 for transmit)  I moved
> the sliders to about 3/4 of full scale - still got a LPB crash in about
> 7 hours, while running NaP3 and FLDigi through LPB.  I next tried the
> "correct connection problems" setting, full left (1) on each.  This time
> it ran more than 3 but less than 20 hours (overnight run) and while LPB
> did not crash, NaP3 did, which requires complete computer reboot. So it
> is not clear that the buffer settings are doing anything except to slow
> down the reaction of FLDigi to frequency changes - takes about 5 seconds
> now.
>
> So again I am at the end of my short rope!  Maybe I should shut down the
> sy

Re: [Elecraft] HI SIG Error on K3

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

What is the serial number on this unit? Do you have the gold pins?

73, Guy

On Mon, Dec 5, 2016 at 8:30 PM, K4MWB  wrote:

> Don, yes I disconnected everything but power and ground and still get the
> same HI SIG indication.  The strange thing is if I quickly cycle power off
> and back on again, the error disappears and all functions normally... until
> I power it down for awhile and back on.
>
>
>
>
> --
> View this message in context: http://elecraft.365791.n2.
> nabble.com/HI-SIG-Error-on-K3-tp7624479p7624493.html
> Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
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Re: [Elecraft] SWR issue with K3

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

Howdy y'all. Happy day. Do hope your holiday season is nicely warming up
and causing a smile or two.

Mike wrote:

>The only thing
> that was done was I put up the Christmas lights on our balcony. After the
> process of elimination I found the extension cord feeding the lights was
the
> issue! When the extension cord is removed from the balcony the issue is
> solved. As a matter of fact all that has to be done is unpluging it from
the
> outlet on the balcony.
> 73
> Mike
> VE3WDM

I have watched over the years, with amusement, with exasperation and about
everything in between as people blame the little black K3 box in front of
them for what was ailing them, even though a little minor statistical work
in the Elecraft archives should give them a real distrust of that gut
lurch.

There is a well-founded reason for that instinctive gut lurch, methinks.
Humans have been around way way longer than recorded history, and way, way,
way, way longer than electronically equipped humans.

Instinctive behavior is formed by an eon of humans making the wrong
decision in the instant, and paying for it with their lives. That in turn
meant that any progeny with the same unuseful inherited  instincts were
reduced, perished because of lack of support, or never happened in the
first place. The ones with the correct gut lurch lived to have
grandchildren.

If there actually will be any change in normative instinctive behavior
because of electronics in our lives, for sure none of us will be around to
see it. Neither will our
great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandchildren. No effect on
whether we die, no opportunity for any Darwinian effect.

So we are stuck with our instinctive gut lurches. One of those instinctive
gut lurches is that the thing right in front of us is the problem. Actually
that's a good one, if we look over the entire time span of human population.

That mean, hungry-looking sabre-tooth tiger right in front of us REALLY IS
the problem. The gut lurch that swings into action before we have time to
think, it's a life-saver.

Then understanding ourselves, if we do not train ourselves to look around
when something goes wrong, INSTINCT will direct us to tear apart the K3,
just because it's the thing in front of us, even when the trouble is the 15
meter resonant piece of the Christmas decorations.

Oh lordy, I love that story. I just about choked on my coffee when I read
it.  An electronic parable for the ages.

73, y'all and remember to look outside the box before shipping it to
Watsonville.

Guy K2AV
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Re: [Elecraft] One problem solved. A new one appears.

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

I would guess that you have a piece of coax and/or connector going bad.
Will be something common in the path from amp to antennas, including a
remote coax switch. Something is arcing

Cables and connectors are forever going bad. Especially the ones we've used
forever and just keep reusing because they're a convenient length. Most
likely something mechanical, too much bending for too many years, etc.

73, Guy K2AV


On Thu, Nov 24, 2016 at 10:00 PM, Carl Yaffey  wrote:

> I recently posted:
>
> > KAT500 utility: can’t connect (KAT500 not responding)
> >
> > KPA500 utility: connects at 38400 no problem but no info shows in the
> operate tab. firmware N/A. I try to load firmware and it fails. I tried to
> force a load (per the manual) with no luck.
>
> I solved this by plugging in the cables one at a time. All utilities
> working fine now.
>
> New problem:
>
> On 6 meters, with the input power to the KPA500 around 7 watts, I get 200
> watts out. But as I increase the input power, the SWR increases and a “hi
> swr” fault occurs. This happens with 3 different antennas: a 3 el beam, an
> R8 vertical, and a dipole. All are tuned to low swr via my KAT500.
> I have tried connected the beam directly to the KPA with the same result.
> This only happens on 6 meters. It used to work fine when I had a K3. I now
> have a K3S. Is there some setting in either the K3S or the KPA that I
> should change?
>
>
>
> Carl Yaffey  K8NU
> Recording studio.
> cyaffeyno_s...@gmail.com
> 614 268 6353, Columbus OH
> http://www.carl-yaffey.com
> http://www.grassahol.com
> http://www.bluesswing.com
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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Re: [Elecraft] K3s Err KP1?

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

Google elecraft err kp1

73, Guy K2AV

On Wednesday, November 23, 2016,  wrote:

> Changed the feedline to the vertical dipole from 18ga ladder line to
> 14ga and tested the system...all works fine except on 15m cw with
> K3s/KPA500/KAT500 as usual.  Barefoot, no msg, but with K3s providing
> 23w of drive to get 500w out, I get an intermittent ERR KP1.  Dont see
> this code in the manual.
>
> Any ideas or suggestions?
>
> 73
> Tom
> HP1XT
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Re: [Elecraft] KPA500 shutting down

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

Perhaps outdoors you have had a ground go bad, or a connector go bad, to
all of a sudden have RF in the shack. Connection work loose, that kind of
thing. These could happen without your seeing SWR on the line you are
transmitting on.

73, Guy K2AV

On Tue, Nov 22, 2016 at 8:53 AM, Michael Walker 
wrote:

> I run a remote base with a KPA500.  The Amp is a 3 hour drive away.
>
> I can control just about everything remotely without effort.  The
> installation has been rock solid for years (Flex 6300 / KPA500)  and lots
> of chokes everwhere.
>
> Last week the unit worked fine.  Today the KPA500 appears to shut down
> based on the Remote GUI.
>
> I will be on SSB, and then I see the bar at the bottom go to PWR OFF, reset
> and go back to Powering ON/ Amp On.  This is when the amp is only producing
> about 300 watts peak (about 24 watts drive).
>
> There are no error messages displayed at all and the only thing I suspect
> it might be is low AC voltage into the amp.
>
> RF could be the problem, however in 2 years running contests, this is the
> first time I have seen a shutdown like this.  I run many Mix 43 chokes on
> all coax and signal lines.
>
> Are there other messages I can see by monitoring the Serial port at all?
> Any thing else I can do remotely?
>
> I can recreate this on 160/80/40m.  Those antennas are at least 150 ft from
> the station.
>
> Also, at times, the GUI will seem to freeze.  The buttons work, but the bar
> graphs are stuck frozen in time at a peak reading.  Yet, I can power off
> the amp when this happens.
>
> Currently, the amp is about 34F ambient temp.  In the past, I have used it
> well below that (-25F) without issue (last winter).
>
> My question is to the Elecraft guru's.  Any thoughts?  I am trying to
> retrieve more data from the KPA500 remotely.
>
> Mike va3mw
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Re: [Elecraft] k3 being turn on when N1MM is activated

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

Hi Jerry,

Sometimes when one sees a pile of weird inexplicable happenings that don't
make any sense at all, one must stand back, look at the forest instead of
the trees, and say I've got the the weird inexplicable multi problem
syndrome, otherwise known as "the wimps".

