[Elecraft] ECN and stuff
Howdy Folks, I got home this evening, after giving another ECOM lesson at the ARES meeting, and found the lights on! Yippee, I get to have hot, running water. What a great Christmas present! I tried launching an antenna today but was interrupted by the insurance adjuster. He left a check so I can get some work done on the house. I'll continue my antenna raising project tomorrow after a much needed shower ;) I WILL get an HF antenna back up and running. We will have the Elecraft CW Net Christmas Eve edition. Maybe I should quote the Apollo mission text read for their Christmas mission. Thank you for all the notes I received over this week. I am very glad you folks went ahead with ECN last Sunday without me. I appreciated hearing about you all getting on the net and those who tried and were not heard. I know the bands were in tough shape but trying is all I ask. Tonight I started something in the ARES meeting. We were given a scenario (courtesy of ECN member N3AO, Carter Craigie) I wrote a message using the ICS-213 format. Then I stood up and got over fifty people to copy it. Acting as a lightning rod for the EC was my purpose. I was thanked and I was vilified. However, one word of thanks trumps twenty people with lesser intentions. The ratio was not nearly that extreme. Thanks Carter, with your hints and assistance we will have much more message handling training for our group. The class I gave on Saturday is now a quarterly event with prospective instructors in the wings. Simply making the effort and making a few mistakes along the way has born marvelous fruit. I will keep swinging; you can't hit a home run unless you strike out now and then. To reiterate: we will be having a little get together on Christmas Eve. I hope for good band conditions so we can all meet again. Just a short hello and back to your family. Since losing Pat I have you all as my family. I enjoy hearing from you whenever you are able to join us. Oh, Sam and the beaver folks say, "Howdy and Merry Christmas!" Thank you very much, Kevin. KD5ONS ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
RE: [Elecraft] K2 CW Audio Note
Steve, Adjust the sidetone pitch to suit your ears - and every ear is different. After you select your best pitch, then center the CW filters on that pitch - use Spectrogram to do that. The 600 Hz number is just the most common and is used as the default value, but your ears may be different than the average. If you have the KDSP2, be certain that the KDSP2 center frequency is the same as your chosen sidetone pitch. Isn't it nice that the K2 allows you to optimize these parameters? Admittedly, it is a bit of work to get everything optimized, but once accomplished, the results are superb. 73, Don W3FPR > -Original Message- > > I've noticed that the CW audio note (600hz) on my K2 has a raspy > quality to > it. It sounds much better is the pitch is set higher. I'm > wondering if others > have the same observation. > Although not nearly as sensitive my K1 has a better note. > 73, Steve K8IDN > -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.432 / Virus Database: 268.15.25/593 - Release Date: 12/19/2006 1:17 PM ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] K2 CW Audio Note
Steve: I believe the problem is you can't just adjust the pitch of your sidetone on the K2. I realize it looks like just another menu item that you can tweak, but once you change the pitch, you have to go through filter alignment again, to position the passband in the right place. My guess is you adjusted the filters with the sidetone at 800 Hz and then tried to bring it down to 600 Hz. If that's what you did, you need to do the filter alignment again with your new sidetone. The raspy note should go away. 73's, John AA0VE [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I've noticed that the CW audio note (600hz) on my K2 has a raspy quality to it. It sounds much better is the pitch is set higher. I'm wondering if others have the same observation. 73, Steve K8IDN ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
[Elecraft] A new K2 takes to the air
