Re: [Elecraft] [K3] Perfect for Field Day SP ... Limited Production 700 Hz 8-Pole Filters
Like Don, I have the 700-Hz filter and would never have heard of it without Gary's announcements on the list. Considering some the other dubious stuff that gets posted on the list, I'm happy to hear about things that are actually of interest to me. It's not magical, but when I found myself opening up the DSP bandwidth beyond 400 Hz to 600-800 Hz a lot of the time while working/listening to pileups, quickly tuning a band, or operating casually, I thought it a good idea to invest in one. It's been worthwhile for me... Personally, I would think it is of limited utility at Field Day versus the 400 or 250/200...trashy rigs (and AKTR operators) notwithstanding. 73, --Ethan, K8GU/3. K3/100 #6714 K2/100 #7372 TS-930S #5010245 On Sun, Mar 2, 2014 at 3:05 AM, Don Wilhelm w3...@embarqmail.com wrote: Fred, Everything you say is true, the DSP does set the final filter width, but the hardware AGC can cause pumping in the presence of nearby strong signals. Since my normal desired CW tuning width is in the vicinity of 700 Hz, I bought and installed one of the 700 Hz filters. YMMV some say that a 1000 kHz roofer is fine, and others say that the 2.7 kHz filter works just fine too, but I am satisfied with the 700 Hz width - that is a personal preference, I am not here to convince others about my choices, but only to give information that will allow others to make intelligent choices that suit their needs and desires. 73, Don W3FPR On 3/1/2014 7:59 PM, Fred Jensen wrote: If you can, help me out here Don ... These are roofing filters. From my perspective, which is likely wrong, their job is to restrict the bandwidth presented to the 2nd mixer [and downstream ADC]. They are of most value when you have very strong [i.e. geographically close] signals adjacent to the desired signal [That would be WX6V for me :-)]. The ultimate BW is set by the DSP of course, but a really strong adjacent signal can begin to activate the HW AGC in the K3 which affects the signal inside your DSP BW, or I think that's true. So, it follows to me that, if you are plagued by KW neighbors, narrower roofing filters can reduce that problem. This could be true on FD or any other closely spaced HF operations ... IF you have two stations on the same band/mode. If you are not so plagued, I can't figure out why it really matters. I have the filter that came with the K3 and I bought one [2.7 and .5, I don't remember which was which], I've had no difficulties. Jim [WX6V] and Jack KF6T [equally close] became non-problems when I got my K3 ... even more so now that Jim has a K3 and phase-noise has disappeared. :-) __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html -- http://www.k8gu.com/ Repair. Re-use. Re-purpose. Recycle. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] New ham and the KX3
Sean, Welcome to ham radio! You'll absolutely be able to make QSOs with 10 watts and a Buddipole on 10 meters (and sometimes 6 meters when the band is open). However, I think you've been given good counsel to try something else if you're at all handy or technically-inclined. The absolute best way to get help when you're space-constrained is to invite a couple of nearby hams over to look at your options. There's a high probability that they will see things about your property that you don't. A few generalities that you may not have fully appreciated yet: 1. 6m and 10m are fun bands, but they aren't open a whole lot of the time, all things considered. We're on the declining side of a relatively weak solar maximum right now. So, 10m has been open during the day a lot. Moving toward (northern) summer, we'll start seeing some sporadic-E. I don't expect to have daily F2 (read: good DX propagation) on 10m again after this winter. 2. In light of the above and not telling us when/how you want to operate, it would be sensible to consider antennas for 40-6 or 30-6, just to have some flexibility. If you have the luxury to let ham radio dictate your life schedule, disregard that. 3. A contrarian thought and goal: Once you can put up dipoles at least 1/2 wavelength high and in the clear, it starts to get more expensive to add to your antenna system than it does to add power. So, assuming you can hear the station(s) you want to work, you'll often get more from adding an amplifier than you do making a better antenna. I've operated QRP and I've operated QRO. While QRP is rewarding, I find that I like QRO better. :) Good luck and have fun... 73, --Ethan, K8GU/3. On Tue, Feb 25, 2014 at 7:23 PM, Sean Wall seancw...@gmail.com wrote: Hi folks, I recently got my Technician license and I'm working on my General and Extra. I'm looking to get my first rig and I'm interested in the KX3. I was considering pairing it with a Buddipole antenna, as my development doesn't allow permanent antennas. While I use the KX3 at home, will I get decent range with the 10 watt output? In other words, would I need the 100 watt amp to make the kx3 a decent base station? I am also planning on bringing the KX3 with me when my wife and I drive up north from Florida (where we live). Since I'm new to amateur radio, I don't yet have a feel for how much power 10 watts is w.r.t. RF frequencies. I plan on operating mostly 6 and 10 m initially until I upgrade my license. Thanks for any help you can provide! -Sean Sent from my iPad __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html -- http://www.k8gu.com/ Repair. Re-use. Re-purpose. Recycle. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] Buying a new K3/100 kit - Top 3 options?
