[Elecraft] Sale: K3 2.7 KHz filter
Not sure if anyone has a need for a 2.7 KHz stock filter for a K3, but I have one excess to my needs for $50 shipped. 73 de w5jay/jay.. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] [K3] KPA3 mounting screw
Hi Pete, That is version C KPA3. I commented on that and sent pictures to the support team a few weeks back. Yes either they need to go back to the other design or just use an split washer instead of the inside tooth washer. I choose to keep the inside tooth washers and just push it work all it was worth with my finger nail. I got it stuck the first time and had to loosen the screw to free myself. :-) The old PA didn't have this problem as the trace was move closer to the edge of the board. 73 de jay/w5jay.. Good evening, While installing the KPA module in my freshly built K3, I noticed the inside tooth washer on one of the mounting screws fastening the PA module to the screen comes perilously close to a trace. It is the screw closest to a board mounted trimmer, and the trace comes from a to-220 device. Is there something I overlooked, or is this a non issue? I didn't see anything on a basic search of the archives Thanks, Pete -- Pete Axson W4SEC __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] Spare 2.7 khz filter
Hi Jim, I should have one in a few days. What say you? 73 de jay.. - Original Message - From: Jim ke...@zoomtown.com To: 'Elecraft Reflector' elecraft@mailman.qth.net Sent: Sunday, May 31, 2009 4:18 AM Subject: [Elecraft] Spare 2.7 khz filter Anyone have a spare 2.7 Khz filter for the K-3 they would like to sell please reply to me off the list with your price shipped. Thanks de KE4WY Jim __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] K3: Brush or Blow Dust?
Hi Stewart and Don, I have also had good luck with an air hose or air in a can, but on the fan motors be sure jamb a screwdriver into the blades as to not over speed the motor and ruin the bearings. Also don't forget to take the screwdriver back out, hi. The main thing I have seen is guys with an air hose is using too much pressure or bearing down with an air gun. One guy got so aggressive he blew off part of an SMT variable capacitor! All one has to do is keep the air about a foot or so away from what you are trying to clean. Common sense like with anything else, you can get close up with locked down fans, not so close on things like pots, variable caps, etc. When the dust starts flying that is close enough. Also some air tanks seem to have more moisture than others, if they have a water catch or a drain, but sure to do the proper maintenance before hand. If it is cold outside I usually let the equipment warm up to room temperature for a few hours before I power it back up. 73 de w5jay/jay.. Stewart, In the past, I have understood that when ICs are mounted on the boards, the static susceptibility is greatly reduced, so air-cleaning of assembled boards is generally OK. That may not be true of any single board since it may have unconnected inputs at the pins, but should be true for complete assemblies of boards. I have taken the air hose to many old computers and have had no identified problems. I have never had to do the same to any ham gear that I have encountered because there is just not that much dust accumulation. 73, Don W3FPR __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] K3 Hissy and Noisy Audio
Hi Joe, You wrote: Please NO! I already run RX Audio bands 1 and 2 at -16 dB to eliminate excessive bass - no more bass, please! You also wrote: You won't see much on the headphone output because of the 10 uF coupling capacitors. The effect is quite obvious on both the speaker output and the line output (if you have made the line out modification [R19/20] in K3AF Mod Rev 3). If you replace the 10 uF headphone coupling capacitors with 330 uF caps as recommended by W9AC the headphone output will more like a good external speaker. On Paul's mods, I've been there and done that on both a stock K3 and a modified one. I still don't hear the excessive bass you were mentioning and more important I can't measure it! I went back this morning and measured the speaker out and for that matter all other outputs for fun. When I go to RX EQ bands 1 and 2 and put them at -16 dB I see a gentle roll off starting at 200 hz. However I see the same gentle roll off at zero dB on RX EQ bands 1 and 2. On the line output I see a little less bass than the other outputs and I would expect this since it has a transformer in line that the speaker and phone output doesn't. In fact I don't see a change if I go crazy boosting RX RQ bands 1 and 2. Joe, I am not complaining mind you, I am just not seeing this excessive bass you posted in your message at zero or a huge reduction in bass response at -16 on bands 1 and 2. LO cut is still at 0, I am still on LSB at 2.8 BW. So I am still must be missing something here. BTW this K3 has all the AF, speaker mods, per the K3 Enhancement and Application Notes page. Also I do run from time to time a nice bookshelve and external amp speaker system. The walls are very safe here from excessive bass response. 73 de jay/w5jay.. Looking at Spectra right out of the Phones output, I don't see where bands 1or 2 do all that much in lowering K3's bass. You won't see much on the headphone output because of the 10 uF coupling capacitors. The effect is quite obvious on both the speaker output and the line output (if you have made the line out modification [R19/20] in K3AF Mod Rev 3). If you replace the 10 uF headphone coupling capacitors with 330 uF caps as recommended by W9AC the headphone output will more like a good external speaker. 73, ... Joe, W4TV Hi Joe, Looking at Spectra right out of the Phones output, I don't see where bands 1or 2 do all that much in lowering K3's bass. Having the rig on SSB using the 2.7 Khz filter, the Lo on 0, I see no change on bands 1 and 2 when I set them to -16. What I am missing here? I have never seen or heard too much bass in the K3. I did a plot at 0 dB, one at -16 on band 1 and another one on -16 on band 2 if anyone would like to see them. 73 de w5jay/jay.. Perhaps NR could also be improved with more low frequencies in the passband. Please NO! I already run RX Audio bands 1 and 2 at -16 dB to eliminate excessive bass - no more bass, please! The hiss many seem to be complaining about is broadband noise in the audio (speaker) and/or headphone amplifier. It is more noticeable when driving low impedance loads (8/16 Ohm) due to the relatively high gain (14 dB) of the speaker amplifier and the high frequency boosting effect of the 33 pF capacitors in parallel with the gain setting (feedback resistors). 73, ... Joe, W4TV I concur with what has been said regarding the hissy audio. The receiver audio seems to be on the mid-range to high frequency side without enough low frequencies in the passband. Experiments with RX EQ apparently have not done anything to eliminate this hiss, but maybe the firmware can be adjusted to increase the low-end response of the receiver passband. If this doesn't work, maybe a component change is in order. I also think the noise reduction is too sharp in both SSB and CW. Perhaps NR could also be improved with more low frequencies in the passband. Roy Morris W4WFB K2 #2225 K3 #323 __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] K3 excessive bass
