Re: [Elecraft] Boldly OT: 6 meter Sporadic-E season and the FT-8 microjuggernaut

Considering that FT8 is done with 8-tone frequency-shift keying (8-FSK) at 12000/1920 = 6.25 baud.   I'd like to know how you can get that tone in CW? As far as the S/N threshold of the various WSJT-X  modes (from the protocol specs in the WSJT-X user guide): FT8  : -21 JT4A        

[Elecraft] KPA-1500 Fan Noise

Just thought I would add a few thoughts as far as the fan noise. I'm not certain a YouTube piece would help, but perhaps personal observations might. First, via the menu, you can select the minimum fan speed, 0-5. Of course, the fan speed will go up with the Amp temperature. These are my

Re: [Elecraft] KPA-1500 Fan Noise - YouTube ?

Only one bit of correction. If the output power is 1500 watts and the efficiency is 50%, that 1500 watts is only half the total power consumed, so there is 1500 watts of power that must be exhausted as heat. Yes, it is all thermodynamics, that heat must be dissipated somehow. Fans are the

Re: [Elecraft] KPA-1500 Fan Noise - YouTube ?

I personally think all the banter about KPA1500 fan noise has created confusion. Yes, the amp has three fans with five selectable fan speeds..and since the amp is small the fans are necessarily small and therefore must run faster …. and as the fan speed increases the pitch and noise levels

Re: [Elecraft] Boldly OT: 6 meter Sporadic-E season and the FT-8 microjuggernaut

Ahh .. I see.   We're not talking comparable bandwidths here.  My bad. 73, Dave   AB7E On 6/1/2018 7:27 PM, David Gilbert wrote: Can you explain that?  I've done intelligibility tests and anything more than a db or so below the noise level is almost impossible to copy.  Speed of course

Re: [Elecraft] Boldly OT: 6 meter Sporadic-E season and the FT-8 microjuggernaut

Can you explain that?  I've done intelligibility tests and anything more than a db or so below the noise level is almost impossible to copy.  Speed of course has an impact, so I'm talking speeds in the range of 20-25 WPM.  It might be different at much slower speeds. 73, Dave   AB7E On

[Elecraft] KPA-1500 Fan Noise

Hmmm I realized that there maybe fan noise and built a shelf away from the station before it got here. I have Command 2500 here and am totally aware when it it is on. And to be soon out of the shack. Solid state does mean that heat has to go somewhere, so IMHO, plan for the KPA1500 to be out

Re: [Elecraft] Boldly OT: 6 meter Sporadic-E season and the FT-8 microjuggernaut

In celebration of my 74th birthday, I'll try not to seem to be an old curmudgeon. There are several issues that might be affecting the number of CW signals heard. One is the relative lack of CW skills in the general ham population. I'm a poster child for that lack of skill. I passed the 5

Re: [Elecraft] KPA-1500 Fan Noise - YouTube ?

What's a basement?  On towertalk they talk about letting the lawn grow over ground radials.  I wonder what a lawn is.  They also say to install ground rods where the rain will hit them.  I wonder what rain is. Wes  N7WS On 6/1/2018 6:05 PM, hawley, charles j jr wrote: Some years ago we

Re: [Elecraft] KPA-1500 Fan Noise - YouTube ?

Tube amp just has the single fan that doesn't spin at 9000 rpm like the little solid state fans, hi.  Same noise level if xmit or not. BillK3WJV On Friday, June 1, 2018, 9:04:45 PM EDT, Dr. William J. Schmidt wrote: So just a bit of thermodynamics... if the input to any amplifier is

Re: [Elecraft] Boldly OT: 6 meter Sporadic-E season and the FT-8 microjuggernaut

If you knew the code you could work that signal on CW.  Quicker too. Wes  N7WS. On 6/1/2018 2:07 PM, John Stengrevics wrote: I worked D41CV on 6 meter FT8 a couple of weeks ago. He was running 15 watts and was -18dB here. If that’s not sub-noise floor, I don’t know what is. 73, John

Re: [Elecraft] KPA-1500 Fan Noise - YouTube ?

Some years ago we cooled a PDP11 by putting the fan remote and running a dryer hose to the computer. How about putting the fan in the basement and the rig on the desk where it’s handy? Chuck Jack KE9UW Sent from my iPhone, cjack > On Jun 1, 2018, at 7:57 PM, Michael Walker wrote: > > Bill

Re: [Elecraft] KPA-1500 Fan Noise - YouTube ?