Arlen, I agree that the KXV3(A) is very useful in general, also. My first K3/100 only had the 400-Hz roofing filter option and I bought the KXV3A a few months later so I could hook up Beverages. I would strongly encourage you to consider at least one roofing filter that's matched to your preferred mode/bandwidth so you can really exploit the awesomeness of the K3. I would think that for SSB DX, the 2.1 kHz or 1.8 kHz might be useful. I don't consider auto-tuners a must-have accessory...but, all of my antennas are matched farther down the feeder and the amp I'm using right now has tuned input. That's the last item on my list of K3 upgrades (the next, and next-to-last, one is the sub RX)... Have fun...it doesn't take much to really enjoy the radio...add the options later! 73, --Ethan, K8GU/3. On Fri, Feb 21, 2014 at 10:34 AM, Arie Kleingeld PA3A p...@xs4all.nl wrote: Yep. My top 3 as well. (BTW: The KXV3 is very useful, also when you have no intention to add a P3) 73 Arie PA3A Dave Perry schreef op 21-2-2014 5:55: K3/100 KAT3 Auto tuner plus second antenna port KXV3A RX Ant., IF Out and Xverter Interface -- for adding a P3 later 400 Hz 8 pole filter for CW and RTTY That would be my top three options for general DX and CW operation. 73, Dave, N4QS __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html -- http://www.k8gu.com/ Repair. Re-use. Re-purpose. Recycle. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
[Elecraft] K2 carry handle and QRP TX alignment
All, I breathed life into K2/10 #7372 (love that serial number) last night. This is going to be fun little radio despite being a 15-year-old design! I noticed one thing that I wanted to ask the assembled experts here: When peaking the TX BPF capacitors, there was a perceptible and easily-found peak; but, if I got off the peak too far, the transmitter power would increase rapidly to 10 watts as I tuned in the wrong direction. This must be normal or expected? I did not monitor the transmitter spectrum while doing this, so I don't know if it's a loud spur that's normally suppressed or an amplifier somewhere is conditionally-stable? Secondly, and perhaps most importantly since the radio appears to be stable in the face of the previous question, any suggestions for a side carrying strap? In the archives, it appears that the IC-706 handle was popular. What about the handle for the FT-450? (I have to place an order with Vertex Standard for some small parts for a Yaesu HT and it would be nice to make the order worth their while by ordering a handle at the same time.) Thanks/73, --Ethan, K8GU/3. [obligatory (e) brag line: K3/100 #6714 - K2/10 #7372] -- http://www.k8gu.com/ Repair. Re-use. Re-purpose. Recycle. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] K2 carry handle and QRP TX alignment
Don, Great---thanks for the explanation! This is exactly the procedure I followed, but I did inadvertently move beyond the peak on the high bands---those caps are a bit touchy. I resolved it by doing just as you suggested and the peak was easily achieved. Just noting the curiosity, that's all. 73, --Ethan, K8GU/3. On Fri, Feb 7, 2014 at 10:05 AM, Don Wilhelm w3...@embarqmail.com wrote: Ethan, The reason you are to first tune the BPF during receive is to get them close to the correct settings. You should find the peak during transmit close to the peak observed during receive. Certainly some of the BPF inductors and capacitors could be tuned to an improper mixer product if adjusted farther from the correct point. You have the VFO frequency which is 4913 kHz away from the correct frequency and any harmonic of the BFO that could be present in the RF content prior to the BPF. There will also be other mixing products that you could tune the BPF to (but you shouldn't). The purpose of the BPF is to eliminate the undesired mixer products. When tuning the BPF on TX, start with the power set between 1.5 and 2 watts. If it climbs above about 5 watts, exit TUNE and re-enter to bring the power down again and continue to find the peak. 73, Don W3FPR On 2/7/2014 9:00 AM, Ethan Miller K8GU wrote: All, I breathed life into K2/10 #7372 (love that serial number) last night. This is going to be fun little radio despite being a 15-year-old design! I noticed one thing that I wanted to ask the assembled experts here: When peaking the TX BPF capacitors, there was a perceptible and easily-found peak; but, if I got off the peak too far, the transmitter power would increase rapidly to 10 watts as I tuned in the wrong direction. This must be normal or expected? I did not monitor the transmitter spectrum while doing this, so I don't know if it's a loud spur that's normally suppressed or an amplifier somewhere is conditionally-stable? -- http://www.k8gu.com/ Repair. Re-use. Re-purpose. Recycle. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] 700 Hz Filter Benefit