Thanks Paul, That makes a lot of sense and like I said I am not complaining one bit on the K3 audio. I main point I was trying to make was the K3 doesn't have excessive bass in stock form or from what I have seen in any form. I will send you my plots later, I have a QRP meeting tonight to get ready for. However I still don't see much difference on bands 2 on any output, but I will experiment more tonight. To be honest I don't use the EQ at all, my K3 stays on digital most of the time! The problem is one guy will add a comment to this thread, then a guy like me will comment on that and now it is getting away from the original subject line. So I am changing this now and will be my last post on this subject unless someone would like me to run a test, etc. Just commenting on what I see, hear, and can measure. 73 de jay/w5jay.. 1 and 2. On the line output I see a little less bass than the other outputs and I would expect this since it has a transformer in line that the speaker and phone output doesn't. In fact I don't see a change if I go crazy boosting RX RQ bands 1 and 2. Jay, Here are my SpectraPlus FFT plots for the IC-7800 (Magenta), IC-7700 (Blue), Ten Tec Omni VII (Red), and Elecraft K3 (Yellow). Each plot was taken from the respective headphone output and the volume level adjusted in order to show an uncluttered overlay. http://216.229.20.37/images/ResponsePlots.JPG To achieve a reasonably flat low-end response on the K3 requires an FC shift to about 1.25 from 1.50. But in doing so, note how the high end response is now limited to about 3.2 kHz (See yellow trace). Not surprising, the IC-7700 and IC-7800 traces can be laid on top of each with a nearly identical response. Both produce a response bump between 100 Hz - 300 Hz. The Ten Tec Omni VII produces the best overall Rx response of the four rigs tested. I wish I still had the TS-870 for these tests as it measured ruler-flat out of the box from 30 Hz to 6 kHz. Regarding the K3's Rx EQ, I see substantial Rx EQ changes on bands 2-8 when adjustments are made, but no change on band 1 when adjusted from one extreme to the other. It simply has no effect. I've tried various alternate settings to see if I could engage band 1 to move, but so far, no luck. It doesn't bother me as I leave the EQ flat. Paul, W9AC __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] K3 Hissy and Noisy Audio
Hi Joe, Looking at Spectra right out of the Phones output, I don't see where bands 1or 2 do all that much in lowering K3's bass. Having the rig on SSB using the 2.7 Khz filter, the Lo on 0, I see no change on bands 1 and 2 when I set them to -16. What I am missing here? I have never seen or heard too much bass in the K3. I did a plot at 0 dB, one at -16 on band 1 and another one on -16 on band 2 if anyone would like to see them. 73 de w5jay/jay.. Perhaps NR could also be improved with more low frequencies in the passband. Please NO! I already run RX Audio bands 1 and 2 at -16 dB to eliminate excessive bass - no more bass, please! The hiss many seem to be complaining about is broadband noise in the audio (speaker) and/or headphone amplifier. It is more noticeable when driving low impedance loads (8/16 Ohm) due to the relatively high gain (14 dB) of the speaker amplifier and the high frequency boosting effect of the 33 pF capacitors in parallel with the gain setting (feedback resistors). 73, ... Joe, W4TV -Original Message- From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net [mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Roy Morris Sent: Monday, April 06, 2009 2:01 PM To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: [Elecraft] K3 Hissy and Noisy Audio I concur with what has been said regarding the hissy audio. The receiver audio seems to be on the mid-range to high frequency side without enough low frequencies in the passband. Experiments with RX EQ apparently have not done anything to eliminate this hiss, but maybe the firmware can be adjusted to increase the low-end response of the receiver passband. If this doesn't work, maybe a component change is in order. I also think the noise reduction is too sharp in both SSB and CW. Perhaps NR could also be improved with more low frequencies in the passband. Roy Morris W4WFB K2 #2225 K3 #323 K3 #2810 __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] External keyers with K3 - recommended?
I would have to agree on what others have said, but add the following. For contesting it's hard to beat the WinKey type keyers since you're interfacing with a contest program. Things like speed control and paddle/WinKey echo. For rag-chewing it is hard to beat the Cmos III when at the home shack. No matter what mode you are hung up on, whether it is mode A, Mode B, auto space on/off, etc, the Cmos III has something for nearly everyone. I think it has ten versions of keyer emulations. I still think you can homebrew a better Cmos III than the factory built version. I have used only one factory version, but since then still prefer to build homebrew Cmos III's over going with factory built units. MorseX still offers both Cmos III kits and factory versions at: http://www.mtechnologies.com/idiom/index.htm By building the kit you can use better push buttons, batteries instead of 12 volt power, make the cabinet smaller or larger, etc. However the factory unit may be better for some folks, it's just not for me. Both keyers work great on any of the Elecraft rigs, but I have no problem using the stock internal keyer when out in the field. I don't like to carry extra boxes and the stock Elecraft keyer is not bad at all! 73 de jay/w5jay.. I have never in my 34 years as a ham used an external keyer and always used either hand pump (old days) or built in keyer in my radios. But I keep hearing folks using external keyers despite built in capabilities. I am a CW enthusiast and over 95% of my Q's are CW. I do like using memories but find the 4 quick memos in the K3 to be sufficient. I'm not interested in using a keyboard nor display to watch the text. Does anyone recommend an external keyer even with the K3?? I would rather not hook on external boxes unless it will give me something extra. If I do, I understand that Logikey and Microkeyer are great products. -- View this message in context: http://n2.nabble.com/External-keyers-with-K3---recommended--tp2403830p2403830.html Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] K2/100: PSK31 at 50 watts Screen Shot
