Re: [Elecraft] [K3] The Way We Rank Receivers (long)

[Lewis Phelps]

Al, thanks for a very informative and helpful discussion. This sort of posting 
is what makes the Elecraft listserv so valuable.

Lew N6LEW


> On Oct 24, 2016, at 10:21 PM, Al Lorona  wrote:
> 
> Receivers are always ranked by the "2 kHz third order dynamic range", such as 
> at: http://www.remeeus.eu/hamradio/pa1hr/productreview.pdf  but do we really 
> grasp the meaning of these specs? For instance, the Elecraft K3's (after 
> synthesizer upgrade) number is 103 dB, good enough to be in the top ten. In 
> fact, this number is so strong that very few hams will ever be affected by 
> it. To the best of my knowledge, I have *never* been close to running out of 
> dynamic range. To understand why, let's put "103 dB" into English.
> 
> Let's say you're on 20 meter CW, operating at 14.050 MHz. You're listening 
> through your fine Elecraft 500 Hz crystal filter when suddenly, and by 
> incredible coincidence, two equally strong 49 dB over S9 signals begin 
> transmitting at the exact same time, one on 14.052 and the other at 14.054 
> MHz, exactly 2 kHz and 4 kHz up from where you're listening. With the preamp 
> off (which is totally believeable on 20 meters with a decent antenna) you 
> will just barely hear a "ghost signal" right at the noise level... if you 
> notice it at all. That "ghost" signal is the two-tone, 3rd order intermod 
> product generated in the K3 receiver by those two hugely strong and perfectly 
> placed signals.
> 
> Not a very likely scenario, but that's what 103 dB of dynamic range buys you.
> 
> I have assumed a noise floor or MDS of -130 dBm because it's a nice round 
> number. If your 20 meter noise floor is higher than this, then the two 
> signals would have to be *even stronger* to hear the intermod come out of the 
> noise.
> 
> Even if each of those interferers was *60* dB over S9 -- pegging the 
> S-meter-- the intermod product on 14.050 would still be only S5. Amazing. 
> This kind of performance begs the question, "How much more dynamic range is 
> really needed?" and some (like Rob Sherwood) have said that once you're above 
> 90 dB, you already have enough, at HF at least.
> 
> Perhaps it's time to rank receivers by a different measurement, something 
> that affects more of us. Looking through the table at the link above we see 
> another measurement called "2 kHz blocking gain compression" and for the same 
> K3 it is 143 dB. This is a measurement not of two interfering signals, but a 
> single interferer just 2 kHz away. Since there's only one signal, it won't 
> generate a "ghost", but it will reduce the gain of the receiver. ARRL defines 
> this as the signal level that reduces the gain by 1 dB. One dB is really 
> small, something like changing your RF Gain knob from the 3:00 o'clock 
> position to maybe the 2:45 o'clock position. Barely noticeable. Nonetheless, 
> for our K3 the signal required to do this is about +13 dBm, or 20 milliwatts, 
> which is probably near the damage level of the receiver! (I'm quite sure that 
> Wayne has made intercontinental QSOs at 20 mW.) It's a theoretical value that 
> very, very few hams would ever encounter... only the ones living next door 
 to
>  a guy running a kilowatt. So this measurement is even less relevant to us.
> 
> Finally, we notice a measurement called "2 kHz reciprocal mixing dynamic 
> range" -- probably the limiting spec nowadays for top tier receivers. In our 
> example of the single strong signal, way before reducing the gain of the 
> receiver, that signal will have another effect: it will mix with the phase 
> noise of the K3's own local oscillator and deposit that phase noise right 
> onto your desired frequency of 14.050 MHz. As you're listening there, you 
> suddenly notice that the noise floor seems to be rising for no apparent 
> reason. You listen some more, and notice that the noise is following some 
> kind of CW keying. You glance at your panadapter and notice an enormous 
> signal just 2 kHz away on 14.052. So there are two culprits: that strong 
> signal, and the K3 oscillator phase noise. The K3 with upgraded synths has a 
> spec of "-115 dBc", again near the top of the list, which means that a signal 
> 2 kHz away and 115 dB above the noise floor will cause the noise floor to 
> rise by 3 dB. For a K3
  n
> oise floor of -130 dBm this is -15 dBm, or about 60 dB over S9. The reason I 
> say this is the limiting factor is because the chance of just one 60 dB over 
> S9 signal nearby is greater than *two* of them at the right spacing as in our 
> discussion of 3rd order DR.
> 
> For these reasons, we could start ranking receivers by 2 kHz reciprocal 
> mixing dynamic range because reciprocal mixing is far more likely to happen 
> to a larger number of hams. It's not a catastrophic effect, but it's quite 
> noticeable. There's a problem, however, because sampling receivers don't 
> follow the classical reciprocal mixing model. We need a measurement that 
> hasn't been invented 

Re: [Elecraft] KX2 books by KE7X Available

[Lewis Phelps]

From urban dictionary.com (full URL 
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=just%20sayin' 
)

"a term coined to be used at the end of something insulting or offensive to 
take the heat off you when you say it.”

Just saying.

Lew N6LEW

> On Sep 11, 2016, at 11:23 AM, Mike Morrow  wrote:
> 
> Just sayin'.

Lew Phelps N6LEW
Pasadena, CA DM04wd
Elecraft K3-10 / KXV144 / XV432
Yaesu FT-7800 
l...@n6lew.us
www.n6lew.us

Generalized Law of Entropy: Sooner or later, everything that has been put 
together will fall apart.





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Re: [Elecraft] Subject: Re: KXBC3 clock drift

[Lewis Phelps]

I concur, and suggest another path for those who have a strong need for 0.01 
second accuracy of their rig’s clock. 

There are Arduino GPS shields available for $40 and less.  If one were so 
inclined, it would seem feasible to use an Arduino with GPS shield connected to 
the serial port of the rig; you could even build a pass-through connector sot 
that other serial devices could be connected. 

Lew N6LEW

> On Aug 28, 2016, at 2:03 PM, Edward R Cole  wrote:
> 
> I think this topic is a little over the edge.
> 
> Do ALL radios have clocks, even??  My 1950's HQ100C had a clock which was 
> option C in the model number.  It was an electric clock.  Do I wish the K3 
> clock kept better time?  Yes, but its not something I'm going to bother 
> Elecraft about.
> 
> Accurate time is required for some digital modes but they run in a computer 
> so that is where accurate time is needed.  Several sources of atomic quality 
> time are available from the Internet.
> 
> But if you are off the grid then some other time std is needed.  GPS time is 
> probably the answer.  I bought a GPS with USB dongle for under $50 dollars 
> which there is software to update the computer time.
> 
> Now a utility on my computer with access to accurate time that could be 
> downloaded to my K3 once per day or once per week would be nice.  It could 
> elicit the K3 Utility program to connect and update the K3 clock, 
> automatically.  No change to the K3 clock hardware would be needed.
> 
> I assume this not rocket science for all you computer whizzes.  I'm not 
> suggesting Elecraft take this on - somebody else.  Surely the K3 utility is 
> not that hard a nut to crack?
> 
> 73, Ed - KL7UW
> http://www.kl7uw.com
>"Kits made by KL7UW"
> Dubus Mag business:
>dubus...@gmail.com
> 
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Lew Phelps N6LEW
Pasadena, CA DM04wd
Elecraft K3-10 / KXV144 / XV432
Yaesu FT-7800 
l...@n6lew.us
www.n6lew.us

Generalized Law of Entropy: Sooner or later, everything that has been put 
together will fall apart.





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Re: [Elecraft] F.S. SignaLink USB for PSK31

[Lewis Phelps]

Hey, Joe,

I sent you an email yesterday saying I’d buy this.

If you didn’t get it, please respond off-list.

Lew N6LEW


> On Aug 28, 2016, at 2:04 PM, Joe W2KJ  wrote:
> 
>> 
>> Howdy Gang:
>> 
>> I have for sale a like-new SignaLink USB with the appropriate cables and 
>> also the optional plug-in module for the internal jumper settings for the K3.
>> 
>> I used this unit a couple of times with my K3 but just couldn't get into 
>> that mode...guess I'm a die-hard CW fan.
>> 
>> Also, I sold my K3 so I no longer have any use for the SignaLink.
> 
> The USB is in mint, like-new condition.
>> 
>> Will ship for $90 via Priority Mail.
>> 
>>  73, Joe W2KJ
>>  I QRP, therefore I am
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Lew Phelps N6LEW
Pasadena, CA DM04wd
Elecraft K3-10 / KXV144 / XV432
Yaesu FT-7800 
l...@n6lew.us
www.n6lew.us

Generalized Law of Entropy: Sooner or later, everything that has been put 
together will fall apart.





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Re: [Elecraft] [OT] NEC wire size requirements

[Lewis Phelps]

Depends on the conduit size. Half inch conduit can only carry two #6 wires per 
NEC, but 3/4” conduit is OK for four #6 wires.

But we weren’t talking here about pulling wire out of an existing conduit, I 
don’t think.. This was described as a new installation by a code-savvy op, who 
no doubt is using properly sized conduit..

Lew N6LEW

> On Aug 11, 2016, at 12:39 PM, Lynn W. Taylor, WB6UUT 
> <k...@coldrockshotbrooms.com> wrote:
> 
> On 8/11/2016 12:03 PM, Lewis Phelps wrote:
>> 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. 
> IIRC, there is discussion in the NEC about the total cross section of wires 
> in conduit.  Pulling #10 from existing conduit and replacing it with #6 could 
> in fact be a code violation?
> 
> -- Lynn

Lew Phelps N6LEW
Pasadena, CA DM04wd
Elecraft K3-10 / KXV144 / XV432
Yaesu FT-7800 
l...@n6lew.us
www.n6lew.us

Generalized Law of Entropy: Sooner or later, everything that has been put 
together will fall apart.





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Re: [Elecraft] [OT] NEC wire size requirements (was: Zip Wire Misrepresentation?)

[Lewis Phelps]

Sorry, auto spell correct got in the way. That should have read “lowes.com”

lew

> On Aug 11, 2016, at 12:03 PM, Lewis Phelps <l...@n6lew.us> 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 <http://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 
> <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 <ke...@k4vd.net 
>> <mailto:ke...@k4vd.net>> 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 <caut...@montac.com 
>> <mailto:caut...@montac.com>> 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] [OT] NEC wire size requirements (was: Zip Wire Misrepresentation?)

[Lewis Phelps]

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 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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>> Message delivered to ke...@k4vd.net 
>> 
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Lew Phelps N6LEW
Pasadena, CA DM04wd
Elecraft K3-10 / KXV144 / XV432
Yaesu FT-7800 
l...@n6lew.us
www.n6lew.us

Generalized Law of Entropy: Sooner or later, everything that has been put 
together will fall apart.





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Re: [Elecraft] Heath kit and the Lazarus Loop

[Lewis Phelps]

Heathkit was at the forefront of the personal computer revolution.  Their H-8 
was one of the earliest 8-bit computers, and the H-89 one of the first Z-80 
machines, as well as being the first “all in one” computer that combined the 
keyboard, monitor, and processor into a single enclosure.  I used an H-89 as a 
word processor for a number of years, upgrading it with aftermarket products 
(which were plentiful) to the first-ever silicon drive, in lieu of a 5 inch 
floppy. It didn’t have “permanent” memory, so you had to copy files a a floppy 
before shutting down, but it sure accelerated the word processing speed.  The 
Z-80 (an enhanced 8080 chip made by Zilog) addressed 64K of memory, and the 
operating system (CP/M) used about 39K, which didn’t leave much space for the 
word processing app and the document file.  There was a lot of swapping of 
chunks of instruction in and out of memory.  