Joel, I think that this is one of those situations that if you need (want) it, you know you need (want) it. As you point out, a useful way to determine the most effective roofing filters for your K3 is to see where you keep the DSP set most of the time. Like Don, W3FPR, writes, I happen to find ~700 Hz to be a good bandwidth for scanning the band (or a pileup). I had been operating my K3 at 700 Hz DSP BW protected by the 2.7-kHz roofing filter before I even knew about the special filter! I was planning to get the 1-kHz to help reduce AGC pumping from signals farther away, but got the narrower one because I never went above 700 Hz. I also have the 400-Hz, which is really super for running on a busy contest band. I'm obviously very happy with my 700-Hz filter. (No connection, just a satisfied customer.) 73, --Ethan, K8GU/3. On Wed, Jan 22, 2014 at 5:06 PM, Joel Black w4...@charter.net wrote: I'm not bashing the filter, but I'm pretty happy with my 2.7 kHz and 500 Hz filters (main and sub receiver). What would be the benefit of the 700 Hz filter? BTW, if I had it to do over, I'd have gone with the 400 Hz filters as that seems to be where I keep the width. Thanks, Joel - W4JBB __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html -- http://www.k8gu.com/ Repair. Re-use. Re-purpose. Recycle. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] OCFs
All, I don't think anybody was questioning the fact that the OCF dipole works. If you haven't read it, I encourage you to borrow or buy a copy of the book Array of Light by Tom Schiller, N6BT, and read the chapter Everything Works. The point of the essay is that you can make QSOs (even DX QSOs from W6) with a 100-watt lightbulb antenna at the end of a piece of coax. Compared to that, the OCF will certainly allow you to work stations, especially when conditions are good! However, the OCF dipole is in a class of antennas commonly used by amateurs that is known to invite problems (e.g., RF in the shack, common mode noise, and so forth) that are easily mitigated by using a different type of antenna and feed arrangement. That does not mean that people in urban areas with relatively high noise floors or those who run low power might not be perfectly happy with them. It's all about the design goals you have for your station. If someone notices that they've been experiencing one of the symptoms of imbalance listed above, it's only natural to suggest that the antenna might be the culprit. That is all. I should probably go play some more in the NAQP while my toddler is still asleep... 73, --Ethan, K8GU/3. On Sat, Jan 11, 2014 at 2:10 PM, Stephen Roberts steve...@shoreham.net wrote: I also use the 7 band Buckmaster OCF antenna. My config is the long leg is East/West and 80' on one end and about 50 on the other (also sloping property). The short leg is at a right angle and is about 50' on one end and probably 30 on the other. It's fed with about 30' of coax. It's a fantastic antenna and I can work coast to coast QRP. It also works DX nicely and I've worked Antarctica, NZ, etc. I think I'm up to 185 countries now QRP. Steve W1SFR Kx3helper.com Sent from my iPad On Jan 11, 2014, at 1:50 PM, Barry LaZar k3...@comcast.net wrote: Doug, Nice write up. Other Readers, I'd like to make a comment about the antenna as I know more than just a little about the things. An off center fed, OCF, dipole is not a magic antenna as some hams have come to believe. They are just a good wire antenna that is fed in a way to make them appear to have a 50 Ohm impedance. They are based on the 1/2 wave dipole which only has a workable impedance at 1/2 wave. At even multiples of a 1/2 wave, the antenna exhibits a high impendance which most radios do not like. So, way back in radio history a smart guy said if I don't feed the dipole in the center I can find a spot that looks like 300 Ohms and use a transformer to make it look like 50 Ohms over several bands. When he invented that antenna, the only odd band was 15 meters. What that meant was that if you created an 80 meter OCF dipole, you could use it on 40, 20, and 10 meters, without a tuner. The basic 1/2 wave dipole antenna can be awesome if hung up at some reasonable height. When fed in the center it is going to have a very high SWR, which means you need to be careful of transmission line loss and have some way to deal with the SWR. Open wire feeders handle the loss issue and a very good tuner does the rest. Or you go to the OCF dipole and use a 6:1 CURRENT balun or balun and line isolator. When a dipole is operated at multiples of a 1/2 wave you can actually develops gain in the plane of the antenna. How much gain and lobe direction is a function of how many 1/2 waves the antenna is. Those of you who want a good basic antenna