Re: [Elecraft] The "Kinda Random Antenna"

I calculated the antenna using AutoEZ invoking EZNEC v6.0.9. Transmission line calculations using TLDetails (previously referenced) and/or if you have Excel, LineLoss.xls. All except for EZNEC available from AC6LA.com. Dan has a wealth of information on his site, all of it fabulous

Re: [Elecraft] 9:1 Balun

Oh, whatever power is generated by the transmitter is going to radiate. The classic example of "radiating power" that is completely and totally uninteresting is when you dump the power into a resistor (a dummy load) and the power is radiated as heat. There is a contest where the participants

Re: [Elecraft] KPA500 Power Supply Environmental/Ergonomic Issue

Mine has been OFF for a one week vacation once in three or four years since I built it. I have a nite light that consumes more power. Sent from my iPhone ...nr4c. bill > On Jan 31, 2017, at 10:45 PM, Dave AD6A wrote: > > I recently added a KPA500 kit for my home station. It

Re: [Elecraft] Why no love for the 1khz CW filter?

Just turn the DSP Filter knob to whatever width you like. Sent from my iPhone ...nr4c. bill > On Jan 31, 2017, at 9:07 PM, > wrote: > > I just got my new (used) K3/10 in the mail yesterday and have been having a > blast with it. It came

Re: [Elecraft] KPA500 Power Supply Environmental/Ergonomic Issue

I agree Dave. It's probably done for the same reason your TV and almost all other electronics in your household (including things like TVs, modern dishwashers, washing machines, etc.) in addition to your computer(s) are not truly "off" unless you unplug them. It's the current "fashion" in

[Elecraft] KPA500 Power Supply Environmental/Ergonomic Issue

I recently added a KPA500 kit for my home station. It went together just fine, and overall I love it. There is one thing about the way it works that bugs the engineer and environmentalist in me. Before I bought the PA, I thought I'd be able to turn it on/off entirely using the ON button on

Re: [Elecraft] 9:1 Balun

On Tue, Jan 31, 2017 at 8:53 PM, Thomas Horsten wrote: > The ATU typically sits at the rig end where a balun sits at the antenna > feedpoint ​There's the difference. I'm feeding my dipole with 600 ohm ladder line so my 4:1 BALUN is right outside my window. The coax (heavily

Re: [Elecraft] KX3-KXPA100 operation

One other item of interest - I do not have an ATU in the KX3 .. I have an ATU at the out at input to the antenna From: James Rodenkirch Sent: Tuesday, January 31, 2017 7:16 PM To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: KX3-KXPA100 operation I just

Re: [Elecraft] Why no love for the 1khz CW filter?

Andy, For normal operating, you will not find the 1kHz filter any more beneficial than using the 2.7 (or 2.8) roofing filter. The ultimate selectivity is provided by the DSP bandwidth, and not the roofing filter. The reason for the more narrow roofing filter is to provide isolation from

[Elecraft] KX3-KXPA100 operation

I just connected my kx3 and a newly purchased kxpa100 (no KXAT100 ATU)...have control of pwr from milliwatts to 100 and asll seems to be working correctly exceptwhen in cw, the earphones on and the power set at 9 watts, I opted to increase power past 10 - when I did some noticeable amount

Re: [Elecraft] 9:1 Balun

Kev and all, A voltage "balun" can be tapped to produce a wide range of impedance transformation possibilities, but the voltage balun will have no effect on the problem of RF on the outside of the coax shield. The modern consensus is that only common mode chokes should be used on the

[Elecraft] Why no love for the 1khz CW filter?

I just got my new (used) K3/10 in the mail yesterday and have been having a blast with it. It came with the 2.8 SSB filter and the 400 hz CW filter and I have been told by a couple friends on the air who also have K3s that that’s all I need. But...nature abhors a vacuum. On my filter board. I

Re: [Elecraft] 9:1 Balun

While it is "satisfying" to think of the ATU matching capability in terms of SWR, that is not entirely valid. A lot depends on frequency - at higher frequencies the "SWR matching range" will be greater than on lower frequencies. The only valid spec for the matching range is the available

Re: [Elecraft] 9:1 Balun

Many manual ATU's consist of a variable capacitor and a tapped inductor. It's a matching network but also works as an "on-the-fly" switchable balun. The difference is the location. The ATU typically sits at the rig end where a balun sits at the antenna feedpoint (and so may present the coax with a

Re: [Elecraft] 9:1 Balun

On Tue, Jan 31, 2017 at 8:03 PM, Lynn W. Taylor, WB6UUT < k...@coldrockshotbrooms.com> wrote: > > That doesn't say the antenna would radiate it, but the transmitter could > make power and the tuner/transmission line would deliver it to the radiat ​Why wouldn't the antenna radiate it? Seems to