They didn’t keep up with the advances in technology forever, but I think that 
was due more to a lack of capital than a lack of focus. Their 16-bit machines 
never caught on in the face of the IBM PC onslaught.

Lew N6LEW



> On Aug 8, 2016, at 12:47 PM, Dauer, Edward  wrote:
> 
> It may be that Heath’s demise came less from a lack of entrepreneurship than 
> from a lack of focus on the market where it had mastered its route to 
> success.  The introduction of personal computers at around the same time 
> probably played a role as well. 

Lew Phelps N6LEW
Pasadena, CA DM04wd
Elecraft K3-10 / KXV144 / XV432
Yaesu FT-7800 
l...@n6lew.us
www.n6lew.us

Generalized Law of Entropy: Sooner or later, everything that has been put 
together will fall apart.





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Re: [Elecraft] The amp I would like to see Elecraft build.

[Lewis Phelps]

I picked up one of these things at a local surplus store.  Noisy as hell.  Not 
a good idea.

Lew N6LEW



> On Aug 1, 2016, at 7:35 PM, Gary K9GS  wrote:
> 
> Or better yet, do what other SS amp manufacturer's are doing, use surplus HP 
> Proliant server power supplies?  Here's a 3KW one/50V for $30.00.  There are 
> warehouses full of these things available.
> 
> http://www.ebay.com/itm/HP-ESP120-2950W-Power-Supply-226519-501-406424-001-253232-001/391114939625?_trksid=p2047675.c15.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D37577%26meid%3D7a666926576944989b8c1bc8c2e7ec53%26pid%3D15%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D122038440431
>  
> 
> 
> They have other current capacities available.  These can be run in series or 
> parallel too.
> 
> Sure beats re-inventing the wheel.
> 
> 
> On 8/1/2016 1:04 AM, Bob Nielsen wrote:
>> Although it would add to the cost, building in a 12 to 60 volt DC-DC 
>> converter would avoid compromising the performance.
>> 
>> 73, Bob N7XY
>> 
>> On 7/31/16 7:15 PM, Ron D'Eau Claire wrote:
>>> Dan, the issue is producing more than 100 watts from a 12-volt supply 
>>> without unacceptable levels of IMD. That's why Elecraft used a 60-volt 
>>> power supply in the KPA500.
>>> 
>>> If the gain restrictions are removed, Elecraft (and anyone else) could 
>>> produce a 500 watt amplifier that worked from an exciter with any level of 
>>> drive, even less than 1 watt.
>>> 
>>> 73, Ron AC7AC
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> -Original Message-
>>> From: Elecraft [mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Dan 
>>> Baker
>>> Sent: Sunday, July 31, 2016 5:31 PM
>>> To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net
>>> Subject: [Elecraft] The amp I would like to see Elecraft build.
>>> 
>>> Once the FCC removes the 15 dB gain limitation on amateur amplifiers 
>>> *Petition for Rule Making* (*RM-11767*
>>> ) Then Elecraft can 
>>> build us a 12 volt version of the KPA500. That would give us the ability to 
>>> run our KX’s as a very effective mobile rig. This would compliment 
>>> Elecrafts theme of products much more than a legal limit amp, that really 
>>> you can find anywhere.
>>> 
>>> 73,   Dan KM6CQ
>> 
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>> Message delivered to garyk...@wi.rr.com 
> 
> -- 
> 73,
> 
> Gary K9GS
> 
> Greater Milwaukee DX Association: http://www.gmdxa.org 
> Society of Midwest Contesters: http://www.w9smc.com 
> CW Ops #1032   http://www.cwops.org 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ---
> This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
> https://www.avast.com/antivirus 
> 
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Re: [Elecraft] Elecraft grey in a rattle can?

[Lewis Phelps]

If “money is no object” and you want to nail the color exactly, you can buy 
custom-blended spray paint for about $50 a can from 

http://www.myperfectcolor.com/

Lew N6LEW


> On Jul 26, 2016, at 1:27 PM, EricJ  wrote:
> 
> I bought an EC2 to put my KPA100 and KAT100 in. That left a blank top cover, 
> front/rear cover sitting on a shelf. I recently made two side covers and a 
> bottom cover for it which I want to paint as close to the original EC2 panels 
> as possible. Most of the rattle can greys are more blue than the Elecraft 
> grey which tends towards a brown tone almost.
> 
> Anyone run across a rattle can color that comes close?
> 
> Eric KE6US
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Re: [Elecraft] Trying to gauge interest

[Lewis Phelps]

Count me in!!!

Lew N6LEW

> On Jun 19, 2016, at 11:56 AM, Ken Arck  wrote:
> 
> Hello fellow 10 watt K3 owners!
> 
> As my main use for my K3s is 6 meter and 144 EME operation, I bought the 10 
> watt version without the antenna tuner. I dabble a little on HF but not a 
> whole lot. As such, the 10 watt, no tuner version suits my needs, although I 
> thought it would be nice to be able to select 2 different antennas from the 
> front panel (one for HF and the other for 6 meters). Spending several hundred 
> dollars for the KATU seemed a bit overkill to me just to get front panel 
> selection of 2 antennas.
> 
> So looking at the schematic, I saw how easy it would be to modify my KANT 
> board to allow 2 antenna selection. I bread boarded up my schematic and It 
> works exactly as I expected.
> 
> So I'm debating having some pc boards made to replace the entire KANT board 
> but only if there is enough interest to justify doing so and I wanted to see 
> how y'all felt about it. I project the bare boards would run around $20 to 
> $25. You would take the parts from your existing KANT and reuse them on this 
> new board, in addition to adding around $12 worth of new parts. So for under 
> $40, you could have dual antenna selection on your non-KATU equipped K3.
> 
> Any interest?
> 
> Ken
> --
> President and CTO - Arcom Communications
> Makers of repeater controllers and accessories.
> http://www.arcomcontrollers.com/
> Authorized Dealers for Kenwood and Telewave and
> we offer complete repeater packages!
> AH6LE/R - IRLP Node 3000
> http://www.irlp.net
> "We don't just make 'em. We use 'em!"
> 
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Elecraft K3-10 / KXV144 / XV432
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Generalized Law of Entropy: Sooner or later, everything that has been put 
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Re: [Elecraft] OT: Searching for Panel Meter for R390A/URR

[Lewis Phelps]

Wow, what a great find, Jim!

I was communications officer on a US Navy ammunition ship during the Vietnam 
conflict.  The radio room had half a dozen R390A receivers that we used for 
receiving the fleet broadcast and for ship-shore and ship-ship communications. 
It was an impressively capable receiver, probably the best ever made in the 
vacuum tube era.  The mechanical aspects of the radio were staggeringly 
complex, so maintaining them must have been a real challenge.
 
Good luck finding the meters.

Lew Phelps N6LEW


> On May 14, 2016, at 2:09 PM, Jim Sheldon  wrote:
> 
> I realize this is a really long shot asking on the Elecraft reflector, but 
> I'm posting to a few others as well.
> 
> During my 20 year Army career, I repaired the R390 and R390A receivers plus 
> taught others to repair them as well.  This morning at a local tailgate 
> swapfest I was actually given an R390A in working condition, but it's missing 
> it's Carrier Level and Line Level meters.  I'd like to restore it to look 
> like it did when it was in Military service.
> 
> If anyone out there has either the Carrier Level meter or Line Level meter 
> for an R390 or R390A that they're willing to part with, please contact me off 
> list with your asking price.
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Jim Sheldon - W0EB
> Park City, KS
> w...@cox.net
> 
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Lew Phelps N6LEW
Pasadena, CA DM04wd
Elecraft K3-10 / KXV144 / XV432
Yaesu FT-7800 
l...@n6lew.us
www.n6lew.us

Generalized Law of Entropy: Sooner or later, everything that has been put 
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Re: [Elecraft] OT: K3 and High Tension Wires

[Lewis Phelps]

Please reread the first sentence of my prior post, in which I qualified what I 
said with the phrase “…if it’s functioning properly.” What I said is NOT in 
conflict with your points. Power line noise is, de facto, the result of some 
sort of equipment failure. We agree on that. If something is arcing in a power 
distribution system, it’s because something is broken.

I suggest that we take go offline with any further discussion on the issue, 
since it is OT.

Lew

> On Mar 15, 2016, at 8:58 PM, Jim Brown <j...@audiosystemsgroup.com> wrote:
> 
> Lew,
> 
> That's in direct conflict with everything I've seen from RFI engineers. Over 
> the years, I've seen plenty of reports of hardware in the power system 
> failing in a mode that causes it to arc. See 
> http://www.arrl.org/power-line-noise for a great discussion of all sorts of 
> RF noise, including power line noise. At least 10 years ago, I bought and 
> read "AC Power Interference Handbook" by Marv Loftness, a field engineer who 
> specialized in that work. He said that virtually all power line noise is 
> caused by SOMETHING arcing.
> 
> 73, Jim K9YC
> 
> On Tue,3/15/2016 3:35 PM, Lewis Phelps wrote:
>> Drawing from a decade of experience working as head of the PR department for 
>> a major electric utility (a long time ago), I’d like to suggest that arcing 
>> per se should not be a problem at any time with any power line if it is 
>> functioning properly. The individual transmission wires are spaced far 
>> enough apart that arcing shouldn’t be possible.
> 
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Lew Phelps N6LEW
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Elecraft K3-10 / KXV144 / XV432
Yaesu FT-7800 
l...@n6lew.us
www.n6lew.us

Generalized Law of Entropy: Sooner or later, everything that has been put 
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Re: [Elecraft] OT: K3 and High Tension Wires

[Lewis Phelps]

Drawing from a decade of experience working as head of the PR department for a 
major electric utility (a long time ago), I’d like to suggest that arcing per 
se should not be a problem at any time with any power line if it is functioning 
properly. The individual transmission wires are spaced far enough apart that 
arcing shouldn’t be possible. Many utilities regularly wash down the insulators 
of high voltage transmission lines using specialized equipment that cleans 
condensed salt water fog off the insulators with deionized water (necessary to 
keep from zapping the guy running the spray nozzle). This is to prevent arcing 
between phases, which can otherwise occur in high humidity situations.  If 
there’s noise coming from lower-voltage distribution lines down “down the hill” 
I would name the prime suspect as cable TV equipment that’s hung on the same 
utility poles as the power line. If the RF interference is caused by power line 
arcing, it’s going to get detected and fixed pretty quickly by the utility. If 
it’s there all the time, it very likely isn’t the power company at fault. (This 
discussion doesn’t include any consideration of Power Line Communication 
technologies, which are an identifiably different kind of interference.)