HI Bill and Julian, You can not go with the IMD readings in DM780. I use the program all the time, Simon says this is one of things he is going to work on in the coming year. In fact if you switch to MixW with the same signal you will see a huge jump/improvement in IMD readings. I have also found by centering and Narrowing up the signal you can up the IMD readings as well. I know the transmit IMD is not changing when I do this, so I think you just have to take most software IMD readings with the grain of salt. They are useful if you understand the program's limitations. The bottom line is KK7UQ meter and MixW reads pretty close, DM780 does not. However DM780 is the program of choice here except for RTTY. Still using MMTTY because of FSK keying. 73 de jay/w5jay.. Julian, G4ILO wrote: Bill Strong wrote: http://picasaweb.google.com/billstrong50/DigitalMaster780# This is a screen shot by KG3BOZ of my K2/100 running 50 watts on 40M PSK31. It shows IMD -23. This is a distance of about 1400 miles from Mississippi to Maryland at about 0100 UTC. My antenna is a Cobra Ultralite Senior up 20 feet. I tune it with the KAT100 and a big DXE balun. I usually run 20 or 30 watts but I wanted to see if I could run 50 watts mainly for use on 80M. If I blow a small fan on the heat sink the internal fan rarely comes on at 50 watts during converstaional PSK31. I use the Data Mode with the ALC set to light one bar. I transmit in the middle of the bandpass of the 2.2K SSB filter at 1000Hz. I would think an IMD of -23dB is barely acceptable. (My KK7UQ IMD meter defines good as better than -23dB.) However IMD measurements received off-air by software are not reliable and often show poorer readings than actual because the SNR is not good enough. Looking at the trace on your screenshot I would have said your IMD was better than -23dB. Thanks Julian for the observation. I did not know about the inaccuracy although I did suspect over the air measurement might be different than in the shack. The best IMD I have seen on DM780 is about -27 with a super strong signal. I posted this because I thought it might be of interest to a newby like myself. It took me a while reading on the internet to begin to get a grasp of PSK31. Much of the best information has been on this forum. 73's Bill -- View this message in context: http://n2.nabble.com/K2-100%3A-PSK31-at-50-watts-Screen-Shot-tp2287875p2289131.html Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] TX IMD
HI Julian and Greg, I see some difference in measured IMD in various software using the same equipment. I also notice a difference in going narrow on receive. Of coarse the transmitter's IMD isn't changing, but the the recorded result. Still useful for testing as long as you compare apples to apples. 73 de jay/w5jay.. Gregory Fischer wrote: Not doubting your TX IMD report in PSK. But I typically see ~-32dB IMD when checking PSK at 50W. You are probably right to doubt it. Such a difference made me try a test again, on a different band. I got a different set of results. Probably it is better to use a dummy load when testing the TX. The IMD Meter is designed to be used off-air (hence when TXing into an antenna) but it would appear that other factors can affect the readings. This needs further investigation. - Julian, G4ILO. K2 #392 K3 #222. http://www.g4ilo.com/ G4ILO's Shack http://www.ham-directory.com/ Ham Directoryhttp://www.g4ilo.com/kcomm.html KComm for Elecraft K2 and K3 -- View this message in context: http://n2.nabble.com/6-Meters-tp2213777p2219621.html Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com. ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] 6 Meters
Hummm that is indeed weird. When this was bought up last summer I thought my K3 must be special as I kept it on 6m the whole summer. I would switch back and forth between rigs and never found the K3 lacking. Could be my simple setup? Not much feedline loss, the antenna is very low to the ground and near the shack. Probably not over 25 feet of feedline. 73 de jay/w5jay.. What's so amazing is that others tell me how good their K3 is on 6. This is a unit built by AB7R who is tops with Elecraft and it was checked out before selling. The other bands are wonderful. Just a point, my Flex 1000 and Flex 5000 was the same way and part of the reason I switched. Still happy I did, especially with the Lp Pan which emulates Flex. BUT to have an old 400 buck FT100 body slam it is quite puzzling. Phil Philip LaMarche LaMarche Enterprises, Inc. www.instantgourmetspices.com www.w9dvm.com 800-395-7795 pin 02 727-944-3226 FAX 727-937-8834 NASFT 30210 W9DVM -Original Message- From: JIM DAVIS [mailto:nn...@astound.net] Sent: Sunday, January 25, 2009 2:12 PM To: Phil LaMarche; elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: Re: [Elecraft] 6 Meters On Sun, 25 Jan 2009 12:34:03 -0500 Phil LaMarche plama...@verizon.net wrote: I purchased a used FT 100 just to monitor 6 while using the other bands with the K3. Today there is a great opening. Signals are screaming from the FT 100 and hardly heard on the K3 using an antenna switch. Guess I better get a Preamp in line quickly. Phil Philip LaMarche LaMarche Enterprises, Inc. http://www.instantgourmetspices.com/ www.instantgourmetspices.com www.w9dvm.com http://www.w9dvm.com/ 800-395-7795 pin 02 727-944-3226 FAX 727-937-8834 NASFT 30210 W9DVM * Phil, You're right about the 6mtr. band being practically deaf in the K3!!! I did order the 6m. preamp because of that short-coming! But you would have thought that the BOYZ @ Elecraft would'nt have short-changed 6m sensitivity as ALL THE OTHER BANDS HEAR WELL!!! Why build a quality rig if one-band is only added as a after-thought??? Jim/nn6ee S/N 2406 ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] (Elecraft) 6mtrs!