The problem with not knowing you've got the wimps is the attempt to fix the
symptoms one by one, which can't work.

There are some well known wimps causes. RFI in the shack is a great one.
Problems with third party programs another. Another, if your K3 is old
enough, is the "pin problem" that needs the replacement with gold pins
thing done.

I'd like to see W3FPR's take on your wimps, if that sounds like the pin
problem to him.

What's the serial number on your K3?

73, Guy K2AV

On Mon, Nov 21, 2016 at 8:50 AM Jerry  wrote:

> Good morning all,
>
>
>
> I have been having this problem for about the last three weeks. Erratic
> behavior with my K3; such as when I attempted to turn off the K3, it would
> remove sound, xmit and the data on the front panel.  The panel would stay
> lit with the amber backlight, but there would be just a blank screen. To
> reset the radio back to being "all off", I would disconnect the power, wait
> a respectable 10 seconds and then when I turn it on and all was well until
> I
> tried to turn it off again, resulting in the same previous condition. I was
> on the verge of sending the rig back home to California after the winter
> contests , when I notice something during  yesterdays SSB contest.
>
>
>
> I was using N1MM software for contesting and I noticed that the radio would
> behave oddly; such as after a while the VOX became unreliable  and the
> radio
> would not respond to mouse clicks on the N1MM program.  It seems I would
> have to reset the radio and N1MM every ten minutes or so.  So one time, I
> had both N1MM down and the radio off, and when I started N1MM, it turned on
> the radio via through a standard RS-232 port (came with the computer
> board).
> I have since found out through some testing this morning, that all my K3
> problems seem to be related to the presence of the N1MM being on, and when
> N1MM was shut down - my K3 works as expected.
>
>
>
> My question is,after this long ramble,  before I submit this to the N1MM
> team, has anyone else experienced this type of behavior in the relationship
> of N1MM and the K3?
>
>
>
> Best regards,
>
>
>
> Jerry, W1IE
>
>
>
> (BTW I did get a "Sweep" on the contest. I don't think it would have happen
> if I did not have the K3.)
>
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Re: [Elecraft] K3 FC issue with filters

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

Busted firmware load will make anything sick, including me.

73, Guy K2AV

On Thu, Nov 10, 2016 at 9:03 PM, W0MU Mike Fatchett  wrote:

> I think I have solved this.  I sent all the firmware to the radio again
> and the radio is behaving like my other K3.
>
>
> On 11/9/2016 8:31 PM, W0MU Mike Fatchett wrote:
>
>> I am having issues with my K3.  When I change bands and modes the FC
>> setting is not the default or * setting.  I keep picking normal and then
>> when I change bands it reverts back to some setting that sounds terrible.
>>
>> This rig was just at Elecraft for updates.  I have looked for settings
>> for this but have not found one.
>>
>> Am I missing something here?  Is this maybe a firmware glitch?
>>
>> W0MU
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Re: [Elecraft] K3 FC issue with filters

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

On Wed, Nov 9, 2016 at 11:20 PM, Don Wilhelm  wrote:

> The passband is per mode, per mode.


That would be "The passband is per band, per mode." ?

G.
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Re: [Elecraft] K3S - K3 Noise Blanker and Noise Reductor

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

Have not forgotten this.  Have been sick for a while. It's on my reply
list. 73, Guy

On Thu, Oct 13, 2016 at 3:58 PM, glcazz...@alice.it 
wrote:

>
> Many thanks Guy for you help.
> I use K3S from april and can be that I havent set at the best the rig.
> I work 90% CW, usually with 500hz 5 pole filter, sometime with the 200hz 6
> pole.
> Usually I work 40-20-17-15-10 meter, in contests also 80 meters.
> In these last months I worked expecially 40-20-18-15.
> Usually I have AGC slow for ragchewing and fast for contests, always qsk
> with a bug.
> PRE - no
> ATT-  no
> AGC - slow, sometime fast
> ANT - a Force 12 C4 yagi (2el 20 - 3el 15 - 3 el 10m - 1 element 40m 17m
> 12m  - also have a dipole 80m-40m inv vee low on a roof at 5th floor; the
> yagi is 8m high from this roof (composite material, including aluminum
> layer), the buildings around are lower.
> RX ANT - no
> WIDTH - the same as xtal filter, 500hz or 200hz.
>
> in the CONFIG MENU I have:
> AGC DCY - nor
> AGC HLD - 0.00
> AGC PLS - nor
> AGC SLP - 012
> AGC THR - 005
> AGC-F - 120
> AGC-S - 020
>
> Now with the 500hz filter and agc fast, no preamp no attenuator,  ant yagi
>  to north america,  in this moment, I have this noise (local time 22.00):
> 40m S7
> 20m S4 S5
> 17m --- S3 S4
> 15m -  S3
> 12 m --- S1 S2
> 28mhz--- S4
> Some time of the day noise from long range radar, wide spectrum military
> emissions or domestic applience or lights noises go up to S9.
>
> You asked the higher signals that I receive: say 20dB over S9 or even 30dB
> over S9 from a pair of local hams at the other side of my town.
>
> But I work all kind of signals low and high (327 countries DXCC and a lot
> of ragchew CW).
>
> Thanks for your patience :)
>
> Ian IK4EWX
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Messaggio originale
> Da: k2av@gmail.com
> Data: 13-ott-2016 21.08
> A: "Gian Luca Cazzola", 
> Ogg: Re: [Elecraft] K3S - K3 Noise Blanker and Noise Reductor
>
>
> Hi, Ian,
>
> Can you possibly tell me these settings, please? You are getting
> results very, very different than I do.
>
> What bands are you using?
>
> On each band in question, what is the noise floor on the s-meter when
> the band is open.
>
> On each band in question, what is the s-meter reading for the loudest
> signals you are receiving when the band is open.
>
> On each band in question, what are these settings made from the front
> panel: PRE, ATT, AGC, ANT, RX ANT, WIDTH,
>
> What are these settings made in the CONFIG MENU: AGC DCY, AGC HLD, AGC
> PLS, AGC SLP, AGC THR, AGC-F, AGC-S
>
> There is some kind of interaction with NB and NR for each of these.
> Perhaps there are one or two of them that are reducing your results.
>
> 73, Guy K2AV
>
>
>
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Re: [Elecraft] SVGA/P3 Question -Waterfall Height Problem

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

I do not have this problem, and I have P3/SVGA. Do you have all the latest
production firmware? Or have you installed a beta?

