Re: [Elecraft] TS-590/KAT500/KPA500 Integration Project

[Rich NE1EE]

On 2020-07-07 15:36:+, Andy Durbin wrote:
>I have mentioned my controller project in some of my posts here and several 
>have expressed an interest in learning more about it.
>Here is a link to a draft that I have been preparing for a club presentation:
>https://tinyurl.com/ycrszzbe
>Andy, k3wyc

Very thorough and an impressive amount of work. Props. 

~R~
72/73 de Rich NE1EE
On the banks of the Piscataqua

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Re: [Elecraft] Elecraft K2 CW key shaping #chirp #click

[Rich NE1EE]

I don't have any experience with chirps, but I can add this bit.

If you can hear the change, then the change can be seen on an FFT. At least 
that would give a sense of whether the shift is up or down, if it is difficult 
to tell by listening. An FFT could also be applied to the RF, but, as Victor 
mentioned, the shift is small wrt the TX freq. It is NOT small wrt the decoded 
audio, however, which is why it was reported. So an FFT may well find it. There 
are different ways to get that analysis, and might not be worth the effort. One 
method would be to use a modern scope with FFT; another, a software scope such 
as the Zeitnitz scope; another might be fldigi. In the last two cases, you'd 
have to pipe the audio...that is the RX decoded audio...into the audio line in 
on a computer.

But you still have to find out why...so maybe this FFT business isn't worth the 
effort...because you still then have to find the /cause/, even though you now 
have a pretty good idea where to look.

On 2020-07-14 18:15:+1000, you wrote:
>Generally a chirp would be due to an unstable power supply, resistance in
>the fuse holder, etc.. It can also be cause by poor decoupling/loading of
>the oscillator circuit, but in the case of a well-designed circuit like the
>K2, this would normally  only arise with misplaced components or poor
>connections.
>
>On Tue, 14 Jul 2020 at 18:01, Victor Rosenthal 4X6GP 
>wrote:
>
>> A chirp can't be seen visually on an oscilloscope (well, maybe on a > 
>> panadpter or spectrum analyzer if it is a very big one).
>>
>> A chirp is a change in frequency of the transmitted signal. It is not > the 
>> same as a click, which is a wide signal caused by too-short rise and > fall 
>> times of the keyed envelope, or a badly shaped envelope. You can > see the 
>> envelope shape on an oscilloscope. But the change in frequency > caused by a 
>> chirp is very small in comparison with the frequency of the > signal.
>>
>> The way to detect a chirp is to listen to the transmitted signal on a > 
>> second receiver. Your ear is very sensitive to changes in pitch.
>>
>> 73,
>> Victor, 4X6GP
>> Rehovot, Israel


~R~
72/73 de Rich NE1EE
On the banks of the Piscataqua

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Re: [Elecraft] K4 in production

[Rich NE1EE]

I'm sure that it varies by location and industry. I have spoken to several 
businesses who report they are behind due to supply chain interruptions and 
delays.

I see that I need to change my habits for this mailer...I have a habit of 
hitting reply, and twice now I have sent private messages when I meant to reply 
to the group...

~R~
72/73 de Rich NE1EE
On the banks of the Piscataqua


On 2020-07-16 20:01:-0700, Jim Brown wrote:
>On 7/16/2020 3:14 PM, Joseph Shuman via Elecraft wrote:
>>Check your math.  World population is about 8 Billion.  Give everyone a Covid 
>>distance of two meters, or four square meters per person.  That gives us 32 
>>billion square meters to socially distance the world population.  California 
>>is about 424 billion square meters.  Plenty of room for everybody!
>
>Check your geography. Not all parts of the world (or of California) are 
>habitable!
>
>73, Jim K9YC

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Re: [Elecraft] Matching resonant antennas

[Rich NE1EE]

This actually surfaces a question that I am currently wondering about with my 
own system...what is measured performance here? I have a 40m EF wire about 20m 
in the air, and I wonder how effective it is at radiating. I have good SWR, and 
I get good signal reports, but wonder if that is the whole picture?

~R~
72/73 de Rich NE1EE
On the banks of the Piscataqua

On 2020-07-17 20:18:-0500, Lyn Norstad wrote:

>The measured performance indicates  excellent radiation on all bands.
>
>73
>Lyn, W0LEN

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Re: [Elecraft] Matching resonant antennas

[Rich NE1EE]

Great answer. Thanks much for the reality check. And this summer I was told of 
the reverse beacon system, too, and I intend to see how that goes. I am just 
getting back into HF after many years hiatus due to jobs and moving, and 
started learning Morse code May 1. I intend to make my first contacts in the 
next week, stumbling as they may be ;-) Ya gotta get wet to go swimming! I am 
inclined to use the least power I need, and have been following that principle 
since the early days. I am making a small AFC feedback circuit for my TS-830 to 
be able to run its power back from the 100/220W it runs at full speed. (No, I 
am not loading it into a wheelbarrow and carting it into the hills ;-)

I have a KX2 on order, and have been assembling parts for hiking trips: 
antenna, battery, key. I spend a lot of time outdoors, and figure I might as 
well add ham to that and enjoy the best of both worlds. I expect to be on the 
air on some mountain in NH by mid Aug, if the KX2 gets here by then. I fully 
understand the delays, so not impatient. ;-) Well, maybe a little...

Found a YouTube on PSKreporter, so will check that out.

Kind regards,
Rich

On 2020-07-18 06:20:-0500, Lyn Norstad wrote:
>Rich -
>
>While I would like to be able to say that I have taken exhaustive field
>strength readings in all directions on all bands at appropriate distances,
>such is not the case ... nor will it ever be.  I base my performance
>assessment on reception reports (PSKreporter, etc.) and actual QSOs compared
>to what I would predict based on NEC pattern data along with predicted
>propagation.
>
>The bottom line is that I have WAS on 160, 80, 40, 30 and 20 meters, DXCC
>(actually 145 countries) and a host of other "awards" that just popped up in
>the normal course of having fun and hamming it up.
>And most of that was with 100 watts or less, and all of it in the 14 months
>since I put up this antenna.
>
>For me, that IS the whole picture.
>
>73
>Lyn, W0LEN
>
>-Original Message-
>From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net
>[mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Rich NE1EE
>Sent: Saturday, July 18, 2020 5:09 AM
>To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net
>Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Matching resonant antennas
>
>This actually surfaces a question that I am currently wondering about with
>my own system...what is measured performance here? I have a 40m EF wire
>about 20m in the air, and I wonder how effective it is at radiating. I have
>good SWR, and I get good signal reports, but wonder if that is the whole
>picture?
>
>~R~
>72/73 de Rich NE1EE
>On the banks of the Piscataqua
>
>On 2020-07-17 20:18:-0500, Lyn Norstad wrote:
>
>>The measured performance indicates  excellent radiation on all bands.
>>
>>73
>>Lyn, W0LEN

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Re: [Elecraft] KPA1500 Cooling

[Rich NE1EE]

If you're up to the challenge, hydrogen is a great for cooling. Very nice 
thermal conductivity and thermal capacity. I've worked on systems that used it 
for cooling.

~R~
72/73 de Rich NE1EE
On the banks of the Piscataqua

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Re: [Elecraft] Elecraft CW Net Announcement

[Rich NE1EE]

On 2020-08-01 19:39:-0700, kevinr wrote:
>*MARVIN:*
>I don�t think they�re very clever. There�s only one person as intelligent as 
>me within thirteen parsecs of here and that�s me. 

"I don�t think they�re very clever. There�s only one person as intelligent as I 
within thirteen parsecs of here, and that�s I."

Of course, I don't know what planet and country from which he hails, so perhaps 
it was correct, after all.

I thoroughly enjoyed all Adams' books...at least the ones I recall ;-)

(bands and times noted)


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Re: [Elecraft] KX2 Power supply

[Rich NE1EE]

On 2020-08-02 19:51:-0500, Bill Lederer wrote:
>Friends:
>
>I like to use my KX2 in my office with a wire out the window to a tree,
>largely for listening, e.g. to ARRL code practice. I normally use the
>internal battery and charge it up ever couple of weeks.

I use a Bioenno Power LiFePO4 BLF-12045W - 12V 108W 54Wh to power my small 
radios, and a larger for all day field trips, such as supporting fund raisers 
(Diabetes, Lung, MS, etc.) where I am in a remote position all day. I see from 
the specs that the KX3 pulls ~150 mA during RX. That's 360h on a full charge. 
Of course I need to recharge it, but you do that now. And I have the added 
bennie of using the batt for all sorts of portable ops. The bennie of the 
ProAudio is plug and forget. I think the KX2 has an amp hr meter? So you would 
know when to recharge. Another bennie of the batt is that there are no cables 
and PS lying about...I am annoyed by those when I need to use them. 

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Re: [Elecraft] K4 training

[Rich NE1EE]

On 2020-08-07 21:21:-0400, Bill Frantz wrote:
>With the manual online, and support for jumping to the relevant section, it 
>will be better than what I have with the K3, where the manual is on my 
>computer and I have to text search for the relevant section. The neat thing is 
>that the online manual can be automatically updated with new versions of the 
>firmware.

I agree with the idea that the online manual can be frequently updated, but so 
can the PDF of the manual. I like both. I have found with other large projects, 
that the online manual is not well-searchable, and is broken into sections, so 
if I don't know what I am looking for, I can't find it. I have many frustrating 
experiences with that. Also, with the PDF, I can make notes on the manual, as 
long as it is not write-restricted. Some vendors secure their PDFs so that we 
can't copy from the manuals or make notes, both of which are real handicaps for 
the me, with the way I like to operate.

The online version will not be writable, in the sense that I can't make notes 
in the relevant sections, but at least I should be able to copy from the web 
pages. I find that I usually wind up with my own set of notes, because few 
manuals are close to complete. Being able to copy from the manual makes that 
much easier.

My experiences are also that online manuals tend to be less well-developed than 
good quality paper manuals. I am still playing with a variety of methods for 
accumulating notes, including printing occasional pages of online manuals to 
PDF and adding them to my own PDF. 

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Re: [Elecraft] K4 training

[Rich NE1EE]

On 2020-08-05 03:06:-0700, RICHARD Martin wrote:
>A how to video would be a very nice feature, but we must remember the cost
>of developing such a thing when our friends at Elecraft have to be in
>desperate need of cash.
>...
>Thru most of my professional life, I have been responsible for the
>conception, prototyping, and manufacture of large scientific instruments
>($100K to $5M).  The cost of the manuals/documentation was typically equal
>to the development cost of the product.
>
>Dick KN6AA

I am interested in the KX2, so I am gathering info on the product line to see 
if that is what I want to buy. I skimmed the KX2 vid, and found that it was not 
very useful. It was large a sales pitch.

I have been involved with the dev of user manuals and operating procedures of 
complicated equipment, from stuff on the order of HP 15C calculators to 1100 MW 
generators.