So just a bit of thermodynamics... if the input to any amplifier is 1500 watts and it is 50% efficient, since energy is conserved, 750 watts will come out in another form.. and in this case it's heat. Doesn't matter what the converter is (transistor, tube, resistor, etc.). It all behaves the

Re: [Elecraft] KPA-1500 Fan Noise - YouTube ?

Bill is correct You have to move air to cool down those devices and it takes fans to do it. Water cooling might work if you wish to modify it. :) But, there is no free lunch as was mentioned. Be prepared that any 1500 watt LMDOS amp requires cooling but since there is no tube, they are built

Re: [Elecraft] KPA-1500 Fan Noise - YouTube ?

Rich You pretty much hit the nail on the head about solid state amps.  As they say there's no free lunch.  Solid state has made great strides in high power ampsbut its still solid state and a p/n junction or some form thereof.  1500 watts of heat in those junctions has to be cooled down or it

Re: [Elecraft] KPA1500 LCD Color

Hi John, Amber is not a standard color for this particular display. Sorry about that. Wayne N6KR > On Jun 1, 2018, at 3:44 PM, John Perlick wrote: > > I love the backlight color on my K3/K3S and KX3. I also love my new KPA1500. > But, why oh why did you change to a blue backlight on the

[Elecraft] KPA-1500 Fan Noise - YouTube ?

This fan noise issue has me concerned to the point that I’m considering cancelling my order. While the amp won’t be on my operating desk, it will be on a rack next to my operating desk. Remoting the amp is not an option. Quite frankly I have no interest in remoting the amp. Is there anyone

Re: [Elecraft] Boldly OT: 6 meter Sporadic-E season and the FT-8 microjuggernaut

On 6/1/2018 4:38 PM, David Gilbert wrote: And of course CW is faster ... just 20 db or so less effective for weak signal reception. I think the number is more like 6-10 dB, depending on the skill of the operator. 73, Jim K9YC __

Re: [Elecraft] Boldly OT: 6 meter Sporadic-E season and the FT-8 microjuggernaut

Wrong. FT8 is indeed a sub-noise floor mode like JT65.  Don know where you got the idea it isn't, but FT8 is actually an offshoot of JT65 except it sacrifices a few db for the sake of faster exchanges.  The official FT8 documentation from K1JT, the creator of both, says that it is nominally

Re: [Elecraft] Boldly OT: 6 meter Sporadic-E season and the FT-8 microjuggernaut

Just the opposite for me. I make my living in front of a keyboards and four 27" monitors. The absolute last thing I want to do when I get home or on the weekend is sit in front of the computer pounding function keys. I do use a shack computer obviously but just for logging and such. I miss the

Re: [Elecraft] [KX3] Boldly OT: 6 meter Sporadic-E season and the FT-8 microjuggernaut

"I'm sorry Dave, I can't do that for you." 73, Fred ["Skip"] K6DGW Sparks NV DM09dn Washoe County On 6/1/2018 2:43 PM, Charlie T wrote: My computer just kicked me out of the shack with some really scary threats if I even attempted to "pull the plug" while it was working toward DXCC (which I

Re: [Elecraft] Boldly OT: 6 meter Sporadic-E season and the FT-8 microjuggernaut

What is being overlooked in all of this discussion is that the bulk of today's ham population makes its living at a keyboard. When the bulk of an eight-hour work-day is spent in front of a monitor, it should come as no shock that an entire generation will prefer making QSOs with keyboard-keys

[Elecraft] KPA1500 LCD Color

I love the backlight color on my K3/K3S and KX3. I also love my new KPA1500. But, why oh why did you change to a blue backlight on the KPA1500? Dang, I love that amber color--reminds me of that faded amber color of those old radios, like my RME-45 that I had before my Novice days. Let me

Re: [Elecraft] [KX3] Boldly OT: 6 meter Sporadic-E season and the FT-8 microjuggernaut

Stop Dave. Will you stop Dave? What do you think you are doing, Dave? -- 73, Will, wj9b CWops #1085 CWA Advisor levels II and III http://cwops.org/ On Fri, 6/1/18, rich hurd WC3T wrote: Subject: Re: [Elecraft] [KX3]

Re: [Elecraft] [KX3] Boldly OT: 6 meter Sporadic-E season and the FT-8 microjuggernaut