73, Guy K2AV

On Mon, Oct 17, 2016 at 5:59 PM, Irwin Darack  wrote:

> I have a P3 with the SVGA board installed + an external monitor.
>
> SVGA Monitor Height = Main
> P3 = 30
>
> When ever I turn on the P3 (and monitor), I need to reset the Waterfall
> Height.  The Height is fine on the P3, but takes up 3/4 of the screen on
> the external monitor. The P3 remembers the original Height setting. To
> reset the Waterfall Height on the external monitor, I need to go to the P3
> Waterfall Height, make any change in the Height value, and then the
> Waterfall Height on the external monitor corrects itself. Not sure why the
> External Monitor requires this and if it has something to do with the
> P3 SVGA board or a monitor setting?
>
> Thanks, Irwin KD3TB
>
>
>
>
> --
> Irwin KD3TB
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Re: [Elecraft] K3S QST Article

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

On Mon, Oct 17, 2016 at 7:47 PM, Kevin  wrote:

> The problem I have is accepting the status quo by Elecraft. Just because
> everybody else is around -30dB shouldn't mean Elecraft stop trying to do
> better. Let the portable/backpacking rigs use 12V MOSFETS and switch the
> desktop model K3(s) to higher voltage finals. Yeah, yeah, I know, the K3(s)
> is supposed to be portable capable. How many people take their K3(s) out in
> the sticks...ever...save Field Day?
>

Oh yeah.

"Just" change the supply voltage. AND the PA. And would that much heat
dissipation even fit in the same space?  OK. Everybody ready to go out and
buy a 28 volt power supply for the new K3S? The range of 12 volt supplies
is way, way broader than 28 volt. The Astron LS35M  35A@28VDC is 380
dollars. Oh, a built-in? Where does it go in the case?

And does the K3S add an internal inverter to produce 12V for everything
else from the 28V?

Lot of expense for a small improvement that they can get with a freebee
change to a late developing gift improvement for the cost of shipping.

What would be a practical way to actually introduce such a change? Lay out
all the specifics involved. Let's see your critical path item by item plan.
It's cheep and easy to just blurt out "they oughta go to 28 volts."

73, Guy K2AV
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Re: [Elecraft] K2 Serial Port Question

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

Remembering that the DB9 jack on the back of the K2 is not RS232, if an
RS232 device like a USB/serial cable was ever plugged in directly, stuff
can be smoked, and on both ends of the serial cable. Most of the pins are
used to talk to the 100w amp and tuner mounted externally.

Voltmeter sounds good.

73, Guy K2AV

On Friday, October 14, 2016, Brad Brooks  wrote:

> While I continue to review the list archives, I am requesting feedback
> from the group with regard to possible failure modes of the KIO2 board.
> This rig is in loan to me, with the loaner stating that it was claimed
> working when he acquired it from a previous owner, but had not himself
> tested serial operation.
>
> K2/100 SN 879
>
> Performed configuration and testing outlined in the KIO2 manual. Tests
> tried with no positive results:
> - Known good FTDI serial-to-USB interface
> - known good "real" serial port.
> - serial breakout cable configured per manual.
>
> I have not yet put pins 2 and 3 on the scope to determine if the board has
> failed. I am interested if anyone else has wrestled, and won, KIO2 failures.
>
> Of course, I am open to configuration and user error on my part. I have
> been prone to foolishness in the past.
>
> 73 Brad WF7T
> Nashville y'all.
>
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Re: [Elecraft] New KSYN3a installed and not working / recognized

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

Hi Michael,

To be fully seated, the "wings" on the plugs must be right down against the
"collar" on the socket. Having one of those TMP cable ends not fully seated
in the socket is a very common malaise, sometimes with an intermittent
contact, which is really fun to chase.

When it's right, there won't be even 1/16 inch between the wings and the
collar.

Good Luck & 73

Guy , K2AV

On Sat, Oct 8, 2016 at 4:44 PM, Don Wilhelm  wrote:

> Michael,
>
> Check and recheck the plugging of the TMP cables. Make sure the TMP
> connectors are fully seated.  The cables must match that shown in Figure 12
> on page 16 of the installation instructions.
>
> Did you exit the menu after turning Tech Mode on?  If not, you need to do
> that and try again.
>
> If no luck, contact Elecraft support for additional help and resolution.
>
> 73,
> Don W3FPR
>
> On 10/8/2016 4:18 PM, Michael via Elecraft wrote:
>
>> I just installed the new KSYN3a and when I turn on my K3/100/2M rig it
>> does
>>  not seem
>> to recognize the board. With "TECHMD ON" and pressing the display  button
>> and rotating VFO B knob I
>> do not see SYN1 in the VFO B part of the display!
>>
>> Also there is no LED light coming on - on the KSYN3a board at all.
>>
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Re: [Elecraft] K2 Utility

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

Hi John,

In the K2 the only way to upgrade firmware is to purchase a new
firmware IC and replace the old IC. Field upgradable firmware via serial
port and utility program not available until the K3.

73, Guy K2AV

On Monday, October 3, 2016, John.m0cdl via Elecraft <
elecraft@mailman.qth.net> wrote:

> Hi I can't seem to find the K2 software download utility? i can see the
> ones
> for the K3 and others but not the K2! would someone kindly point me to it
> please, Many Thanks, John M0CDL.
>
>
>
> --
> View this message in context: http://elecraft.365791.n2.
> nabble.com/K2-Utility-tp7623052.html
> Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
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[Elecraft] Fwd: WSPR & Diversity RX

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

True diversity in digital modes requires TWO decoders running plus a
secondary comparator to somehow decide between the two decoded streams.

If you simply combine two audio streams there can be phase cancellation,
noise on one channel ruining both, and other issues.

In contrast it's simply marvelous what our brains can do when left ear is
listening to main RX and right ear is listening to sub RX locked to main RX
frequency and RF/AF gains and AGC are set to create a "sound stage".

Signals come from a point on the sound stage and noise is spread around.
Signals in a pileup can spread around the stage. And since it has the
normal "spatial spread" that we hear in normal life it's easier to listen
to, less tiring.

These are significant advantages that only apply in part to digital mode
where the specific and nasty programming has actually been done. Check your
third party digital decoding program's user's manual but don't hold your
breath.

Would be great if someone actually took that on.

73, Guy K2AV


On Saturday, October 1, 2016, MaverickNH  wrote:

> Hi Don, I thought that might be the case. Might there be a way to run from
> stereo headphone output to a mixed mono signal and feed the soundcard's
> left
> channel? The WSJT-X/WSPR decoder is pretty good, so I thought any very,
> very
> weak wavering signal that was received deferentially L/R on each antenna
> might combine to be decoded better.
>
> BRET/N4SRN
>
>
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Re: [Elecraft] Flex SDR panadapter

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

For listening for weirds on my own TX signal, I use my internal battery
K2/10, connected to *nothing* else and using internal speaker.

This was very helpful a while back when I was accused of transmitting key
clicks with my K3/8410 combo. Accuser also said I was 30 over 9 at his
place. Locals could not hear them. But I *could* with my K2.

Did not hear them if I switched to my 3-1000Z amp. Trouble turned out to be
the electronic bias setting in the 8410, which reduces finals idling
current when not actually transmitting RF. I dialed back that setting until
the "mild" clicks went away on my K2. Now cuts down some on idle current,
but not nearly so much and no discernible clicks in my K2.