Success at last. K2 #5839 has been operational for a few weeks now. It is a basic model. A few months ago I made a commitment to myself to only work cw. My interest in radio has been fading in the past few years. This loss of interest had led me to selling K2/100 #1920 and all its accessories. For some reason (insanity?) unclear to me I felt like trying cw again. I have an FT-817 and with the addition of a cw filter found it quite capable. This led to the urge to build another kit and before long a KX-1 graced my hamshack desk. Kit-building is oh-so-addictive and the K2 urge became unbearable. I placed the order thinking I would sell something to cover the cost (I forget what). I completed the K2 and had some problems. I was as careful as I could be but still managed to put T7 in backwards and break the gate lead off of Q23 in such a way that it was both intermittent and invisible. But, all is well now and 5839 is truly a pleasure to operate. It is difficult to compare the experience of operating the K2 at 10 watts with that of operating the IC-756Pro and IC-2KL at 600 watts. The K2 keyer just seems right. The receiver sounds smooth and clean; its ability to pull signals out of the noise seems remarkable. Still, the bands have been lousy these past few days. The noise has been high and the signals have been weak. Normally, I consider this a challenge, but you need to have something to work with and there was very little in the way of signal-to-noise ratio. I realized that the 'Pro had one facility that helped in these conditions - an effective DSP. So, back to www.elecraft.com and another charge to rationalize away with a promise to sell excess equipment. I ordered the KDSP2. It looks good on paper and sounds good in the demos. Maybe it will help me break my mental lock on the Icom. At minimum it will be another reason to heat up the iron. It looks like there isn't a lot of effort required to build it so it should be operational pretty quick. I hope it helps me dig those weak ones out of the noise. Here's to CW: After 45 years of hamming, I couldn't find much to talk about anymore, at least on phone. But to sit and flip the keyer paddles back and forth and communicate at the excruciatingly slow rate of 15 words per minute, I've discovered a new world. And, oddly, the people who inhabit the low ends of the bands are a different (even strange) breed. Now that the final requirement for CW has been deleted, why do it? and the answer? Because we can... Because anybody can talk into a mic... and for a few dozen more reasons that need not be explained. A special thanks to Don - W3FPR for all of his help. And here's to Wayne, Eric & Co. - their success enables thousands of hams to enjoy their hobby in a way that has not been available since you could but an HW-101 kit for $179. Calculating the inflation factor in, the K2 is actually less expensive then the HW-101 was. And where the '101 was adequate, the K2 is superb. 72, 73, Doug -- K0DXV ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
[Elecraft] K2 display
Hi While waiting for the replacement of inductor L5 on the RF board, I decided to try the alignment and test part II up to where it would be efected by the missing inductor. When starting I found that the frequency counter had stopped working. It was working fine up until that point. I took the front panel and control board off to check for cold solder joints. I didn't find any but re-soldered the connectors that join the two boards. When re-assembling the K2 and powering, up the display started to malfunction. All it will do when powered up is to display the number 8 in all digits with the annumciators underneath. The front panel and control board had been working fine up until this point. I checked for solder joints on the connectors that I re-soldered and found none. I don't see how trying to do the part two alignment without the inductor L5 installed would cause this, but I've been wrong before. Has anyone ever had a problem like this before, and if so how did you solve it? Thanks for any information. Scott N5SM ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] 10M birdie and other assundries
I don't know how reduced it is because I haven't compared it to the KPA100 as the top lid but it is barely noticeable in my K2 with the KPA100 in an EC2 unless I have the preamp on. Even then, it is more a nuisance than a problem unless the signal is very weak. 73, Mike WA3KYY At 11:58 AM 12/19/2006, you wrote: Anyone know if remoting the KPA100 to an EC-2 case reduces the birdie? --Mike At 10:32 AM 12/19/2006, Vic K2VCO wrote: J F wrote: Just out of curiousity, after spending some time on 10M during ARRL 10, I noticed a birdie around 28.019/20. Is there a way to eliminate this or move it below 28.000? Yes, but even I haven't had the guts to implement it. Replace the diode t/r switch with a reed relay such as the Matsushita RSD12V.Reduce the power level of the bias oscillator and remove the high voltage multiplier section so you can get -12v for the RS232 interface with less stray RF floating around. Alternatively, find a way to power it from the computer (and some RS232 ports will apparently work without the -12v at all), so the bias oscillator can be completely disabled. I tried various forms of shielding, filtering and bypassing without success. A friend pointed out to me that the birdie is a result of mixing between VHF harmonics of this and another oscillator in the K2, so that explains why it's so hard to kill. -- 73, Vic, K2VCO Fresno CA http://www.qsl.net/k2vco ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