See:  
http://tdworld.com/overhead-distribution/insulator-washing-helps-maintain-reliability


Lew N6LEW



> On Mar 15, 2016, at 3:17 PM, Alan  wrote:
> 
> The 6 meter moonbouncer who lives up the hill from me told me he has no 
> problem from the high-tension line that runs right by his place but has 
> experienced noise from the lower-voltage lines farther down the hill.
> 
> I suspect that HT lines are probably less likely to have arcing than 
> lower-voltage lines, simply because it would be a much bigger problem for the 
> power company if they did.
> 
> Alan N1AL
> 
> 
> On 03/15/2016 02:27 PM, Jim Brown wrote:
>> On Tue,3/15/2016 12:56 PM, Rose wrote:
>>> It sounds like you're speaking of a distribution line.  Do you have
>>> any idea that the voltage is?  Is there more than one pole at each
>>> cross arm?  It could be almost anything up to 240 KV ... or more.
>>> In my semi-rural area the voltage for distribution is 14.4 KV, which
>>> is pretty usual these days.
>> 
>> I have a high voltage distribution line running along my property line
>> that has not been a problem in the 10 years I've lived here, but there's
>> been other power line noise around that's radiated from other poles.
>> 
>> 73, Jim K9YC
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Re: [Elecraft] Yamaha CM500 PTT Switch

[Lewis Phelps]

Another option would be to fabricate a small “dongle” that has 3-conductor mini 
jacks (3.5mm) on the ends, using a very small project box or even a mini 
Altoids tin.  Mount on the side of the box  any of the literally hundreds of 
momentary push button switches on the market (allelectronics.com currently 
lists 45 of various size, shapes and colors).  Wire the mike leads straight 
through from one jack to the other, and route the switch lead through the PTT 
switch. Plug the Yamana headset into one side of the dongle; use a "stereo 
extension” cable to connect the other side of the dongle to your rig. Put a 
strip of “hook” Velcro on the bottom of the dongle and a strip of “loop” Velcro 
on a convenient spot on the arm or table of your wheelchair. With this setup, 
you could move your wheelchair quite a distance from the rig, if desired.  
Simply remove the dongle from your wheel chair when not operating. If you don’t 
want to attach Velcro to your wheelchair, you might glue a small magnet to the 
project box. Or mount the “dongle” on the desk surface of your station. 

Hmmm, I like this idea enough to try it myself, even though I’m not in a wheel 
chair. I have everything I need in the junk box.

73

Lew N6LEW


> On Mar 2, 2016, at 12:16 PM, Steven Stuckey  wrote:
> 
> Please read carefully. I am wanting to get a Yamaha CM500 and add a PTT
> switch. Do not recommend a foot switch I am wheelchair bound and have no
> way of using my feet. I am looking for a button PTT switch and not a
> trigger switch. When I searched the internet the one I saw was "no longer
> in production for new orders" due to health issues. I may consider building
> my own. The Yamaha CM500 and PTT switch will be used with my K3S. I can not
> use VOX due to the noise level in my shack (kids, grandchild, wife and
> dog). If you would like email me the link directly. Thanks in advance.
> 
> -- 
> ​73​
> 
> Steven Stuckey - AC9GK - Indiana
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Elecraft K3-10 / KXV144 / XV432
Yaesu FT-7800 
l...@n6lew.us
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Generalized Law of Entropy: Sooner or later, everything that has been put 
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Re: [Elecraft] posting

[Lewis Phelps]

Vincent:

You seem not to understand the nature of this email reflector. Anything posted 
on this reflector can be viewed by anyone with access to the internet. This is 
stated clearly on the web page describing the reflector, 
http://www.elecraft.com/elist.html.  You will note a link to "Elecraft 
Searchable Daily Web Archive at nabble.com 
”  That puts ALL our emails onto the 
internet where anyone can read them. It’s the nature of the beast.

If you are concerned because your “personnel information” (presumably meaning 
your name and call sign)  is available through this forum, it is also listed  
on the FCC web site, since you are a licensed amateur radio operator. 

You have to be a member of the group to post messages, but anyone can read them.

73

Lew N6LEW



> On Feb 24, 2016, at 5:10 PM, Vincent Diak  wrote:
> 
> Dear Sir,
> Why is my personnel information being published from this web sight to the 
> internet open area for all to see? I thought this group was for elecraft not 
> the rest of the world. I found my name and e-mail address published and i did 
> not authorize my personnel info from this web sight to me made public for all 
> to see.
> Please let me know how this is happing.
> Yours Truly, vincent diak wb2pdw
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Lew Phelps N6LEW
Pasadena, CA DM04wd
Elecraft K3-10 / KXV144 / XV432
Yaesu FT-7800 
l...@n6lew.us
www.n6lew.us

Generalized Law of Entropy: Sooner or later, everything that has been put 
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[Elecraft] Need help with 6 meter setup for KRC2 with K3

[Lewis Phelps]

I know this topic has been on the list before, but all the discussion I have 
found raises questions but doesn’t give answers. 

I recently acquired a used RKC2, which I’m trying to set up with my K3 
(barefoot version; 12 watts and no KAT3)

My question concerns the mapping for 6 meters.

The K3 manual refers to the Menu setting for the KRC2 as follows:
===

"Controls the KRC2 band decoder’s accessory output settings. Shows ACC OFF or 
ACC1-3 if a KRC2 is detected; - - if not.
To ensure compatibility with both old and new KRC2 firmware, two different 6 
meter band decodes are provided. Tap to select BAND6=B6 (addr=10) or BAND6=B10 
(addr=9). Refer to the KRC2 manual for further details. 


However, I am unable to find anything in the KRC2 manual that discusses the 
mapping for the 6 meter band.  Presuming for discussion that I have “newer” 
firmware installed,

1. do I want to select BAND6=B6, or BAND6=B10? 

2.  what control line in the KRC2 should I use to energize devices associated 
with my 6 meter setup (e.g. coaxial relays used to connect the main K3 antenna 
port to an external 6 meter amplifier, rather than to my HF antenna).

ALSO

I find reference in prior discussion to  a Mac version of the KRC2 utility, but 
I can’t find it anywhere online. Does it exist?  Where might I get a copy? 

For that matter, where can I get ANY version of the KRC2 Utility that’s used 
for band mapping of the device? The only thing I can find on the Elecraft site 
is a Download program, not the utility that allows you to modify band mapping.

In sum, is there actually a way for me to use the KCR2 with my K3 in such a way 
that I can control external devices used for 6 meters? The K3 and RCR2 manuals 
are beyond opaque in this respect — a disappointing variance from the usual 
clarity of documentation. 

73

Lew N6LEW
Lew Phelps N6LEW
Pasadena, CA DM04wd
Elecraft K3-10 / KXV144 / XV432
Yaesu FT-7800 
l...@n6lew.us
www.n6lew.us

Generalized Law of Entropy: Sooner or later, everything that has been put 
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Re: [Elecraft] Need help with 6 meter setup for KRC2 with K3

[Lewis Phelps]

Thanks, Jack!.  This is very helpful.

I’d love to get a copy of your Mac utility. please email me offline so we can 
coordinate how to transfer it to me.

73

Lew N6LEW



> On Jan 22, 2016, at 5:35 PM, Jack Brindle <jackbrin...@me.com> wrote:
> 
> Hi Lew;
> 
> See below…
> 
>> On Jan 22, 2016, at 3:08 PM, Lewis Phelps <l...@n6lew.us> wrote:
>> 
>> I know this topic has been on the list before, but all the discussion I have 
>> found raises questions but doesn’t give answers. 
>> 
>> I recently acquired a used RKC2, which I’m trying to set up with my K3 
>> (barefoot version; 12 watts and no KAT3)
>> 
>> My question concerns the mapping for 6 meters.
>> 
>> The K3 manual refers to the Menu setting for the KRC2 as follows:
>> ===
>> 
>> "Controls the KRC2 band decoder’s accessory output settings. Shows ACC OFF 
>> or ACC1-3 if a KRC2 is detected; - - if not.
>> To ensure compatibility with both old and new KRC2 firmware, two different 6 
>> meter band decodes are provided. Tap to select BAND6=B6 (addr=10) or 
>> BAND6=B10 (addr=9). Refer to the KRC2 manual for further details. 
>> 
>> 
>> However, I am unable to find anything in the KRC2 manual that discusses the 
>> mapping for the 6 meter band.  Presuming for discussion that I have “newer” 
>> firmware installed,
>> 
>> 1. do I want to select BAND6=B6, or BAND6=B10? 
> 
> BAND6=B6 will work with the 1.6 KRC2 firmware.
> 
>> 2.  what control line in the KRC2 should I use to energize devices 
>> associated with my 6 meter setup (e.g. coaxial relays used to connect the 
>> main K3 antenna port to an external 6 meter amplifier, rather than to my HF 
>> antenna).
> 
> XV1 with the standard mapping. You can set it to whatever you’d like with the 
> KRC2 Utility.
> 
> Also, you can restore the original settings and mappings by holding the F4 
> button at KRC2 power-up. This only works in the V1.6 firmware.
> 
>> ALSO
>> 
>> I find reference in prior discussion to  a Mac version of the KRC2 utility, 
>> but I can’t find it anywhere online. Does it exist?  Where might I get a 
>> copy? 
> 
> There is no official version of the KRC2 Utility for the Mac. I have one for 
> my own use that might be usable by others. Is this what you are looking for?
> 
>> For that matter, where can I get ANY version of the KRC2 Utility that’s used 
>> for band mapping of the device? The only thing I can find on the Elecraft 
>> site is a Download program, not the utility that allows you to modify band 
>> mapping.
> 
> The windows version is on the Elecraft site in the downloads and firmware 
> section for the KRC2. Try this URL:
> http://www.elecraft.com/software/KRC2/elecraft_KRC2_Config_software.htm 
> <http://www.elecraft.com/software/KRC2/elecraft_KRC2_Config_software.htm>
> 
>> In sum, is there actually a way for me to use the KCR2 with my K3 in such a 
>> way that I can control external devices used for 6 meters? The K3 and RCR2 
>> manuals are beyond opaque in this respect — a disappointing variance from 
>> the usual clarity of documentation.
> 
> Yes. See above.
> 
> 73,
> 
> Jack Brindle, W6FB

Lew Phelps N6LEW
Pasadena, CA DM04wd
Elecraft K3-10 / KXV144 / XV432
Yaesu FT-7800 
l...@n6lew.us
www.n6lew.us

Generalized Law of Entropy: Sooner or later, everything that has been put 
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Re: [Elecraft] Remoting KAT500 to base of antenna

[Lewis Phelps]

But might not this re-introduce the surface tension problem?

Lew N6LEW


> On Jan 20, 2016, at 10:18 AM, David Cutter  wrote:
> 
> From my work in the food industry (if memory serves), critter invasion is 
> prevented with 0.64mm square nylon netting.  This is common in the 
> dress-making industry.  (I think it can also be found as a stainless steel 
> gauze). This can be glued over a breather (drip) hole in the base.
> 
> David
> G3UNA
> 
> 
> - Original Message - From: "Edward R Cole"  >
> To: >
> Sent: Wednesday, January 20, 2016 8:29 AM
> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Remoting KAT500 to base of antenna
> 
> 
>> Fred,
>> 
>> Your high desert climate will probably produce less condensation than my 
>> sub-arctic/maritime environ.  What I do for enclosures is to not seal them 
>> airtight but provide good drain openings which air can exchange.  Of course 
>> the shelter is made to repel direct rain/snow.
>> 
>> I suspected that my TR relays were "freezing up" at lower temps making the 
>> action delayed so I used some big aluminum  Dale resistor strapped onto the 
>> relays to add direct heat by conduction.  I happen to have 28v equipment so 
>> used 28v thru the resistors to produce heat within their wattage rating 
>> (used 40w resistors at both relays).  Of course this also provided some 
>> heating of the ambient air of the enclosure which helped keep moisture from 
>> forming even in 90% humidity of the fall.  It rains 8-days with one day off 
>> from August to October when temps finally drop below freezing and rain 
>> becomes snow.  You don't have anything near that.
>> 
>> One thing I have noticed about drain holes in some equipment is they are too 
>> small to allow water to drop free due to surface tension and in my environ 
>> that results in the weep holes freezing tight.  I drill them out to 1/4 
>> inch.  Of course if you are prone to insect/archnid invasion that is 
>> problematic.
>> 
>> PS: I lived five years in the high Mojave Desert so know all about "critters 
>> of the desert" (never stick your hand into a confined space before kicking 
>> it to see what crawls out or "rattles"!
>> 
>> 73, Ed - KL7UW
>> --
>> 
>> 3.  Reno/Sparks is a high desert [4,500'] directly adjacent to the
>> Carson Range and Sierra Nevada [really big mountains].  Winter temps go
>> down into single digits, it does snow/rain.  Should I do anything to
>> prevent condensation in the weatherproof box [light bulb, drain hole, ???].
>> 
>> 73,
>> 
>> Fred K6DGW
>> - Northern California Contest Club
>> - CU in the Cal QSO Party 1-2 Oct 2016
>> - www.cqp.org
>> 
>> 
>> 73, Ed - KL7UW
>> http://www.kl7uw.com
>>"Kits made by KL7UW"
>> Dubus Mag business:
>>dubus...@gmail.com
>> 
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> 
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> Message delivered to l...@n6lew.us 
Lew Phelps N6LEW
Pasadena, CA DM04wd
Elecraft K3-10 / KXV144 / XV432
Yaesu FT-7800 
l...@n6lew.us
www.n6lew.us

Generalized Law of Entropy: Sooner or later, everything that has been put 
together will fall apart.