The cost to produce manuals has dropped significantly since 1980, largely due 
to the drop in cost of typesetting. Ironically, I opine, the quality has 
declined. Companies no longer invest in producing good manuals and training 
material, as a result, I see most often that the mfg directs questions to user 
fora. The downside to this is obvious. New users, not knowing what to ask or 
how to phrase a question, flounder around wasting a tremendous number of 
person-hours. I offered to help develop some docs for a few popular products, 
and was told by the developers/companies to simply start using the products, 
learn them well, and then produce those docs.They would be much appreciated!!! 
I declined. I don't have the time to waste learning the products using "seek 
and find" techniques.

The cost of an HP-14C in 2020 USD  was prolly on the order of $250. I'll bet 
the manual cost $10K to develop, independent of typesetting.  But that cost was 
offset to some degree by the cost of the 15C and the number of them sold. 
Elecraft could easily pay attention to these fora, and regularly upgrade the 
manuals by posting new PDFs. 

I recently asked Elecraft a technical question that is not addressed in the 
manuals or on the web, and after 2 passes got a very nice succinct, clear, and 
complete answer. (Note that it took TWO cycles of emails to get that answer.) I 
immediately replied with thanks, and a recommendation that they add those 
comments to the web...and possibly manuals.

I don't need a printed manual with my device. I think that they can look nice 
and be useful, though. I do appreciate a PDF that is not write protected, so 
that I can make my own notes and correct mistakes. I also appreciate a manual 
that is updated regularly. I don't like trolling lists and doing web searches, 
just to get vital information, and it is not a good use of employee time to be 
answering such questions repeatedly. I simply save each PDF version with all 
its notes, and then I can look in each version that I have.

I think that well-produced videos, which abound on the web along with 
not-so-good vids, are very useful. I have seen a remark to the effect that 
someone was familiar with a different model of a radio, and when the newer one 
came out they were up and running in short order. But for someone not familiar 
with the product line, or perhaps not even familiar with radios in general, as 
a new ham, real howto vids can be most useful, I opine. I have been using Canon 
cameras for many years. I wanted a new point and shoot. So after reading 
reviews on various cameras (I am not especially brand-loyal) I decided to get a 
Canon. I had seen comments about how complicated it is for a PaS. I agree. But 
I found myself on familiar ground because of my years of experience w other 
Canons, so I was soon up and running. The other comments about it being 
complicated are valid, especially for one not already familiar with bigger 
Canon cameras.


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Re: [Elecraft] OT construction question

[Rich NE1EE]

On 2020-08-17 10:35:+0300, Victor Rosenthal 4X6GP wrote:
>Never mind, I made my own metal dohickey! Just a piece of 1.6mm aluminum with 
>a notch in it. Very cool, if I do say so myself!
>
>73,
>Victor, 4X6GP
>Rehovot, Israel

Please show image. I use an external battery, and made an adapter using a 
Powerpole and a barrel connector. I do that for much of my radio gear, and have 
adapters from Powerpole to USB, those polarized connectors we use for cars here 
in the US (I call them SAE connectors), round plug for my Beemer, and US 
cigarette|power sockets...etc...that way, it is all interoperable. 

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[Elecraft] much useful information, not expected

[Rich NE1EE]

I joined several Elecraft lists to help me evaluate different purchase 
options...a K4 is not in my foreseeable future, but the others are. I am mostly 
interested in the KX2 and KX3.

But I am writing to express appreciation for all the unexpected bits if 
important info that I was not aware I was missing.

~R~
72/73 de Rich NE1EE
On the banks of the Piscataqua

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[Elecraft] different Elecraft groups

[Rich NE1EE]

I can see both sides...I subscribed to several Elecraft groups just to see what 
they all had to say. I learned that while each had its focus, there was 
valuable information that crossed groups. I might have missed that had I 
belonged to only one group. And then there are the discussions that are not 
Elecraft-specific, but are ham-oriented, and happen to be on the Elecraft list.

Though I have no plans to buy the K4 in the foreseeable future, I might join 
the group and see if there is enough general info to keep me interested...I an 
always stop the flow, or drop the group.

I can imagine that for a while there will be a great deal of K4-specific 
traffic that won't be of general interest, and that the new K4 owners and 
prospective owners will have their hands full with new issues and learning 
curve.

~R~
72/73 de Rich NE1EE
On the banks of the Piscataqua

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Re: [Elecraft] Other groups [was: K4 shipping info]

[Rich NE1EE]

On 2020-08-28 12:24:+, Alan - G4GNX wrote:
>I cope with this by using an initial text-only email client, where I see the 
>subject line and sender's address.

I use a text-only email client 99% of the time...the problem is...just as with 
this email...threads are hijacked all the time, so I can't usually look at the 
subject and sender and know that I want to read the email or not. I have been 
guilty of this myself...just as in this case...where I respond in the moment, 
and (except for now) don't realize that I am off thread.

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Re: [Elecraft] Other groups [was: K4 shipping info]

[Rich NE1EE]

On 2020-08-28 13:35:+, Alan - G4GNX wrote:
>Hehehehe.
>
>Fooled you Rich.

;-) yup...you did...I was so used to just looking at "K4 shipping info" that I 
missed the change! A little bit of humor to lighten my morning! 

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Re: [Elecraft] [Elecraft-KX] KX3 microphone nut size

[Rich NE1EE]

It is easy to cross thread nuts and screws this way. IME, machine 
threads...which is likely what you have here...either work or they don't. You 
should be able to get at least 2 clean, easy rotations. And that is for a nut 
that is going on a bolt/stud that will not stand proud of the nut when it is 
tight. That likely applies to many of the screws and nuts in the Elecraft 
equipment. Folks who "think" that they have a good match and that the nut just 
needs to be "tightened" wind up cross threading, and then you be lucky a) get 
the nut off, and b) get the correct one to fit. This works for all 
sizes...right up to, and past, engine block studs and nuts. (Experience.) Many 
are the times that I have wrapped my hand around a manifold, to a stud I can't 
see, and gently rotated the nut until I was sure that I had a proper fit.

Now...back to the KX3...this comes as a kit, yes? Then perhaps the kit manual 
calls out the nut size.

On 2020-08-28 13:34:-0700, Mooneer Salem wrote:
>Tried some normal 1/4"-20 hex nuts from Lowe's too (much too thick mind you, 
>but should at least confirm if the diameter/TPI are correct) and no such 
>luck.� 
>
>Interestingly, I took off the nut from a spare SMA pigtail and it was able to 
>mate it with the microphone connector. However, I couldn't rotate it past 1/2 
>turn or so and I didn't want to force it with tools and potentially damage the 
>jack. If it was the correct size, I'd have been able to tighten it much 
>further by hand, right?
>
>-Mooneer K6AQ
>
>On Fri, Aug 28, 2020 at 1:21 PM hawley, charles j jr 
><<mailto:c-haw...@illinois.edu>c-haw...@illinois.edu> wrote:
>1/4"-20�  I think
>
>Chuck Hawley
>� <mailto:c-haw...@illinois.edu>c-haw...@illinois.edu
>�  
>� Amateur Radio, KE9UW
>� aka Jack, BMW Motorcycles�  
>
>
>--
>From: 
><mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net>elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net 
><<mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net>elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net> on 
>behalf of Mooneer Salem <<mailto:moon...@gmail.com>moon...@gmail.com>
>Sent: Friday, August 28, 2020 3:12 PM
>To: Elecraft Reflector 
><<mailto:elecraft@mailman.qth.net>elecraft@mailman.qth.net>; 
><mailto:elecraft...@groups.io>elecraft...@groups.io 
><<mailto:elecraft...@groups.io>elecraft...@groups.io>
>Subject: [Elecraft] KX3 microphone nut size 
>� 
>Hi all,
>
>Does anyone know what exactly would replace the microphone nut on the KX3?
>(I seem to have somehow misplaced mine.) The jack itself seemed to measure
>1/4" OD but some 1/4"-32 panel nuts that I found don't seem to screw into
>it.
>
>Thanks,
>
>-Mooneer K6AQ
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>
>_._,_._,_
>
>--
>Groups.io Links:
>
>You receive all messages sent to this group. 
>
><https://groups.io/g/Elecraft-KX/message/67316>View/Reply Online (#67316) | 
><mailto:elecraft...@groups.io?subject=Re:%20Re%3A%20%5BElecraft-KX%5D%20%5BElecraft%5D%20KX3%20microphone%20nut%20size>Reply
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>_._,_._,_


~R~
72/73 de Rich NE1EE
On the banks of the Piscataqua

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Re: [Elecraft] KX3 microphone nut size

[Rich NE1EE]

Yes ;-) I started w metric in the 70s, because it made a lot of sense. When I 
got my license in the 90s, I had to pick up a few Craftsman metric tape 
measures on one of my trips to Canada...could not find one in the US at all.

Worth noting that while you can often swap sockets and wrenches twixt US and 
metric...there are many sizes that have close equivalents...the same does not 
hold true at all for nuts and screws that I have found. Might be some that are 
close, but I have not stumbled across them.

On 2020-08-28 17:48:-0700, Phil Kane wrote:
>On 8/28/2020 1:49 PM, hawley, charles j jr wrote:
>
>> Metric 6 mm is close enough to thread on but wrong threads per inch?
>
>Remember that US electronics is slowly going Metric inch by inch :)
>
>73 de K2ASP - Phil Kane
>Elecraft K2/100   s/n 5402

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Re: [Elecraft] KX3 microphone nut size

[Rich NE1EE]

sure, but that's how 
>it was.�  Then, the US Military sent me to the other side of the planet, and 
>over time I began to think metric. Meters, grams, kilograms, liters became 
>normal.�  I came home ... they still are normal, I now have to convert metric 
>to stupid.�  It would be great if we actually did join the rest of the world 
>before the end of my lifetime.�  But, I'm not holding my breath.
>
>73,
>
>Fred ["Skip"] K6DGW
>Sparks NV DM09dn
>Washoe County


~R~
72/73 de Rich NE1EE
On the banks of the Piscataqua

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Re: [Elecraft] KX3 ACC2 GPIO

[Rich NE1EE]

If you are using Mac OS X Mail, does it have the feature to add words to its 
spell checker? I just added a bunch of ham related terms to my editor because 
it was painting the screen red with all the "misspelled" words.

On 2020-08-31 12:53:-0500, Chris Cox, N0UK wrote:

>And why does my Mac ALWAYS rewrite TRANSVERTER as TRANSPORTER?!
>
>Chris Cox, N0UK
>chr...@chris.org

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Re: [Elecraft] New KX3 reverse voltage smoke

[Rich NE1EE]

On 2020-09-06 09:26:-0400, Mike Morrow wrote:
>Yes, it's "surprising" how much surprise there seems to be that the KX3 (and 
>almost any other ham rig) DC power connector's negative terminal connects 
>ultimately to the case.