[Elecraft] Test Message
Please ignore. I haven't rcvd anything from the reflector for 2 days :-(. ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
RE: [Elecraft] SWR Bridge Null adjust HELP
Dohn, Separate the bridge null adjustment from the Hi-Cur situation - they are two separate things. Attack the Hi-Cur first. Initially set the trimmer cap to center and center the R26 and R27 pots - that will be good enough until you have found the source of the Hi-Cur display. First check the basic K2 (KPA100 disconnected entirely) for good power output with reasonable current draw (about 2.5 amps max at a 10 watt setting). Then add the KPA100 back in and check for the Hi-Cur message on each band (also look at the current draw of the base K2). Determine which bands cause the Hi-Cur display and check the KPA100 Low Pass Filter for those bands. OTOH, if you have a Hi-Cur and no output on all on all bands (see 'Transmitter Problems' in the manual), check out the T-R switch components, R21 & R22, T1 and other nearby components (see the schematic to identify those components). 73, Don W3FPR > -Original Message- > > I have my KPA 100 connected. It was just completed. When I attempt to > perform the SWR null adjustment, I get a high current warning. > It switches > to the info screen, indicating 0.1 watts volts (even though I > have the power > set at 5.0 watts) and SWR 1.0:1. I have the parameter set to > "High current" > = 3.5. I didn't want to leave it tune mode with this warning, but I did > quickly look to see if adjustment of C1 made any difference and > it did not. > There was no change in the SWR reading through C1. > > -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.432 / Virus Database: 268.15.25/593 - Release Date: 12/19/2006 1:17 PM ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
[Elecraft] Re: The Intrepid KD5ONS
Hi Kevin, I just read your description of the storm that hit your area. Wow, thank goodness that the falling tree didn't strike you. As a retired insurance adjuster I agree you were right in not removing the evidence. Let the insurer make the necessary repairs, why should you break your neck. I haven't heard from my cousin in North Vancouver, BC as to whether she and her family escaped damage. Hope you get your antennas re-built and to hear you on the air shortly. Merry Christmas Kevin and 73, Bob, VE3XM ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] OT: K-index=2, But Bands Deader Than Doornail?
Steve, Terrific summary, thanks for contributing that. It is also interesting to note that, since this period of unstable space weather started, there has been little to no sporadic-E propagation on 6M -- this during a seasonal period when one would expect (based on past history) fairly regular openings. I've read in a number of places over the years that mid-latitude sporadic-E propagation does seem to be inhibited by large-scale geomagnetic disturbance, just as HF propagation is -- albeit perhaps by a different mechanism. If the mechanism is indeed different (and it seems to me it would almost have to be), I'm not aware of any theory on how it might work. I have a few home-grown hypotheses on the matter, but nothing I'm willing to admit to in public. :-) Anyone know of any science on the relationship between mid-latitude sporadic-E propagation and geomagnetic disturbance? Bill / W5WVO Stephen W. Kercel wrote: Jeff: It is a perfectly reasonable topic, and one I've been wondering about myself. Since Thanksgiving, we've had astoundingly bad conditions with lots of flares and storms. There are three mechanisms of disruption indicated on the NOAA Web site, radio blackouts due to X-rays which are mostly felt on the sunlit side of the Earth and dissipate in a matter of hours, "solar storms" which are bursts of heavy particles (protons, as I recall), and the solar wind (a stream of electrons). As I understand the numbers, K is a "near real time" (reported every 3 hours) indication of disruption of propagation due to the geomagnetic fluctuations caused by fluctuations in the solar wind. With each value of K there is an associated value of a, with a pseudo logarithmic relationship between K and a, such that k=1 => a=3, and k=9 => a=400. A is the average of the last 8 a values, and thus is an indication of the cumulative effect of the solar wind on the geomagnetic field over the past 24 hours. It is important to realize that A and K are statistical measures that correctly describe propagation most of the time, but not always. A=9 is not low. It is usually an indication of "marginal but somewhat useful" conditions. My guess is that when the atmosphere takes a series of severe hits, as has happened over the past week, it takes much more than 