Hi Jim, No worries on this. Yes I am blessed thank you and probably my K3 is as well if you knew the full story. The serial number of this one is # 791 and the one I used last summer on 6m was #850. I think anyone that knows me, including Wayne and Eric, would not classified me as a person that thinks Elecraft can do no wrong. Eric I am sure will tell you different. However they and their staff sure do a lot that is right. They do try their best to make it right with you if something is wrong! Jim, I trust me I wasn't judging you or others having a problem with 6m sensitivity from the front roll of the Elecraft Church. Without getting emotional I was making a statement as to maybe the cause. I was not implying that you or others don't have a problem. I am sure there is something going on, I wish we were closer so I could offer a hand in running down the problem. Here is the run down of my station that I don't usually give as it changes almost daily. During the month of June 2008 the shack consisted of serial # 850 K3, TS-480, IC-756 Pro 3, and a IC 7700. Again my antenna setup was a meager for 6m, just a 3 element mono-bander with almost no feedline going to it. At no time did I find the K3 lacking in sensitivity on 6m compared to the other rigs and yes I did switch them in and out. I did wonder why some other K3's seem to be deaf on 6m compared to TS-2000 or 746 Pro's as reported here on the reflector. At my station the result was not the same as some report here and so I kept the K3 on the 6m beam, while using the other rigs for HF. Later postings from Wayne explain things on the design of the K3 and then the new 6m pre-amp, so I quit wondering so much. Having said the above, I can also say the same thing in reverse. I chase a lot of weak signal work with wire only antennas and at no time is there a distinct advantage between the K3 and say the Pro 3 or even the 7700. All rigs have their pluses and minuses, plus I am pretty good at wheeling the knobs on the various rigs. I am not running a contest station here with mega power, multiple antennas, SO2R, etc. If I was running SO2R or similar setup I might be more biased towards the K3 and move up to the front pew of the church. I will say this, under strong RF conditions I have never seen a rig hold up better than the Elecrafts. The kind of RF levels most shacks will never have to deal with. This has nothing to do with 6 meters or your problem, but the above was to let you know I am far from being an Elecraft groupie. Not that being a groupie would be all that bad either. Jim I do wish you luck with your problem and I meant no offense in my posting to you or others on this list. 73 de jay/w5jay.. Jay, Maybe you're blessed or you don't think that Elecraft can do no wrong! What I and others are saying is that in OUR SITUATIONS the 6mtr. section sucks! That's why we're procuring the 6m. PREAMP, in that we still have faith in the K3 overall!!! Jim/nn6ee S/N 2406 (even this high # 6m. LACKS HUGELY!!! ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] 6 Meters and TX IMD
Hi Jan, I don't think the K3/100's -29 dB for TX IMD is all that far out of line with today's 100 watt class rig. In fact most 100 watt 13.8 volt rigs are a dB or two from this. I think the K3 QRP rig wasn't this good on bands above 17m @ higher power, but still measured -27 dB. Although it would be nice to have it much better (mid 30s or even in the 40s), even my Icom 7700 is was only measured @ -28dB with MRF150 final with 48 volts on them. Seems very rare for a current rig to be in the high -30s and -40s. So I am not sure what the bench mark would be on TX IMD these days or if we could afford it? Question, can you hear IMD off the air or just the artifacts? As Wayne said earlier everything is a trade off. 73 de jay/w5jay.. - Original Message - From: Jan Erik Holm sm2...@telia.com Cc: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Sent: Sunday, January 25, 2009 11:53 PM Subject: [Elecraft] 6 Meters and TX IMD Elecraft K3 is sold as a High Performance Radio, this is in print clearly stated on the web page. The 6m RX in K3 can not be called high performance. With a NF of above 10 and MDS as it is. The transmitter on SSB has so poor IMD that it can not be called high performance. ARRL and many others has measured poor TX IMD. I hear K3´s on the air every day with poor SSB TX IMD. People do have problems with PSK and other digital modes due to poor TX performance. IMO 6m is fixed with the preamp, no big issue anymore. However it should be stated in advertisement that for high performance on 6m K3 needs a preamp. Then we have the transmitter, what to do?? The problem has been swept under the carpet and it doesn´t go away by itself, it is stil there, under the carpet. 73 Jim SM2EKM -- Ron D'Eau Claire wrote: I can't speak for the engineering or product decisions that went into offering 6 meters with the K3, but for an excellent low-noise 6 meter capability Elecraft does offer the XV50 transverter which is well integrated into the K3 and K2 rigs offering direct frequency readout, all of the capabilities of the base K3 (or K2), and the 6 meter band becomes part of the band selection just like the HF bands. The XV144, 222 and 432 round out the same capability, letting you cycle through bands using the K2 or K3 bandswitch from 160 through 70 cm with one rig, and each of the VHF/UHF transverters has a low-noise high-performance receive front end designed specifically for that band. As Wayne's often mentioned here, the advanced up-conversion design of the K3 is superior for HF but makes incorporating VHF a real challenge. Using an XV transverter specifically designed for each VHF band keeps the K3 (or K2) operating as a tunable I.F. in the HF (28 MHz) range. Ron AC7AC -Original Message- On Sun, 25 Jan 2009 12:34:03 -0500 Phil LaMarche plama...@verizon.net wrote: I purchased a used FT 100 just to monitor 6 while using the other bands with the K3. Today there is a great opening. Signals are screaming from the FT 100 and hardly heard on the K3 using an antenna switch. Guess I better get a Preamp in line quickly. Phil Philip LaMarche LaMarche Enterprises, Inc. http://www.instantgourmetspices.com/ www.instantgourmetspices.com www.w9dvm.com http://www.w9dvm.com/ 800-395-7795 pin 02 727-944-3226 FAX 727-937-8834 NASFT 30210 W9DVM * Phil, You're right about the 6mtr. band being practically deaf in the K3!!! I did order the 6m. preamp because of that short-coming! But you would have thought that the BOYZ @ Elecraft would'nt have short-changed 6m sensitivity as ALL THE OTHER BANDS HEAR WELL!!! Why build a quality rig if one-band is only added as a after-thought??? Jim/nn6ee S/N 2406 ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] K3 Cool version 6 - posted.