Basic K2/10 with internal battery is a very useful instrument.

I once used it with a rubber ducky to find a break in a stretch of buried
RG6. Got it to within a few inches, with 5 watts from the owner's K3 on the
line steady. Had been stretched to snapping center conductor when a tractor
drove over it when ground was saturated by days of rain.

73, Guy K2AV

On Sat, Sep 24, 2016 at 1:06 PM, Ron D'Eau Claire  wrote:

> If you don't have a second receiver in the shack to listen for yourself,
> how
> about asking someone else to listen for the spur?
>
> If you use a local receiver, be sure it has a dummy load connected and the
> main signal on the intended frequency is NOT overloading it - a maximum
> reading of 10 or 20 dB over S-9 is a good top limit. Too much RF can
> produce
> lots of false signals in the receiver.
>
> 73 Ron AC7AC
>
> -Original Message-
> From: Elecraft [mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of
> Richard Fjeld
> Sent: Friday, September 23, 2016 11:07 PM
> To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net
> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Flex SDR panadapter
>
> Maybe, but consider that some SDR pan adapters exhibit false images if not
> properly 'set up'.  I can't think of a better description for it.
>
> Dick, n0ce
>
>
> On 9/23/2016 9:51 PM, Gary wrote:
> > Listening to a Flex operator making assertions that the k3 exhibited USB
> spurs, 3khz above the 7.120 frequency being used.
> > I am curious to hear from the learned group here.
> > The k3 in question was using the upgraded synthesizer.
> > Gary
> >
>
> --
>
>
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Re: [Elecraft] DATA-A tx freq offset with digital modes

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

[In the following text, "both the K3 and the K3S" is represented by "K3/S".
Text applicable to only one or the other will be "K3" or "K3S"]

Hi Graham.

With a warm smile, a soft voice, and friendly demeanor. I have had to go
through this post-analog era "de-analoging" my own radio perceptions, and
have had a fairly painful time of it :>)

The big lesson from my de-analoging was just how much my traditional analog
thinking, ground in by 50 years of analog hamming experience on analog
equipment, was keeping me from moving on. I needed to understand, cope with
and take advantage of very superior digital methods in a new digital era. I
was really pretty clunky. That said, not reporting any genius-level
learning rate on my part to claim superiority...

There is no suppressed carrier in software derived radio (SDR). In the
 K3/S the single sideband envelope is generated directly from firmware. It
begins with data from analog to digital converter chips (ADC) on line in or
mic leads. Firmware converts this to SSB representative data, sent to a
digital to analog chip (DAC) directly outputting SSB at the 15 kHz TX IF.
There is no carrier to null or filter out. There is no opposite sideband to
phase out or filter out. There are DAC and frequency conversion artifacts
which need to be removed by one means or another (as in going through a 2.7
kHz wide 8 MHz crystal filter also used for receive).

CW is not a keyed carrier any more. It is directly generated by the DAC
chip to the 15 kHz TX IF from digital data representing an ideal waveform.
The normal keying "sidebands" of the CW signal are also from that data. The
frequency conversion, and linear amplifier stages following, will add some
additional sidebands based on their degree of linearity, hopefully very
well down.

For frequency display, in CW mode the K3/S will display the single
frequency of the central signal.

For SSB and any mode generated through DATA A, the K3/S will display the
traditional amateur radio SSB frequency, which is what you would get if you
could somehow create SSB output from a DC voltage applied to the K3/S
transmitter line in or mic inputs. Note that some other radio services use
center of bandwidth as the frequency for SSB operation.

Use of audio input for keying should be avoided where possible. Note that
you can generate CW, FSK, and PSK without use of audio input, producing
ideal keying and bandwidth. Signals generated this way are without any
audio input artifacts like 60, 120, 180 Hz hum, audio harmonics from low
level distortion, audio noise or hiss, or miscellaneous unwanted audio from
grounding issues, or feedback from mild RF in the shack, or miscellaneous
audio from other apps on the PC bleeding through PC "soundboards".

The state of digital direct signal generation for CW is so clean that it is
simply poor amateur practice to generate CW from audio tones. There are so
many ways to screw up CW in the audio. The reputation of very clean CW from
K3/S depends on the direct data generation of CW in the K3/S

The key jack input on the back of the K3/S is itself converted to data on
one lead of an ADC chip, and sent to the CPU as data, only one data
"channel" on a single multiplexed data line, informing the CPU that the key
is *reported* high or low. That key jack voltage is not used directly for
anything except to be sampled, and advise the CPU whether the jack is keyed
or not. The CPU directs other stuff based upon the *report* of keyed or
not. It can do exactly the same thing from a string of characters converted
in firmware to the *effect* of *reports* of keyed or not. Ditto FSK D and
PSK D.

In a contest, I would not want to be the next station up or down frequency
from you doing audio generation of CW. I urge you to permanently
discontinue that practice.

I would also urge that you use FSK D and PSK D where possible to transmit
instead of audio tones. These are all successfully employed by some remote
users, though I can't speak to the methods or their complexity.

FSK D and PSK D will occupy minimum bandwidth by virtue of ideal waveforms
and be independent of all the audio train issues of gain, noise,
level-based distortion and AC power artifacts between user PC generation,
audio train, and the K3/S.

Use of the K3/S USB "soundcard" in some setups does remove some audio
transmission issues, but you are exporting the "quality control" of
waveforms to the third-party program running on the PC. Third-party
programmers are not going to take responsibility for K3/S output waveshape.

Sorry to rag on, but not excessively sorry.  :>)

73 and good luck with all the remote stuff.

Guy K2AV

On Thu, Sep 22, 2016 at 1:37 AM, Graham Alston  wrote:

> Hi,
>
> I’m very new to Elecraft and K3S so hope this is not too obvious….
>
> I have a K3S connected to my PC with audio tones coming in via MIC IN (in
> reality the K3S is the remote end of a K3-Twin remote setup).
>
> When I use DATA-A sub mode for CW, the transmission is 600Hz higher tha

Re: [Elecraft] Running stations with k3

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

On Wed, Sep 21, 2016 at 6:59 AM, Bill W4ZV  wrote:

> This is nothing new.  K3ZO has been doing this for about 30 years (at
> least)
> using wide filters and his ears as DSP.
>

Some people really CAN do this. For some years while he was living in NC, I
had the pleasure of operating with W2CS at the NY4A multi/multi sessions.
There were some number of neat things he could do, that I could not make
happen in my brain, including the K3ZO method and typing 100% copy well
behind the signal while carrying on an unrelated conversation.

I think I figured out I can't copy CW and chew gum at the same time or
something pretty close. So beware of presentation of methodology as general
technique, that actually requires some not-so-common physical talents to
pull off. I *do* know that K3ZO and W2CS *can* do that, and I also know
that I *cannot*. And I also know that my chances of typing CW well behind
the signal and carrying on a separate conversation in the room about how
deep to plant radials at the same time are simply, factually, ZERO.  :>)

I do know how to turn K3 diversity into a sound stage and spread signals in
a pile up around an audio "horizon". So I'm not totally devoid.  :>)

73, Guy K2AV
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Re: [Elecraft] Running stations with k3

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

The killer for that wide roofer approach is that loud enough stations can
pump the hardware AGC before the signal gets to the DSP.