24 hours (suggested by formula for the A index) for the atmosphere to "heal" itself, irrespective of the low A and K values currently being reported. It is my observation over recent months that once we've had a geomagnetic storm it requires two continuous days of both K and A <= 2 before one sees the return of good conditions. The problem is aggravated by the low sunspot numbers, and consequent low MUFs. I've noticed that most nights lately from New England, one hears practically nothing from Europe on 40 m (although one can hear Caribbean stations running European pileups). The reason is that the MUF between NE and EU most nights is about 6 MHz. 40 is dead but 80 (in between storms) can be very lively. Anyway, given the low MUFs, most HF bands are dead much of the time, and 80 is only usable when the noise (partly induced by geomagnetic activity) dies down. I'd be curious what other list members know about this. 73, Steve Kercel AA4AK At 03:53 PM 12/19/2006, Jeff wrote: My apologies for going off-topic, but I'm learning to interpret the various solar parameters, such as the A- and K-indexes, and I'm a bit confused. The K-index is only 2 at 2045 UTC on Dec. 19, but I can't hear ANY CW signals on any band, which, until recent weeks, was a very unusual state of affairs. The A-index is 9, which I believe is also relatively low. Shouldn't I be hearing at least a couple of signals, or is it just that everyone is still at work? Thanks & Happy Holidays, Jeff WB5GWB Long Island, NY ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] OT: K-index=2, But Bands Deader Than Doornail?/Try beacons
Stephen/Jeff, Always take a listen to the HF beacons. This is a great way to see if the bands are "open". Right now from Colorado, I can hear W6 and KH6 on both 15 and 20 meters. http://www.ncdxf.org/Beacon/BeaconSchedule.html 73, Jay - KT5E Stephen W. Kercel wrote: Jeff: It is a perfectly reasonable topic, and one I've been wondering about myself. Since Thanksgiving, we've had astoundingly bad conditions with lots of flares and storms. There are three mechanisms of disruption indicated on the NOAA Web site, radio blackouts due to X-rays which are mostly felt on the sunlit side of the Earth and dissipate in a matter of hours, "solar storms" which are bursts of heavy particles (protons, as I recall), and the solar wind (a stream of electrons). As I understand the numbers, K is a "near real time" (reported every 3 hours) indication of disruption of propagation due to the geomagnetic fluctuations caused by fluctuations in the solar wind. With each value of K there is an associated value of a, with a pseudo logarithmic relationship between K and a, such that k=1 => a=3, and k=9 => a=400. A is the average of the last 8 a values, and thus is an indication of the cumulative effect of the solar wind on the geomagnetic field over the past 24 hours. It is important to realize that A and K are statistical measures that correctly describe propagation most of the time, but not always. A=9 is not low. It is usually an indication of "marginal but somewhat useful" conditions. My guess is that when the atmosphere takes a series of severe hits, as has happened over the past week, it takes much more than 24 hours (suggested by formula for the A index) for the atmosphere to "heal" itself, irrespective of the low A and K values currently being reported. It is my observation over recent months that once we've had a geomagnetic storm it requires two continuous days of both K and A <= 2 before one sees the return of good conditions. The problem is aggravated by the low sunspot numbers, and consequent low MUFs. I've noticed that most nights lately from New England, one hears practically nothing from Europe on 40 m (although one can hear Caribbean stations running European pileups). The reason is that the MUF between NE and EU most nights is about 6 MHz. 40 is dead but 80 (in between storms) can be very lively. Anyway, given the low MUFs, most HF bands are dead much of the time, and 80 is only usable when the noise (partly induced by geomagnetic activity) dies down. I'd be curious what other list members know about this. 73, Steve Kercel AA4AK At 03:53 PM 12/19/2006, Jeff wrote: My apologies for going off-topic, but I'm learning to interpret the various solar parameters, such as the A- and K-indexes, and I'm a bit confused. The K-index is only 2 at 2045 UTC on Dec. 19, but I can't hear ANY CW signals on any band, which, until recent weeks, was a very unusual state of affairs. The A-index is 9, which I believe is also relatively low. Shouldn't I be hearing at least a couple of signals, or is it just that everyone is still at work? Thanks & Happy Holidays, Jeff WB5GWB Long Island, NY ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] OT: K-index=2, But Bands Deader Than Doornail?