and don't want to spent a lot and can get it up about 30-35 feet or higher go for the OCF dipole. I think you'll be happy. I have one up in my yard at about 40' on one end and about 35 on the other( it has to do with the slope of the land) and, as Doug, I work out everywhere. There are several sources for the basic OCF antenna and a source for a variant that I run. However, building one is a snap. Just go to Home Depot and buy 135' of #12 stranded insolated house wire ( color is unimportant ) have it cut such that the cut is about a 1/3 of the way off an end. Pick up some insulators at a hamfest and order either a 4:1 or 6:1 CURRENT balun. feed the beast with some low loss or reasonable loss cable, and then sit back and have fun. I would expect DXCC in 30 days, band conditions being good. Some final comments. I use #12 insulated, stranded wire just for the extra strength. I don't want to be puting up a new antenna every time we have high winds or ice. You could use #14 which most use, but like I said I don't want to have to re-install my antenna. You will need an antenna tuner, but that is OK as you will now be able to use the antenna on all bands 80-10. Lastly, if you don't have 135' feed of horizontal space you could bend the ends down to fit if it represents a minor portion of the antenna Or you could build a 40 meter version using 66' of wire and just not work 80 effectively; I can actually get mine to tune on 80, but it isn't
Re: [Elecraft] K3: Noise Reduction - FWIW
Jim makes some superb points here. The fundamental question is: What noise are you trying to eliminate? Not all noises are created equal, neither are all signals. In my business we are also fond of saying One man's signal is another man's noise. This question dictates the design of your (receive) antenna system all the way to the choice of radio, IF and digital filters, etc. Not having read KE7X's book myself (it's on my Christmas list), I cannot be sure how the NR filters in the K3 are implemented. However, appearances are that you select a type of filter and then the agressiveness of that filter. This seems to me that is fundamentally more powerful than the lauded one-knob approach of the FTDX-5000 if the filter you have selected was designed to eliminate the type of noise you are experiencing from the kind of signal you are receiving. I do hope to learn how this is implemented in the K3 and hopefully exploit it to my advantage in the future. Another point---I seem to recall coming across something in the K3 User's Manual about the NR filters being optimized for use in a CW bandwidth (I forget what the exact number was 250-500 Hz or something). If that is the case, then no wonder they don't work in SSB bandwdiths! This is fundamental signal processing. It has little to do with the power the DSP chips or the efficiency of the DSP algorithms. Based on my limited knowledge of noise reduction techniques useful for amateur radio, SSB is a considerably more challenging problem than CW. And it is one the JAs must have apparently mastered. I suspect that they also choose filters based on the bandwidth and mode selected in the radio and it's just transparent to the user. Like Jim, I have been relatively satisfied with the NR in my K3 so far, probably because 1. I'm principally a CW operator, 2. I use it sparingly, 3. I choose to address my noise problems at RF when possible, and 4. I have no interest in buying a $5000 radio that doesn't fit in hand luggage. 73, --Ethan, K8GU/3. On Wed, Nov 7, 2012 at 2:15 PM, W4ATK w4...@bellsouth.net wrote: I have read with interest the e-mails regarding the K3 noise reduction feature. I will post my observations herewith. It took a bit of work to find the sweet spot setting for my noise environment. Once found, it has proven to be quite satisfactory. Having worked with a number of SDR type of radios (Flex, Yaesu, and now K3 and for that matter K2) I can say that, in my opinion, the K3 is as good as it gets. I sense a number of users may not be entirely familiar with noise reduction as it pertains to a software defined radio. In some cases, it seems one is trying to use noise reduction where one should be using noise blanking, a common mistake in attempting to reduce impulse noise from power lines. Another common mistake would be to solicit the settings from another user in a different noise environment. One resource I found to be of benefit to me in helping me to understand the processes of DSP is The Engineer's Guide to Digital Signal Processing by Steven W. Smith. It is a free download from http://www.dspguide.com. 73s, Jim, W4ATK __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html -- http://www.k8gu.com/ Repair. Re-use. Re-purpose. Recycle. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] Oscilloscope Requirements?