Re: [Elecraft] 9:1 Balun

That's the problem with oversimplifying an explanation. I read the original as "is it best practice to always use a 9:1 balun" and the answer of course is, "if you don't need a 9:1 impedance transformation, then you don't need a 9:1 balun." 73 -- Lynn On 1/31/2017 5:17 PM, K9MA wrote: On

Re: [Elecraft] 9:1 Balun

On 1/31/2017 19:03, Lynn W. Taylor, WB6UUT wrote: If I did the math right (always a question) your load must be between about 5 ohms and 500 ohms, so if your antenna is about 400 ohms (not resistance, but impedance) then you're okay. Not necessarily. That 400 Ohms could be almost pure

Re: [Elecraft] 9:1 Balun

According to the KX3 documentation, the KXAT3 will handle a 10:1 VSWR and "match" it. If I did the math right (always a question) your load must be between about 5 ohms and 500 ohms, so if your antenna is about 400 ohms (not resistance, but impedance) then you're okay. If you have a 600 ohm

Re: [Elecraft] 9:1 Balun

There's quite a lot of interesting theory in the thread, but I think for practical purposes my original answer still covers it, under the premise we're talking QRP with a short feedline of RG58 (a few yards). Small autotransformer baluns like the LDG 4:1 I use (I haven't tried the Elecraft one

Re: [Elecraft] 9:1 Balun

We have all learned to say, "Yes Dear." and carry on. 73, Kevin. KD5ONS On 1/31/2017 3:11 PM, Fred Jensen wrote: This list is a lot like being male and married ... no matter what you do or say, you're going to be told you're wrong. [:-) Most common baluns are *not

Re: [Elecraft] 9:1 Balun

This list is a lot like being male and married ... no matter what you do or say, you're going to be told you're wrong. [:-) Most common baluns are *not transformers* as the energy does not pass solely from input to output by magnetic coupling. In fact, I would hazard a guess that *none* of

[Elecraft] Visalia Top Band Dinner

The 2017 Top Band Dinner at the Visalia International DX Convention will be held on Friday, April 21, 2017 at the Marriott Hotel immediately adjacent to the Visalia Convention Center. Registration, program, menu and cost information can be found on the dinner’s website:

Re: [Elecraft] The "Kinda Random Antenna"

Something doesn't seem right with that Care to post the math? Not saying you're wrong, and I'd check it myself, but I'm otherwise occupied this evening. __ Clay Autery, KY5G MONTAC Enterprises (318) 518-1389 On 1/31/2017 4:12 PM, Wes Stewart wrote: > A 130' dipole, 60'

Re: [Elecraft] The "Kinda Random Antenna"

A 130' dipole, 60' high on 160 has a feed point Z of ~4.5 -j1200. One hundred feet of Wireman 553 (typical ladderline) will transform this to ~7.5 +j16 at the input. The total loss in this "low-loss" line is over 12 dB. On 1/31/2017 9:53 AM, Ron D'Eau Claire wrote: The intrinsic higher

Re: [Elecraft] 9:1 Balun

What I have failed to see in this thread is that the *wire* in a proper "balun" (more properly a common mode choke) is a transmission line, That transmission line can be two conductors side by side, or it can be two twisted wires, or it can be coax or any other type of transmission line. Its

Re: [Elecraft] 9:1 Balun

Morgan, I looked for the 52:1 transformer at Balundesigns.com. No such animal found unless I am not looking in the right place. 73, Bill K9YEQ -Original Message- From: Elecraft [mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Morgan Bailey Sent: Tuesday, January 31, 2017 9:31

Re: [Elecraft] 9:1 Balun

Excellent explanation, Joe. Thanks, matt W6NIA On 1/31/2017 12:12 PM, Joe Subich, W4TV wrote: On 1/31/2017 2:16 PM, Fred Jensen wrote: > A bal-un is a transformer. Technically, it has two windings on a > ferromagnetic core material which for RF is typically some flavor of > ferrite,

[Elecraft] Fwd: Re: The "Kinda Random Antenna"

On 1/31/2017 11:52, Barry wrote: It has little loss even at high SWR, far, far less than coax in the extreme. This is the real reason ladder line can be used at high SWR, not because it necessarily reduces the SWR. (It was someone else, not Barry, who implied otherwise.) 73, Scott K9MA

Re: [Elecraft] 9:1 Balun

On 1/31/2017 2:16 PM, Fred Jensen wrote: > A bal-un is a transformer. Technically, it has two windings on a > ferromagnetic core material which for RF is typically some flavor of > ferrite, usually in the form of a toroid. Most common baluns are *not transformers* as the energy does not pass