I got to playing around with Cool last night, being too smart and not following directions had problems for a while. However I finally got the hang of it, by starting at the beginning and reading the directions, hi. Also I tried version 6, very sexie 3D great for showing off in front of friends, hi. Very hard to go back the the earlier versions and I thought they looked cool! Thanks Don! Lots of fun!! 73 de jay/w5jay.. I have tried to install this program, but it appears that unless one has VB installed, one is out of luck. Hi Knut - Things are not always as they appear. ;-) All of the required files are installed by the setup program on a compatible system. Please contact me directly with other questions. 73, Don wb8yqj at yahoo.com The first complaint was the missing vbrun300.dll. I located this on the web and installed it the folder I tried to install Cool from. Rerunning the setup, it's missing another dll file; I forget the name. I suspect I could go on like this until I had found and installed all files needed by the VB runtime system. Is there perhaps a compiler switch or something that could be changed so that it would produce an executable that is not dependent on other files? It does look a very nice program to try out. Knut - AB2TC AB3EN wrote: Don, Nice program. I installed it shortly after you posted it and it works well. I really like the meter, AGC and filter button operations. Let me know when you want a registration. A different approach to to a computer front end. For rag chewing I like the ease of operation vs say HRD. Both are good approaches just different twists. Well done! snip - AB2TC - Knut -- View this message in context: http://n2.nabble.com/K3-Cool-version-6---posted.-tp2136610p2138857.html Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com. Previous message: [Elecraft] K3 Cool version 6 - posted. Next message: [Elecraft] Using K3's Pre-amp Messages sorted by: [ date ] [ thread ] [ subject ] [ author ] More information about the Elecraft mailing list ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] Using K3's Pre-amp
Hi Everyone, I don't think this is out of line unless Dave is on CW mode using narrow BWs? His setup is like mind, it is in the city and he has nearby neighbors. My antenna is a large inverted 75m Delta loop too low to the ground and I have S-3 to S-5 noise using 2.8 Khz BW with no pre-amp. At 400 hz it drops down to S1. Again pre-amp off. Tons of noise here, but this is the quietest antenna I have used. This was just checked on 40m tonight. 73 de jay/w5jay.. Dave, Whether you need the preamp will depend on your antenna. Without involving any numbers, a quick test is to disconnect and then reconnect the antenna. If the noise level increases when the antenna is connected, the radio has ample front end gain (in fact it may be too much - try it with the attenuator in too). Your noise level does seem very high, so as Wayne suggested, you may want to try a low gain directional receiving antenna should you want to work the weak ones. There was one featured in QST for December 2008. Alternately, snoop out the neighborhood for the noise source and fix it if you can. 73, Don W3FPR Dave Yarnes wrote: I'm just curious how others are using (or not using) the K3's pre-amp. I have found few, if any, situations where I felt the pre-amp really improved a signal vs. the additional noise that is associated with turning on the pre-amp. It takes a lot of balancing, in my view, between the RF gain and the AF gain to enhance a weaker signal, and I don't find the pre-amp to be all that helpful. Having said that, I'm pretty happy with the results I get w/o using the pre-amp. Also, signals on the K3 w/o pre-amp compare very favorably to signals on my Orion II with the pre-amp on. The K3 still seems to hear just a tad bit better. So, I'm wondering if I'm missing some other trick or setting that would make the K3's pre-amp more beneficial. I can tell you that 90% or more of the time I tend to have my RF gain at 50% or less (at about 12 o'clock), and make very slight adjustments of the RF gain from there. I suppose much of this might depend on one's noise floor. FWIW, mine is about S4. Dave W7AQK ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - http://www.avg.com Version: 8.0.176 / Virus Database: 270.10.5/1885 - Release Date: 1/9/2009 7:59 PM ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] Re: Question re K3 diversity reception
http://www.pvrc.org/~n4zr/Articles/simple_protection_for_the_fledgl.htm Here is a link that may help? It has been posted here before. 73 de jay/w5jay.. I have been using SO2R in some of the RTTY contests for several years now. When I first set it up I was concerned about blowing the front end transistors in my (then) paired ICOM 756PRO radios. It occurred to me that I could simply measure RF voltage coming back in from the other antenna when under full power and verify that I was below the voltage that might damage the input devices. I made up a simple 50 ohm loaded diode probe for the measurements with my DVM. The usual techniques of stubs and filters, along with antenna separation of apprx a hundred feet, yielded worst-case voltages of around 300 mv with 1000 watts tx'ed on the other antenna. I assumed this could easily be tolerated by the radios and so far this has proven correct through 3 generations of different pairs of radios. I would recommend this technique of actually measuring the incoming voltage, then use common sense as to what levels are tolerable. Yesterday Wayne gave some guidance on tolerable levels with the K3, removing some of the guesswork. Jerry W4UK Subject: RE: [Elecraft] Re: Question re K3 diversity reception Wayne, To carry this one step more, what about when I am running multiple K3's on different bands at the same time? Do you recommend to use external receive bandpass filters on the receive lines if I am using receive antennas on the Receive Antenna and/or Aux input? And also use transmit bandpass filters on the transmit antenna input when I am using the transmit antenna for both receive and transmit? Julius Fazekas N2WN Tennessee Contest Group ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
[Elecraft] K3 for Sale
I have for sale a K3/100 (serial # 850) and it comes with the following accessories: KAT3 ATU KBPF3 General Coverage RX Module KXV3 Transverter Interface KTCXO3-1 TCXO KUSB With the following Inrad filters: FKL3B-FM KFL2A-2.8 KFL3A-2.1 KFL3A-400 KFL3A-250 Shipped and insured to the lower 48 only please $2830.00 OBO. Ph-479-646-5380. Many thanks and Happy Holidays! 73 de jay/w5jay. ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
[Elecraft] Re: K3 SALE: LP-pan
Many thanks everyone, the unit is sold. 73 de jay.. I have unbuilt LP-Pan kit for sale. $150 shipped to the lower 48. Please email direct or call 479-646-5380. 73 de jay/w5jay.. ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
[Elecraft] K3 SALE: LP-pan
I have unbuilt LP-Pan kit for sale. $150 shipped to the lower 48. Please email direct or call 479-646-5380. 73 de jay/w5jay.. ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] K3 competition from Icom?