The "full body" (whatever that means) CW technique will NOT work in a DX
test I've been in (Will knows where) with that 45 over S9 Italian station
running 15 kW and a 4 element beam on 40m pointed at the US when the band
is wide open, and who has parked 400 Hz above or below me, AND I am trying
to copy an S0 (if even that strong) basement noodle antenna QRP station.

I want the skirts of the roofing filter and the DSP to COINCIDE and when I
hit the edge of the 450 or 350 Hz, I want the skirts do a VERY sharp dive
to oblivion. This gives me a 450 kHz running bandwidth and a 350 running
bandwidth, which I can shift in 10 Hz steps, dropping a signal on the edge
about 10 dB per 10 Hz step.

This way I get the same excellent selectivity with a K3 that I had with my
MP with cascaded INRAD filters in the 8 and 455 IF's. K3 is not superior to
the MP in selectivity or audio quality, but the K3 front end and low noise
opened up a new layer on 40 meters, going down past the DL and OK basement
noodle QRP stations and exposing the RUSSIAN basement noodle QRP stations.

We thought that was band crap listening to the MP, but turned out to be RX
IMD, RX noise crap generated by the MP. Finally exposed by not being there
in the K3.

If my skirts do NOT dive maximally, then the 15 kW Italian is going to pump
the K3's hardware AGC and make copy of my basement noodle QRP stations
impossible.

I do know those (so far all in the western US) who insist that the DSP
selectivity is all they need. They might be right, out where they are.

Idaho is not exactly the land of monster signals. If one really wants to do
"full body CW" out there, a 700 Hz roofer would be a better choice to be in
front of the DSP. Do you really want your AGC pumped by the next two or
three stations above and below your frequency?

I've spent my time with radios with too-wide high IF selectivity. NEVER
AGAIN.

Besides, having the steep diving combined selectivity converts key clicks
to spikes, which the K3 NB and AGC circuits handle splendidly, allowing key
click elimination, another K3 advantage trying to keep a run frequency 400
Hz from a 45 over S9 15 kW Italian station.

You think I'm kidding about 15 kW and 4 elements on 40m? Think again. Not
kidding about 45 over 9 on a calibrated K3 S meter either. Though we *were*
listening on a five element wide spaced (190 feet end to end) 40m quad.

73, Guy K2AV



On Mon, Sep 19, 2016 at 9:21 PM, WILLIE BABER  wrote:

> Hello All,
>
> I did M/M with a big station in the NW running Icom 7700.  Needless to say
> comparison between K3 (one was on site) versus Icom radios came into
> discussion during rest periods.  Yes, the Icom 7700 played quite well,
> giving what some called "full-body" cw and easy to pick-out-stations while
> running them.
>
> I like all radios...well almost all of them.  Having said that, you can
> easily get "full-body" cw and better running of station if you simulate the
> front-end of the Icom radio using K3.  To do this, set the first I-F filter
> to ssb bandwidth (2.7khz) and then use the DSP to deliver 500 hz passband.
> You will hear stations that are within the 2.7khz window but not quite on
> your frequency (similar to 7700) while running stations, and without having
> to fool so often with RIT.
>
> Once you go to 400 hz  in the first  I-F of K3 you are in serious high
> dynamic range territory...better have a k-pod on RIT and forget about
> "full-body" cw, which requires a wider first I-F.  Of course when you need
> a narrow first I-F you can have several of them in K3.
>
> My two cents.
>
> 73, Will, wj9b
>
> CWops #1085
> CWA Advisor levels II and III
> http://cwops.org/
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Re: [Elecraft] K3 Erratic VFO behaviour, Switching bands and freq's

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

In the K3 there are a few digital lines from the front panel which carry
multiplexed information to the CPU. The only way I can think of that would
scramble unrelated front panel input according to your report is that the
multiplexed line is malfunctioning and screwing up the data stream into the
cpu. The essential way to do that is a poor connection in the connector
pin/socket between front panel and CPU board.

Don't remember serial when Elecraft went to gold pins, but if they aren't
gold in yours you need to upgrade. If they ARE gold then the connector
probably is not seated properly. There is a lot of good stuff in the
archives about the "pin problem".

The other thing hate to bring up is lightning/static damage. If you can get
to the seller you might want to discuss the problem with him and whether
unit non-professionally repaired/disassembled/reassembled.

73, Guy K2AV

On Sunday, September 18, 2016, G0PNM  wrote:

> Hi all, New to the whole Elecraft scene.
> Just acquired my first K3 and its serial number is 07126.
> I have been experiencing some strange behavior while rotating the VFO
> whereby the radio would change bands unexpectedly. On occasions, the rig
> will jump to a supposed frequency well out of the range of the radio i.e.
> in
> the VHF bands!
>
> I managed to capture this behavior on my phone and have uploaded it to
> youtube. The link is here:-
> https://youtu.be/IILWIe7hPzg 
>
>
> I have waited a long time to get hold of an Elecraft, being my dream radio
> but its quickly losing its sparkle and I am losing my hair!.
>
> ANY help would be much appreciated. I have only had it a week and I am also
> emailing the supplier here in the UK.
>
> Thanks
> Pete G0PNM
>
>
>
> --
> View this message in context: http://elecraft.365791.n2.
> nabble.com/K3-Erratic-VFO-behaviour-Switching-bands-and-
> freq-s-tp7622624.html
> Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
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Re: [Elecraft] KPA500 Stopped working on 40

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

If you have the KAT3 in the K3, make sure you haven't accidentally changed
the output to the SO239 which DOESN'T have the KPA500 attached. Changed by
tapping the ANT button. That setting is remembered by band. So if you
accidentally tap it, it's moved to the other SO239 on the back of K3, and
stays that way. Check anything that is remembered by band, including power
level settings.

73, Guy.

On Sat, Sep 17, 2016 at 8:24 PM, Robert Biamonte  wrote:

> Hello,
> Yesterday all was fine, and today the KPA500 will not transmit on 40m.
> All other bands show normal operation and output. It is connected to a K3.
> Any thoughts before I open the covers?
>
> 73,
> Rob W3OMW
>
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Re: [Elecraft] Regarding K3 12v RCA rear socket - many thanks

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

On Friday, September 16, 2016, Robin Moseley  wrote:

> RCA sockets are designed to grip the centre pin at 4mm inserion..   the
> standard pin length is 8.5mm


Hmm. Then how do you account for

http://www.farnell.com/cad/436556.pdf?_ga=1.267275786.520606856.1474066281

pin 10.1 mm beyond the shell.

http://www.farnell.com/cad/2124889.pdf?_ga=1.29765179.520606856.1474066281

pin 9.6 mm beyond the shell

http://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/switchcraft-inc/3558-2/SC1136-ND/109664

pin 9.5 mm beyond the shell.

http://www.farnell.com/cad/42767.pdf?_ga=1.258830222.520606856.1474066281

pin 7.0 mm beyond the shell

http://www.farnell.com/cad/302013.pdf?_ga=1.90728094.520606856.1474066281

pin 7.5 mm beyond the shell.

http://www.keyelco.com/product-pdf.cfm?p=3113

pin 6.3 mm beyond the shell.