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[Elecraft] KIO3 wanted

[Lewis Phelps]

If anyone has upgraded to the new KIO3B and has a surplus “original” KIO3 
available, I’d be interested in buying it.  Please reply off list and let me 
know your price.

Lew

Lew Phelps N6LEW
Pasadena, CA DM04wd
Elecraft K3-10 / KXV144 / XV432
Yaesu FT-7800 
l...@n6lew.us
www.n6lew.us

Generalized Law of Entropy: Sooner or later, everything that has been put 
together will fall apart.





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Re: [Elecraft] F/S K3 KIO3

[Lewis Phelps]

Folks, my need for a KIO3 has been met.  Thanks.

Lew N6LEW


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Re: [Elecraft] OT antenna question -- solved, soon to be fixed

[Lewis Phelps]

I meant to reply to this query earlier,  but got sidetracked.  What I was going 
to suggest was that you look at the interfaces between stainless steel and 
aluminum.  They are potentially problematic, because SS and aluminum have very 
different galvanic potentials, and “in the presence of an electrolyte” create a 
battery with a significant corrosion-causing voltage.  This will cause serious 
galvanic corrosion of the aluminum.

More specifically, the aluminum alloys most often used for antennas have a 
galvanic potential of -0.8 volt to -1.0 volt.  Depending on the stainless steel 
alloy employed, it can have a galvanic potential of about -0.05 volt to -0.25 
volt, which means a voltage differential of anywhere from 0.6 volt to 1.0 volt. 
If there is moisture in the air (which means most places in the world), it will 
create an electrolyte, and corrosion will commence. 

I have always been amazed that the standard practice in antenna building, both 
commercial and home brew, has been to use aluminum tubing and stainless steel 
fittings. That is, in my mind,  a recipe for disaster.

How to eliminate galvanic corrosion?  

1. Use aluminum bolts, nuts and fittings with aluminum tubing.
2. Use cadmium-plated or zinc-coated fittings with aluminum tubing.
3. Use stainless steel fittings with stainless steel tubing.
4. Use brass or copper fittings with brass or copper tubing
5. Use soldered copper joints.
6. Protect interfaces between dissimilar metals so that no moisture can ever 
get into the metal joint. 

There are other approaches that provide low galvanic potential difference, but 
the above are tested and useful.

Lew N6LEW


> On Jan 14, 2016, at 9:39 AM, Vic Rosenthal 4X6GP/K2VCO  
> wrote:
> 
> I would like to thank the numerous hams who responded to my plea for help.
> 
> The problem that was causing my SWR to rise with high power was not in my 
> shack. The tuner, balun, coax and open wire line were all 100%. The trouble 
> was at the connection of the feedline to the antenna.
> 
> The connection was made where stainless steel bolts passed through the 
> tubing. The bolts heated up rapidly when running over 500w. At first I 
> thought the connection was poor, but improving it did not help. From the way 
> it was heating (away from the point of contact of the lugs to the antenna 
> tubing) I think that it was due to the ferrous material (stainless steel) of 
> the bolts heating due to eddy currents in the strong RF field.
> 
> I have experienced this phenomenon in amplifiers, but never an antenna!
> 
> I will change the method of connecting the line on Sunday and I hope it will 
> solve the problem.
> -- 
> 73,
> Vic, 4X6GP/K2VCO
> Rehovot, Israel
> http://www.qsl.net/k2vco/
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Lew Phelps N6LEW
Pasadena, CA DM04wd
Elecraft K3-10 / KXV144 / XV432
Yaesu FT-7800 
l...@n6lew.us
www.n6lew.us

Generalized Law of Entropy: Sooner or later, everything that has been put 
together will fall apart.





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[Elecraft] KCR2 versus Bandmaster III

[Lewis Phelps]

Does anyone have experience with the Bandmaster III station control unit 
offered by Array Solutions? I’m interested how it stacks up against the 
Elecraft KCR2. Looking to mate one or the other to my K3.

thanks,

Lew


Lew Phelps N6LEW
Pasadena, CA DM04wd
Elecraft K3-10 / KXV144 / XV432
Yaesu FT-7800 
l...@n6lew.us
www.n6lew.us

Generalized Law of Entropy: Sooner or later, everything that has been put 
together will fall apart.





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Re: [Elecraft] Fios and Elecraft Website Access

[Lewis Phelps]

For anyone with a Mac who needs to flush their Domain Name Server cache, here 
are the instructions for OS X 10.10.4 or newer:

1. Open Terminal.app
2. On the command line enter:

sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder

3. Exit Terminal..app

To do the same thing in older versions of OS X, see:  

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202516 


73 

Lew N6LEW


> On Jan 4, 2016, at 10:11 AM, Eric Swartz - WA6HHQ, Elecraft 
>  wrote:
> 
> If you are still having problems, you may need to flush the local DNS cache 
> of old internet routing records on your PC. This can be done easily via the 
> command window in Windows.
> 

Lew Phelps N6LEW
Pasadena, CA DM04wd
Elecraft K3-10 / KXV144 / XV432
Yaesu FT-7800 
l...@n6lew.us
www.n6lew.us

Generalized Law of Entropy: Sooner or later, everything that has been put 
together will fall apart.





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Re: [Elecraft] W1

[Lewis Phelps]

“Because it’s there.” 

George Leigh Mallory, 1923, answering the question why he continued to try to 
climb to the summit of Mt. Everest.

73,

Lew N6LEW

> On Dec 31, 2015, at 8:51 AM, Robert Nobis  wrote:
> 
> Just wondering. Why is an accuracy within less than 1dB important?
> 
> Happy New Year.
> 
> 73,
> 
> Bob Nobis - N7RJN
> n7...@nobis.net 
> 

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Re: [Elecraft] Elecraft web site

[Lewis Phelps]

No problem accessing Elecraft.com the web site here. 

Mac, Safari browser. Pages load instantaneously. 

Lew 
N6LEW




> On Dec 30, 2015, at 1:56 PM, JJ  wrote:
> 
> Dead here as well.  Same results with Google Chrome and Windows
> Explorer. Browsing data, browser cache and DNS cache cleared, still
> dead.
> 
> Jon
> WS1K
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Lew Phelps N6LEW
Pasadena, CA DM04wd
Elecraft K3-10 / KXV144 / XV432
Yaesu FT-7800 
l...@n6lew.us
www.n6lew.us

Generalized Law of Entropy: Sooner or later, everything that has been put 
together will fall apart.





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Re: [Elecraft] If it plugs in, then it should work

[Lewis Phelps]

 
 On Aug 23, 2015, at 9:50 AM, RIchard Williams via Elecraft 
 elecraft@mailman.qth.net wrote:
 
 WIth Radio Shack going tits up... 


Well, your report of RadioShack’s death is premature.  They went through a 
Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceeding,  They emerged from Chapter 11 three months 
after filing, which is VERY fast by bankruptcy court standards. The network of 
stores was rationalized, with about half being closed, but 1400 remain open. I 
don’t count on RS very much for component supply, but there are still three RS 
stores within five miles of my house, versus 6 a year ago. 

We’ll know that they are truly about to “go tits up” if the parent company 
files for Chapter 11 a second time (or, as the joke goes among bankruptcy 
lawyers, “Chapter 22.”)


Lew



Lew Phelps N6LEW
Pasadena, CA DM04wd
Elecraft K3-10 / KXV144 / XV432
Yaesu FT-7800 
l...@n6lew.us
www.n6lew.us

Sent from my Mac Pro 256-Array Supercomputer (9.42 teraflops)



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[Elecraft] OT Mirage D1010 432mHz Amplifier

[Lewis Phelps]

I apologize for an off-topic posting. 

I’m trying to find a schematic diagram and board layout for the Mirage D10210 
432 mHz amplifier. I just bought one on eBay. Although it generates power into 
a dummy load, I think something’s wrong with it because it has no idle current. 
 The amp is supposed to be biased for SSB but doesn’t seem to be.  There are 
three ‘thumb wheel” pots on the board, two of which appear to possibly be bias 
current settings for he pre  amp and amp. However, tuning them does nothing to 
change the amp’s total current draw (which is 30 MA, presumably for the Power 
On LED).

thanks in advance; please reply off the list.

lew


Lew Phelps N6LEW
Pasadena, CA DM04wd
Elecraft K3-10 / KXV144 / XV432
Yaesu FT-7800 
l...@n6lew.us
www.n6lew.us

Sent from my Mac Pro 256-Array Supercomputer (9.42 teraflops)





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[Elecraft] XV432 Trips Off on Tranmit

[Lewis Phelps]

My XV432 transporter has suddenly developed a serious problem. Receive mode 
works fine, but when I try to transmit, it instantly shuts down, apparently 
because of a bad SWR mismatch or similar problem.

I’ve checked my cables, and replaced them. I’ve checked all the settings on the 
Main Menu.  I’ve tried with two different antennas and a dummy load, and with 
differing coax cables.  I’ve checked all the on-board coax plugs on the KIO3 
board, checked to make sure the KIO3 board is properly seated,  etc.   Transmit 
power is set at 0.1 watt. Nothing resolves the problem. Any suggestions as to 
what I have failed to look for?  Any suggestions as to how I can differentiate 
between  transverter problem and a KIO3 problem?

Thanks in advance for any assistance.

Lew 


Lew Phelps N6LEW
Pasadena, CA DM04wd
Elecraft K3-10 / KXV144 / XV432
Yaesu FT-7800 
l...@n6lew.us
www.n6lew.us

Sent from my Mac Pro 256-Array Supercomputer (9.42 teraflops)





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Re: [Elecraft] XV432 Trips Off on Tranmit

[Lewis Phelps]

Make that read “transverter” in first line. Thanks a lot to Apple auto spelling 
correction….


Lew Phelps N6LEW
Pasadena, CA DM04wd
Elecraft K3-10 / KXV144 / XV432
Yaesu FT-7800 
l...@n6lew.us
www.n6lew.us

Sent from my Mac Pro 256-Array Supercomputer (9.42 teraflops)





 On Feb 25, 2015, at 9:48 PM, Lewis Phelps l...@n6lew.us wrote:
 
 My XV432 transporter has suddenly developed a serious problem. Receive mode 
 works fine, but when I try to transmit, it instantly shuts down, apparently 
 because of a bad SWR mismatch or similar problem.
 
 I’ve checked my cables, and replaced them. I’ve checked all the settings on 
 the Main Menu.  I’ve tried with two different antennas and a dummy load, and 
 with differing coax cables.  I’ve checked all the on-board coax plugs on the 
 KIO3 board, checked to make sure the KIO3 board is properly seated,  etc.   
 Transmit power is set at 0.1 watt. Nothing resolves the problem. Any 
 suggestions as to what I have failed to look for?  Any suggestions as to how 
 I can differentiate between  transverter problem and a KIO3 problem?
 
