Hi Mathias, The group homepage is here: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/KX3/
73, Thomas M0TRN On 18 September 2012 10:27, Mathias Krüger <[email protected]>wrote: > Hello Thomas, > > where can i find the KX3 group you mentioned? > > Regards > Mathias > HB9DOU > > > > 2012/9/18 Thomas Horsten <[email protected]> > >> Hi Robert, >> >> I posted two updates, one just after I got the KXPD3 upgrade kit and >> another after I'd used it for a couple of days. These were posted on the >> KX3 group (join if you are not there already, most of the KX3 talk goes on >> there). Anyway, for those of you who haven't seen it, I'm copying the two >> updates below: >> >> Hi all, >> >> I received the field tester upgrade kit this morning. It took about 10 >> minutes to install. The only problem was the size of the screw hole in the >> PCB was a bit tight, but I didn't need to drill as long as I carefully >> tightened each of the mounting bolts one turn at a time (this is a known >> problem and will be fixed in the final version). >> >> The kit consists of a new PCB with stainless steel fixed contacts, new >> contact screws with rounded ends, and two alternative springs to choose >> from with lower tension than the original. >> >> I selected the lowest tension spring and set the contact spacing at three >> quarters of a turn from the inner (fully closed) position. >> >> The paddles feel completely different. I tried sending some of the text >> from the upgrade instructions and didn't have a single missed dit or dah, >> and both the spring resistance and the crispness of the action is improved >> by an order of magnitude. I wouldn't say it rivals my Begali Sculpture but >> it is much closer to that feel than it was before. >> >> Now I just hope it stays that way, I guess with a portable rig, dirt on >> the >> contacts will be a bigger issue than for a home key, but out of the box, >> no >> complaints at all, thanks to everyone at Elecraft, you've done a great >> job. >> >> I did a video of my upgrade, but unfortunately my phone ran out of memory >> after 5 minutes, so the most interesting bits didn't get recorded. Maybe >> I'll post it anyway just to show the unboxing and the kit content. >> >> WX for the weekend is looking like we're in for a bit of Indian summer, >> with full sunshine and 27C, so I hope I'll be able to get some outdoor >> operating done with the KX3, maybe a WFF activation on Sunday. I'll report >> back after a while and see how it goes. >> >> 73, Thomas M0TRN >> >> >> After posting my first impressions just after the upgrade, I've used the >> upgraded KXPD3 for several real QSO's and I wanted to give an update. >> >> My KXPD3 already had the PCB mod performed which had greatly reduced the >> intermittent contact problem. So I didn't expect the upgrade to make that >> huge a difference (only compared to the unmodified PCB which was pretty >> horrid in this respect). >> >> But I actually find that the upgrade kit does far more than that. It takes >> the key and transforms it from a sub-Bencher feel to a near-Begali feel. >> >> To get reliable operation on the paddles before, the contact spacing >> needed >> to be over 1mm. I think the main reason was the shape of the end of the >> contact screws. Per the suggestions previously made on this list, I'd >> tried >> filing down the ends of the contact screws to get them more rounded, but I >> hadn't done a very good job at it. The new contact screws are stainless >> steel and already rounded from the factory. Also the contact posts are now >> stainless steel as well. Finally, the spring tension was too high for >> comfortable operation at a very low spacing. >> >> So the spacing needed to be at least 1mm or so for the key to be workable. >> >> It's probably down to a combination of all the upgraded materials, >> including the lower tension contact spring, but the key works perfectly >> now >> with sub-mm contact spacing. I am using a spacing of about 0.3-0.5mm, >> which >> corresponds to about three quarters of a turn of the contact screws, and >> have locked them in that position. This, in combination with the lowest >> tension spring, gives an unsurpassed feel that I have only before >> experienced in my Begali Sculpture. >> >> I can now send clean code at 35 WPM with these paddles, something that was >> unthinkable before. Although most of my QSO's are at 25 WPM, it is nice to >> be able to send QRQ when the opportunity is there, and that's now possible >> with the KXPD3. >> >> The only thing I am missing slightly is individual tension adjustment of >> the left and right paddle. Since I use paddles with my left hand (but in a >> default configuration with dits on the left), I tend to use my Sculpture >> with a slightly higher spring tension in the left paddle. But in such a >> tiny key I wouldn't expect that. >> >> In short it's now a paddle that works extremely well and where the >> "precision" label is 100% justified. To be honest I thought that was >> stretching it a bit in the original incarnation of the KXPD3. >> >> 73, Thomas M0TRN >> >> >> On 18 September 2012 00:26, Robert Vargas (KP4Y) <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> > How did field testing of the KXPD3 paddle upgrade turn out? I'm about to >> > pull the trigger but want to make sure that the reported glitches have >> been >> > taken care of. I just heard one report around here and it was favorable. >> > How would the improved KXPD3 paddle compare to a Begali Traveler? >> > >> > 73s, >> > Robert-KP4Y >> > ______________________________________________________________ >> > 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
