Vernon, Have you checked your coax , maybe open. Try hooking up just the center conductor of the coax to your rig , leave the shield unhooked.
73 Ken K5DNL --------------------------------------------------------------------- --- On Tue, 3/8/11, Vernon Mauery <[email protected]> wrote: > From: Vernon Mauery <[email protected]> > Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 not recieving > To: [email protected] > Cc: "elecraft" <[email protected]> > Date: Tuesday, March 8, 2011, 9:33 AM > Don, > > It looks like you and at least one other person have said > that I need > more radials. I will have to look into that. > Thank you for your > suggestion. > > --Vernon N7OH > > On Tue, Mar 8, 2011 at 4:59 AM, Don Wilhelm <[email protected]> > wrote: > > Vernon, > > > > If your K3 is receiving static, I would tend to blame > your problem on the > > antenna rather than the K3. > > However, there is a way to check the K3. Beg, borrow > or purchase an > > Elecraft XG2 signal generator. That will give you a > tool to produce a 50 uV > > signal (S-9) and also a tool to do MDS measurements on > your K3. > > > > I do suspect your antenna. Verticals do not work > well in all locations - > > good performance depends on your soil conditions, and > 25 foot radials are > > likely not long enough. For a good ground screen > with the 43 foot radial, > > you need at least 32 43 foot radial wires for it to be > effective. A > > vertical works great right on the edge of salt water, > but inland locations > > vary depending on the soil conditions. I have always > been disappointed with > > verticals. > > > > Actually, I suggest a more simplistic approach - use > horizontal dipoles. > > Use the 43 foot vertical as a mast to hold up the > center of a dipole. Get > > a 1:1 balun and construct a dipole for 40 and 20 > meters. 2 radiator wires > > 33 feet long and two 16 foot long these two antennas > can run on a single > > feedline.. Run the center up to the top of your 43 > foot "mast" and hang the > > ends of the dipole wires as high as you can using > whatever supports are > > available. You want an angle between the wires to be > at an angle greater > > than 45 degrees. The two wires for 40 meters (the 33 > ft long ones) should > > be in the same vertical plane, and the two wires for > 20 meters should be at > > right angles to the 40 meter wires to keep interaction > to a minimum. > > > > You mentioned 10 meters. Propagation conditions may > be a problem too. The > > higher HF bands do not have many signals during the > hours of darkness, and > > 10 meters may not have many signals during the day. > 20 meters during the > > daylight hours is usually reliable and 40 meters at > night will typically > > have good signals. During periods of greater sunspot > activity, the higher > > frequency bands will show more activity, but during > the recent sunspot > > minimum, there were times when 20 meters was barely > usable, but conditions > > are improving. > > > > 73, > > Don W3FPR > > > > 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 > >> > > > ______________________________________________________________ > 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