HI Greg and all, Just to clarify at bit, I wouldn't compare the 7600 as a IC-746 less 2m. The 746 series rigs never had a real time bandscope, but the IC-756 Pro 3 and the 7700 are about as real as it gets. If I was going to compare the 7600, I would compare it to an enhanced Pro 3 or a 100 watt 7700. However that's just my take on it. The larger displays also serve as nice platforms for plain English menus (I've always wonder what they do in other countries?) and make nicer displays for PSK and RTTY if you are not using a computer. I love great radios, but I would rather I have great antennas (I don't) and be a great op (sorry to say I am not!). Now time to fire up the K3 and make some contacts anyway. :-) 73 de jay/w5jay.. I couldn't agree more! This is an IC-746 with a few new features and less 2M. So what? It may be nice for the casual operator not concerned with DXing or contesting and cannot afford their 7700. I don't know first hand, but I understand the scopes on this and the 7700 are not real time. I just don't see the usefullness if it's not. Competition for the K3? I think not. - 73, Greg - AB7R Whidbey Island WA NA-065 On Mon Aug 25 4:38 , DOUGLAS ZWIEBEL sent: http://www.ab4oj.com/icom/ic7600/main.html not in my opinion! de Doug KR2Q ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] Paddle for K3
I can help, I have one that speaks great English I will trade you for that one. 73 de jay/w5jay.. I have an entirely different problem! When I hook my paddle up to my K3, it seems to send with a distinctively italian accent. None of the firmware updates address this issue, and I am totally frustrated. Do you suppose the problem could be that I am using a Begali paddle? Help! Dave W7AQK - Original Message - From: WS6X [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: 'n4lq' [EMAIL PROTECTED]; elecraft@mailman.qth.net Sent: Friday, August 08, 2008 6:20 AM Subject: RE: [Elecraft] Paddle for K3 -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of n4lq BTW: I find that my Windom antenna works better on CW than on SSB. Could this the short and long halves of the antenna be the cause? = Well, yes, here's why! You'll find that if you switch to ALT in SSB the Windom performance matches that on CW. Likewise, if you switch to CW REV mode, the Windowm performance is down. This is of course, determined by the polarity of your Windom feedline (whether the coax center or shield is hooked to the longer side of the Windom). This effect can be equalized slightly by using balanced feeders. GL, Jim, WS6X Steve Ellington [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] K3's on 6M
Good advice Ken! I've also been enjoying the K3 on 6m mostly, both on CW and SSB. I am using a 3 element beam on a ten foot pole attached to a Vern Wright roll over mount under our pop up camper we never use, hi. So far I have been working the big guns and the little pistols with dipoles. With my setup there is very little feedline loss and I just point within 90 degrees of propagation. Since I am monitoring 24/7 when no storms are about, I usually hear something trying to break open all the time. Even in the middle of the night! Lately the good openings here in Arkansas are in the afternoon, but I am still working guys well past 0300 UTC. This morning I was hearing more stations coming through on CW, fun stuff! For the most part I missed NAQP over the weekend, just played a little with the K3 on 40m late. Just not enough hours to get it all done, hi. 73 de w5jay/jay.. There have been some good sporadic-E openings on 6M recently, with some double-hop skip contacts to the east from here in Montana. Don't have a 6M antenna? Virtually anything will work when the band's open, so try the K3's tuner on any antenna you have. I've been doing well with a 1/4 wave vertical at 30', but a 5-el NBS yagi will go up @ 75' today. (:-)) A word of caution ... if you've had a low-pass filter hidden away in your antenna system for so long that you've forgotten it ... most won't pass 6M and you could end up chasing an SWR phantom. (:-) Not familiar with 6M? Many/most SSB/CW contacts are on 50.125 USB. The CW-upon-key-closure feature is useful here. Now, if Elecraft will make the coming 6M pre-amp available soon (:-) 73! Ken Kopp - K0PP [EMAIL PROTECTED] or [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
[Elecraft] K3 #850 is alive
Well K3 #850 is alive and well. Only two problems, KBPF3 filter PCB had L18 snapped off and one lead was cut. So I unsoldered the remaining lead, rewound it, resoldered it to the board, and installed the board at the same time as the KPA3. The other problem was a small scratch on the bottom back cover, which I am sure they will replace. I am not worried about that at all. All the stuff I was worried about like Anderson Power Pole plugs, rattling headphone washers, turned out to be no big deal. Yes I had to redo some steps if I wasn't looking ahead. As I was assembling the front panel I notice their was some room that would cause the headphone washer to rattle, however if you gently push in on the front panel while tightening up the headphone nut with my fingers it took up all the slack. This pressure keeps the headphone nut from backing out. It took me a day to build the rig, a day to finish up the loose ends and do the cals, install the PA, redo the BPF toriod. I took my time and enjoyed the experience over the weekend while attending to call outs from work. I sent one email to Elecraft tech support today about the KBPF3's toriod, not really expecting a reply until Monday. WoW right in the middle of all this software upgrade stuff, I got an email from Wayne. Thanks Wayne for taking the time to answer my questions on how to get L18 going again. First contact as a QRP rig was KA8CPO on 40m CW, second contact was with G3LNP on 40m SSB running 100 watts into my inverted Delta loop. The K3 is a very good experience so far! Order it on 11/27/07 Estimated delivery mid February Got Katigram on 04/25/08 Received it on 05/0208 I almost want to sell it and order up another one. Building and messing with this little rig a ton of fun! Maybe later, time to get on the air with this one! :-) 73 de jay/w5jay.. ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] K3 #850 is alive
Hi Jim, Yes, Wayne says they are going to support L18 with some RTV or something similar like the ones on the PA. In a weird way I think this was meant to be, I haven't built one of Wayne's rigs yet without winding a toriod, hihi. 73 de jay/w5jay.. The broken wire on the toroid seems to be a common problem. Are steps being taken to add some support for this component during shipping? Jim K4JAF Well K3 #850 is alive and well. Only two problems, KBPF3 filter PCB had L18 snapped off and one lead was cut. So I unsoldered the remaining lead, rewound it, resoldered it to the board, and installed the board at the same time as the KPA3. The other problem was a small scratch on the bottom back cover, which I am sure they will replace. I am not worried about that at all. All the stuff I was worried about like Anderson Power Pole plugs, rattling headphone washers, turned out to be no big deal. Yes I had to redo some steps if I wasn't looking ahead. As I was assembling the front panel I notice their was some room that would cause the headphone washer to rattle, however if you gently push in on the front panel