[Elecraft] KIO3 board

Dear OM, I'd like to know if any friend has a board KIO3, to K3, for sale and that is running 100%. Please, you can contact me at py...@arrl.org. Thanks -- Dick Rodrigues PY2RO __ Elecraft mailing list Home:

Re: [Elecraft] 9:1 Balun AND "random antennas"

On 1/31/2017 1:50 PM, Jim Brown wrote: Last I looked, there was no description of the Elecraft "balun" telling us what it is. Perhaps Eric or Wayne could add that to the catalog listing for it. The manual for the Elecraft BL2 shows exactly what it is:

Re: [Elecraft] The "Kinda Random Antenna"

I disagree. A center fed quarter wave will have a complex impedance of a few ohms of resistance and a very large capacitive reactance. SWR can be 100:1. I know, I am doing it. Why it works with good open wire line is that the line can transform the impedance to something that is easy to match

Re: [Elecraft] 9:1 Balun

From the un-un/bal-un traffic, it seems there is some confusion and a couple of "alternative facts" regarding this subject. Fortunately, it is much more straightforward that it might seem. A bal-un is a transformer. Technically, it has two windings on a ferromagnetic core material which for

Re: [Elecraft] 9:1 Balun AND "random antennas"

All of this discussion becomes badly confusing by failing to describe these circuit elements by their real name. The word "balun" is a bastard -- it is widely used to describe nearly a dozen things that are VERY different from each other. W4TV got it right by adding the correct description,

Re: [Elecraft] The "Kinda Random Antenna"

My points when I started this were open wire can help in a bad situation. I was not using 130' antenna, but one that was only 33'. And I was able to get out. Which leads to my second point. Some of us live in areas or on property that is not best suited for HF antennas, but so what. With a

Re: [Elecraft] The "Kinda Random Antenna"

The intrinsic higher impedance of ladder line helps reduce the losses through a lower SWR than typical coax. A center fed wire at least 1/4 wave long end-to-end on the lowest frequency used (e.g. 130 feet on 160 meters) and fed with typical 350 to 450 ohm ladder line will show an SWR of 10:1 or

Re: [Elecraft] 9:1 Balun

I have limited experience with a wire fed via a 9:1 "un-un", but that experience was VERY good. I borrowed a KX3 from a friend when I went to visit family in FL a few years ago. I had a 9:1 "un-un", about 126' of wire, and 50 feet of RG8-X. I got the feedpoint, up 30 feet into a tree, and the far

Re: [Elecraft] 9:1 Balun

Be careful in the 9 to 1 vs 4 to 1 vs 1 to 1. The 9:1 is generally an UNUN. When you run 100 watts or less most 1kw manufactured baluns or Ununs will take a wide variety of SWR if you are only running 100 watts. Because this thread is I believe about QRP the amount of power dissipated due to loss

Re: [Elecraft] 9:1 Balun

On 1/31/2017 3:43 AM, Thomas Horsten wrote: Depends on your random wire and what band(s) you want to use. For some bands the 9:1 "balun" (not used as a true balun in this case, since both the coax and the random wire are unbalanced by nature) will step the feedpoint impedance down to something

Re: [Elecraft] KAT 3 Tuner

I use an "L" match to tame mine. Touch up with KAT500. The KAT3 has similar capability. Sent from my iPhone ...nr4c. bill > On Jan 30, 2017, at 11:34 PM, Marvin Wheeler wrote: > > Will the KAT 3 tune an end fed wire of about 180 ft on 160 meters? > > > > Thanks >

Re: [Elecraft] The "Kinda Random Antenna"

Sadly, this is often untrue. Get Dan's (AC6LA) program at: http://ac6la.com/tldetails1.html and run some examples. for more on ladder line see: http://k6mhe.com/n7ws/Ladder_Line.pdf On 1/30/2017 9:00 PM, Barry wrote: ...I feed it with ladder line which has low loss even at absurdly high

[Elecraft] k3 ALC problem

My K3, S/N 7834 and has the newest Softwareupdate. Power calibration with K3 Utility was enforced.No problem! TX ALC ON. TECH MD OFF. External watt-meter LP100A. Problem: Power out adjust on 30 watts. issue 1- The meter displayed 100 ..140 watts with the first dot. Then, the

Re: [Elecraft] Help with dimensions please

Hi Dave. That's exactly what I need, thank you. The panel sizes of the new and old are exactly the same. I guess with the K144XV they just took the original panels and drilled the extra holes. It's possible that the very late K3s and K3Ss already have the holes drilled, but they're filled

Re: [Elecraft] 9:1 Balun

Depends on your random wire and what band(s) you want to use. For some bands the 9:1 "balun" (not used as a true balun in this case, since both the coax and the random wire are unbalanced by nature) will step the feedpoint impedance down to something that's a better match for the 50 ohm coax,