 Thanks in advance for any assistance.
 
 Lew 
 
 
 Lew Phelps N6LEW
 Pasadena, CA DM04wd
 Elecraft K3-10 / KXV144 / XV432
 Yaesu FT-7800 
 l...@n6lew.us mailto:l...@n6lew.us
 www.n6lew.us http://www.n6lew.us/
 
 Sent from my Mac Pro 256-Array Supercomputer (9.42 teraflops)
 
 
 
 
 

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Re: [Elecraft] More Power Pole. . Roll Pin substitute

[Lewis Phelps]

There is a third potential problem with APP connectors;  they aren’t completely 
“reverse polarity” protected. Several years ago, I stupidly plugged the APP 
cable into the back of my K3 “by feel” rather than by looking.  I offset the 
alignment, and plugged the red plug from the cable (hot) into the black APP 
connector on the rig.  Since I had grounded the K3 like a good boy. that 
created a reverse-polarity power situation that fried several components and 
resulted in a trip to Aptos for my K3.

There are two ways to resolve this problem.  One is to never, ever plug an APP 
set into a piece of equipment without visually checking to make sure you are 
aligned “red to red, black to black.”  It’s also possible to mate the APP 
connectors so that you can’t plug red into black (by rotating the red plug 90° 
on both the rig and the power cable. I’ve come to rely on the former solution, 
but have seriously contemplated equipment modifications to do the latter.

All that said, I am a steadfast supporter of APP connector technology. For all 
the reasons cited in other posts, I think it’s superior to every other power 
connector on the market. And contrary to some posts, it doesn’t require an 
“expensive special tool” to crimp the pins. onto wires. There are several 
low-cost “pliers-like” crimpers on the market, including the Gardner-Bender 
GS-88 ($10) that do a good job at a modest price. 

And speaking of crimping tools, for those who prefer crimped lugs to solder, 
Harbor Freight’s hydraulic crimping tool (Item 66150) is a real gem for 
crimping lugs onto large wires (AWG 8 and bigger.) It isn’t cheap, but it makes 
a perfectly formed (and very secure) crimp in copper and other lugs typically 
used on large-gauge wires.  It does a good job on smaller sizes, too, although 
it’s somewhat cumbersome to use compared with other crimpers that work well on 
AWG 12 and smaller wire sizes. 


Lew Phelps N6LEW
Pasadena, CA DM04wd
Elecraft K3-10 / KXV144 / XV432
Yaesu FT-7800 
l...@n6lew.us
www.n6lew.us

Sent from my Mac Pro 256-Array Supercomputer (9.42 teraflops)





 On Feb 17, 2015, at 2:28 PM, Don Wilhelm w3...@embarqmail.com wrote:
 
 As was pointed out in a prior posts, there are 2 forms of problems with the 
 APP connector.
 One is the retention force of the connector pair - in other words, it comes 
 unplugged
 That problem is usually due to incorrect assembly where the connector blades 
 are not fully seated in the housings.  This is the condition that I first 
 responded to.
 
 The 2nd problem is that the red and black housings become separated, and 
 seems to be the condition that is currently being discussed.  This has to do 
 with the roll-pin or toothpick or cotton swab shaft being placed in the hole. 
  I use Super Glue between the red and black housings and have never had a 
 problem.  I on occasion use the roll-pin in addition, but I put a drop of 
 super glue on the pin itself before sliding it 'home'.  I have never had an 
 APP connector where the 2 housings separate, and the glued roll-pins do not 
 fall out.
 
 73,
 Don W3FPR
 
 On 2/17/2015 5:08 PM, Terry Schieler wrote:
 Similar to Phil's approach, rather than using the metal roll pin, I break 
 off a wooden toothpick in the retention hole and put a drop of super glue on 
 the toothpick.
 
 Terry W0FM
 
 
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Re: [Elecraft] SSB net

[Lewis Phelps]

I live in Pasadena CA, two miles from the base of a very high (7000’+ peaks) 
mountain range that runs east to west, blocking signals to and from the North. 
My K3 is barefoot (12 watts), fed into a 43-foot vertical. 

Despite these limitations, Phil hears me well on most nets that I try to check 
into. This is a tribute to his K3 and his operating skill.

We should all recognize what4 a great job Phil does in controlling the net each 
week, and the work he puts into the task both to control the net and report 
results each week.

Thank, Phil!

73,

Lew


Lew Phelps N6LEW
Pasadena, CA DM04wd
Elecraft K3-10 
Yaesu FT-7800 
l...@n6lew.us
www.n6lew.us

Sent from my Mac Pro 256-Array Supercomputer (9.42 teraflops)




 On Feb 7, 2015, at 4:56 PM, Phil Shepard ph...@riousa.com wrote:
 
 The weekly SSB net meets on Sunday at 1800Z at 14.3035 MHz. I will be the NCS 
 from western OR.
 
 There has been some traffic lately about difficulty hearing my signal and 
 getting into the net.  Here are the particulars.  The majority of the calls 
 for check-ins is by me.  I am in the NW corner of the continental US and 
 point my antenna generally east.  My QTH isn’t ideal, but it isn’t terrible 
 either.  I sit in a valley covered with 125 to 150’ Douglas-fir trees, and my 
 take off to the east is into a forested upslope.  On the other hand, I don’t 
 have nearby neighbors and therefore have a reasonably low noise level.  That, 
 coupled with the excellent K3 means I can hear most anyone who can put out a 
 modest signal.  This includes many QRP stations from the eastern time zone. 
 My antenna is a two element cubical quad at 75’.  The K3 drives a KPA500 at 
 500 plus watts.
 
 We use a number of relay stations.  These are typically in southern CA, CO, 
 TX, GA and the northeast US. Others help out when they hear stations that 
 nobody else hears.  We also call for QRP only stations. The bottom line is 
 that we pick up most everyone.  This often includes ZL1PWD off the back of 
 our antennas!
 
 So, if you can’t hear me, listen for the other relays.  If you can’t hear any 
 of the relay stations or me, use that as motivation for some antenna work 
 this spring.
 
 73,
 Phil, NS7P
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[Elecraft] vexing K3 transverter ptoblem solved

[Lewis Phelps]

For what it’s worth, I thought I would pass along my recent experience with a 
vexing transverter problem, and the cause of the problem that I eventually 
identified.

The issue was that my XV432 would light up its power output LEDs  ever so 
briefly when the transmitter was keyed, and then shut down. It was pretty 
obviously a shorted output situation.

I first assumed it was a faulty coax cable connecting either the K3 to the 
XV432 or the SV4 32 to the antenna. So I substituted different cables all the 
way around, with no benefit.

I even tested the hypothesis that the dummy load had gone bad, and substituted 
an older and smaller dummy load. Still no joy. 

About the only thing left in the chain between the K3 and the XV432 was the 
KXV3 transverter I/O board. Upon initial inspection, I saw that it was wobbling 
back and forth about 1/4”.  Upon closer inspection (requiring removal of the 
side panel of the case) it became clear that a 1/2” long 4-40 machine screw was 
missing, allowing the board to flex backward and forward, and apparently 
shorting the output.  

I replaced the missing machine screw, tightened the other machine screw on the 
opposite corner of the I/O board, and the problem was gone.

Moral to the story:  mechanical problems can cause electrical problems. 

At least I got it fixed in time for the upcoming VHF contest. 

73,

Lew 

Lew Phelps N6LEW
Pasadena, CA DM04wd
Elecraft K3-10 
Yaesu FT-7800 
l...@n6lew.us
www.n6lew.us

The greatest tragedy in life is the gruesome murder of a beautiful theory by a 
brutal gang of facts.”




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Re: [Elecraft] K3 and hearing aids

[Lewis Phelps]

Hi, guys. 

I wear hearing aids in both ears. I found a device that allows me to use my 
hearing aids as headphones. 

My hearing aids are made by Widex. Wide offers  a small accessory device called 
the MDEX, which communicates by radio waves (not Bluetooth) with the two 
hearing aids. The MDEX communicates by Bluetooth with cell phones and any other 
devices that have Bluetooth audio capability.  The MDEX (which is about half 
the size of a pack of cigarettes) can also be connected directly to the K3 with 
a mini-stereo cable. In that mode, the K3 audio goes directly to my hearing 
aids. I can shut off room noise if I wish, or leave it to be piped into my ears 
along with the radio audio.

More info is available at 
http://www.widex.com/en/products/accessories/dex/mdex/ about the MDEX device. 

Warning: this is not a low-budget solution to the headset problem. The hearing 
aids are $3K each, and the MDEX costs about $400. But it works well when I want 
to use the hearing aids as a headset, either for ham radio or music listening 
purposes.

73,

Lew


Lew Phelps N6LEW
Pasadena, CA DM04wd
Elecraft K3-10 
Yaesu FT-7800 
l...@n6lew.us
www.n6lew.us

“The plural of ‘anecdote’ is not ‘data.’”






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Re: [Elecraft] very small 20A switching PS

[Lewis Phelps]

In the “small power supply” department, I recently grabbed a surplus unit on 
sale at all electronics.com.  It measures a scant 1.5 x 3 x 12 (if you remove a 
handle) and puts out 45 amps at 12VDC plus 3.1 amps at 3.3 VDC.

And the cost is only $24.  Downside:  probably produces too much RF noise to be 
useful. I haven’t had a chance to test it yet, but it’s rated as ENC 55022 
Class A, which basically means it’s not rated for residential use.  whether it 
will work OK in a ham radio application remains to be seen. I’ll report more 
when I know.  It’s designed to run rack mounted equipment.
It also requires some ingenuity in connecting its output to the station, since 
it uses an output connector that is …ummm… unusual in the ham radio environment.

But if it works, it offers great bang for the buck.

see:

http://www.allelectronics.com/make-a-store/item/ps-2545/12-vdc-45a-3.3-vdc-3a-power-supply/1.html

Lew N6LEW





On Sep 22, 2014, at 4:27 AM, Ignacy n...@arrl.net wrote:

 HPS1-A required reducing power in my K3 to about 60W. It works well with
 IC-7000 because this rig folds power with lower voltage. For me, HPS
 advantages are light weight and automatic 110/220C switching. 
 
 It failed once under  light service. 
 
 Ignacy, NO9E
 
 
 
 --
 View this message in context: 
 http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/very-small-20A-switching-PS-tp7593251p7593292.html
 Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
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Re: [Elecraft] Changing the subject line

[Lewis Phelps]

Some lists use a system I recommend, which is to modify the subject line but 
include the former subject.

Example:

Subject:   [Elecraft] Best Listserv Practices (was: Changing the subject line)

And with respect to changing subject lines, I sure appreciate people doing that 
when replying to an item from a Digest. There’s no subject line less useful 
than something like this:

Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Elecraft Digest, Vol 124, Issue 10

73,

Lew N6LEW



On Aug 21, 2014, at 2:10 PM, Fred Jensen k6...@foothill.net wrote:

 I've gotten several replies to the question, and based on the answers they're 
 from people who know.  I promised to post the answer:
 
 Yes.  Depending on the email client [and possibly how the user has it set up 
 to thread emails], changing the subject line *could* do something like start 
 a new thread, especially if the email header block is changed.  OTOH, if the 
 content of the email has drifted far enough from the subject that changing 
 the subject makes sense, by all means do.  A string of threaded emails where 
 the subject says nothing about the content isn't real useful.

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Re: [Elecraft] Computers in the Stone Age

[Lewis Phelps]

 Someone wrote:
 Desktop computers did not come into being until the advent of the IBM PC in 
 the 1980s.

