In Search of Better
The following is a rambling tale of situations, real and imagined, where my Elecraft equipment leaves something to be desired. Written mostly during my time confined to home while recovering from back surgery, it reflects a tendency to focus on operating from other locations. When I will be able to go operate outdoors again, how can I make a trip go as smoothly as possible, without spending a lot of time on packing and setup, etc? What went right and what went wrong on my last outing? Field Day was my latest portable operation. I brought my dual 100W K-lines in SO2R configuration. This was practical because the Elecraft equipment is light enough to be used in the field, works well on 12V deep cycle batteries without too much worry about minimum acceptable voltage, and compact enough that both radios are easy to reach by one operator. Operations were successful, so that is what went right. Each K3 has its own Pelican Stormcase iM2400 (with foam), which is perfect for protecting one K3. For the latest one I got a great price at Nalpak. The radio is placed into a foam cavity bottom up, with a shelf of foam under the knobs covering the display. The case has room for two more small cavities, suitable for small items such as a power cord and a hand microphone. What is not to like about this? Well, it takes a *lot* of time to set up and tear down the two K-lines with all the items and wiring needed for SO2R. That is what went wrong. Our club president suggested for next year I have all the equipment installed in something like a "go-box", ready to use. Although I was offered help to lift such a monster, I had to reject the idea as cumbersome and inflexible in view of my habit to experiment with diffrerent configurations at home. So, what is the solution? The best I can think of right now is to combine the boxes into a number of modules that are small enough to lift, but where the wiring within a module would not need to be disturbed for transportation. Maybe one module for each K-line, plus one module for SO2R controller, sound card, and headphone amplifier. These modules would remain intact for home use. Each module would be held together by a slab of thin plywood onto which the radios etc would be bolted down. Having the Elecraft boxes so spaced would bring an extra benefit in that I would not have to handle the individual boxes with care, and the boxes would not be able to scratch each other. Each module could be wrapped in cloth and transported sitting on a car seat. The beautiful Storm Cases would no longer be used. The main issue then is how to bolt the boxes to the board. Some radios have threaded mounting holes on the sides, intended for mobile mounting brackets. I could add brackets to the module boards, but that would be extra work and weight. Ideally, the K3 would have threaded mounting holes on the bottom. Perhaps that could be achieved by changing some 2D connectors (normally used to hold together the panels of the K3 case) to bigger versions incorporating the mounting holes, and adding corresponding holes to the K3 bottom panels. I might even be able to do this myself, but being lazy I would much prefer to be able to buy the parts ready to use. Even modestly priced cameras come with a threaded tripod mounting hole. Why doesn't the K3 come with several? Having such mounting holes on all the K-line boxes would not just help with my board mounting scheme, but would be just as important for those building "go-boxes", and would also open an approach to mobile mounting. Another approach: add some kind of hardware to the sides of K-line boxes that allows them to be joined together like lego's. This would make the boards unnecessary. During these musings, my XYL walked in: "The amount of dust in the house is unhealthy, and I have scheduled the cleaning lady to come next Wednesday. You have cluttered up the tables with equipment everywhere. How can one dust properly when there is so much stuff?" I meakly answered that all pieces of equipment will have assigned locations when the remaining shelves are in place, but the number of items cannot be avoided. It occurs to me that K-line boxes mounted on a board would allow me to lift the whole assembly away to allow the shelf itself to be dusted by the cleaning lady. I would have to take on the task of dusting the board as well as the boxes, maybe using pre-chosen special brushes and/or vac attachments. If the K-line boxes were mechanically connected without the board, I wouldn't have to deal with dust on the board in the narrow space between boxes and board. Perhaps the hardware interconnecting the boxes could be accompanied by special foam pieces that prevent dust settling in the space between boxes (assuming the K3 side panel heatsink function would still be adequate). When cleaning, I would just have to pull off the foam and wash it. What about traditional dust covers? I have never tried them on my Elecraft equipment, but when I had them for other equipment, I was too lazy to use them. If I had them on my Elecraft boxes today, the necessity to removie them to operate would surely discourage me from getting on the air when I don't have a lot of time available. OTOH, a single big cover over a whole K-line might be helpful as it would save me from having to dust the equipment as removed from the shelf. In that scenario, the foam would not be needed. Years ago I equipped my vehicle with an old IC-735 HF radio, an SG-500 SmartPowerCube, and a screwdriver antenna. I was able to run 500W SSB even while driving. It functioned very well. However, I was never much of a phone operator, and after I had a few QSO's I almost never made use of HF-mobile. Today I may dream of a similar setup for the fun of creating it, but I know it won't be used. I really should sell the amp. Operating from a picnic table while parked makes much more sense. A fiberglass pole supported by the towing hitch would let me string up a decent wire antenna very quickly. Of my current radios, the KX3 would be a natural choice. However, with today's conditions, 100W would help a lot. Maybe I made a mistake when I sold my KXPA100 with tuner for $800. But hooking up the radio with the amp takes a little work for which I don't really have time during a brief roadside stop. As with the K-line, I would rather have the boxes mechanically as well as electrically connected together semi- permanently. I love the modularity inside Elecraft radios, but I really want a second level of modularity above the box level. The form factors of the K-line makes this rather easy to imagine. The panadapter for the KX3 conforms with the shape of the KX3, but the KXPA100 certainly does not. I imagine the KX3 mounted on a piece of plywood side by side with the KXPA100, and it doesn't look very slick. Ditto if a full go-box were used. Either way, my KX3 is first and foremost my rig for light portable QRP use, QRM sniffing, and decibel-resolution field strength measurement. If it were physically attached to other boxes, it had better be very quick and easy to remove the KX3 for separate use. Instead of mounting on a board I would like the lego-like mechanical connection to be accompanied by cable-less plug-in electrical connections that happen simultaneously with the mechanical. As I contemplate the cost of a KXPA100, I am sorely tempted instead to buy a new 100W HF radio, the FT-891, which sells new for $630, and maybe a matching LDG tuner. It bothers me that the FT-891 emits a terrible amount of phase noise, but when it is operated from the roadside, how many hams will be in range to experience interference? The Yaesu's slick little package would be much more convenient to handle than a piece of plywood with the KXPA100 and the KX3 mounted on it. Our nature-loving family friends in CA want to learn about ham radio as a way to call for help during their nature trips. They almost visited our FD site this year, just to find out how ham radio works. I am sure if they got into ham radio, they would use ssb, or possibly digital. If I show them ham radio by KX3 barefoot, with current conditions, they will probably conclude that ham radio doesn't work. If I show them the KX3 with KXPA, they will probably say it is too bulky, heavy, and complicated. The FD-891 might be a much better tool for making ham radio in the wilderness look practical. My son-in-law just bought a new house just 10 miles from ours. His family plans to live there only part of the year. I may be asked to house-sit a lot. That situation begs for a portable HF radio setup. Again the compact Yaseu looks a lot more convenient than the KX3 + KXPA100 combo. When I recover enough to go hiking, what radio will I bring? My KX1 was made for such use, but since I got spoiled by the KX3 I haven't touched it. The output power of the KX1 is certainly not as high as that of the KX3. A KX2 would be ideal, but the KX3 using internal batteries is quite easy to carry for a day hike when you don't need to carry a tent etc. I suspect I will soon sell the KX1, then use the KX3 until when/if I can justify a KX2. 73, Erik K7TV ______________________________________________________________ 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