So I don't routinely get into this level of ham gear assembly...but I find that 
I am increasingly going there.
When I read "DC power connector's negative terminal", I immediately think of + 
and - rails, and a neutral ground. I do understand that when I look at barrel 
connector, the icon usually shows a + and - terminal. But it seems to me that 
the - terminal is really ground...not a negative rail.
I can see how, even with my terminology, swapping leads on a power connector 
can lead to shorting + to ground.
So are we really saying that the case is connected to ground, when we say 
negative terminal?

>Let me "flog a dead horse".  This whole affair amounts simply to this:

I understand the SOE that led to this eventI am only addressing 
nomenclature. But thanks for succinctly summarizing... 

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Re: [Elecraft] Update on K4 manuals

[Rich NE1EE]

On 2020-09-10 20:08:-0700, you wrote:
>All manuals will be kept updated to reflect the current software.
>
>Wayne
>N6KR

Will you preserve historical versions for those who don't have upgrades? I 
haven't looked on the Elecraft website to see if there are version-specific 
manuals for other products.

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Re: [Elecraft] Cheap keyer paddle?

[Rich NE1EE]

On 2020-09-17 23:09:-0600, Alan Bloom wrote:
>So who makes a decent, inexpensive key paddle?  (By the way, I don't
>need the iambic feature, so a single-lever model would be fine.) 
>
>Alan N1AL

I keep forgetting that this list is different from all the rest I sub to...the 
replies don't go to the list...not that this one needed to...

Depends on what you call cheap. I've used CWMorse to good advantage.  

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Re: [Elecraft] Cheap Keyer Paddle

[Rich NE1EE]

On 2020-09-19 10:27:-0400, Wilson  Lamb wrote:
> 
>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sps6gsqwzws
>
>I love the paper clamp idea!  
>https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=RtEYI4aF7j4&app=desktop

Great, clever ideas! Thanks! 

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Re: [Elecraft] Elecraft CW Net Announcement

[Rich NE1EE]

Actually, I use radians all the time. Probably one of the least recognized, but 
common, uses is in firearm scopes. My Falcon Optics M18+ 4-18-44 is mil/mil. 
WAY easier to scale than MOA. I have been metric for decades. Went that way in 
the 70s, and never looked back. Had to go to Canada to get my first metric tape 
so that my ham measurements were easier. I use metric in everything...including 
the table that I made. 
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-kXMx8i1qiBQSUYgWUzdP9isucuOCopv/view?usp=sharing
Not only are the measurements metric, but the table has nearly 100 unique 
angles. All my woodworking buddies said that it was not possible to make a 
table this accurately. Picture attached, because it's hard to describe. I use 
decimal angles for those. Yep. You can really cut an angle of 10.3 degrees on a 
table saw. I'd have been just as happy w radians (remember those mils), but 
couldn't find a miter in radians. I use degrees because I am comfortable with 
them, but the same goes for radians. Fer us hams, 2 pi rads/s is 1 Hz. Grads 
have their place, but I don't see them catching on. Geometrically, degrees make 
sense, as do radians, but grads, to me, grads have more "people intuition" 
sense...just not popular. Ya gotta admit that grads are easier than adding and 
subtracting from 360 if you're on a hike. At that, radians would also be easy, 
as long as you don't mind 2pi ;-) Finding a reverse course, pretty easy; right 
angles, not so much ;-)

On 2020-09-20 11:25:-0700, Fred Jensen wrote:
>You didn't have to use gradians too?�  Smoke has cleared here in NW NV for the 
>last two or so days, SW winds will likely bring it back tomorrow.
>73,
>Fred ["Skip"] K6DGW
>
>On 9/19/2020 9:22 PM, kevinr wrote:
>>I spent the week writing some graphics code for a 3D engine.�  Each 
>>trigonometric function requires a conversion factor.�  Really, who thinks in 
>>radians?�  "I'll cut this board at an angle of PI/4 +/- 2 deciradians."�  
>>I'll stick with 360 degrees instead.�  If it was good enough for the 
>>Babylonians it's good enough for us.�  Fie on radian measure.


~R~
72/73 de Rich NE1EE
On the banks of the Piscataqua

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Re: [Elecraft] Something to discuss other than K4

[Rich NE1EE]

On 2020-09-24 19:21:-0400, David Haines wrote:

>http://www.emcesd.com/pdf/eos93.pdf
>
>73,
>david KC1DNY

The article is dated 1993. 

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Re: [Elecraft] OT - Digital Mode Definition

[Rich NE1EE]

On 2020-10-03 02:50:-0400, JR wrote:

>Say ... does anyone know if�  8 PSK - 8 Point Phase Shift Keying is a form of 
>MSK - Minimum Shift Keying?
>
>Does anyone know where I can go to research the answer?

I have not delved deeply into any of these modes, but I have related 
experience. PSK is Phase Shift Keying; MSK is a variant of Freq Shift Keying. 
They are related by the class of math formulas that generate the signals, but 
differ significantly in operation.

It seems to me that MSK requires much simpler engineering than PSK. In days of 
yore, this would have been important, but with so much processing embedded on 
chips these days, it seems to me to be less important.

I'm sure that there is a wealth of info on the web, but a handicap may be point 
of view. OTOH you will find the math tedious to wade through, but will give you 
a good understanding of both. OTO, I have not seen a good comparison of the two 
that addresses the engineering costs versus the performance of each. 

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Re: [Elecraft] KX3 charger failure?

[Rich NE1EE]

I am missing a point:
Istvan said When I plug in the 13.8V PS the radio shows 13.8V for only 1 second 
and drops to 10.4V.
Don replied so the fact that the KX3 shows 0.3 to 0.4 volts lower than the 
external supply is normal.

Istvan said When batteries removed the voltage shown on display 13.8V.

I don't have a KX3, but I understand the diode issue..and it makes sense...but 
a drop from 13.8 to 10.4 doesn't seem right to me.

On 2020-10-08 18:56:+0200, István Szabó wrote:
>On Thu, 8 Oct 2020 at 15:58, Don Wilhelm  wrote:
>
>> Istvan,
>
>> There are protective diodes in series with both the internal batteries
>> and the external supply, so the fact that the KX3 shows 0.3 to 0.4 volts
>> lower than the external supply is normal.
>
>> 73,
>> Don W3FPR
>
>> On 10/8/2020 2:53 AM, István Szabó wrote:
>> > When I plug in the 13.8V PS the radio shows 13.8V for only 1 second and
>> > drops to 10.4V. Eneloop batteries all OK 1.29V individually. Running a 4
>> > hour charging cycle it turns off when voltage reached and shows the
>> > dropped voltage. When batteries removed the voltage shown on display
>> 13.8V.
>> > Is it known failure, what can I do to fix it?

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Re: [Elecraft] KX3 charger failure?

[Rich NE1EE]

I just downloaded the schematic from the Elecraft site. I think this style of 
schematic, while space-saving, is difficult to read.
On p 9 @ B5, please find J1.
9-15VDC.
There you will see D6. I was expecting a different circuit, one that fed BAT+ 
and 15V+ each through a diode. That would provide a diode drop for each device, 
and provide reverse polarity protection.

If you are supplying 13.8V, the KX3 should report about 0.3-0.4V less. These 
are likely low forward drop diodes.

Even so, I am guessing that this is the correct place to look. Your problem 
suggests that if the voltage drops when good batteries are inserted, and pops 
back to 13.8Vdc when they are disconnected, then the problem might be in the 
charging logic. Some device may be making active choices for when to charge and 
when not to, and how much.

More than that is out of my league...

On 2020-10-09 00:23:+0200, István Szabó wrote:
>Rich, this is correct. I do not see diode on the charger board circuit 
>diagram. I am lost.
>73, István
>
>On Thu, 8 Oct 2020 at 20:33, Rich NE1EE 
><<mailto:73.de.ne...@gmail.com>73.de.ne...@gmail.com> wrote:
>I am missing a point:
>Istvan said When I plug in the 13.8V PS the radio shows 13.8V for only 1 
>second and drops to 10.4V.
>Don replied so the fact that the KX3 shows 0.3 to 0.4 volts lower than the 
>external supply is normal.
>
>Istvan said When batteries removed the voltage shown on display 13.8V.
>
>I don't have a KX3, but I understand the diode issue..and it makes sense...but 
>a drop from 13.8 to 10.4 doesn't seem right to me.
>
>On 2020-10-08 18:56:+0200, István Szabó wrote:
>>On Thu, 8 Oct 2020 at 15:58, Don Wilhelm 
>><<mailto:donw...@embarqmail.com>donw...@embarqmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Istvan,
>>
>>> There are protective diodes in series with both the internal batteries
>>> and the external supply, so the fact that the KX3 shows 0.3 to 0.4 volts
>>> lower than the external supply is normal.
>>
>>> 73,
>>> Don W3FPR
>>
>>> On 10/8/2020 2:53 AM, István Szabó wrote:
>>> > When I plug in the 13.8V PS the radio shows 13.8V for only 1 second and
>>> > drops to 10.4V. Eneloop batteries all OK 1.29V individually. Running a 4
>>> > hour charging cycle it turns off when voltage reached and shows the
>>> > dropped voltage. When batteries removed the voltage shown on display
>>> 13.8V.
>>> > Is it known failure, what can I do to fix it? 

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Re: [Elecraft] [K3] Wetting current and CW paddles

[Rich NE1EE]

On 2020-10-13 00:54:-0700, dl2ki wrote:
>Hi,
>i found this very interesting article by Hjalmar, OZ1JHM

http://www.oz1jhm.dk/content/wetting-current-and-cw-paddles

I have an amusing story along these lines.
Coming home one night from a late date with my wife, we came upon a car stalled 
at a light. It was perhaps 22-2300.
I got out to see what I might do.
The car would not start. The usual clicking from the starter, usually 
indicating a dead battery.
Short version.
I asked the other driver to turn on the radio. It worked.
I then asked them to turn the headlamps. They worked.
After a bit of additional troubleshooting, during which I did nothing to the 
car, I suggested they turn on the headlamps and attempt to start the car. It 
started.
Arriving home, my wife promptly challenged me, saying that common practice is 
to turn off all electrics to preserve battery charge, and then attempt to start 
the car.
I told her that the battery was fine, and I opined as time passed that there 
was possibly too much corrosion on the terminals. When the starter circuit 
engaged, it didn't draw enough current to move the solenoid fully.
By turning on the headlamps, which are a large resistive load, a current path 
was generated through the oxidation. Then the starter was able to draw enough 
current to fully engage the solenoid.

Of course, this may have been a fortunate coincidence. ;-) 

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Re: [Elecraft] [K3] Wetting current and CW paddles

[Rich NE1EE]

I, too, live in NH. We still get super cold periods, despite the general 
warming trend. My impression, stemming from growing up here in the 50s, and 
comparing to current weather, is that we are developing some unusual (for us) 
patterns. We have hotter summers and higher humidity, but less actual rain, 
resulting in the contradiction of sweltering summers accompanied by drought. 
Winters are milder, temperature-wise, but there is more precip over the winter 
months, much of it rain, and we now have longer periods of sub-0F weather...or 
so my heating bill seems to suggest. Ironically, we are faced with spring 
floods and summer droughts.