Nah.  Heathkit H89 came out in 1979.  “All-in-One” desktop computer. Z-80 
processor. CP/M OS addressed 64 KB and used 39 kb of that total. two 5” floppy 
drives (dual sided 800k) as an option. Later, somebody came up with a card that 
plugged into the 5” drive slot and gave 128K of silicon hard drive. Now THAT 
was advanced for its era. Booting from that was faster than lightning, for its 
time. 

And do not forget the Ohio Scientific Instruments OSI Challenger 4P….

Lew




Lew Phelps N6LEW
Pasadena, CA DM04wd
Elecraft K3-10 
Yaesu FT-7800 
l...@n6lew.us
www.n6lew.us

Sent from my Mac Pro 256-Array Supercomputer (9.42 teraflops)




On May 28, 2014, at 11:19 AM, Kevin Cozens ke...@ve3syb.ca wrote:


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Re: [Elecraft] SSB net cancelled

[Lewis Phelps]

Phil asked to notify the group that he is conducting the weekly net after.  
Contest traffic is low.  Come on and join in!

Lew

Lew Phelps N6LEW
Pasadena, CA DM04wd
Elecraft K3-10 
Yaesu FT-7800 
l...@n6lew.us
www.n6lew.us

Sent from my Mac Pro 256-Array Supercomputer (9.42 teraflops)




On Mar 1, 2014, at 9:15 PM, Phil Shepard ph...@riousa.com wrote:

 The DX contest will likely be eating 20 meters up tomorrow morning.  
 Therefore, let’s take the week off.  Have a great week and I’ll see you on 
 the ninth of March.
 
 73,
 Phil, NS7P
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Re: [Elecraft] Would anyone like to see an all-mode VHF/UHFoffering from Elecraft?

[Lewis Phelps]

Joe, I respectfully disagree with your assertion that it already exists.  The 
functionality exists, but not in a form factor that makes it easy to use in 
portable situations. Many VHF/UHF contesters (myself included) operate from 
mountain peaks, to gain greater distance to the radio horizon. Unless you 
want to invest in an RV or van, it becomes a real challenge to squeeze a K3 
plus a couple of transverters, plus a laptop for logging, plus antenna rotator 
controls, plus a couple of brick amplifiers,  plus a whole bunch of coaxial 
cable, into a vehicle. I know, because I cram all that sort of stuff into a 
Jeep Cherokee for contest events. I can carry it in the Jeep, but setting up to 
operate inside the Jeep isn't easy. Since you can't count on benign weather 
atop 9,000 foot -plus peaks, setting up on a table outside the vehicle isn't a 
viable alternative.  A K3-based successor to the Yaesu FT-736 would be far, far 
better. 

I don't know how widespread a market exists for such a rig, but one can dream.

Lew

Lew Phelps N6LEW
Pasadena, CA DM04wd
Elecraft K3-10 
Yaesu FT-7800 
l...@n6lew.us
www.ntlew.us



On Jan 31, 2014, at 6:08 AM, Joe Subich, W4TV li...@subich.com wrote:

 
 No, it already exists in the K3/10 with XV-144/220/432 or the
 K3/10 with KXV-144 for those wanting only 6 and 2.
 

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Re: [Elecraft] K3 Suddenly died

[Lewis Phelps]

Thanks for input.  We can all stand down on this one.

The problem turned out to be a power cable after all.

I was using a 3' power cable assembled with fairly light wire (16 gauge).  Over 
time, the wire had flexed sufficiently at the exit from the APP pin that it 
began to fray. Fraying let to higher resistance, which led to more voltage drop 
under load, which led to further decay of the wire-pin joint. 

At the point I reported the problem, the power cord was still showing nominal 
voltage when not connected to the rig. But (apparently) resistance had risen to 
the point where the K3 wasn't getting sufficient voltage.  All this eventually 
became clear when the wire was completely cooked, broken, and charred on the 
end. 

I shudda tried a different power cord sooner. 

Lesson learned:  don't use 16 smaller gauge wire with Anderson Power Pole 
connectors, even if you double the wire to fill up the void in the pin.  It's 
still a single stranded wire where it exits from the pin, and the smaller wire 
size is more vulnerable to flexing, no matter how low the current demand of the 
load it's carrying. Eventually, this wire can (and did) become a 1 amp fuse.

73,

Lew N6LEW

PS I don't know the answer to Mike Roger's question about IMD, but I'm willing 
to bet that the answer is, not a problem. I trust Elecraft's engineers to pay 
attention to that sort of thing.

lew



Lew Phelps N6LEW
Pasadena, CA DM04wd
Elecraft K3-10 
Yaesu FT-7800 
l...@n6lew.us
www.ntlew.us



On Oct 6, 2013, at 10:38 AM, Wayne Burdick n...@elecraft.com wrote:

 The K3 can safely be set to its maximum QRP/QRO power levels. If any 
 operating limit is exceeded (temperature, voltage, current drain, SWR, 
 reflected power, etc.), power will automatically be rolled back.
 
 While this protects the radio 99.9% of the time, things can happen -- 
 lightning, ESD, component failure, Acts of God, pet disasters, 
 8-year-old-boys, etc.
 
 In the present case, some quick resistance or voltage checks might reveal 
 what's going on. Check the Troubleshooting section of the manual, which is 
 pretty extensive and can help you solve most problems. If that doesn't do it, 
 call customer support.
 
 73,
 Wayne
 N6KR
 
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[Elecraft] K3 suddenly died

[Lewis Phelps]

I'm looking for troubleshooting ideas.  

My K3-10 suddenly died while in use.  Here's what happened:

I was listening and transmitting on 15 meters. Heard a station in Kansas 5-9 
calling into the California QSO Party. I couldn't reach him despite a strong 
signal from him. SWR 1.1:0 outputting 12 watts. 

Beginning to think I was having some kind of problem, I decided to power off 
the K3 and turn it back on to reset it. When I hit the power switch, the rig 
shut off with a fairly loud pop from the speakers. 

Then it wouldn't turn back on at all. 

Power supply is fine; 13.98 volts from 50 amp Astron linear supply. Power cable 
is fine; full voltage at rig end of power cord. 

Disconnected all peripherals (speakers, straight key, transverter control cable 
and RF coax cables to xv432, and mic (Kenwood MC-90 into front panel). Still no 
joy.

Any suggestions, other than packing it to send to the Mother Ship?

Lew N6LEW



Lew Phelps N6LEW
Pasadena, CA DM04wd
Elecraft K3-10 
Yaesu FT-7800 
l...@n6lew.us
www.ntlew.us



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Re: [Elecraft] K3 suddenly died

[Lewis Phelps]

Belay my last.

K3 resurrected itself after about an hour. 

Is this a thermal shutoff issue? What might be the underlying cause?

Lew

Lew Phelps N6LEW
Pasadena, CA DM04wd
Elecraft K3-10 
Yaesu FT-7800 
l...@n6lew.us
www.ntlew.us



On Oct 5, 2013, at 1:16 PM, Lewis Phelps l...@n6lew.us wrote:

 I'm looking for troubleshooting ideas.  
 
 My K3-10 suddenly died while in use.  Here's what happened:
 
 I was listening and transmitting on 15 meters. Heard a station in Kansas 5-9 
 calling into the California QSO Party. I couldn't reach him despite a strong 
 signal from him. SWR 1.1:0 outputting 12 watts. 
 
 Beginning to think I was having some kind of problem, I decided to power off 
 the K3 and turn it back on to reset it. When I hit the power switch, the rig 
 shut off with a fairly loud pop from the speakers. 
 
 Then it wouldn't turn back on at all. 
 
 Power supply is fine; 13.98 volts from 50 amp Astron linear supply. Power 
 cable is fine; full voltage at rig end of power cord. 
 
 Disconnected all peripherals (speakers, straight key, transverter control 
 cable and RF coax cables to xv432, and mic (Kenwood MC-90 into front panel). 
 Still no joy.
 
 Any suggestions, other than packing it to send to the Mother Ship?
 
 Lew N6LEW
 
 
 
 Lew Phelps N6LEW
 Pasadena, CA DM04wd
 Elecraft K3-10 
 Yaesu FT-7800 
 l...@n6lew.us
 www.ntlew.us
 
 
 
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Re: [Elecraft] OT: How to *NOT* get scammed.....emails offering to sell Elecraft equipment?

[Lewis Phelps]

One more suggestion: 

ask for photocopy of a sales receipt, or an invoice, showing that he purchased 
the item from a legitimate source (e.g. an Elecraft invoice).

I recently answered a Craigslist listing for an iMac.  Price seemed too good to 
be true. It was. I smoked out the fraud by asking for sales receipts. Seller 
suddenly went into radio silence.

Lew


Lew Phelps N6LEW
Pasadena, CA DM04wd
Elecraft K3-10 
Yaesu FT-7800 
l...@n6lew.us
www.ntlew.us



On Oct 3, 2013, at 8:17 AM, Keith Heimbold ag...@hotmail.com wrote:

 Just a couple elaborations on these fine points.[snip]
 

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Re: [Elecraft] Elecraft SSB Net results, September 8

[Lewis Phelps]

Two Sundays ago, net control DID create a quiet time and asked for QRP 
stations only to call.  

I have great difficulty checking into the net from my location in Pasadena, CA, 
partly because I have a very tall mountain range just out the window, and 
between me and Oregon, and partly because my K3-10 is drowned out by stations 
with  amplifiers.

On this occasion, I was able to check in very easily. So, I concur with those 
who have suggested a low power' segment of the net. Even better, two such 
periods would be desirable, the first about five minutes after the net opens, 
and about 15 minutes later, to give a second chance for anyone who could't make 
it the first time. (Band conditions DO change.) 

More active relaying by net participants would also help. On some nets, 
stations seem to relay only if asked. On others, they step in to relay if it's 
clear that a particular station isn't getting through to NC.  It would be nice 
if the Elecraft net adopted the latter approach.

One more thingif NC has a beam antenna, he might announce  beaming east, 
calls from northeast and northern midwest stations only,  etc. 

And let's all give three cheers for Phil for the great job he does as NC!

Lew


Lew Phelps N6LEW
Pasadena, CA DM04wd
Elecraft K3-10 
Yaesu FT-7800 
l...@n6lew.us
www.ntlew.us



On Sep 13, 2013, at 12:05 PM, Ian Kahn km4ik@gmail.com wrote:

 As sometime net control when Phil is away, I try to make a point of pausing
 and asking specifically for QRP check-ins, and for relays from QRP
 check-ins that I can't hear. Unfortunately, band conditions haven't been so
 good lately, and QRP signals have been tough to hear. Although I have been
 able to catch 2 or 3 KX3 users.
 
 I
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Re: [Elecraft] Elecraft SSB net announcement

[Lewis Phelps]

Can your provide the SOTA peak, times, and frequencies on which you'll be 
operating?

Lew

Lew Phelps N6LEW
Pasadena, CA DM04wd
Elecraft K3-10 
Yaesu FT-7800 
l...@n6lew.us
www.ntlew.us



On Sep 6, 2013, at 11:12 AM, Phil Shepard ph...@riousa.com wrote:

 The weekly Elecraft SSB net will meet this Sunday (9/8/13) at 1800z on 
 14.3035 MHz.  I will be on a SOTA peak; but Ian, KM4IK, will be net control 
 from GA.  Have a good net.  See you next week.
 
 73,
 Phil, NS7P
 
 
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Re: [Elecraft] 43 Ft Vertical and Elecraft Tuners

[Lewis Phelps]

This has been an excellent discussion on the 43 foot vertical. I have one 
installed in my back yard (DX Engineering). Very happy with it overall. It's 
been an excellent performer on 20 meters, and good on other bands; I'm a casual 
DX-er, but have worked 5 continents SSB with the 12 watt output of my barefoot 
K3.