It all depends on what you're trying to do. Truthfully, since you're asking for suggestions, I wouldn't spend too much on it unless you have a specific application in mind. In the almost 20 years I've been a ham (and tinkerer), I've owned three scopes. Two of them were freebies (10 and 40 MHz bandwidth, respectively) and the third, which I still have, is a Tektronix 464 100-MHz analog storage model that I bought for a reasonable sum. I didn't need the 464, but I had money burning a hole in my pocket and one came along. I really can't imagine a ham application where you would *need* a more than 100-MHz scope. So, pick the 100ish-MHz scope with the portability, number of channels, brand reputation, etc, that you want. If I can't afford nice things new, I usually choose to buy used things that were good when they were new. Just one opinion, though... 73, --Ethan, K8GU/3. On Mon, Sep 24, 2012 at 11:40 AM, TAC crite...@gmail.com wrote: I've decided to spring for a new digital storage oscilloscope and thought I'd solicit some opinions on how much scope I really need for general electronics and ham radio. 2 or 4 channel, 100 or 200 Mhz, memory buffer size, etc?Anyone using the PicoScope? At work we have 500 Mhz, 4 GSa/s Agilent scopes and unfortunately that's a little out of my budget. I was looking at the PicoScope line (http://www.picotech.com/) which look pretty interesting. Looks like there are a number of cheap knock offs out of China. Thnx,-TAC -- View this message in context: http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/Oscilloscope-Requirements-tp7563195.html Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html -- http://www.k8gu.com/ Repair. Re-use. Re-purpose. Recycle. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] [K3] Phase Noise / CW Key Clicks
I also had this problem recently: I was using my K3 in the vicinity of several other operators who were using an IC-706MkIIG, an FT-857D, and an IC-7000. All of these other radios produced horrible in-band phase noise. When I asked them about it, they were completely unaware that I was on the band! The other stations were at least 100 meters away and using opposite polarization from me on 20 meters. The noise floor increased from S0 to S3-S4 with the 706 and 857, which were farther away and S0 to S7ish with the 7000 which was much closer. Of course, this was one of the many selling points of the K3 for me. I guess the K2 is also very clean on TX phase noise? 73, --Ethan, K8GU/4. On Thu, Sep 13, 2012 at 11:00 AM, Geoffrey Mackenzie-Kennedy lx...@pt.lu wrote: Hello Matt, Interesting that the other stations whose phase noise pestered you, did not sense the presence of the K3's strong signal as the result of reciprocal mixing in their receivers. Can you recall the model or models of transceiver the others were using? 73, Geoff LX2AO On September 13, 2012 at 6:18 AM, Matt Zilmer wrote: snip Now - I KNEW better, but I went around to the other stations when they were operating on same bands as the CW station (Dave at the key, were at the computer). They weren't hearing us AT ALL and didn't even know we were on the same band! Except for our roving spotter with a broadband panadapter who could see my K3 but not hear it. No key clicks from us, but of course you could hear them all over the band(s) from remote stations. snip __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html -- http://www.k8gu.com/ Repair. Re-use. Re-purpose. Recycle. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] [K3] Phase Noise / CW Key Clicks
Interesting point---thanks for clarifying that, Alan. At any rate, these other rigs were dirty and operating with them was a nuisance. 73, --Ethan, K8GU/4. On Thu, Sep 13, 2012 at 1:07 PM, Alan Bloom n...@sonic.net wrote: I was using my K3 in the vicinity of several other operators who were using an IC-706MkIIG, an FT-857D, and an IC-7000. All of these other radios produced horrible in-band phase noise. When I asked them about it, they were completely unaware that I was on the band! Assuming the same synthesizer is used for the transmitter and receiver, then phase noise should affect the receiver and transmitter equally. Those guys using transceivers with poor phase noise should also have been wiped out on receive, even though the interfering K3 was clean. I suspect the problem is broadband amplitude noise generated in the power amplifier chain. That would affect the transmitted noise but not the receiver performance. Alan N1AL -- http://www.k8gu.com/ Repair. Re-use. Re-purpose. Recycle. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] Portable antennas for use in UK