There is another alternative that I am considering that has its parallel in 
keyers. I am considering installing super caps. The difference is that I'd 
install the caps to provide an initial starter punch on those super cold days, 
whereas I'd install the caps on my keys to punch through oxide layers. The 
effect derives from the same source: the ability of the cap to provide a pulse 
of current in a short time.

On 2020-10-13 07:21:-0400, Michael Stone wrote:
>Back in the old days when the weather was colder than it is now, I was living 
>in New Hampshire.  I didn’t have a garage for my car.  There is a trick that 
>someone told me about that apparently works when you know that the vehicle 
>might not turn over fast enough and start on a below zero morning.  Turn the 
>headlights on for several seconds to less than a minute to create a bit of 
>heat in the battery that in turns gets the chemical reaction going.  This 
>sometimes helps�or appears to  help.  My choice of insuring that the engine 
>started was to remove the battery and bring it into the house and then 
>reinstall it just before starting the engine.  Lots of extra work, but I was 
>never late for work due to cold weather.
>Mike, N1VE

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Re: [Elecraft] K4 Headphones Q

[Rich NE1EE]

I have been following this thread with interest. I am considering the Bose 
QC-35 headphones. I wanted a boom mic to go with, but I have not found one with 
decent reviews. Has anyone experience with one that works w the QC-35 II? I 
guess that by plugging into the headphone the boom mic disconnects the internal 
mic. It looks like that mic then plugs into my rig using a TRRS, and feeds mic 
and speakers. Is this the way it works? That would make the plug into the ear 
cup a speaker feed? I could see almost any good mic working, even if what I 
needed to do is run 2 cords: one for the mic and one for the audio. That would 
let them work for CW. And otherwise, there should not be a problem?

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Re: [Elecraft] K4 Headphones Q

[Rich NE1EE]

On 2020-10-14 18:45:-0400, E.H. Russell wrote:
>Hi Rich,
>
>I wanted a similar result, that is noise canceling headphones combined with
>a headset mic. After many trials, I came to the following solution:
>
>Bose QC35 headphones on wired connection
>Shure MX153B/O-TQG headset

Thanks, Ed,
It is helpful to have a recommendation with time under its belt. I browsed for 
this device. It seems to be terminated in  TQG / TA4F connector... I suppose 
that there is an adapter for this. Do you then have a way to mute the Bose mic? 
I don't mind wires. I am not happy with BT connectivity in general. 

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Re: [Elecraft] [K3] Wetting current and CW paddles

[Rich NE1EE]

On 2020-10-15 11:51:-0400, Drew AF2Z wrote:
>I think there could be more than just clean contacts involved.

I suspect from my own undocumented tinkering that contact geometry is also 
involved. Back in the day when currents were higher, we'd burnish contacts to 
flat, parallel surfaces. The instruments and controls that I have in mind were 
routinely serviced. They were routinely serviced because contact were observed 
in DC control systems transferring metal from one contact to the other, 
resulting in a pit on one side and a peak on the other.

Perhaps modern key contacts can benefit from at least one of the contacts 
coming more to a point. This would increase contact pressure due to the reduced 
contact area, and would result in higher charge density near the tip, and 
therefore higher potentials as the contacts closed. Two factors: tip radius 
(smaller is better) and tip contact area (more is better).

I have found for some keys with metals that corroded more quickly that periodic 
light cleaning is all that is required, but for those keys with less active 
metals, reshaping worked well to reduce false contact closures. I still stutter 
on some occasions on all my keys.

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Re: [Elecraft] [K3] Wetting current and CW paddles

[Rich NE1EE]

Very cool looking key! Clean lines, no clutter.

On 2020-10-15 12:24:-0600, Alan Bloom wrote:

>Another solution is to use hermetically-sealed contacts.�  I built a 
>light-weight, single-lever key paddle using microswitches for the contacts.�  
>It worked very well and never had problems with scratchy contacts.
>
>http://n1al.net/ham/paddle.htm
>
>Alan N1AL

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Re: [Elecraft] K3, k4 Black knobs

[Rich NE1EE]

On 2020-10-16 21:47:+1000, you wrote:
>OK, I operate portable and often at night and lighting has to be managed to
>reduce critters of the night dive bombing me when operating.
>
>Regards,
>Gary
>VK1ZZ
>K3NHL

I use 2 red LED lamps. One is a fairly bright flashlight that uses 4X AAA. The 
other is a small flat lamp with a pushbutton-slide switch. It hangs on a 
locking ring, like you'd put keys on. It is push to light, slide to stay on.

You can find them for sale for folks who star gaze. Been happy with them for 
years. When it is dark, even the little one seems pretty bright, and they don't 
seem to attract bugs. Double plus...I get to keep my night vision, and few 
bugs. I wish that the LED panels on the KX were dimmable in steps. It's way too 
bright. I looked into what it would take to mod the circuit, and it was not as 
simple as I'd like. Doable. Unfortunately, it seems, the original design didn't 
anticipate that folks would want to dim it.

The face, keys labels, and display are all clearly visible in red light. I have 
not see a headlamp with red LEDs, but I'll bet it exists. You'd want it to be 
fairly dim, in my experience. My little CR2032-powered keychain red lamp is 
plenty at night once I have my night vision. I carry the big boy JIC I need it. 
---
I just did a quick search for headlamps, and didn't see any that I'd jump for. 
I am seriously thinking of putting a small patch of velcro on the keychain red 
LED, and then I can mount it wherever. Right now I keep it hanging from a 
button hole so that it is always handy in the field. I'm thinking that sticking 
some velcro on a ball cap bill would work fine.

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Re: [Elecraft] K3, k4 Black knobs

[Rich NE1EE]

I just looked at my keychain light. Says Night Reader by David Chandler Company

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Re: [Elecraft] K3, k4 Black knobs

[Rich NE1EE]

On 2020-10-16 06:09:-0700, Eric Norris wrote:
>Petzl makes red headlamps, I use them at starparties.�  Try REI.

I have 2 of them, but I think that they are too bright for close work. Great 
for getting to and fro. Great for macro work at a campsite. The ones I have are 
not dimmable. I also have some by Princeton (I think). The are very nice 
(white), but not dimmable.

I've had my light for ages, so decided to check out the Chandler site.
https://www.davidchandler.com/shop/night-reader-pro/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIjPq2nZy57AIVhIjICh1GdQRXEAAYASACEgJIIPD_BwE

I like the battery life on my older Night Reader. I think that I will pick up 
one of these, too, because they are dimmable. I'd want it to come on dim each 
time, and these can. They also can come on bright immediately. Not head 
mounted, tho. Too bad they don't make the original Night Reader, because I use 
it all the time. It always comes on dim, so I don't have to hold the button to 
set the intensity. And I have used it regularly for years. No problems. I like 
my Petzl and Princeton lights, too. The convenience of head mounted.

The battery lasts so long on the NR that I don't mind leaving it on and letting 
it hang from my shirt. 

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Re: [Elecraft] K3, k4 Black knobs

[Rich NE1EE]

On 2020-10-16 13:31:+, Ken B wrote:
>Why do you use red  and not blue or green 

Good question.
Long answer that I'll keep short.
In days of old, mariners wanted lights that they could see by, but that are not 
too visible otherwise.
Enter red lights. Humans eyes are not very responsive to red light. More to 
blue, and max for green.

But now imagine that you are on a ship, and you want to see stuff, but not be 
too visible to other ships (military use). So you use red light. It's not 
discernable as much as white, green, blue...from a distance.

So we continue to use red.

Night vision is pretty sensitive. You'd be surprised at how much you can see at 
extremely low levels of light. If color rendition is not an issue, then night 
vision, using the rods, rather than cones, is not a bad idea. But if color 
rendition is important (think nav charts [I sail and fly at night]), then very 
dim white light might be more useful. Downside is that the cones, which we use 
for color, are not nearly as sensitive as rods, which are for shades of grey. 
So there are trade offs.

I don't see why green or blue could not be used at very low levels. Your eyes 
are way more sensitive to green, so you could possibly get by with much dimmer 
green or blue light than red.

There is way more...but this is a good start, and I'll wrap by saying that any 
of the colored lights will have drawbacks. Depends on what you are looking at. 
For me, red is a good choice because I can see all my radio gear clearly using 
a red light, and because it is readily available in the low power that I want. 
Green and blue (and yellow, etc) are also available, but at higher power. I 
don't want to overwhelm my rods and then await recovery. 

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Re: [Elecraft] K3, k4 Black knobs

[Rich NE1EE]

Another way to roll your own is to simply use an inexpensive red LED, and an 
inline pot. Hadn't thought of that for ages, even since I got my other red 
lights.

On 2020-10-16 09:52:-0400, kk4kfg wrote:
>If your looking at red lights and want to avoid the head lamp or other
>such impediments to operating you should be able to incorporate the
>Universal Power Red Led.
>https://www.portableuniversalpower.com/product/nano-led-red/

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Re: [Elecraft] K3, k4 Black knobs

[Rich NE1EE]

On 2020-10-16 14:41:+, Ken B wrote:
>I am thinking of recessing some LEDs in the table in front of the equipment 
>for low light operation and trying to decide what color would be best.
>
>Thank you 
>Ken WB8PKK 

I installed dimmable "old-fashioned style" lamps in my shack. I like the soft 
glow. They dim to a deep orange, but still enough light spectrum so that I 
don't have color recognition problems. I'd recommend anything in this 
vein...dimmable white light, or similar. I kinda went with orange because of 
the current ideas regarding using blue lights at night when trying to wind 
down. It gives a soft warm light so that when I reach out to caress the knobs 
of the TS-830...er, adjust the finals... 

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Re: [Elecraft] Headlights with red lighting

[Rich NE1EE]

Thanks for posting this.
I looked at 2 items
Black Diamond has 2 items under 30USD, so I looked at them. Many choices.
https://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/en_US/spot-lite-200-headlamp-BD620662_cfg.html?dwvar_BD620662__cfg_color=Octane#details
3 yr guarantee
Low 6 lm Not sure if that apples to both white and red.

Petal (sic) had one that interested me, but for 60USD
https://www.petzl.com/US/en/Sport/SPECIALIZED-headlamps/TACTIKKA-PLUSRGB
5 yr guarantee
Low white 6 lm, RGB 2 lm

Both posted low light level specs where I'd want them, meaning that I prolly 
will replace my aging Princeton and Petzl headlamps in the near future. I have 
also some other BC lamps, but not headlamps, and I agree that these have done 
me well.

I won't give up my Chandler, and will likely update my keychain lamp for ~12USD.

BioLite has some great products overall, but I don't think their head lamps 
compare well
https://www.bioliteenergy.com/products/headlamp-330?variant=12623824289891#
1 year limited warranty
Won't go as low as I'd like for low. 100 lm. So they are just not what I'd want 
for a night groove with my radio.
But they are really well designed, and so are the other products.