Standards?  What standards?

I quit having trouble when I started making my own cords with the 10 mm
pins. I use the kind with a wrap around solder connection to the shield
inside the cover. I also use teflon jacketed shielded coax of one size or
another. Very permanent. Very shielded. Never melts when soldering.

Bad cords and connectors are responsible for so much trouble

73, Guy K2AV
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Re: [Elecraft] Regarding K3 12v RCA rear socket - many thanks

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

There also is an issue that caused me a lot of grief until I  figured it
out: some pins on RCA plugs are not long enough to contact the tongues on
some RCA jacks. This could be an issue with the shoulders of the jacks or
the shape of the shell of the plug. But the result is that the pin just
barely, barely makes contact with the tongue, which is a recipe for all
kinds of undesired behavior.

I bought a little bag of simple RCA plugs with a longer pin and I now make
all my RCA pinned cords myself. All the ready-made off the shelf cords have
short pins.

73, Guy K2AV

On Friday, September 16, 2016,  wrote:

> To those who replied to my plea...
> Many thanks for your input.
> Delving further into the rig it seems that when you put an RCA plug into
> the socket it bends the centre tab down to complete a circuit and gives the
> 12vhaving checked the volts etc there is 12v (fuse is fine) at the base
> of the RCA but putting a plug in doesn't fully complete the circuit hence
> no volts going out. That is the derivation of  'switched socket' on rear of
> rig
> Looks like some minor surgery (bending of tab) to be performed tomorrow!!!
> Much obliged to all - you know who you are!!
> Thanks, Peter G4URT
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Re: [Elecraft] How low (V) can the K3 go?

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

The manufacturer has clearly, often, repeatedly stated, and keeps posted
their specification that the K3/K3S is designed for 11 to 15 volts.

Optimum THD is at the high end of that range. I have my supplies set at
14.4 VDC for this reason. This is also the bulk charge voltage for my "12"
volt batteries which proves handy at times.

Your operation at nine point something is simply out of bounds. Batteries
with 9 volts in their routine sustainable discharge curve are inappropriate
for the K3/K3S.

Operating any data mode away from the point of best linearity is poor
practice other than for continuation of communication in emergencies. For
normal operation, especially data, if you aren't operating at 14.4 then fix
it so you are. Stay there.

Discharging lead-based batteries below 11 volts will shorten life. Each
time you let batteries drop below 11 volts the length of time decreases
that you can operate below 11 volts following a recharge.

If you are into emergency preparedness, you save the south of 11 volt
operation for actual emergencies where you don't have a choice. Remember
that when you go south of 11 you are using up the battery's useful life.
The manufacturer is telling you that the K3/K3S is not designed for south
of 11.  South of 11 is a foul ball.

Personally I manage the huge T105's in my RV to stay above 11.5 VDC in
camps without power hookup. They are expensive, very heavy, and a real pain
in the *ss to change out.

73, Guy K2AV

On Friday, September 16, 2016, Chris Kimball  wrote:

>
> I'm running a test on my K3 with Olivia 8/500 data mode at 40 W output. The
> duty cycle is 1/3 transmit (4 min) and 2/3 receive.  A "LOW BAT" warning
> and
> beep occur occasionally during transmit, however, the ALC remains at about
> 4
> bars solid, one flickering.  The voltage during receive is more than 11 V,
> but during transmit it drops into the 9.x range sporadically.
>
> The test is into a dummy load and I have no way to judge the signal
> quality.
>
> When, at this power level, should I stop the test?  What's the best
> indication that the voltage is too low for a clean and usable signal?
>
> Chris
> NQ8Z
>
>
>
> --
> View this message in context: http://elecraft.365791.n2.
> nabble.com/How-low-V-can-the-K3-go-tp7622535.html
> Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
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[Elecraft] High End Operators?

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

Sigh...

"High End Operators" is an obsolete citizens band radio (CB) pejorative
term I have not heard in a very long time, almost forty years.

The term came about after the 1977 CB expansion from 23 channels to 40. The
first 23 channels allotted, except for channel 23, came from the 1958
conversion of the 11 meter ham band to CB use. Until 1977 all the CB
equipment stopped with channel 23.

"High End Users" became a pejorative for a while after FCC opened channels
24-40 when users would call and make contact on channel 19, and then
transfer to channel 24 and above, deliberately showing up owners of older
equipment who could not follow or listen.

That gradually went away as the newer 40 channel CB sets became common.
Many retained their older 23 channel sets and left them permanently on
channel 19 to listen for emergency road calls, while using the 40 channel
sets for everything else.

I don't know why anyone would want to use (or reuse) that term, "high end
users". Repurposed bullsh*t is still bullsh*t and still stinks the same.

Back in the 70's before modern cell phones, I knew a lot of hams who put CB
sets in their wive's cars, so they would not get stranded without
communication.

My boat anchor Collins 75A3 receiver and Johnson Ranger transmitter have 11
meters on them. Before 1958, 11 meters was shunned by hams in favor of 10
meters. Little surprise the FCC repurposed it.

73, Guy K2AV
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Re: [Elecraft] K2 & HiCur message on 160 - 15, 12 & 10 OK.

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

If the voltage drops from 13 to 12.4 with only a 3 amp draw on a 30 ampere
Astron, you likely have a severe power problem somewhere.

Measure the voltage on the Astron output terminals when you key the K2. If
the drop is present at the Astron, then you have a severe Astron problem.
If not then you most likely have a severe problem with power cord, power
connector, etc. Gone bad, not fully inserted, whatever. Always rule out
mechanical stuff before tearing apart the radio or shipping it back to Big
E. Wires and connectors are mechanical things that wear out. Do not ever
trust wires and connectors. Expect them to go bad. They will.

I have seen a male "F" connector for RG-6 stuff that did NOT have the
threads grooved. Owner came within half a phone call and three cuss words
of sending a RX switch box back to manufacturer accusing them of using
non-standard female F connector jacks on the box's back plane.

Never, ever trust wires and connectors. They are necessary, but they are
also your covert enemy. They have atomic level situational detectors and
know when you are in a contest, or taking your only shot at a new country
you have been chasing for a quarter century, or otherwise emotionally
vulnerable, and thus gleefully fail at times of maximum impact.

My low power K2 drops the 30 amp Astron from 14.4 to 14.3 when I key it at
10 watts. I have changed the internal settings to obtain 14.4 volts out.
Better supply voltage for just about every "12 volt" gizmo in the shack.
But that's totally different subject.