Jeff: It is a perfectly reasonable topic, and one I've been wondering about myself. Since Thanksgiving, we've had astoundingly bad conditions with lots of flares and storms. There are three mechanisms of disruption indicated on the NOAA Web site, radio blackouts due to X-rays which are mostly felt on the sunlit side of the Earth and dissipate in a matter of hours, "solar storms" which are bursts of heavy particles (protons, as I recall), and the solar wind (a stream of electrons). As I understand the numbers, K is a "near real time" (reported every 3 hours) indication of disruption of propagation due to the geomagnetic fluctuations caused by fluctuations in the solar wind. With each value of K there is an associated value of a, with a pseudo logarithmic relationship between K and a, such that k=1 => a=3, and k=9 => a=400. A is the average of the last 8 a values, and thus is an indication of the cumulative effect of the solar wind on the geomagnetic field over the past 24 hours. It is important to realize that A and K are statistical measures that correctly describe propagation most of the time, but not always. A=9 is not low. It is usually an indication of "marginal but somewhat useful" conditions. My guess is that when the atmosphere takes a series of severe hits, as has happened over the past week, it takes much more than 24 hours (suggested by formula for the A index) for the atmosphere to "heal" itself, irrespective of the low A and K values currently being reported. It is my observation over recent months that once we've had a geomagnetic storm it requires two continuous days of both K and A <= 2 before one sees the return of good conditions. The problem is aggravated by the low sunspot numbers, and consequent low MUFs. I've noticed that most nights lately from New England, one hears practically nothing from Europe on 40 m (although one can hear Caribbean stations running European pileups). The reason is that the MUF between NE and EU most nights is about 6 MHz. 40 is dead but 80 (in between storms) can be very lively. Anyway, given the low MUFs, most HF bands are dead much of the time, and 80 is only usable when the noise (partly induced by geomagnetic activity) dies down. I'd be curious what other list members know about this. 73, Steve Kercel AA4AK At 03:53 PM 12/19/2006, Jeff wrote: My apologies for going off-topic, but I'm learning to interpret the various solar parameters, such as the A- and K-indexes, and I'm a bit confused. The K-index is only 2 at 2045 UTC on Dec. 19, but I can't hear ANY CW signals on any band, which, until recent weeks, was a very unusual state of affairs. The A-index is 9, which I believe is also relatively low. Shouldn't I be hearing at least a couple of signals, or is it just that everyone is still at work? Thanks & Happy Holidays, Jeff WB5GWB Long Island, NY ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
[Elecraft] OT: K-index=2, But Bands Deader Than Doornail?
My apologies for going off-topic, but I'm learning to interpret the various solar parameters, such as the A- and K-indexes, and I'm a bit confused. The K-index is only 2 at 2045 UTC on Dec. 19, but I can't hear ANY CW signals on any band, which, until recent weeks, was a very unusual state of affairs. The A-index is 9, which I believe is also relatively low. Shouldn't I be hearing at least a couple of signals, or is it just that everyone is still at work? Thanks & Happy Holidays, Jeff WB5GWB Long Island, NY ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
[Elecraft] SWR Bridge Null adjust HELP
I have my KPA 100 connected. It was just completed. When I attempt to perform the SWR null adjustment, I get a high current warning. It switches to the info screen, indicating 0.1 watts volts (even though I have the power set at 5.0 watts) and SWR 1.0:1. I have the parameter set to "High current" = 3.5. I didn't want to leave it tune mode with this warning, but I did quickly look to see if adjustment of C1 made any difference and it did not. There was no change in the SWR reading through C1. Any ideas Dohn N8EWY ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
[Elecraft] R&O posted
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-06-178A1.pdf de w1rt/john ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
[Elecraft] Third grade science report: Physics of Sound
I am presenting a 2 hour adjunct to the "Physics of Sound" science unit for the 3rd grade at my local elementary school here in Palo Alto, CA. I have recently finished the unit with one classroom, and it went quite well. Below is the report of the first class, with which I did one hour units each on "Time and Frequency Domain Analysis" and "Communicating with Sound (but without speech)" presented one week apart. I have a copy of the syllabus I developed (sketchy though it is) at http://wa5znu.org/2006/11/sound and it includes a link to the take-home sheet I made showing where to get the PC software for home experiments. The first hour was on time and frequency domain, and I appeared at the appointed hour in a lab coat with the name label "Joey" sewn on. (Thanks Joey!) I brought a half-yardstick and marker, an HP audio oscillator, speaker, microphone, laptop with free PC oscilloscope program, a stringed instrument, a microphone, a toy piano, and an AM radio. As I set up the laptop and projector, the teacher talked about pitch and loudness, a subject previously discussed. Once set up, I asked the class to demonstrate 3 of the 4 attributes (high, low, soft) and asked for ideas about why I wouldn't ask a 3rd grade class to demonstrate "loud." I explained cycles