On 2020-10-16 11:03:-0700, W3AB wrote:
>Black Diamond & Petal are two companies that make them. Not necessarily 
>inexpensive but you get what you pay for. They have been very robust during my 
>useage. ⁣___ Sent from my two way wrist watch 73 de W3AB/GEO​ 

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Re: [Elecraft] K3, k4 Black knobs

[Rich NE1EE]

On 2020-10-16 14:25:-0400, Gwen Patton wrote:
>I wear a
>RovyVon Aurora A7 keychain light on a bead chain around my neck 24/7. 

Funny you should mention that. I have a friend in LA (the city, not the state 
;-) who runs a theatre sound and light company. I was visiting one time, and 
went on location to "help" so that we'd have more time together.

That night during a performance, an elderly person fell in the theatre, and as 
I was nearby with a light in my pocket, I hustled over to help the staff who 
responded quickly, but without a light. Later, J asked if there were anything 
that I /didn't/ have in my pockets. Well, sure...it was suit and tie, after all 
;-)

Y'just never know...

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Re: [Elecraft] K3, k4 Black knobs

[Rich NE1EE]

On 2020-10-16 17:35:+0100, David Woolley wrote:

>Red is used because the rod cells, that are used for night vision, down to a 
>point where they are almost quantum limited 
>
>
>See 

Thanks for posting these links.

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Re: [Elecraft] Headlights with red lighting

[Rich NE1EE]

On 2020-10-16 20:37:-0500, Dave Fugleberg wrote:

>Watching this thread with some interest, as I use my K3 to drive
>transverters when roving in VHF contests, and it's hard to see the front
>panel controls at night. I tried making a light with a bit of aluminum
>angle stock and a short strip of white LEDs (the kind that come on a long
>roll), but even with a dimmer in line it was too bright.  Maybe if I tried
>it with a short strip of red LEDs it would be better.

I'm active in ARES. My mobile radios are all Kenwood (that might change in the 
future if I go with KX2 for HF). Fortunately, all the front labels show up 
really well in red light. I use a really dim (dunno the lumens) light. I turn 
it on long enough to make changes to the radio, then turn it off. After 
reviewing recommendations here, I upgraded several of my lamps. "Low" power 
didn't mean really low in the past, and now I can get both low and red.

Princeton, one of my favorites, used to provide lifetime warranties, but I 
believe that all their products are now 5 years. I think that generally quality 
everywhere has seriously declined. OOH, with products getting upgraded all the 
time, maybe we should not care for some products. OTO, I don't want to go to 
use something and have it fail unexpected. That's why I keep more copies of 
some kinds of gear. I can say that my older Princeton TEC head lamps are not 
showing any wear. Very solid, but bulky, I admit, design. Unfortunately, not 
red, not dim enough.

They have a FRED model for 30USD that has pretty good reviews.

Didn't mean to post an ad for Princeton...I think that there are many good 
products available today.

The point is that I use red LEDs for a lot of night work, and wrt my radios, 
they all work well. I can't speak to many brands, however. But I suspect that 
they all use the same paint and display tech, so should all be fine. One point 
is that the kind of backlit LCD that can be turned off shows really well in red 
light, in my experience. 

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Re: [Elecraft] K4 Headphones Q

[Rich NE1EE]

On 2020-10-18 10:10:-0400, Jim Miller wrote:
>I took a chance on the QC-35 while on sale and so far I'm pleased. I also
>bought an accessory boom mike that plugs into the connector on the QC-35
>and so far that has worked well in OTA tests.

Which boom mike do you have?

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Re: [Elecraft] KPA500 Main Power - ON 24/7/365?

[Rich NE1EE]

On 2020-10-20 08:25:-0400, N2TK via Elecraft wrote:
>Hi John,
>Both my KPA500 and KPA1500 are on a shelf in the basement, literally right 
>under my feet. The last time I shut them off was when I went to KP2M last 
>February.
>If the power switch isn't on I can't tun them on from Elecraft's remote 
>software.
>N2TK, Tony

I have been looking into remote switches. While I have not settled on anything, 
I am looking at remote controlled high power handling relays. Not saying that 
they are needed in this situation, but they are an option. Then you could leave 
the power switches on, close the relay, and use remote software to turn them 
on. If you are remote already, you prolly have the capability.

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[Elecraft] acknowledgement of post test

[Rich NE1EE]

~R~

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Re: [Elecraft] 2m internal transverter PTT out

[Rich NE1EE]

acknowledgement of reply to post test

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Re: [Elecraft] acknowledgement of post test

[Rich NE1EE]

Despite having the correct settings, I have not been receiving my own posts, 
and, because I use a client email aggregator, not the web, I don't know if my 
posts make.

I contacted the listmaster. The reply was to the effect that sometimes it 
happens, and we don't know why.

So I am running 2 tests
- originate a post
- reply to a post

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Re: [Elecraft] JIM's KPA 500 transformer [was: KPA500 Transformer]

[Rich NE1EE]

Elecraft post acknowledgement - reply to direct post by another

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Re: [Elecraft] acknowledgement of post test

[Rich NE1EE]

reply to my own message from the list

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Re: [Elecraft] acknowledgement of post test

[Rich NE1EE]

I ran these tests --- have not logged in to see what messages were received, 
but one person replied to the msg off list, so it got through

originated an email to the list - got my own post back, and got a bounce msg, 
too, because I asked for both

replied to a post sent to me personally, but in reply to my list post - got the 
bounce, but not the msg

replied to a post from someone else about a different matter - got the bounce, 
but not the msg

replied to my own message, in the once case where I received it from the list  
- got the bounce, but not the msg


Because this list is different, at least for me, when I reply, I usually don't 
get elecraft as the addressee, I get others. Sometimes elecraft shows up in the 
CC place. So my habit now is to "reply all" which captures all the addressees. 
I then delete the individuals, unless I specifically want to sent there, and 
replace all the addressees with one address, the elecraft mailman address. That 
ensures that I am sending back to the list, which is what I want to do most of 
the time. It seems to work.

As you can see from above, if I originate a message, I get it from the list 
server, but if I reply, I don't. Does this have summat to do with the way email 
headers are formed, and what mailman is using to determine the potential list 
of addressees? So even though I replied, my email address is not attached to a 
header that mailman uses to determine who gets the replies? If I originate, 
there are no other email addresses in the headers, so I /have/ to show up in 
the right header, but if I reply...?



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Re: [Elecraft] acknowledgement of post test

[Rich NE1EE]

On 2020-10-20 10:50:-0600, David Herring wrote:

>Rich,
>
>In my experience, this is a “feature” of gmail. Apparently they assume that 
>you should not receive a copy of your own posts.  I went through this same 
>exercise a while back.  Didn’t find a solution.  I just assume my posts make 
>it and they seemingly do. 
>
>73,
>David - N5DCH

I vaguely understand this...that is, I completely get your point, but not sure 
what gmail does...

nonetheless...I did get a copy of an email I originated in gmail, which seems 
to imply that this is not a gmail issue. That is, why would gmail decide that 
it is OK to send me a post from the list that I originated, but not OK to send 
me one that is a reply to one from the list?


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Re: [Elecraft] KX2 External battery question

[Rich NE1EE]

Hi Bob,
Well, to get the ball rolling, I'd say no to the KXBC2. I use several different 
sizes of the Bioenno LiFe batteries (see earlier threads this summer for a 
detailed discussion), and I vote to use the proper charger. It's only a few 
bucks more...on the road, I use an inexpensive converter to power the charger 
for the LiFe batteries.

And I recall being surprised by someone writing about a specific Li-ion battery 
that they got good service from. I don't usually vote for that technology, but 
the OP had good luck with it. My opinion, tech-based, but still my 
interpretation of the data, is that Li batteries are generally over-charged, 
leading to hazard conditions, especially for lower quality batteries, and much 
shorter battery life.

Please look for the thread, because there was a lot of good discussion there.

On 2020-11-06 23:06:+, Bob Conder via Elecraft wrote:
> KX2 External battery question:
>1) Will the KXBC2 charger work with a Bioenno BLF-1203W LiFePO4 battery?or� 2) 
>What are very lightweight external batteries that will work with KX2, and not 
>add significantweight while hiking or backpacking and doing SOTA?Tnx in 
>advance,Bob K4RLC

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Re: [Elecraft] K2 purchase considered

[Rich NE1EE]

On 2020-11-20 21:39:-0500, barry halterman wrote:
>... I noticed a disturbing pop when tuning
>around strong cw stations. The s meter would jump to maximum signal
>strength and my ears took a beating with the loud pop!
>The rig went back to Elecraft for evaluation and I was told with this type
>of PLL circuit design, this is the nature of the beast

I run my original Kenwood TS830 (I lurk here because I am thinking of 
purchasing an Elecraft, and wanted to see what folks have to say). I was 
surprised the first time I heard someone manually scanning the bands, and there 
were regular pops. They were at regular intervals, but I don't recall the freq 
step. It was on even boundaries, though, such as 3.90 and so on. Not sure 
if it was on all bands, and I don't recall which rigs had it. Even so, it was 
more like clicks than pops, and not very loud. they would click in both 
directions as the boundary passed. I asked an op to "hold" on a click, but it 
was not possible.

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Re: [Elecraft] Sunspots!?!?

[Rich NE1EE]

On 2020-11-25 16:52:-0700, Douglas Hagerman via Elecraft wrote:

>If, by some miracle, the sunspot count were to eventually jump up to a really 
>high level, as was the case in around 2002, or even better in 1959, how would 
>the various Elecraft receivers work? I’m specifically interested in the K1 and 
>K2, but in general, is there a realistic problem with overloading of the front 
>end? Or, assuming that you can hear signals from all over, will the 
>selectivity, etc., be sufficient?
>
>Doug, W0UHU.

I have been studying the records (I have a background in space plasma physics). 
Of course, I am not an expert, but I do enjoy analyzing scientific data. It 
seems to me that cycle 25 is likely to be a very active cycle. I see that NASA 
is anticipating a peak with 115 sunspots in July 2025, but I suspect that it 
will be much larger. Oops. Guess we'll see.

~R~
72/73 de Rich NE1EE
The Dusty Key
On the banks of the Piscataqua

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Re: [Elecraft] Firmware development

[Rich NE1EE]

I ran my own small engineering company for 25 years. Projects ranged from $1ooK 
to $10M USD. We had no warranty claims at all. It takes a lot to produce 
software and hardware to that level of reliability.

Recently, someone posted on a different professional forum I am on "As a 
programmer I am faced with incompetence at every level. No one wants to put the 
time into making things great, just getting something out the door is the 
norm." I think that applies to a broad spectrum of products these days, and has 
applied for some time.

A while back, I was participating in a cutting edge open source project. I 
commented on a design feature, supplying a schematic, simulation results, and 
references to various related technical specs. The reply from one of the "big" 
players was that he had not read those thousand pages of tech specs, but surely 
I was wrong. He even opined why, saying what he "thought" the tech specs must 
say. He got support from some of his pet squirrels. I dropped out of the 
project.