73, and good luck,
Guy K2AV



On Mon, Sep 5, 2016 at 2:38 PM, sniels...@nc.rr.com 
wrote:

> I have a K2 that just returned from a full going over, config, and realign.
>
> I am getting the HiCur warning real quick when I key it up.  40 through 15
> meters will produce the message when the power setting is adjusted to 6.7
> or higher.  On 160 and 80 the error kicks in at 5.3.  Lower power than that
> will not produce the message in same bands.  Bands 12 & 10 meters do not
> produce the error.
>
> I pressed display button until voltage showed.  Pressed tune, voltage
> dropped from 13.00 to 12.4.  Repeated same test, has same results.  The
> power cable is the same on that came from Elecraft.  I checked Cal Curr in
> menu.  It was set to 4.0.  I turned up to 4.5 and tried CW (letter E)
> again, resulting in same message "HiCur" at same places.  Turned Cal Curr
> setting to 3.5, and tried again.  Same results at same place.
>
> Radio is the 15 watt model that was built in upper 3000 serial numbers.
> It has all the updates and latest firmware installed.  Also has the
> following options installed: KSB2, K160RX, KNB2, KAF2, KIO2, KAT2,  & KBT2.
>
> Power Supply is 30 amp Astron.  Weighs about 35 or 40 pounds (it seems),
> and nothing else is connected to the PS except K2.
>
> The antenna is an UltiMax end fed, 33' vertical wire.
>
> Everything else seems to work flawlessly.
>
> What else should I check to clear this HiCur error?
>
> Thank You and 73,  Steve
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Re: [Elecraft] Recommended filters for Diversity Receive?

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

On Fri, Sep 2, 2016 at 6:10 PM, Bill  wrote:

> I use two 8 pole at 1.8Khz with the DSP set for 2.1.  I like the way it
> sounds and works.
> Bill
> K9YEQ
>

That's pretty interesting if you actually have the filters defined in the
K3/K3s as 1.8 kHz. Because what will happen when you set front panel WIDTH
control (the DSP width) to 2.1 is that the K3 will engage filters defined
as 2.1, or the next wider set of filters and will NOT be using the 1.8's.

However if you deliberately define those 1.8 filters as 2.1 in the filter
setup, then you will basically be hearing the selectivity of the two 1.8
roofers when your WIDTH control is at 2.1.

I have my 8 pole 1.8 roofers defined as 1.8. Can't stand them for casual
SSB & yak fests, but they are cat's meow for SSB contests. I have to ride
the shift control all the time for intelligibility, but that's better than
not being able to understand because the crud is terrible above or below.
If crud is terrible above AND below, some part of it is going to be IN the
bandpass and I have to give up and move.

73, Guy K2AV
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Re: [Elecraft] K2 Locked up

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

Hi, Aaron.

Does a tap on the Rate button change the tuning rate, e.g do the two digits
right of the decimal point on the display disappear and reappear with
successive taps to Rate? If the tap on the button doesn't change the
display, it would be a mechanical or electrical issue with the button or
its connections.

If the tap DOES change the display, then the button is working and CPU
behavior is at issue.

73, Guy K2AV

On Tue, Aug 30, 2016 at 1:45 PM, Aaron K5ATG  wrote:

> I was running PSK on my K2 and my cat got up on my desk and started moving
> the VFO knob off frequency. So I decided to put on Lock and pushed the
> button until it told me that it was locked, everything was normal. Then I
> tried to unlock it and it would not work. I turned it off and restarted it
> and everything is still locked. I unplugged it and again it is still
> locked. The decimal point is not flashing. I looked in the K2 Manual and
> could not find a place where I could resolve the problem. Does anyone have
> any ideas?
> Thank you
> Aaron K5ATG
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Re: [Elecraft] KDSP2

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

The K2 was first prototyped in October 1997. I'll bet no one back then
would have guessed that demand for parts would still be around 19 years
later in 2016.

73, Guy.

On Sun, Aug 28, 2016 at 6:03 PM, Mark E. Musick 
wrote:

> Hi Jim,
> The KDSP2 is no longer available due to the lack of available parts.
>
> 73,
> Mark Musick, WB9CIF
>
> -Original Message-
> From: Elecraft [mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Jim
> Allen
> Sent: Sunday, August 28, 2016 9:22 PM
> To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net
> Subject: [Elecraft] KDSP2
>
> On the Elecraft website page for the K2, it says in red letters, "Now with
> DSP!"
>
> Further down the page, it shows the KDSP2 under K2 and accessories.  When
> you click on the KDSP2, it takes you to a page for the KDSP2 accessory.
>
> In the order page, it shows KDSP2 as "discontinued."
>
> Is it now included, or hereafter unavailable?
>
> 73 Jim Allen W6OGC
> Sent from my iPad
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Re: [Elecraft] [OT] NEC wire size requirements (was: Zip Wire Misrepresentation?)

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

It really depends on physical environment particulars, and what it is you
are sizing your DC currents for.

If you are talking about 4 feet, that's one thing. But if it's an RV and
you are wiring up a 13.8 V DC supply circuit run from house batteries,
which are where they are, to the only place in the RV you can stuff a ham
shack, and it's 46.5 feet via the only possible wiring routing, then
voltage drop is a big issue if you want to run a K3 plus whatever from
there. It's even more interesting if what you are planning for is TWO K3's
plus two laptops and whatever, and that's going to be two regular FD
operating positions in a lazy and air-conditioned comfortable RV with
facilities, and a cold fridge at the ready.

I'll run the #4 direct from the battery terminals, and fuse it at 50 amps.
That will allow the big T105 batteries to feed peak current to the shack,
without having to have up-size the charger-converter (which needs to be
sized to the batteries' bulk charge rate, not the load). Let the
charger-converter and all that house DC wiring just worry about keeping the
battery charged, just like we had gone to a site without park power, and
had to do the battery plus generator afternoons thing. Gen comes on and
charger-converter runs bulk charge current for a long period. They're made
to do that.

Also it allows us to run the air-conditioning and the house on the
generator and use the T105's for class 2B on FD. Just use the regular house
battery disconnect and the big batteries are all the transceivers ever see.

In this kind of consideration, spending the absolute least amount of money
possible is not the prime consideration, and a stiff supply voltage at the
far end would justify spending money for copper.

73, Guy.

On Thu, Aug 11, 2016 at 3:03 PM, Lewis Phelps  wrote:

> I’ve changed the subject line because this discussion has strayed from the
> original question.
>
> At retail rates (e.g. price per foot from lower.com) #6 wire is 89 cents
> per foot, and #12 wire is 8.2 cents per foot;  assuming Clay’s 50 foot run
> and 3 wires for a 110 VAC circuit with ground, per NEC, the added cost for
> wire would be $121.20.
>
> Is it “good engineering practice?”  It seems to be to be OK from an
> electrical standpoint, albeit unnecessary, and unnecessary from a cost
> standpoint, albeit not harmful.
>
>  I can certainly understand “over-specifying” wire size in a 12 volt
> circuit, and using larger wire size than is required simply from
> considering ampacity,  because the voltage drop is a much larger change
> proportionally, but I really don’t see the benefit from the expense and
> added installation difficulty of using larger-than-required wire for a
> 120VAC supply circuit.
>
> according to the online calculator at http://www.southwire.com/
> support/voltage-drop-calculator.htm, which takes into account both
> resistance and reactance of the wire:
>
> — for a 50 foot run of cable of #6 wire, at 20 amps and 120 volts AC
> single phase,  the total voltage drop will be 0.884 volt, or 0.74%, for a
> net voltage at the end of the circuit of 119.1 volts (rounding)
> — for the same run with #12 wire, the total voltage drop will be 3.472
> volts, or 2.90 percent, for a net voltage at the end of the circuit of
> 116.5 volts (rounding).
>
> The 3.47 volt drop would be intolerable in a 12 volt circuit providing
> power directly to amateur radio equipment, but seems to me irrelevant if
> feeding a competently-designed power supply that reduces the 120 volts AC
> supply to some lower voltage of DC supply. Any ham radio power supply that
> is specified to operate on 120 VAC should be able to operate without
> difficulty from a 116.5 volts supply.
>
> So, why go to the extra expense of #6 wire? While it seems to me to be to
> be harmless to “over-spec” the wire size, it also seems expensive and not
> necessary either per requirements of Section of 310-15 of the NEC or from a
> “good operating practices” perspective.
>
> Lew N6LEW
>
>
>
> > On Aug 11, 2016, at 11:12 AM, Kevin - K4VD  wrote:
> >
> > The added cost of a 3x over-build seems like it would be awfully high. Is
> > this good engineering practice (seriously, I don't know)?
> >
> > Kevin K4VD
> >
> > On Thu, Aug 11, 2016 at 12:38 PM, Clay Autery  > wrote:
> >
> >> How do you define "necessary".
> >>
> >> Paraphrasing K9YC, Jim  "Big wire is your friend".
> >>
> >> I agree...
> >>
> >> I typically use wire at least 2 sizes larger than "required"  Often
> >> the wire size is determined by how big of a wire I can FIT in the
> >> application and how much money I can part with at the time.
> >>
> >> For instance, on my current power project... I am running 6 AWG x 4 from
> >> the service to the sub-panel @ 50 foot run for a 60 Amp separately
> >> derived service where there'll never be more than about a 20 Amp total
> >> demand...
> >>
> >> From the sub-panel to the receptacles about 3-1/2 feet below, I am using
> >> 10 AWG  only

Re: [Elecraft] K3 -TX test not sticky

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

Setting power to zero is a very simple way to set a persistent no-power
state that bridges transceiver on/off, which gives you your work-around. I
would assume that kind of usage is very rare.

Turning off the power just long enough to try out all the macro settings
before jumping into a contest is handled well by TX TEST, without any
sticky attribute, just as it is.

I HAVE myself turned PWR down to zero when putting up an AIM4170 to see the
K3's RX input impedances on different bands and inputs, knowing from
somewhere (intuitively?) that TX TEST would not persist, or I could release
it by accidentally holding a "MODE" press too long. I never expected TX
TEST to persist. For those who currently do NOT expect TX TEST to persist,
converting that to sticky is just going to generate tech support calls.

73, Guy


On Thu, Aug 11, 2016 at 12:48 PM, brian  wrote:

> I guess we can agree to disagree.
>
> It is not as if the K3 doesn't tell you it's in the TX test mode. Pretty
> obvious -- especially if you set it purposely.
>
> It is far less destructive in the TX test mode!
>
> If you also have to turn the power manually to zero, what's the point of
> having a TX test button?
>
> I don't agree that making it sticky would cause any appreciable number of
> additional support issues.  There have been plenty of "support problems"
> related to TX test with it not being sticky.  I'm sure it's on the list at
> Elecraft as an item to check if there is no power output. Interesting that
> the K3 manual doesn't mention TX test mode as a reason for No Power Out.
>
> Also I never thought power down and power up was supposed to "fix"
> conscious user settings deemed "inappropriate"-- whatever inappropriate
> means.
>
> It would be nice to know which settings are not sticky on power up/power
> down.
>
> 73 de Brian/K3KO
>
> On 8/11/2016 15:34 PM, Joe Subich, W4TV wrote:
>
>>
>> I would not want it to survive power off and restart.  It is too easy
>> to be in TEST mode at the end of the day, shut down and forget it.
>> Then on restarting the next day one spends time trying to figure out
>> why the rig will not transmit ... no thanks!
>>
>> 73,
>>
>> ... Joe, W4TV
>>
>>
>>
>> On 8/11/2016 11:25 AM, brian wrote:
>>
>>> I wonder if this is an oversight or difficult to implement?
>>> The potential $$ it could save are large.
>>>
>>> 73 de Brian/K3KO
>>> On 8/11/2016 15:12 PM, Don Wilhelm wrote:
>>>
 Brian,

 Yes, TX TEST will not survive a power cycle.

 73,
 Don W3FPR

 On 8/11/2016 10:59 AM, brian wrote:

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Re: [Elecraft] [OT] Zip Wire Misrepresentation?

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

If the feed to the sub-panel has 60 amp breakers in the main panel, then #6
AWG feed to the sub-panel is required by the NEC code. That you estimate at
this time you do not ever use more than 20 amps out of the sub-panel has no
bearing on the ampacity requirement for the sub-panel. A subsequent
occupant of your property may chose to expand use of the sub-panel to the
degree implied by the main panel breakers for the sub-.panel. The code is
intended to protect future occupants as well.

73, Guy K2AV

On Thu, Aug 11, 2016 at 12:38 PM, Clay Autery  wrote:

> How do you define "necessary".
>
> Paraphrasing K9YC, Jim  "Big wire is your friend".
>
> I agree...
>
> I typically use wire at least 2 sizes larger than "required"  Often
> the wire size is determined by how big of a wire I can FIT in the
> application and how much money I can part with at the time.
>
> For instance, on my current power project... I am running 6 AWG x 4 from
> the service to the sub-panel @ 50 foot run for a 60 Amp separately
> derived service where there'll never be more than about a 20 Amp total
> demand...
>
> From the sub-panel to the receptacles about 3-1/2 feet below, I am using
> 10 AWG  only because that's the largest wire the receptacle
> terminals are rated for.
>
> From the receptacles to all equipment, minimum 10 AWG...
>
> Bigger and shorter the wire, the better...
>
> __
> Clay Autery, KY5G
> MONTAC Enterprises
> (318) 518-1389
>
> On 8/11/2016 10:43 AM, Ronnie Hull wrote:
> > Is 10 gauge necessary?
> >
> > Sent from my iPhone
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Re: [Elecraft] K3 -TX test not sticky

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

Not a chance  :>).  Not an oversight. Deliberate choice.

Turning a rig off/on is supposed to reset everything except configuration
settings and start it over after such things as power spikes, yada, yada.
Having test mode persist across power cycles would create a lot of
confusion. Same kind of angst as having a firmware update hang before
completion.

Test mode is and always has been TEMPORARY. If you want your no power out
to persist, then turn PWR level to zero. That will persist.

g.

On Thu, Aug 11, 2016 at 11:25 AM, brian  wrote:

> I wonder if this is an oversight or difficult to implement?
> The potential $$ it could save are large.
>
> 73 de Brian/K3KO
>
> On 8/11/2016 15:12 PM, Don Wilhelm wrote:
>
>> Brian,
>>
>> Yes, TX TEST will not survive a power cycle.
>>
>> 73,
>> Don W3FPR
>>
>> On 8/11/2016 10:59 AM, brian wrote:
>>
>>> Recently I was doing something requiring that K3 not transmit power.
>>> TX test was selected.
>>>
>>> I expected that it would retain this setting after shutdown and
>>> subsequent restart.
>>>
>>> It does NOT stick with a K3 S/N 8XXX and FW 5.38.
>>>
>>>
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