Dennis, Here's another vote for a fiberglass pole and wires. I have a DK9SQ pole that was imported by N8ET/KangaUS that I have used for many years. It's very flexible (both mechanically and operationally) and you can usually sneak them on an airliner as your personal item. I believe that there are a number of suppliers in EU for these poles in addition to DK9SQ and Spiderbeam. I also have a homebrew aluminum tubing vertical that has sections sized to fit in my suitcase (the whole thing breaks down to about 20x3x4 inches and works on 40 meters and up). It's similar in concept to the Buddipole/Buddistick but much less expensive and doesn't use coils. The disadvantage is that it takes a few minutes to change bands. The largest sections are 3/4-inch. This withstood 60-mph gusts (before I took it down) the last time I used it. 73, --Ethan, K8GU/4. On Sun, Sep 9, 2012 at 6:27 AM, Jon Kåre Hellan hel...@acm.org wrote: On 09/08/2012 10:06 PM, Dennis L. Haarsager wrote: Just returned from another two weeks in the UK, this time bringing my KX3. My wife and I visit her mother in the Borders area of southeastern Scotland four (+/-) times a year. I duplicated Wayne Burdick's kit as closely as possible, but it's really a nice weather sort of system and, frankly, I've found there isn't a whole heck of a lot of that in Scotland. I use a TransWorld antenna here with very good results, and I hear good things about the Buddipole. I'd like to use something like that over there and just keep it at my mother-in-law's place so I don't incur extra baggage charges and stress about lost luggage. Given shipping and potential duty costs, I'm wondering if there is something portable like the TransWorld or Buddipole that's made in the UK or perhaps elsewhere in Europe that I could acquire and store there between trips. Can anyone make any suggestions? I'm operating mostly 20 and 17 meters these days, but also interested in 30 and 40 meters. You could get a 12m telescopic fiberglass pole from Spiderbeam and use whatever wire antenna you want with it. Use it as a center support for an inv vee or for a wire vertical. My own crazy balcony antenna is a full size vertical for 40m with two radials, can be erected or taken down in less than a minute. http://www.ha19.no/la4rt/balcony.jpg. The K3 tuner is able to tune it on all bands from 80m to 6m, that's when I'm lazy. It's also easy to take it down and put up an antenna cut for a different band, if you worry about loss or want to use an amp. I understand that the tuner in the KX3 is just as versatile as the one in the K3. Used as a support for an inv vee, don't use the top two or three sections. They're too flimsy. 73 Jon LA4RT By the say, I had no hassles with security with the KX3 either in leaving the U.S. at Dulles Airport, or in Paris during two transfers, or in Edinburgh. I did carry my original license and printouts of CEPT operations in both English and French in the carrying case, but no one asked to see them. 73, Dennis, N7DH/4 Hillsboro, Virginia __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html -- http://www.k8gu.com/ Repair. Re-use. Re-purpose. Recycle. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
[Elecraft] [K3] K3 driving KK1L band decoder
Is anyone else running a K3 with a KK1L band decoder? The K3 manual states that earlier K3s may require external pull-up resistors to 5 vdc. Did you need to do this? My KK1L board (built in 2006) seems to be loading down the K3 band outputs. Before I add the pull-up resistors, I just want to make sure that this isn't a sign of impending doom... Thanks and 73, --Ethan, K8GU/3. (K3 S/N 6714, TS-930S S/N 5010245) -- http://www.k8gu.com/ Repair. Re-use. Re-purpose. Recycle. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] [K3] K3 driving KK1L band decoder