This is not necessarily the norm...I'd like to think that it is a worst case. I 
know from personal experience that it takes a lot of time to understand a 
specific piece of hardware and its associated software. My company never went 
open source. I eventually closed it because I could not replace retiring 
professional staff from the current workforce. Not and keep the same level of 
quality.

I don't have the Elecraft experience to speak knowledgeably about all these 
discussions, but I certainly understand the level of quality that I see, and 
understand the pressures of modern economics. I can't think of one open source, 
community-based product that I'd want to hang my hat on, even if I do see some 
that I'd support. I just don't see the professional depth in the general 
community.

I'd actually vote in favor of opening the older Elecraft stuff up to community 
support, IF Elecraft went out of business or decided that some piece of gear is 
so old that it doesn't matter. (I actually own 2 pieces of gear that I'd love 
to see open source, but I don't see that happening.) Folks have invested a lot 
of $$ in their gear, and don't want to hear that 10 years later they need to 
toss it and buy new gear.

~R~
72/73 de Rich NE1EE
The Dusty Key
On the banks of the Piscataqua


On 2020-11-26 00:08:-0600, Tim Neu wrote:
>The point on Moore's law is taken.
>
>But the options aren't just limited to Elecraft doing more work on older
>radios or no updates at all (or supporting the old radios to the detriment
>of the new)
>
>Many software development projects now are community based and although
>radio firmware may be more time-consuming and more complex than OpenWRT for
>example, community based development may have more umph than Elecraft might
>have as far as inclination to tweak old radios.
>
>Just a thought.


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Re: [Elecraft] Firmware development

[Rich NE1EE]

On 2020-11-26 23:26:-0500, SteveL wrote:
>I own a popular open-source based 3D printer.really worse than the 
>version you hoped to repair, or dramatically changed in ways that demand 
>relearning from the beginning.
>
>... I wanted to print - not test and debug code!

These are both situations I have experienced. I don't want to discourage 
independent dev. In fact, ham radio itself is a metaphor for this discussion, 
because have all sorts of user community dev, and some really creative ideas 
come out of that. But some of my thoughts apply to both areas. I do see in the 
ham community a rush to get products out the door, to get the next feature 
installed...at the sacrifice of explaining to the user body what those changes 
are, how well they were tested, and how to use them. Yep...the products 
themselves are a great help to the community. But most of the user community 
that I have directly interacted with has no idea how to dev a product, how to 
specify a requirement, how to specify a design, how to test the final product. 
Instead, users get to test and debug the results.

I know from experience how much extra work is involved in doing the job 
correctly. I have heard community developers reply to criticism by saying how 
difficult it is to test every feature. I get it.

Back in the 90s, I read an account in an engineering mag about upgrades to 
Cheyenne Mt. I'll gloss over the details. A company won the bid. The Feds 
agreed that it would take 4 years and 4$B to do the work. At the end of 4 
years, the contractor came back and said that they were behind schedule, and it 
would take another 4 years and 4$B. The Feds said maybe, but not with you, and 
went out for bids again. They got a contractor who conducted business the way 
my company did. They came in ahead of budget and time. In the article, they 
specifically mentioned the processes that lead to their success. An engineer in 
one of our client companies showed me the article, noting that it was 
specifically about the business approach we insisted on. One of the engineers 
in that company asked me one day why we had so much paper, and did we /really/ 
need to discuss all that stuff. Couldn't we "just to it?'"? That same engineer 
changed his tune when we discovered a serious flaw in their design. 
 (We were collab on a $10M project.) As a direct result of /our/ design and 
construction, that company became a market leader in a vertical market.

So I encourage individual effort. I applaud it. I admire the creativity. But 
I'd like to have those creative individuals slow down, and perhaps collab with 
the right people to do a decent job, instead of foisting on the user base the 
responsibility of testing and debugging, and then "documenting", shotgun style, 
on fora and wikis.

I'd like to think this comes across as a discussion point, not as whining. If 
engineers in large corporations don't follow this structure, it is not hard to 
imagine why community developers don't either. But this discussion is more 
about a social change over the past 40 years. I have a friend who works for a 
major car dealership. He said they have a constant stream of bugs that they 
fix, software and hardware. New car buyers are part of the "test and debug" 
community.

~R~

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Re: [Elecraft] Firmware development

[Rich NE1EE]

On 2020-11-26 21:47:-0700, David Gilbert wrote:
>"I can't think of one open source, community-based product that I'd want to 
>hang my hat on, even if I do see some that I'd support.� �  I just don't see 
>the professional depth in the general community."
>
>Presumably you're talking about the amature radio community because 
>nonprofessional collaborative open source software development in general is 
>alive and very well, but even so how about N1MM+, or even WSJT-X and 
>derivatives?

It's a matter of perspective. I don't use N1MM or WSJT-X, so can't comment. I 
have heard the same criticisms levied against these products, yet they are 
widely used.

A product can be poorly developed (code, which most users don't get to see), 
and poorly documented (users learn from fora and talking with others), and 
still be widely used, because they are the best we have, not because they could 
be better.

I do use other popular ham-related software, and I regularly report bugs to the 
developers, many of whom are friendly and easy to work with.

We all bring different life experiences to the table, and those experience 
shape our expectations. I think that many of these discussions are necessary, 
though perhaps more useful elsewhere. "More useful elsewhere" doesn't mean 
useless here. We have reached a point were we are not comfortable putting 
criticisms on the table, but polite critiquing is a vital element of growth.

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Re: [Elecraft] Firmware development

[Rich NE1EE]

On 2020-11-27 12:29:-0700, l...@ka7ftp.com wrote:
>It seems that this thread has become the whipping boy for open source.  I 
>would suggest that it is irrelevant whether something is open or closed 
>source. 

There have been many good comments pro and con open source here...I am not sure 
how my comments came across...I am in favor of open source, and have produced 
open source material myself. My comments...and still my point of view...are 
more in line with the idea that stuff is rushed out the door. There is a 
cultural behaviour associated with this that is generally accepted, and is more 
in line with Len's comment re off shore manufacturing and big box distro, but 
is not limited to those. Rather, they describe an attitude and a behaviour that 
I disagree with.

I was at a meeting a year ago where I chanced to discuss a proprietary $20k 
product with someone who was also using it. We both held the opinion that it 
was (is) an excellent example of extremely high tech delivered to market before 
its time. Another example that comes to mind is the DeLorme GPSR line. I have 
used them for years. When the line was bought by Garmin, I figured that I'd buy 
into the new company. After struggling for months, I returned the units to 
Garmin, and posted a lengthy review of the product. Their public reply was 
brief...that the product was not intended to replace the PN-60. Unfortunately, 
it didn't succeed at all, IMO. If you wanted primitive functionality and had no 
intention of using it at any sort of real (again, IMO) way, then it was a fine 
toy. At the time, all of the critical reviews of it were in line w mine. 
Positive reviews focused on superficial aspects. This is not a Garmin diatribe, 
nor is it current (they may have fixed all the deficencies
 _...it is simply an example of a company with deep pockets, in a mature field, 
rushing a product to market well before it was ready (perhaps 2 years). I just 
did a quick scan of reviews, and not much improvement.

So the discussion for me is not open source v. proprietary...it is about the 
culture that has developed around much of the open-source AND proprietary 
markets. I don't think that we have addressed the issue completely 
here...rather a few different spot views. That includes my replies. I also 
don't think that we need to discuss it in depth here, because Elecraft is not 
open source, and many have made relevant comments already.

I just don't want to leave the impression that I am opposed to open source...



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Re: [Elecraft] Sunspots!?!?

[Rich NE1EE]

On 2020-11-26 20:30:-0700, Robert Cunnings wrote:
><https://www.spaceweatherlive.com/community/topic/1775-new-research-suggests-solar-cycle-25-could-be-strongest-in-50-years/>
>The article has a link to the paper, it's worth reading.Bob NW8L

Thanks so much for posting this...I have been contacted off forum to discuss 
this, and I have been considering how to distill the information from 
historical data. There is a lot of processing involved. I will read this before 
I respond. This is not the first time that I have disagreed with mainstream 
physicists on some subject. That's what makes the world go 'round ;-) But 
disagreeing is not the same as being correct, so it remains to wait it out and 
see. In particular, I have disagreed in the past based on the difference twixt 
micro- and macro-view of some system (such as the sun, or the solar wind-earth 
interaction).

~R~
72/73 de Rich NE1EE
The Dusty Key
On the banks of the Piscataqua

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Re: [Elecraft] Sunspots!?!?

[Rich NE1EE]

On 2020-11-26 20:30:-0700, Robert Cunnings wrote:
><https://www.spaceweatherlive.com/community/topic/1775-new-research-suggests-solar-cycle-25-could-be-strongest-in-50-years/>
>The article has a link to the paper, it's worth reading.Bob NW8L

I am partly through this paper. What may not be obvious at a glance are the 
statistics and math that underlie the analysis. I may as well be in for a 
penny, in for a pound. I had thought before reading this paper that there is a 
good reason to think that the sunspot activity will approach 250, +- a really 
big window. This is only slightly higher than McIntosh's 233. I think that I 
disagree with his model, but agree with his math and his conclusions. I 
encourage anyone who has an interest here to read the various papers. They will 
not be casual reading.

I have had many successes and failures over the years. One thing that seems to 
put me in a smaller class of physicists is that I don't mind being wrong. I am 
passionate and enthusiastic about my beliefs, and ready to change them 
immediately upon seeing proof that I am wrong. A while back I was pursuing a 
particular math approach to finding (mumble, mumble, space plasma physics), and 
one of the senior PhDs said that "some really f*** smart people" had developed 
another approach, and I'd better spend my time understanding what they did, 
rather than go off in a different direction. My math later replaced that 
alternate approach. You need not think that this implies that I am any brighter 
than any one here, but that it points to a closed mindedness that really 
surprises me in the scientific community. One of my friends is fond of saying 
that he thinks I am bright enough to have 2 brains...one the size of a BB, and 
other just a tiny thing ;-) I appreciate the humor. We can also be
  found in public venues declaring to one another (wink, wink) that we are so 
smart that our IQs are not just in the 90s, they are in the /high/ 90s ;-)  I 
have seen many insights come from folks with the equivalent of HS diplomas, and 
don't place much stock on the "paper" I have filed somewhere. That's why it's 
not on my wall.

At any rate, we will all hold our breaths. Even if Cycle 25 is a banner cycle, 
my rotating-spinning-toroid sun model may not be correct. I can live with that 
;-) And the cycles are good cycles-bad cycles, because what might be good for 
hams will certainly be cause for concern for those operating satellites and 
orbiting people containers. Now back to our regularly scheduled entertainment...