while tightening up the headphone nut with my fingers it took up all the slack. This pressure keeps the headphone nut from backing out. It took me a day to build the rig, a day to finish up the loose ends and do the cals, install the PA, redo the BPF toriod. I took my time and enjoyed the experience over the weekend while attending to call outs from work. I sent one email to Elecraft tech support today about the KBPF3's toriod, not really expecting a reply until Monday. WoW right in the middle of all this software upgrade stuff, I got an email from Wayne. Thanks Wayne for taking the time to answer my questions on how to get L18 going again. First contact as a QRP rig was KA8CPO on 40m CW, second contact was with G3LNP on 40m SSB running 100 watts into my inverted Delta loop. The K3 is a very good experience so far! Order it on 11/27/07 Estimated delivery mid February Got Katigram on 04/25/08 Received it on 05/0208 I almost want to sell it and order up another one. Building and messing with this little rig a ton of fun! Maybe later, time to get on the air with this one! :-) 73 de jay/w5jay.. ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] Sale: KDSP2 and KIO2
Thanks guys both kits are sold. 73 de w5jay/jay.. Hi, I have a KDSP2 and KIO2 surplus to my needs. Both are unbuilt and still in the box or plastic. I would like to get $180 for the KDSP2 and $80 KIO2. Package deal for both $250 shipped. Offers are OK. 73 de w5jay/jay.. Tel: . . . 707-832-4304 ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] K3/100 peak vs average RF power
Hi Bill, Interesting stuff! I've seen more than one PEP meter that is deadly accurate on calibration with either CW or SSB, but not both or the other way around. Also the frequency response of the tone/tones used to cal the meter with are much different than say speech or CW. Even a mic with a lot of bass response compared to one that has little or no bass response will affect PEP meter readings. Ditto on AM transmitters with good and not so good frequency response. I tore into a few PEP meters to have a look and see, most are loaded with electrolytic capacitors that age fairly quickly that will affect PEP readings, even the meter movement itself affects how things work on PEP. After testing a few meters, I just use the ones the look cool, but keep the scope in line for serious PEP work! In the end, I don't worry so much with meters except for solid carriers. They do look nice having that wide PEP swing. :-) Just some more things to ponder. 73 de w5jay/jay.. After reading several posts expressing concern about low K3 RF power output, I decided to run some tests on my own K3. Equipment used: K3/100 #0224 (2.7khz stock filter) with current MCU and DSP firmware (1.78 / 1.58); Telepost LP-100 digital vector wattmeter; Telepost LP-200 dummy load wattmeter; MFJ-872 peak/average wattmeter; Daiwa CN620B wattmeter (average reading); Elecraft 2T-gen; high quality non-reactive RF dummy load. No antennas. K3 ATU bypassed. The K3 was set to request 100 watts output on 14.250 Mhz USB. The 2T-gen was connected to the front mic input and mic gain adjusted to a value of 20. This resulted in 5 bars of ALC. Compression was set to an arbitrary (and low) value of 10. Results, LP-100 wattmeter: peak power measured 97.6 watts (averaged over 5 measurements). Set to measure average power, the LP-100 repeatedly measured about 60 watts output. Results, LP-200 dummy load wattmeter: 99-100 peak watts reported over 5 measurments. Results, MFJ-872 Peak/Average wattmeter: 'Peak' reading on analog scale - 85 watts. 'Average' reading on analog scale - 55 watts. Results, Daiwa CN620B average-reading wattmeter: 40 watts per analog scale. While the LP-100 and 200 were in close agreement, keep in mind that I calibrated them myself against a nominal 25 RF peak watts as determined by an accurate oscilloscope. The other two instruments reported somewhat disparate power values compared to the LP-100/200 and one another. I'm not drawing any definite conclusions from these results; I'm simply reporting them out in the event some readers might find them helpful or interesting. 73, Bill, WA4KBD -- View this message in context: http://www.nabble.com/K3-100-peak-vs-average-RF-power-output-tests-tp16996450p16996450.html Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com. ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
[Elecraft] Sale: KDSP2 and KIO2
Hi, I have a KDSP2 and KIO2 surplus to my needs. Both are unbuilt and still in the box or plastic. I would like to get $180 for the KDSP2 and $80 KIO2. Package deal for both $250 shipped. Offers are OK. 73 de w5jay/jay.. ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
[Elecraft] Sale: K2 #4048
Hi Guys, I am heading out the door for Ozarkcon in a few hours from now. I know this is a long shot, but I have a nice K2, with the KSB2 and K160RX options installed that I am looking to sell for $625 shipped. I can bring up to Joplin or call if interested at 479-651-7012. I will be here for a few hours until I leave out. I will check email before I leave and also on Saturday night. Many thanks and 73 de w5jay/jay.. ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] K3 2.7kHz filter DSP FC
Hi Guys, I know I am a couple days late on this, but I have been wanting to comment on this audio thing. Billions of folks may be content with restricted audio, but I wouldn't be. Let me first state I do a ton of listening or monitoring on all modes. Right now I am on 7.020 using a wide filter set for 3.6 KHz listening to CW stations coming and going as I work in the shack. A also have a few AM programs on the weekend I like to listen to. With my outboard audio amp and bookshelf speaker system it reminds me of the old days when REAL communication receivers had room filling volume. Let me move away from phone operation and talk digital, I do a little of that as well. Using programs such as HRD's DM780 and MixW if you have a receiver rolling off the low or high end response you will loose the ability to monitor more effectively on modes such as PSK31. Now for you guys that can only think narrow as well as listen that way, let me explain what I do in my shack. When I am monitoring the bands on PSK31, I use the widest filter possible. At the extremes of the rig's bandpass their maybe a problem on transmitting a very low or high tone. However both programs mentioned above have a centering function that grabs the signal and puts it at 1500 hz. If you are using CAT with your rig, this is all automatic, it centers the signal right on 1500 Hz and adjust the VFO accordingly. Say I find a brand new country and find him at 100 Hz using DM780, I hit Center and it moves the station of interests to 1500 Hz. Then I can point and click for a narrower receive filter. I am now ready to transmit. If you have ever gone fishing, you catch more fish with a large net than you do with a small one. You can always throw back in the small ones or unwanted ones. If your receiver is restricted, you will and can miss stations that might interest you! Operators that use DM780 with SuperBrowser know what I am talking about. Just for fun I decide to see how many stations I would missed with a rolled off response on the low end of 300 hz, typical communication grade receiver of yester year. I fired up non communication grade receiver and set the cursor at 