Phil Salas had an excellent article in QST a year or so ago describing how to 
install switchable loading coils at the foot of the antenna, to mitigate 
low-band problems. 

I match my 43 footer with a home-brew tuner -- a fully switch-configurable 
L-tuner that has a 27 µH variable inductor, 600 pFd of air variable 
capacitance, and two additional 600 pFd fixed caps that can be switched in 
parallel with the variables to provide up to 1800 pFd capacitance.  With this 
tuner, I can get a match across the full spectrum of all bands except 160 
meters, where I can get below 2:1 only in the top 200 khz (without Phil's 
loading coils).  I recognize, of course, that the line losses are severe on the 
low bands, even with a run of only 60 feet of 9913 Belden coax. (A more 
detailed description of this tuner project is available at http://n6lew.us, if 
anyone's interested.)

For the high bands, I already have both a home brew 6 meter j-pole and a 
three-element quad. I'm currently working on construction of a 17-15-12-10 
meter hexbeam, to overcome the high radiation angle of the vertical on the 
higher bands.  (Although most published hexbeam designs also in include 20 
meters, I'm omitting that band from my project to reduce antenna size for 
visibility reasons, and because the vertical performs quite well on 20, as 
noted.

Overall, I'd say that the 43 foot vertical pairs up well with the K3, although 
I can't speak to the ability of the Elecraft auto-tuner to match the load on 
all bands. The simple L-tuner does so quite nicely.

Lew Phelps N6LEW
Pasadena, CA DM04wd
Elecraft K3-10 
Yaesu FT-7800 
l...@n6lew.us
www.n6lew.us



On Sep 3, 2013, at 5:23 PM, Jim Brown j...@audiosystemsgroup.com wrote:

 YES!  You've hit the nail beautifully on the head, Ron. I just finished 
 preparing slides comparing a 43 ft ground-mounted vertical with a good radial 
 system on 20M, 15M, and 10M with a classic ground plane at 30 ft and vertical 
 dipole with a base at 30 ft for those bands.Looking at performance below 
 about 15 degrees elevation, the three antennas are roughly equal at the low 
 angles on 20M, but both the ground planes and the vertical dipole blow the 43 
 ft vertical away on 15M and 10M (the difference ranges between 6-8 dB, 
 depending on ground conductivity).
 
 The practical problem with sticking a ground plane on your roof is that it 
 needs at least two radials per band, but there are several multiband antennas 
 for those bands configured as vertical dipoles that work well without 
 radials. That's the basis of my earlier statement that a roof-mounted 
 well-designed multi-band vertical dipole is a far better antenna above 20M 
 than the 43 ft vertical.
 
 73, Jim K9YC
 
 On 9/3/2013 2:28 PM, Ron D'Eau Claire wrote:
 An interesting point I noticed modeling a 43 foot vertical was that, while
 on 10 meters the main lobe is up around 50 degrees, the gain at low angles
 is similar to a 1/4 wave ground plane antenna cut for 10 meters. That's
 because the longer antenna has significant gain over a 1/4 wave antenna so
 the amount of radiation down at the lower angles is about the same as a 1/4
 wave.
 
 That's for a ground mounted 1/4 wave on 10 meters. Ideally you want to raise
 the 10 meter vertical at least 1/2 wavelength - roughly 16 feet - then you
 get much better low angle radiation from the 1/4 wave because the ground
 absorbs much less of the lowest angle radiation. Installed that way, the 1/4
 wave shines over the 43 footer. Also, of course, there is less interference
 with the signal by foliage, buildings, etc.
 
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Re: [Elecraft] Future K-radio?

[Lewis Phelps]

There's a niche in the ham radio market that once was filled by the Yaesu 
FT-736. Even though it's semi-obsolete technologically, mediocre in receive 
quality, and known to have a number of maintenance issues, the '736 still is 
going on eBay for $700 to $1,000, depending on which modules it has installed. 

So my ideal for a new K-line would be a K3-sized box that would essentially 
be a motherboard providing a 50 mHz transceiver and IF strip, with daughter 
board slots for a number of transverter boards, starting at 2 meters and going 
all the way to lightwell, at least to 1296.  I'll call this the K4 for 
convenience.

Alternatively, one could design a single box that would contain multiple 
transverters, which would plug into the K3 transverter input.  This would no 
doubt be less costly, since it would not need to replicate the K3 transceiver 
circuitry to provide 50 mHz IF strip and the 6 meter  transceiver.  Preamps 
would be built into the new K4 or K-Line daughter boards, rather than attaching 
to the BNC plugs on the K3. This product might be called the XV-ALL. 

Either product/rig would be great for VHF-UHF contesting, moon-bounce (I think 
the original market target for the '736) and other weak signal V/UHF work. 

Frequency switching should be provided on each board so that the entire 
available band (e.g. 420-450 Mhz) would be available even with an IF strip of 
only 4 mhz wide.  And, ideally, some way to allow 70 cm repeater work even with 
the standard 5 mhz repeater offset on that band.

The footprint for the main circuit board of XV series transverters is about 
50 square inches; a daughter board running front to back and standing edge-on a 
K3-sized motherboard would have about 25 square inches, so you might need two 
boards for each band module, or perhaps engineered from scratch it could be 
shrunk to fit. It should be relatively easy to fit four daughter boards into a 
fully separate k-4 and perhaps 6 into an XV-ALL. The latter would give a weak 
signal VHF enthusiast access to 2M, 1.25m,70 cm, 33 cm, 23 cm, 13 cm, and maybe 
one or two more if you picked up 2M with a KXV2 in your K3. 

We'd love to see separate amps in the 100 to 300 watt range for each band, as 
wellsince this is all wish-list stuff anyway.

Meanwhile, thanks to the folks at Elecraft for building and supporting great 
radios!

Lew


Lew Phelps N6LEW
Pasadena, CA DM04wd
Elecraft K3-10 
Yaesu FT-7800 
l...@n6lew.us
www.ntlew.us



On Aug 21, 2013, at 5:14 AM, Ray Coles raycole...@gmail.com wrote:

 If the Elecraft RD team is looking for inspiration on future products then
 my wish list would include a KX3 sized radio covering the V/UHF bands from
 6m through 70cm (at least). 
 
 Ray M0XDL
 
 
 
 Ray Coles, C.Eng. M0XDL
 
 10 Littlemoor Road,
 
 Weymouth DT3 6AA
 
 Tel: +44 (0) 1305 833699
 
 Mob: 07831 516517
 
 
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Re: [Elecraft] YEEE HAA!

[Lewis Phelps]

As a former railroad company officer, I can tell you that UPS uses the nation's 
rail system very heavily for piggyback (trailer on flat car, or TOFC) shipments 
that are longer than one or two day's run in a truck. The break-even distance 
(rail and truck costs equal) varies depending on fuel costs and specific 
locale, but in general, if it's traveling more than 1,000 miles it will do most 
of that journey by rail. The major railroads all run UPS-only trains, and they 
have about the highest priority of any traffic on the line, equal priority for 
use of the main line with Amtrak, and sometimes higher. 

Lew


Lew Phelps N6LEW
Pasadena, CA DM04wd
Elecraft K3-10 
Yaesu FT-7800 
l...@n6lew.us
www.ntlew.us



On Jun 13, 2013, at 11:32 AM, Bill Blomgren (kk4qdz) billblomg...@yahoo.com 
wrote:

 
 Makes me wonder if UPS shipped it cross country on truck, or if it went by 
 rail..
 
 
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Re: [Elecraft] Field Day and MAcloggerDx Software

[Lewis Phelps]

On Jun 5, 2013, at 2:50 PM, Rick Prather k6limae...@gmail.com wrote:

 There's even a built in template for Field Day.


Ummm,   MacLogger supports ARRL Field Day and 16 other ARRL contests with 
templates.  Plus dozens and dozens of other contests. 

RumLog is an excellent program, but I prefer MLDX overall, and use it as my 
primary logging program. It supports import/export of ADIF files, both XML and 
otherwise, Cabrillo, as well as v4 log.dat files and Google KML. it supports 
eQSL and LoTW, QRZ and other online call sign databases, ClubLog, and has a 
contest helper with by-band dupe checking, plus much more. 

When's the last time you looked at MLDX on your screen? It has evolved and 
expanded its feature set greatly in the last few years. 

73,

Lew



Lew Phelps N6LEW
Pasadena, CA DM04wd
Elecraft K3-10 
Yaesu FT-7800 
l...@n6lew.us
www.ntlew.us



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Re: [Elecraft] CW DAY

[Lewis Phelps]

What hath God wrought? is a verbatim quote from the King James translation of 
the Bible (Numbers 23:23). 

If you're into numerology the number 23 is supposed to be highly significant. 
See the  Wiki entry for 23 Enigma. In contemporary English the phrase would 
be What has God made? 

Samuel Morse sent that text as the first traffic on the Baltimore-Washington 
telegraph line. The line was built for general communications purposes, not as 
part of a railroad operation. However, the historic Morse transmission was sent 
from the U.S. Capital in Washington DC to a Baltimore  Ohio Railroad facility  
at Annapolis, MD. in 1844.

Apologies to anyone who considers this OT. 


Lew Phelps N6LEW
Pasadena, CA DM04wd
Elecraft K3-10 
Yaesu FT-7800 
l...@n6lew.us
www.ntlew.us


On May 24, 2013, at 6:26 AM, Carey Magee arsk2...@gmail.com wrote:
   Possibly a statement regarding the opening of the railroad line he was 
 there at?
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[Elecraft] Semi-OT [K3]: TPL 2 meter amplifier question

[Lewis Phelps]

I recently picked up a TPL Tempo amplifier from a local SK estate sale. The amp 
is specified as a Class C (FM only) amp; 10 watts in, 110 out.  The power 
amplifier consists of three B40-12 transistors in parallel, with a fourth 
apparently serving as a pre-amp. There are a number of old TPL amp manuals 
available online, but none for this particular model, so I don't have a 
schematic.

The seller told me the amp had been modified by the prior owner to bias the 
power transistors so that it now functions as a Class A amp with 70 watts out. 
I've opened the case and there appear to be some circuit mods, but I can't tell 
whether they do what they are purported to do. 

I have found a one-page spec sheet for the B40-12 transistor, which 
characterizes it as designed for use in Class C amps for mobile FM operation.  

So here's the question:  is anyone on the list sufficiently familiar with the 
TPL Tempo to advise (a) whether it can indeed be modified to serve as a class A 
amp, and (b) what the mods would look like.

thanks, and 73

Lew N6LEW

Lew Phelps N6LEW
Pasadena, CA DM04wd
Elecraft K3-10 
Yaesu FT-7800 
l...@n6lew.us
www.ntlew.us



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Re: [Elecraft] Will a casual SSB operator enjoy the K3?

[Lewis Phelps]

Welcome back to the world of ham radio, Tom! Your path has been similar to 
mine, except that my early venture into ham radio was more than 50 years ago, 
not 25. 

As to your question, the answer is an unequivocal yes from this ham operator, 
who was an English Writing major in college and has spent his entire career in 
journalism and related fields (definitely not electronics).

The K3 is not at all difficult to set up and operate at the 'basic' level for 
the kind of SSB operations that you envision. It has the versatility to allow 
almost infinite tweaking of operating parameters, but you will do very well 
simply using the basic recommended settings, which are discussed in the owner's 
manual. For even a casual operator, the superb design of the K3, especially the 
best available receiver, is a benefit to any owner, whether contester or 
rag-chewer. The K3 is my third HF rig (previously Yaseu) and I find it far more 
pleasant to use, in part because I can make more QSOs more easily, due to the 
more sensitive receiver. Plus, you can take the money you save with a K3 and 
invest in a better antenna, which is always a good idea.