As Joe suggested, I lowered the 3.3k resistors and now it works great. Thanks for all the input! 73, --Ethan, K8GU/3. On Thu, Sep 6, 2012 at 4:07 PM, Joe Subich, W4TV li...@subich.com wrote: Due to the different impedences between the two it did not work (driving one by itself was fine...but not both). I had to add a buffer circuit between the ACCY output and the band decoder input. The Quadra has 1K series resistors and its inputs are clamped with diodes to +5V/Ground driving a CMOS buffer/line driver configured as a switch (input 1/input 2) . The KK1L decoder has 3.3K series resistors to the opto. In all probability the Quadra is hogging the available current from the band data outputs and the PS2501 optos are not getting enough drive. Replacing the 3K3 Ohm with 1K Ohm input resistors would probably have been preferable. Even without any loading by the Quadra, with the K3's 2K2 pull-up and 3K3 current limiting resistors LED current will be less than 1 mA which is marginal for a PS2501/4N32 type opto that has a typical current transfer ratio between 300 and 500% (current gain of only 3 to 5). 73, ... Joe, W4TV On 9/6/2012 11:07 AM, Greg wrote: As Joe mentioned you will need to do the pull up resistor update for this to work. I run a splitter cable off the ACCY port on the K3 with one side going to my Quadra amp and the other side to the KK1L board. Due to the different impedences between the two it did not work (driving one by itself was fine...but not both). I had to add a buffer circuit between the ACCY output and the band decoder input. Once I did that the KK1L board worked great with the K3 connected to the Quadra at the same time. I don't recall what IC I used but it was easy to get...think I got it at radio shack. If you are only going to be connected to the band decoder you should not need the buffer. 73 Greg AB7R On 9/6/12, Joe Subich, W4TV li...@subich.com wrote: The PS2501-4 in the inputs of the KK1L band decoder are opto isolators. Pull up resistors will be required in the K3 in order to provide drive to the LEDs in the optos. My KK1L board (built in 2006) seems to be loading down the K3 band outputs. The K3 band data outputs are open drain - they can not be loaded down as they do not source voltage. Note: the KK1L design uses 3K3 Ohm series resistors to limit current to optos. Depending on the sensitivity (current transfer ratio) of the PS2501-4 you may need to reduce the resistance of those resistors in order obtain enough current through the LED. 73, ... Joe, W4TV On 9/6/2012 12:05 AM, Ethan Miller K8GU wrote: Is anyone else running a K3 with a KK1L band decoder? The K3 manual states that earlier K3s may require external pull-up resistors to 5 vdc. Did you need to do this? My KK1L board (built in 2006) seems to be loading down the K3 band outputs. Before I add the pull-up resistors, I just want to make sure that this isn't a sign of impending doom... Thanks and 73, --Ethan, K8GU/3. (K3 S/N 6714, TS-930S S/N 5010245) __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html -- http://www.k8gu.com/ Repair. Re-use. Re-purpose. Recycle. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] Elecraft covers
I received a message from her dated July 25. The address was elecraftcov...@gmail.com 73, --Ethan, K8GU/3. (K3 #6714) On Tue, Aug 21, 2012 at 9:12 AM, David Ferrington, M0XDF m0...@alphadene.co.uk wrote: Ken often sends me an email, normally at least 1 a month, but I don't appear to have had one since the beginning of July. However, they may just be off in their camper, enjoying the summer. 73 de David, M0XDF (K3 #174, P3 #108) -- The soul is the same in all living creatures, although the body is different. -Hippocrates, physician (460-c.377 BCE) On 21 Aug 2012, at 06:01, John Gaynard wrote: Has anyone had contact with Rose Kopp (Elecraft Covers) since mid-July? I have sent several emails to Rose and even one to her husband Ken, and have received no response since around July 8. She was making a KX3 bag for me. There probably is a logical explanation. John K8WDN __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html -- http://www.k8gu.com/ Repair. Re-use. Re-purpose. Recycle. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