Just remember, a computer's attention span is exactly as long as itspower cord. ;) On Fri, Jun 1, 2018 at 17:43 Charlie T wrote: > My computer just kicked me out of the shack with some really scary threats > if I even attempted to "pull the plug" while it was working toward DXCC > (which I

Re: [Elecraft] Boldly OT: 6 meter Sporadic-E season and the FT-8 microjuggernaut

Bob, I did not remember that Chicken Little said that! Michael Blake k9...@mac.com > On Jun 1, 2018, at 4:48 PM, Bob McGraw K4TAX wrote: > > Be it CW, RTTY, PSK, SSB, JT65 or other modes, today's computer integration > into the ham shack as produced many

Re: [Elecraft] [KX3] Boldly OT: 6 meter Sporadic-E season and the FT-8 microjuggernaut

My computer just kicked me out of the shack with some really scary threats if I even attempted to "pull the plug" while it was working toward DXCC (which I already have on 6M SSB) on 50 MHz. Seems I gave it a tad TOO much control over the station. Now I'm afraid to even go into the room while

[Elecraft] KPA1500 Serial Number 207 delivered

A brand new KPA1500 Serial number 207 (ordered 10/16/2017) arrived safely today. Great packing job and I was surprised the amp was heavier than the power supply. But they are both lighter than I expected. Now I understand the handle as they are each light enough to trust the handle. Regards,

Re: [Elecraft] Boldly OT: 6 meter Sporadic-E season and the FT-8 microjuggernaut

What you say is true, and as a hard-core contester I take advantage of all the automation I can get to maximize my QSO rate. The distinction is between transmitting and receiving. In receiving, the difference is that in CW and SSB my brain is an integral part of the process of getting the

Re: [Elecraft] Boldly OT: 6 meter Sporadic-E season and the FT-8 microjuggernaut

I worked D41CV on 6 meter FT8 a couple of weeks ago. He was running 15 watts and was -18dB here. If that’s not sub-noise floor, I don’t know what is. 73, John WA1EAZ > On Jun 1, 2018, at 5:03 PM, Josh Fiden wrote: > > FT8 is *not* a "sub-noise floor" mode like JT65. You can complete faster

Re: [Elecraft] Boldly OT: 6 meter Sporadic-E season and the FT-8 microjuggernaut

FT8 is *not* a "sub-noise floor" mode like JT65. You can complete faster on CW. It's great that there's so much activity, but far too many crap overdriven signals calling relentlessly. 73 Josh W6XU Sent from my mobile device > __

Re: [Elecraft] Boldly OT: 6 meter Sporadic-E season and the FT-8 microjuggernaut

Be it CW, RTTY, PSK, SSB,  JT65 or other modes, today's computer integration into the ham shack as produced many automated contacts with little to no personal intervention.   Where as one says FT-8 mode is used to rack up countrieswhat about the automated CQ's from memory keyers in CW

[Elecraft] Boldly OT: 6 meter Sporadic-E season and the FT-8 microjuggernaut

A panoramic display is a must IMO. Who's where and on what mode are all readily observable and a click of the mouse puts you where you want to be. I configured such a system to aid in finding where the DX is listening in a split p/u but it does double duty in finding the rare (nowadays) CW

Re: [Elecraft] Boldly OT: 6 meter Sporadic-E season and the FT-8 microjuggernaut

I miss Amtor! Long live ARQ modes. Of course the bands were in better shape in those days. Mike AB7RU On Fri, Jun 1, 2018, 10:00 AM Al Lorona wrote: > I wrote an April Fool's article back in like 1999 (I might still be able > to find it on dejanews) describing a make-believe ARRL contest which

[Elecraft] FS: Loaded K2/100

Hi, Group, I've recently decided to part with my K2/100. It has the following options: KPA100 K2/100, K160RX 160M, KDSP2, KNB2 and KSB2. It has the latest firmware and appears to have all current mods. I actually posted photos and a mini tribute to this radio (and a number of Elecraft radios) on

Re: [Elecraft] Boldly OT: 6 meter Sporadic-E season and the FT-8 microjuggernaut

I think it's way too simplistic to dismiss FT8 as being merely a phase.  I haven't tried it yet, but it seems to me that FT8 contacts have similar appeal to folks who try to rack up as many countries or other entities as they can ... where having a chat isn't the main intent.  I've made a