~R~
72/73 de Rich NE1EE
The Dusty Key
On the banks of the Piscataqua 

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Re: [Elecraft] KX2 & FT8

[Rich NE1EE]

On 2020-12-01 08:12:-0500, Hank via Elecraft wrote:

>Do you have a time correction program running on your PC like Dimension 4?  If 
>not you will make very few if any contacts. The transmissions between stations 
>have to be synced. 
>
>Hank
>K4HYJ 

What is the sync time tolerance? For example, following the directions here
https://www.windowscentral.com/how-manage-time-servers-windows-10
https://www.thewindowsclub.com/change-internet-time-update-interval-windows

or using any number of products such as D4, you can be within 0.01, +- 0.01 s...

Windows defaults to syncing time weekly, but I have mine set at hourly.
At any time, I can go here
https://time.is/

to see how far off I am...is this close enough for FT8? One note I saw said 
"But if you can get your clock within, say, a half a second, you'll be fine for 
FT8 and FT4." and this method certainly exceeds that spec.

I'm not an FT8 kinda guy, but I ran across this
http://www.kk5jy.net/tweaktime/

~R~
72/73 de Rich NE1EE
The Dusty Key
On the banks of the Piscataqua

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Re: [Elecraft] KX2 & FT8

[Rich NE1EE]

On 2020-12-01 12:13:-0800, Jim Brown wrote:
>On 12/1/2020 6:01 AM, Rich NE1EE wrote:
>>What is the sync time tolerance?
>
>1 sec is OK, 2 sec will lose a lot of QSOs. I've used this free app for ten 
>years. Painless to install, runs in the background.
> http://www.timesynctool.com/
>
>73, Jim K9YC

I think that I used to use that. It sure looks familiar. But I now use routines 
that are already a part of Windows. I just change the time sync period from the 
default of 1 week to 1 day. It could be set to hourly, and that would keep the 
sync time (theoretically) below 0.5s. Not trying to sell Windows, but don't see 
adding to what is already there.

~R~
72/73 de Rich NE1EE
The Dusty Key
On the banks of the Piscataqua

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Re: [Elecraft] KX2 & FT8

[Rich NE1EE]

Rick,
Thanks for the post. I don't need real time "time" for things these days...if I 
do, I turn to an RTOS...but I am naive in this area.
Since reconfiguring my Windows time specs, including not using the windows.time 
server, I have not seen a time offset exceeding 0.5s...in fact, the highest I 
recall is 0.3s...that is 10X the error you report for Meinberg

I visited the site, and found
https://www.meinbergglobal.com/english/info/ntp.htm
https://www.meinbergglobal.com/english/sw/ntp.htm#ntp_stable

so it appears that there is a software-only solution? I don't need to support 
one more piece of hardware, because my timing needs are not that great now. 
Thanks for the suggestion...I had not heard of Meinberg previously.

~R~
72/73 de Rich NE1EE
The Dusty Key
On the banks of the Piscataqua

On 2020-12-01 16:46:-0800, Rick Bates, NK7I wrote:
>Rich,
>You WANT to change what Windows does because a generation ago, to allow their 
>server software to function, they increased the error gap in the NTP system.�  
>It allows WAY too much drift and they've never cleaned that up (because most 
>users don't care).
>
>I use and suggest Meinberg; which can replace the Windows NTP service.�  It's 
>free and keeps my computers within .03 seconds to standard (on very slow 
>Internet) without requiring high overhead (it just works and well).
>
>73,
>Rick NK7I

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Re: [Elecraft] K3 shortened dits - you can remedy this under N1MM+

[Rich NE1EE]

On 2020-12-08 03:19:+, Andy Durbin wrote:
>"Kenwood does not have such an issue with any of their rigs"
>
>Shortening of the first element was evident in the keying tests I ran on my 
>TS-590S.  It's not an issue at 25 wpm but at 90+ wpm the first dit may be 
>completely lost.   The shortening is not present on every element, only on the 
>first element after RX/TX switching.
>
>Andy, k3wyc

Hmm...I wonder if that has anything to do with break in? Just a random 
thought... 

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Re: [Elecraft] Oscilloscope recs

[Rich NE1EE]

On 2020-12-09 09:37:-0600, John Oppenheimer wrote:
>Hi Lou,
>Rigol DS2202A has time in saved image. But not date! Not sure why not
>date, as it does have internal date for file system time stamp.

It DOES seem puzzling that such a trivial thing is missing. It would have even 
been useful to set the date and time each time I start the scope. But I have a 
GREP utility that handles many of my file naming needs, and immediately after 
storing images on a thumb drive, I put the drive in the laptop and run the grep 
util. It renames the files to Rigol DS1202ZE nn mmdd hhmmss (24hr), using 
the laptop date and time, so they are not too far off.

~R~
72/73 de Rich NE1EE
The Dusty Key
On the banks of the Piscataqua

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Re: [Elecraft] Oscilloscope recs

[Rich NE1EE]

On 2020-12-09 14:04:-0500, Kevin Cozens wrote:
I just checked and if you do have a nearby computer and you connect it to the 
Rigol you can set the date and time using SCPI commands.

I just tried to get this to work...got a visa32.dll error, so did a massive NI 
update. Then I could start Ultrascope, but still not connect. Tried the web, 
but no joy...any advice?

~R~
72/73 de Rich NE1EE
The Dusty Key
On the banks of the Piscataqua

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Re: [Elecraft] Oscilloscope recs

[Rich NE1EE]

On 2020-12-11 18:33:+, Louandzip via Elecraft wrote:
>I opted for a Rigol DS1202Z-E.�  

I pursued getting the DS1202 to work with USB. I have in place a grep process 
to rename files as they come off the Rigol, because if the timestamp issue.

The Rigol website is anything but clear, and I didn't find much on fora, 
either. The Rigol websites
https://rigol.force.com/support/s/
https://rigol.force.com/support/s/article/DS1202Z-E-Unable-to-Connect-to-UltraScope

suggested to me that I needed
Ultrascope for DS1000E Series.zip

It would not connect.
Further searches turned up that I needed to install
ni-visa_20.0_online_repack2.exe
massive...and helped, but still no joy.

Another round of spin the wheel at Rigol turned up this trio
UltraScope(PC)Installer_00.01.01.07.zip
UltraStation setup.zip
Ultra Sigma_00_01_06_01.zip

No notes about which to choose or why.

I started with the UltraStation setup.zip.
It seemed to be headed in the right direction.

I edited the Init file as suggested. Not sure if I needed to, but figured it 
could not hurt.
I downloaded
MSO1000Z_DS1000Z_ProgrammingGuide_EN.pdf
and there found this
"(5) Control the instrument remotely
Right click the resource name "MSO1104Z 
(USB0::0x1AB1::0x04CE::DS1ZD17081::INSTR)" and select "SCPI Panel Control" 
to turn on the remote command control panel through which you can send commands 
and read data."

the same r-click shows Options, which you can follow to a Print Screen button. 
For me, by default, it saved the screen in bmp, jpg, and png.

At last I was on my way...
Clicking the wrench gets you eventually to a place where you can save the 
screen. But that did not work.

Ultrascope never did work, though after installing the NI package and 
UltraStation, it would then connect. As soon as I try to use it, it 
disconnects. It will connect again, but with the same result.

I don't see a command or a way to change the date on the DS1202 yet, but with 
this method, it is not needed. I will also explore downloading data files using 
UltraStation. If you want to contact me off list, that is fine.

I also found a firmware update, and checking, found that my scope was slightly 
out of date. I followed the directions and upgraded. It was successful, with 
ONE CAVEAT:

Don't hit OK on the scope at steps 5 and 11.
...\DS1000Z-E Firmware 6.2.0.1\DS1000Z-E(ARM)Update\DS1000Z-E Upgrade 
Instructions.txt
5. When the interface displays "Upgrade finished!", restart the instrument. 
DO NOT press OK on the scope!!! Power off. Remove USB drive. Power on.

Del the upgrade file.
Copy the new one to USB drive.

11. When the interface displays "Upgrade finished!", restart the 
instrument.  DO NOT press OK on the scope!!! Power off. Remove USB drive. Power 
on.
Del the upgrade file on USB drive.

~R~
72/73 de Rich NE1EE
The Dusty Key
On the banks of the Piscataqua

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Re: [Elecraft] Oscilloscope recs

[Rich NE1EE]

On 2020-12-12 11:16:-0500, Kevin Cozens wrote:
>On 2020-12-12 8:06 a.m., Rich NE1EE wrote:
>>Another round of spin the wheel at Rigol turned up this trio
>>UltraScope(PC)Installer_00.01.01.07.zip
>>UltraStation setup.zip
>>Ultra Sigma_00_01_06_01.zip
>>No notes about which to choose or why.
>
>I'm not sure about UltraStation. I installed UltraSigma and UltraScope. 
>UltraSigma appears to be the "driver" which talks with the scope while 
>UltraScope is the graphical front end for operating the scope.

Yes. I copied the wrong filename to the email in haste. I installed UltraSigma 
0.1.6.1. I agree that it is a driver of sorts. All my comments re r-click apply 
to it. But my UltraScope, though it connects, won't actually talk with the 
DS1202 reliably

After every UltraScope action, some of which work (such as Run|Stop), the scope 
is disconnected. The Virtual Panel simply does not work. Yet UltraSigma seems 
to always be connected and the SCPI commands work. 

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Re: [Elecraft] KX3 Windcamp Battery Pack Removal.

[Rich NE1EE]

On 2021-01-12 16:28:+, Pete.Milsom via Elecraft wrote:
>I have just acquired a s/h KX3 fitted with an external Windcamp battery
>pack.

Maybe send a picture or 2 to the list?

~R~
72/73 de Rich NE1EE
The Dusty Key
On the banks of the Piscataqua

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Re: [Elecraft] K4HD Availability Schedule

[Rich NE1EE]

On 2021-01-13 22:42:-0500, Grant Youngman wrote:
>You have to REGISTER in order to get the Zoom meeting information, a slot for 
>the meeting,  and a link to sign on.
>
>Go to the Newsletter here:  https://mailchi.mp/elecraft/dec-2020-newsletter
>
>Scroll down to "News and Updates", and you will see a brief description of the 
>seminar and a blue button where you can register.

Note the time is listed as "Register for our K4 Webinar on January 22 and 5:00 
PST"
but I suspect PDT.

~R~
72/73 de Rich NE1EE
The Dusty Key
On the banks of the Piscataqua

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Re: [Elecraft] K4HD Availability Schedule

[Rich NE1EE]

Yup...that's what I get for logging in before that first cuppa joe!
Thanks for the catch!

