Yes. I can see the S-meter go from 3-4 down with static down to nothing with quieter static. My best guess is that I am not trying the right times at the right places.
Thanks to everyone for the help. --Vernon N7OH On Tue, Mar 8, 2011 at 8:12 AM, Ross Primrose N4RP <[email protected]> wrote: > Does the received noise decrease when you disconnect the antenna? > > 73, Ross N4RP > > On 3/8/2011 1:06 AM, Vernon Mauery wrote: >> At the risk of exposing what a n00b I am when it comes to HF, I really >> need some help. I recently (last month) purchased a K3. First HF >> radio I have owned. I got my license 2 years ago and have spent most >> of the time since playing with VHF. I have been trying to teach >> myself CW and decided that it was time to step into the HF waters. I >> studied, ogled, and dreamed of my ideal HF transceiver. I finally >> found the K3 and having looked (at least a cursory glance) at all the >> others, I was sold. I saved my pennies and purchased. I also got >> myself a 43' untuned vertical antenna, balun, and radial wires. >> >> My setup: K3/100 has 100 feet of low loss 400 coax out to the 43 foot >> vertical on the hill in my back yard. It has 8 25 foot radials and a >> 4:1 balun. The K3 has the KATU3, KPA3, KTCXO3-1, KFL3A-400, and >> default 2.8KHz filters. I assembled it and did followed the >> calibration instructions as well as I could. I think I got >> everything, but obviously I missed something. Or maybe I just need an >> elmer to tell me what to do. >> >> I cannot seem to find any signals that make the S meter go above a 3 >> or 4. I have the RF gain turned up a fair ways (mostly to the top), >> and I can hear static. As I tune up some of the bands on SSB, I can >> hear a tone that changes higher in pitch as I tune up in frequency. I >> have tried listening for CW, but I am hearing nothing as I scan >> through the bands. I had a 10m horizontal dipole taped to my wall for >> a while until I found time to run the coax out to the back yard. I >> had hoped that since it was resonant on the 10m band, maybe it would >> be able to pick up something, but it was no better (or worse) than my >> vertical. >> >> As far as I can tell, the radio seems to transmit. I can see the >> power meter moving and the SWR meter moving. The ATU seems to be able >> to find acceptable settings on most of the bands with the vertical. >> But I can't hear them. You can't work them if you can't hear them, >> right? >> >> This is a desperate plea for help. Is it the radio or me? Please >> have pity on the n00b and walk me through my first HF contact. >> >> --Vernon N7OH >> ______________________________________________________________ >> Elecraft mailing list >> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft >> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm >> Post: mailto:[email protected] >> >> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net >> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > > > -- > FCC Section 97.313(a) “At all times, an amateur station must use the > minimum transmitter power necessary to carry out the desired > communications.” > > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:[email protected] > > 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:[email protected] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