Re: [Elecraft] Boldly OT: 6 meter Sporadic-E season and the FT-8 microjuggernaut

On 6/1/2018 9:59 AM, Al Lorona wrote: I wrote an April Fool's article back in like 1999 (I might still be able to find it on dejanews) describing a make-believe ARRL contest which was totally automated; contesters could come home from work and peruse their logs to see what stations their

Re: [Elecraft] Boldly OT: 6 meter Sporadic-E season and the FT-8 microjuggernaut

I usually check the CW area and the SSB area before hitting FT8. Sometimes call a few CQs. Crickets. . . . . > On Jun 1, 2018, at 11:46 AM, Wayne Burdick wrote: > > At first I thought it was my receiver. Or my antenna farm, limited in scale > by a pre-nuptial clause. Or noise caused by the

Re: [Elecraft] Boldly OT: 6 meter Sporadic-E season and the FT-8 microjuggernaut

I can appreciate the technology behind modes such as FT-8 but for me, regardless of whether it be CW, Phone, or a digital mode a meaningful QSO results in me knowing some small amount of information about another ham that I didn't know otherwise. Clicking on a call sign and then, mostly

Re: [Elecraft] Boldly OT: 6 meter Sporadic-E season and the FT-8 microjuggernaut

I wrote an April Fool's article back in like 1999 (I might still be able to find it on dejanews) describing a make-believe ARRL contest which was totally automated; contesters could come home from work and peruse their logs to see what stations their computers had 'worked' that day.  When

Re: [Elecraft] [KX3] Boldly OT: 6 meter Sporadic-E season and the FT-8 microjuggernaut

On 6/1/2018 9:00 AM, Michael Blake wrote: I believe the main selling point is that you can work DXCC in short time with zero personal involvement:) As I understand it, FT8 was developed primarily with 6M E-skip in mind, because an older weak signal mode, JT65 took so long that a double hop

Re: [Elecraft] Keep getting BAT Err message

Just retested all the batteries individually to check they are still OK after charging and they seem fine. Thanks for all the help 73 Bob G3PJT On 01/06/2018 16:55, Mark wrote: Re:  "...batteries were quite discharged..." Bob, Glad you got things working. Keep in mind that if any cell

Re: [Elecraft] [KX3] Boldly OT: 6 meter Sporadic-E season and the FT-8 microjuggernaut

The "instant gratification" factor is still alive and well, now fueled by all manner of digital gadgets. I'm a dinosaur, I suppose, but somehow I've never been able to warm up to any kind of radio communication technique for which my gray matter is not part of the demodulation chain (this

Re: [Elecraft] [KX3] Boldly OT: 6 meter Sporadic-E season and the FT-8 microjuggernaut

To add insult to injury the signals are not even below the noise floor. Only when calculated against a 3 KHz bandwidth. You can clearly see signals on the P3 that are reporting -25 snr within WSJT-X. I believe the main selling point is that you can work DXCC in short time with zero personal

Re: [Elecraft] Keep getting BAT Err message

Re:  "...batteries were quite discharged..." Bob, Glad you got things working. Keep in mind that if any cell was discharged below 1 volt, there is a likely chance that it has been damaged and cannot be recharged successfully.  That is why the KX3 shuts down at 8 volts, to protect the cells

Re: [Elecraft] [KX3] Boldly OT: 6 meter Sporadic-E season and the FT-8 microjuggernaut

I agree; the FT-8 thing has had a lot of negative impact; some of the other modes that take longer, but are weak signal modes were far less devastating; people used lower power and got along more or less without interfering too much except with other JT modes... I think the quick turn part of FT8

[Elecraft] Boldly OT: 6 meter Sporadic-E season and the FT-8 microjuggernaut

At first I thought it was my receiver. Or my antenna farm, limited in scale by a pre-nuptial clause. Or noise caused by the zomboid army of switching power supplies oozing inexorably into my personal space. Nope. It turns out the dearth of CW and SSB signals on 6 meters at the height of 2018

Re: [Elecraft] Keep getting BAT Err message

Thanks very helpful. I just found the problem it was that the batteries were quite discharged and my charger PSU was a touch low in voltage. Seems OK now. 73 and thanks again Bob G3PJT Sent by Ipad > On 31 May 2018, at 22:06, Don Wilhelm wrote: > > Bob, > > Read the BAT ERR description on