~R~

On 2021-01-14 07:22:-0500, Grant Youngman wrote:

>U � I think PST.  Daylight time won’t be back until  March.  Better check 
>your clocks :-)
>
>Grant NQ5T
>
>>> 
>> 
>> Note the time is listed as "Register for our K4 Webinar on January 22 and 
>> 5:00 PST"
>> but I suspect PDT.
>> 
>> ~R~
>> 72/73 de Rich NE1EE

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Re: [Elecraft] tip of 3.5 mm plug remains in key jack

[Rich NE1EE]

On 2021-01-15 18:25:+0100, Eugen Bauknecht via Elecraft wrote:
>Hello,
>after removing the cable of an external key the tip of the stereo 3.5 mm plug 
>remains in the KX2 key jack.
>Any idea how to remove the tip without destroying or replacing the key jack?
>Any help is appreciated.
>73 de Eugen DL4SAS

I had this happen with one of my "quality" adapters that I used in my Kenwood 
TS-830S. I think the reason in my case was 1) the quality adapter (Sony) was 
designed for newer jacks, and 2) the older Kenwood jack is very "strong". That 
is, the spring tension of the clips that hold the 1/4" plug exert a lot of 
pressure. I assume that is because in days of old (I picked this up decades 
ago, and still have an original headset from those days) the plug was also 
pretty sturdy. Think old style switchboards, and cycles.

I ended up using a variety of tools, and going in from the rear. The broken tip 
was rotated, so it would not simply pop out. I needed to use a fine round steel 
pick to line it up correctly, then use another fine tool to press the tip out 
from the rear. I went to all this trouble because to get at the jack on the 830 
means dismantling much of the radio. I originally thought, that's too much 
work, I should be able to do this easily. Not so. Much patience, finding the 
right tools, dexterity. Not familiar with the KX2, but assume that it would be 
easier because the KX2 is much newer tech. Heck, might not even be worth the 
effort, if the jack is reasonably accessible...just replace it? Or is it 
board-mounted? Even so, prob easier to get at than my 830. OTOH, the 830 jack 
is "open", so I could get at the internals. Some newer jacks are encased. In 
that case (sic), I think that a replacement is in order.

~R~
72/73 de Rich NE1EE
The Dusty Key
On the banks of the Piscataqua

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Re: [Elecraft] tip of 3.5 mm plug remains in key jack

[Rich NE1EE]

On 2021-01-16 18:04:+0100, Eugen DL4SAS via Elecraft wrote:
>Hello,
>Here is what I have learned.
>
>Finally, option C worked for me.

Thanks for reposting all the ideas in one place. Much easier to find in the 
future, and easier to keep mental track of.

~R~
72/73 de Rich NE1EE
The Dusty Key
On the banks of the Piscataqua

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Re: [Elecraft] Waaay OT: A new kind of QRM to be aware of ... warning issued by FCC today

[Rich NE1EE]

On 2021-01-18 09:48:-0500, Grant Youngman wrote:
>Anyone who has ever had a good chuckle or eye-roll over the "interesting QRM" 
>Wayne referred to, should know why.  That QRM,  more and more often, also 
>bleeds over into other places it doesn�t belong, like what should be 
>apolitical reflectors.  It seems there is no longer anywhere we can get away 
>from someone or some group airing their grievances wherever they are at the 
>slightest provocation.
>
>Grant NQ5T

;-) A bit of dry (wry?) humor is always appreciated.

~R~
72/73 de Rich NE1EE
The Dusty Key
On the banks of the Piscataqua

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Re: [Elecraft] Automatic lightning protection for radios, .... an off the wall idea

[Rich NE1EE]

On 2021-01-18 10:38:-0600, Bob McGraw wrote:

>Just remember that ALL lightning protection must be accomplished outside of 
>the house or structure.�  Do not think for one minute that one can provide 
>lightning protection inside the equipment or structure.

...and I just last summer discovered another reason to do this...After I 
installed my ground grid, the last step was to connect to the house grounds. 
There were 3 of them, and every one was loose on the ground rod. They all 
appeared to be regulation listed connectors, but poorly installed. Glad I was 
there to find that.

~R~
72/73 de Rich NE1EE
The Dusty Key
On the banks of the Piscataqua

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Re: [Elecraft] Automatic lightning protection for radios, .... an off the wall idea

[Rich NE1EE]

On 2021-01-18 20:23:-0600, Jim Borowski wrote:
>Did I read this right regulation connector?If the clamps on the ground rod, or 
>water pipe, it is not UL stamped, it's not approved.Jim K9TFSent from my 
>T-Mobile 4G LTE Device

Unfortunately,
the email footnotes don't include a link to the archive thread, and
there is no context, so I don't know to whom you reply...

but I am part of the thread, so I'll clarify for my part.
the loose connectors are UL listed. Two were loose, and 1 was incorrectly 
installed. I actually saw a web page that showed //an incorrect installation// 
as part of a "help page". I sent them a note, but didn't follow up.

Ah! Had not used nabble in the past, and I now see that this is in response to 
Bob McGraw - K4TAX, but the context is not clear.

~R~
72/73 de Rich NE1EE
The Dusty Key
On the banks of the Piscataqua

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[Elecraft] a bit of geek humor

[Rich NE1EE]

So I was watching this show, and our hero, a geek, has shown up just in time to 
respond to a lightning strike at a transmitter.

Hooking up a VNA, he turns to the (business) operators and says
"Good news. You are still transmitting."
"Bad news. Your return loss is high...way too high."

Scoffing lightly at the deer-in-the-headlights looks...he turns to the VNA, and 
punches a few buttons, saying
"If I know what I am doing, we should be good!"

And, voila, they are back at full signal. I need one of those VNAs. ;-) For my 
high return losses.

~R~
72/73 de Rich NE1EE
The Dusty Key
On the banks of the Piscataqua

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Re: [Elecraft] a bit of geek humor

[Rich NE1EE]

On 2021-01-21 15:22:-0800, Joe K2UF wrote:
> By coincedense I have one for sale. 
>
> I am going to need your SS# and a bank account # with user id and password.
>If you reponse within the next ten minutes I will enclose the deed for a
>beautiful bridge in brooklyn N.Y.
>
> (Sorry folks I could not resist)
>
>73  Joe K2UF

I posted it as a bit of humor, but I actually hear many hams say they are 
confused by return loss...they are not alone, apparently, because from the 
IEEE..."Perhaps over 30% of all antenna papers submitted to the Transactions in 
the past twelve months have used return loss incorrectly." (2009), so I suppose 
Disney should not be called too much to task ;-) I admit that I found the term 
confusing for a while, until I did the math. Then it made sense, but I still 
think that it is an awkward term, and counterintuitive.

https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/5162049?arnumber=5162049

~R~
72/73 de Rich NE1EE
The Dusty Key
On the banks of the Piscataqua

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[Elecraft] Was the Jan 22 K4 demo recorded?

[Rich NE1EE]

~R~
72/73 de Rich NE1EE
The Dusty Key
On the banks of the Piscataqua

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Re: [Elecraft] Different focus

[Rich NE1EE]

On 2021-01-25 11:25:-0500, Bill Frantz wrote:

>IEEE Binary Floating Point assumes (except in case of a very small, 
>de-normalized number), that the high order bit of the mantissa is a one. With 
>this assumption, it doesn't need to actually represent the one in memory. So, 
>it has 8 bits of exponent, 1 bit of sign, and 24 bits of mantissa crammed into 
>32 bits. It should be able to handle the full precision of a 24 bit AtoD 
>converter.
>
>73 Bill AE6JV

I designed a hardware-software system to create thermal ex-core neutron energy 
spectrum signatures in operating pressurized water nuclear plants. We used 32 
bit integers as far as we could, even though the ADCs were only 12 bit, because 
speed was of the essence, and there was a lot of math going down. We used 32 v. 
16 bit integers because the math took results into that range. I have not kept 
up with speeds in hardware, but imagine that the IEEE 754 in hardware must be 
pretty fast.

~R~
72/73 de Rich NE1EE
The Dusty Key
On the banks of the Piscataqua

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Re: [Elecraft] Shack Equipment Storage

[Rich NE1EE]

On 2021-01-27 12:42:-0500, David Olean wrote:

>I would worry about condensation. I live in New England. New England

I too live in NE, and I used a dehumidifier. That got me two things: the RH 
lowered, and the residual heat dumped to the space. It was pretty warm, and I 
set the machine to 40%. Otherwise, I don't recommend using such a space for the 
reasons others have mentioned.

~R~
72/73 de Rich NE1EE
The Dusty Key
On the banks of the Piscataqua

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Re: [Elecraft] Secure that AX-1 whip

[Rich NE1EE]

On 2021-01-27 21:11:-0500, Mitch Johnson via Elecraft wrote:

>This is more of an amusing story than a warning.  Me and my wife were doing 
>some radio stuff on the KX2 a while back.  We were playing with the AX-1 whip 
>antenna, not literally playing with it, actual Ham radio stuff.  Anyway, just 
>as my wife was transmitting the antenna fell over, my quick cat-like reflex 
>reached out and grabbed that antenna so it wouldn’t fall over, the equally 
>quick cat-like reflex let go of the antenna and let it fall over when I 
>received a bit of a shock.

I have seen 5W cook unshielded electronics from a meter away. This is just 
another example of why I don't TX with the antenna near my head. The E-field 
does fall off quickly, but that is not zero, and as you see from the shock, at 
the antenna it is fairly strong, even at 10W.

~R~
72/73 de Rich NE1EE
The Dusty Key
On the banks of the Piscataqua

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Re: [Elecraft] Signals wild...signals caged

[Rich NE1EE]

A delightfully sophisticated bit of thought-provoking entertainment. Thanks for 
that ;-)

~R~
72/73 de Rich NE1EE
The Dusty Key
On the banks of the Piscataqua

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Re: [Elecraft] Elecraft CW Net Announcement

[Rich NE1EE]

On 2021-01-30 20:34:-0800, kevinr wrote:
>�  After reading many recommendations for the Sony MDR-7506 headphones I 
>bought a pair.�   They came with an adapter for the plug to switch from 
>1/8" to 3/8".�  That is not unusual, what is new is the way it connects.�  
>Instead of simply plugging on there are a few threads so the adapter is firmly 
>attached if needed.

This is the adapter that broke off in my Kenwood TS-830S. I had figured Sony = 
solid construction, but not quite so. It didn't take much tugging to snap it 
off. I had used it with other more modern 1/4" jacks with no problem. I think 
that it is a quality adapter for today, but I suspect that the Kenwood jack is 
simply stronger stuff. The internals of the Sony adapter are plastic, and 
simply snapped when I tried to remove the adapter. I then purchased a U-Green 
adapter...not sure if it will be the same, but I will likely insert it and 
leave it there. I still have my older headset with the 1/4" plug, but I prefer 
the newer Sony sets, and that way I can simply plug the 3.5 mm into the 
adapter. It occurred to me after I reassembled the Kenwood (disassembly to 
remove broken end) that there may be corrosion on the jack that causes 
sticking. I didn't note a loss of sound quality, but after all it's just 
limited bandwidth audio.

~R~
72/73 de Rich NE1EE
The Dusty Key
On the banks of the Piscataqua

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Re: [Elecraft] KAT500

[Rich NE1EE]

On 2021-02-06 08:38:-0500, ws6x@gmail.com wrote:
>Anyway, thanks for bearing with me while I outed this scammer.

Thanks for posting this thread. I really had my eyes opened on a subject I am 
naive about...

~R~
72/73 de Rich NE1EE
The Dusty Key
On the banks of the Piscataqua

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