You might well want to consider buying a finished K3 rather than building from 
kit, if assembly isn't something that you find enjoyable. You can either order 
directly from Elecraft or (if lucky) find a used on F/S on this reflector.

73,

Lew   


Lew Phelps N6LEW
Pasadena, CA DM04wd
Elecraft K3-10 
Yaesu FT-7800 
l...@n6lew.us
www.ntlew.us



On Apr 4, 2013, at 8:54 AM, Tom Branton tbran...@alvincollege.edu wrote:

 Good morning everyone,
 
 I am looking for my forever ham rig and have a concern.  Most of the 
 questions and issues discussed here involve fairly technical electronics 
 issues that are somewhat beyond my level of understanding.  I am a pretty 
 good CPA but not an electronics person at all.
 
 My question, can a casual SSB operator mostly interested in talking with ham 
 friends find happiness with the K3?  Will I be in over my head with the 
 technology side of the radio?  
 
 I know an answer will not involve electrons but I bet there are some pretty 
 wise hams onboard that can provide some insite to my question.
 
 Thanks so much and 73's
 
 Tom
 
 P.S.  I am returning to ham radio after a 25 year absence, (ex WD5DFE) thus 
 the long lapse in my electronics knowledge.  I used to be pretty good with 
 tube technology!
 
 T.
 
 
 
 
 
 
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[Elecraft] More K3 functionality added to MacLogger DX

[Lewis Phelps]

K3 and KX3 owners who use Macs might be interested to know that the latest 
update for Don Agro's Mac-platform logging software, MacLoggerDX, has added 
Elecraft-specific functionality in his latest update, V5.46.  Specifically, the 
application now supports splits on the K3 and KX3.

He's also added support for a few additional rotators, the DZKit Siena and the 
Yaesu FTdx3000, among other things.

73

Lew N6LEW
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[Elecraft] K3 Manual Error? Software error?

[Lewis Phelps]

I recently acquired a Kenwood MC-90 desk mic from a for sale list posted 
here. It's a great microphone, but with a VERY low output level.  Even with MIC 
GAIN cranked all the way up to 60, it wouldn't move the ALC indicator unless I 
literally shouted into it. (Yes, I had selected FP-H on the mic setup.)

Then I found the following in the K3 Operating Manual, page 52:
For the front-panel mic only, tap [3] to turn on an additional gain stage. Use 
this only with very low-output mics. An apostrophe will appear after the H , 
e.g. H ’ .

I rushed to try that.  Result:  N/A.

Butwhile fiddling around trying to find out why the [3] button wasn't doing 
what it was supposed to do, I more or less accidentally tapped the [7] button, 
and the magic apostrophe appeared after the H.  And most importantly, I now 
have enough amplification for the Kenwood mic to be functional.

It would seem that there are only two explanations for this:

1. The manual is wrong.
2. Bad firmware.

Anybody know which answer is correct?  I have no way to tell.

Lew N6LEW




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Re: [Elecraft] Steel in some K-line enclosures

[Lewis Phelps]

I have home-brewed a number of enclosures. for one of the reasons Wayne cited-- 
enough weight to keep the piece of equipment stable on the desktop -- I have 
settled on brass as my favorite metal.  Depending upon the nature of the 
project, I sometimes also use copper.

Comparative densities:   Brass is 2.00 to 3.15z density of AL 6061 alloy. 
Copper is 3.28x. steel is 2.88x.  Brass is (depending on which alloys you 
choose) roughly 1.1x to 1.2x density of steels.

Advantages of brass and copper versus aluminum and steel:
1. thicker sheets can be cut to size with a table saw using any carbide-tooth 
blade, unlike steel (or with a saber saw)
2. machines easily(less drill bit binding than AL, and easier to tap for 
threads than AL, which tends to clog threads of taps and cause them to bind and 
break). Being harder, brass also holds a thread better than AL.
3. Corner joints can be soldered on projects made from folded sheet copper or 
brass. 
4. Thicker plate can be bent to form corners more easily than steel, and won't 
break when folded 90° (unlike 0.125 thick ness AL).
4. The look is really nice, especially if you live in an older home like I do, 
where there's lots of brass built into the house.

Disadvantages:
1. Cost.  From the metal supply business where I acquire all of my project 
materials out of the scrap piles at waste metal prices, brass and copper are 
about twice the cost per pound of AL, which means the metal for any given 
project will cost about 6x as much as AL.
2. Fasteners.  For esthetic reasons and prevention of galvanic corrosion, I 
prefer to use brass or copper fasteners. You can buy copper pop rivets, but not 
from many sources. (McMaster-Carr has 'em if your local hardware doesn't.)
3. Maintenance:  any brass or copper enclosure will oxidize over time unless 
coated with lacquer or painted (e.g. black to match Elecraft line). Or you have 
to polish it, which is essentially impossible due to knobs and knob labels.
4. Extrusions (e.g. L shapes for use on edges of box) and almost impossible to 
find, so if you need them you have to roll your own. 


73

Lew N6LEW


On Feb 25, 2013, at 4:02 AM, Mike K2MK k...@comcast.net wrote:

 Hi Jim,
 
 As a point of curiosity here's a posting from Wayne (04/15/2010) describing
 the reason for using steel in the P3 enclosure:
 
 /The P3 enclosure is being fabricated entirely from corrosion-resistant  
 steel (plated before painting) rather than aluminum. Production and  
 field test units will weigh about twice as much as the prototype you  
 tried out (about 5 pounds).
 
 Besides making the unit heavy enough to not slide when you push the  
 buttons, the steel enclosure will reduce EMI generally -- in or out.  
 The use of steel also makes the enclosure very strong, so that you  
 could, if you wanted, put a heavy 20 A linear power supply inside to  
 power the K3, etc. While we don't have any current plan to offer an  
 optional internal power supply for the P3, some of us (including me)  
 will be rolling our own. In my case it will free up some valuable desk  
 space. (Anyone need a Samlex power supply? Pick-up only!)
 
 73,
 Wayne
 N6KR
 /
 
 
 Jim AB3CV wrote
 Just was playing around with a magnet and noticed that the KAT500, KPA500
 and P3 all have some of their panels made of steel rather than aluminum.
 
 I've been wondering how to keep some of my little homebrew boxes from
 sliding around yet blended with the K-Line feng shui. The steel top of the
 P3 looks like it will become the next resting place for a consolidation
 box
 of boxes and a magnetic base would keep it from sliding around when
 buttons
 are pressed.
 
 Nice!
 
 jim ab3cv
 
 
 
 
 
 --
 View this message in context: 
 http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/Steel-in-some-K-line-enclosures-tp7570327p7570331.html
 Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
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Re: [Elecraft] QSL software for Macs

[Lewis Phelps]

MacLoggerDX, which IMHO is far and away the best logging and rig control 
software available for the Mac OS X platform, generates QSL cards directly from 
the log entries. You link it to a picture, and it lets you select several 
design options (e.g. print is boack or reversed out (white), and cal sign at 
top or bottom.  It's important, for it to work well,to provide a photo that has 
the same proportions as the card itself. Otherwise it will stretch the image to 
fit, and you end up looking like something from a funhouse mirror.

It's also easy to create QSL cards using any modern word processor. As a Mac 
user, I prefer Pages to Micro$oft Word for manipulating graphics, but YMMV. 

The nice thing about MacLoggerDX is that you only have to type the QSO 
information once -- into the program's log -- and not a second time into a 
separate QSL card program. 

See you on the net in a few minutes.

Lew N6LEW


On Feb 23, 2013, at 7:29 PM, Phil Shepard ph...@riousa.com wrote:

 Does anyone know of a nice software app for creating and printing QSL cards 
 on Mac computers?  Thank you.
 
 73,
 Phil, NS7P
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[Elecraft] [K3] short circuit at power terminals

[Lewis Phelps]

Yikes!  My reliable K3-10 has developed a short circuit across the power input 
terminals.  Well, to be exact, not quite a dead short. It measures 0.6 ohms 
across the PowerPole connectors. It most certainly does blow fuses on the input 
line.  

Any suggestions for trouble shooting?  And also for a possible cause of the 
problem?

Lew N6LEW
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Re: [Elecraft] [K3] short circuit at power terminals

[Lewis Phelps]

Thanks for the input. No, I haven't had the rig open in more than a year. It 
hasn't moved from its current operating position in weeks. 
 No rattling loose screws. 

There is a strong possibility that the input was over-voltaged due to a short 
in a separate piece of equipment that was powered from the same 12VDC buss. The 
other item has both 12VDC and 24 VDC inputs, and it's possible that the 12V 
line got bumped up to 24V.  That would be consistent with Dale's description 
of the issue. I will pull the cover off later this afternoon or tomorrow 
morning and check the diode, and look for any obvious places where the smoke 
has been let out of a component. 

Thanks for the good feedback, guys.

Lew  N6LEW


On Oct 19, 2012, at 7:11 AM, Jim Miller jimmil...@stl-online.net wrote:

 First thought: Is there any chance you may have dropped something (screw,
 etc.) into it at any time and now it has moved to create the short?  Remove
 covers and turn it every which way and shake it and even bump it firmly with
 you palm over a table or non-carpeted floor and listen carefully.
 
 Now the questions: Have you had the covers off and now it doesn't work?
 Were you installing or removing options?  Disconnect or remove them to
 isolate.
 What have you done recently other than operate it?
 Have you moved it?
 Were you poking around inside so a connector came loose and is now touching
 ground?
 
 Isolation of the problem: I had a phono jack on the back that lost
 conductivity with ground and blew up my amp by allowing power into the amp
 without pulling the transmit line active.  I chased the problem by using the
 minor resistance differences to get close to the problem area and then found
 2 of the phono jacks were soldered but no connection to ground.  Wire bridge
 to another ground point solved my problem.  Try to remove/unplug/otherwise
 disconnect components to remove the short.  You may even find that screw you
 lost during construction. Hi hi
 
 Good luck,  Having a K3 not working really SUCKS.
 
 73, de Jim KG0KP
 
 -Original Message-
 From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net
 [mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Lewis Phelps
 Sent: Friday, October 19, 2012 1:50 AM
 To: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net List
 Subject: [Elecraft] [K3] short circuit at power terminals
 
 Yikes!  My reliable K3-10 has developed a short circuit across the power
 input terminals.  Well, to be exact, not quite a dead short. It measures 0.6
 ohms across the PowerPole connectors. It most certainly does blow fuses on
 the input line.  
 
 Any suggestions for trouble shooting?  And also for a possible cause of the
 problem?
 
 Lew N6LEW
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[Elecraft] New Call sign for Lew ex-K6LMP

[Lewis Phelps]

I wanted to let you all know that I have changed call signs.

My new call sign is N6LEW, just approved by the FCC. 

If you're wondering why I switched from K6LMP, it's because I wanted K6LEW or 
N6LEW when I first got back into amateur radio about a decade ago. Neither was 
available, so I went with my initials. I found, over the years, that LMP isn't 
a particularly good call sign for voice communiciation because it's hard to 
distinguish between the letters M and N, and between P and T, so I kept getting 
requests for repeats of my call during VHF contests, especially when it really 
was a weak signal contact. (Is that K6LNT?)

N6LEW, on the other hand, doesn't contain any confusable letters. 

Plus, of course. it's my name.

Every couple of years I have checked the FCC call sign database for 
availability. The former owner of N6LEW let his call sign drop several years 
ago, and after I learned that the FCC's two year waiting period had expired, I 
filed a request to re-issue it to me.

My  new email address is Lew (at) N6LEW (dot) us


73,

Lew Phelps N6LEW 
(ex K6LMP)
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