70.1 hz, I still got good print on PSK31! So using a channel width of 30 to 50 hz on PSK31 means I could miss up to 7 to 4 station respectively. This doesn't even count for the higher end response! For those that would like to see, I have jpg's of stations received at 70.1 Hz and 3604.3 Hz that printed cleanly I can send to those that are interested. I have other receivers that could do better on the high end, but that is not the point I am making here. Over the years I have a ton of receivers, to be honest I would not know how to classify a communications grade receiver. When I hear communications grade I think heavy, military like ruggedness, and versatility! I never think 300-300 KHz, but that is just me. So end the end, this cool aide drinker would like a choice of favors, the more versatility, the better for me. I hope in the end the K3 has the ability to go wide on IF/audio frequency response and then let me choose how narrow I need to go on all modes. There a lot of reasons to have a nice flat, wide, low distortion bandpass, not just for good sound, but that would be great also! I would be curious to what the K3 ultimate bandpass would be and would that also be completely adjustable? Yes I did glance at the various pdf.s, but didn't see a spec for this. Thanks for letting me add my 2 cents worth. 73 de w5jay/jay.. Paul Christensen wrote: Bruce, as Barry points out, the K3's audio response really needs the ability to extend down significantly lower than the current ~ 250 Hz we're not concerned with the broadcast of music in our service, then the male voice (lowest relevant fundamental of 70 Hz) and certain digital Billions of people are quite happy with the 300kHz cutoff used by the public telephone system (a total of 3.1kHz between 300 and 3.4kHz). The critical frequency for speech communications is the lowest formant frequency; it is the resonances in the vocal cavity that convey speech, not the fundamental. The lowest formant in normal speech (formant 1 for u) spans about 200 to 400Hz, so 250Hz probably is a reasonable compromise; it will include the peak and only slightly distort the lower edge. modes in SSB mode (e.g., PSK31) may be used to establish the lower response threshold. When you use digital modes with the receiver configured for SSB, you are really using the audio path as a final IF of about 1kHz. As long as the audio passband is flat across the actual digital signal, it doesn't matter what its centre frequency (final final IF frequency) is. That's basically the strategy used by telephone modems (except 56kbs ones, which play tricks with the digitisation of the signal). The faster ones use a carrier of about 1800Hz (nominal channel centre is 1850
Re: [Elecraft] K3 XMIT in SSB modes - Heil Footswitch
Reasonably priced footswitches can also be had at your local music store. I am using one thin Heil footswitch and the other a cheap knockoff, both are doing great. However stomping on either with hiking boots, I am not sure. So I tread lightly on my footswitchs. Heil also has a footswitch that keys both the rig and amp. It sets up to high for my tastes and got to hurting my foot during a long contest. So I when back to the thin jobs. 73 de jay/w5jay.. Barry N1EU wrote: The Heil footswitch is FB quality and reasonably priced. We must have a different definition of FB quality. I've owned several Heil footswitches and they all eventually failed with stripped pivot screws. It's a poor mechanical design. You can kludge a repair with a long machine screw and nylock nut or do better by purchasing a Linemaster GEM-V footswitch or similar. If you were describing Radio Shack's footswitch I might agree, but I've used a Heil for 10 years and ~60k contest QSOs with never a problem. Of course *anything* mechanical is prone to failure! 73, Bill -- View this message in context: http://www.nabble.com/K3-XMIT-in-SSB-modes-tp16198198p16198637.html Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com. ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] K3 Technicians.....
I bet those blue mats under the rigs are anti static ones hooked up to a ground bus of some sort? 73 de w5jay/jay.. And not an ESD wrist strap visible anywhere. [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Has anyone seen these pics yet: _http://www.elecraft.com/K3/pics/_ (http://www.elecraft.com/K3/pics/) Looks like Elecraft has at least 3 Techs working on getting those units out! I wouldn't mind doing that if they were in NC! It would be much cheaper for them to operate here:) Looks like they are still in Production Run#1 though with the orders with deposits:( Michael N2ZDB .com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] Regarding the K3, PW-1 and ALC
HI Doug and all, That is indeed interesting. I have seen that document many times and never noticed that. In the PW1's owners manual almost every page comments how important ALC is to prevent damage to the PW1 using both Icom and non Icom rigs. Having owned a PW1 and setting up about a half a dozen or so around the area here, I well tell you it only takes 28 watts to run 1KW out on the PW1. All of them I have setup run ALC and no problems so far. One of them runs a TS850 along with a Pro 3, but both are using ALC. The 7800 is at the limit of the PW1's ALC range, but works great. Since the PW1 will run over 1KW with as little of 30 watts of drive I wouldn't think most guys spending nearly $5k would take a chance damaging it. I did see one PW1 run near 1.5KW when a guy didn't have ALC hooked up. I am not sure how long it would run like that before it went up in smoke, luckily he said it in time. If you look at the specs for the PW1 FET modules they are rating each at 300 watts (I've seen some sheets spec them out at 150 watts a pair). To get away with this they are using a huge heat sink and three fans for the PA section alone. In the end to each his own, but after having a lot of experience with this amp I wouldn't think of not running ALC. In the heat of chasing DX and even more so in contesting, I can not imagine any one not screwing up at least once. That is all it takes, trust me I know first hand! I know this doesn't have much to do with a K3, unless your are going to interface the two together. Many thanks and 73 de w5jay/jay.. This came across the Icom list a few minutes ago, and I took a look. Look for yourself at page 35 of the referenced document, but I'll quote it, too. Non-Icom radios may or may not use the ALC feature. It is recommended to not use ALC with a non-Icom radio and to control the power manually on the radio. So, if you want to follow Icom's recommendation for the PW-1, the question of the K3's ALC level is moot. I'm amused, frankly. Thanks Dick. I suspect it'd be easy to use a PIC (as in PICAXE, even) to translate the K3's frequency messages to Icom's CIV equivalents. If someone will give me a PW-1 (to keep), I'll do it!!! 8-) I'm just waiting for it to start raining to do the K3 to IC2KL band select hack. 73, doug From: Dick Dievendorff [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Wed, 5 Dec 2007 11:23:12 -0800 Try this: http://icomamerica.com/en/support/kb/Article.aspx?ArticleNumber=615A26584A There's a place where you want to turn off the transceiver that isn't immediately obvious from the PW-1 instruction manual. Dick, K6KR ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