and seconds and connected Hz to other units they had studied (degrees, centimeters, inches) through questions to the class, and asked for the range of hearing, and eventually arrived at the standard answer. I then demonstrated a 1KHz tone and we wrote down a few guesses, but I didn't disclose the answer. I showed the oscillator and explained a brief version of the HP founding story (it was started and is still here in Palo Alto: only one kid's parent worked at HP; I had expected more). I got a few volunteers help make a mechanical oscilloscope...we taped a marker to the end of a yardstick (I used an 18" one) and set it to oscillate while another kid pulled a sheet of flip-chart paper, and the class timed it. We all observed the sine waves (a bit distorted) and many kids gasped as they saw the same shape they'd seen in the diagrams they'd been shown before in class. We then counted the cycles (9) and divided by the time in seconds (6) to ger 1.5Hz. About 5 kids could do this division, and I had previously related unit division to miles-per-hour. One kid suggested if we shortened the stick it would go faster. Then I showed the PC scope and the oscillator with the 1KHz tone, and adjusted both the frequency and amplitude controls up and down, showing this all in the time domain. With an older class, I might have done the division at this point, but in order to make the concepts more accessible, I told them we could use the computer to do the frequency calculation for us, and switched to a power spectrum (FFT) display, which showed a nice sharp peak at 1000 Hz. We then compared their answers, which had been in the 2000-6000Hz range. We discussed the range of hearing of children, adults, people, dogs, and bats. I told them that volume, although we wouldn't be exploring it, was measured in deciBels, and the teacher wrote it on the board and underlined the metric prefix, to tie it into a previous unit on measurement. We tried the various instruments, and multiple sounds to see multiple peaks. I pointed out the 1KHz peak among the noise of 20 kids talking, and showed them a chart of the cochlea and likened its spiral to the power spectrum X axis, and said that roughly speaking that is why they can hear both the tone and the noise at the same time. I asked if anyone ever had sudden ringing in the ears and said that some doctors think it is caused by a single hair cell in the ear. I pointed out the height of tone above the noise, implicitly demonstrating s/n ratio. We then tried pitch matching and saw that the voice contains multiple frequencies, and that the stringed instrument had strong 3rd harmonics, whose values they calculated. This led to a discussion of octaves, as about a third of the class took piano. (I wanted to get into other intervals and ratios but there wasn't time.) We did some matching of the oscillator to the tones of the instruments and voices, and closed with a review of pitch and volume with the oscillator on both the time and frequency displays. There was a lot of demand for higher and higher frequencies (mostly from the boys, for some reason), so next time I'll try to find a higher fidelity speaker. But I did demonstrate leaving the audio range, and went up the 1 MHz, where I showed the electrical waves now being called radio waves, and picked up the scratch signal on an AM broadcast band radio at 1MHz. By the end of the hour, the kids could answer questions about measurement of frequency, knew the range of hearing and could estimate the frequency of an audio tone, knew what Hz was, and had a few ideas for experiments to do at home (no
Re: [Elecraft] Need time and freq for Elecradt CW net
Joseph Szczubelek wrote: I need the correct day, start time in GMT, and frequencies for the 40 and 20 meter Elecraft net. During standard time: Mon Z 14050 KHz Mon 0300Z 7045 KHz (I think that's the right time) This works out to 1600 PST, 1700 MST, 1800 CST, and 1900 EST on *Sun* afternoon and evening on 20. During DST, Kevin moves the Zulu time an hour so the local time remains the same. 73, Fred K6DGW Auburn CA CM98lw ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
[Elecraft] K2 CW Audio Note
I've noticed that the CW audio note (600hz) on my K2 has a raspy quality to it. It sounds much better is the pitch is set higher. I'm wondering if others have the same observation. Although not nearly as sensitive my K1 has a better note. 73, Steve K8IDN ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] 10M birdie and other assundries
Hi Julius, If the birdie at 28.019/20 MHz changes frequency when you change the transmitter power demand from <10w to >10w, then the KPA100's HV Bias oscillator is involved. Vic, K2VCO, and I had an off list discussion some time ago about birdies including this one, and though Vic found the birdie I did not because his HV Bias oscillator runs at 18.434 MHz while I have opted to keep mine at 16.293 MHz for reasons other than birdies. If I remember correctly this particular birdie involves not only the HV Bias oscillator but also another oscillator in the K2 which mix to produce a signal at a spurious response frequency of the receiver when tuned to 28.019 MHz. I'll have to look up my notes. You can move this 10m birdie to another frequency by changing the HV Bias oscillator frequency although the options for all band freedom from birdies involving this source are limited. In my K2/100 the bias oscillator signal enters the K2 via the ribbon cable, which can be 'choked' with a clamp on ferrite, and the loudspeaker leads which can be removed from the KPA100 board where the trace acts as a link, but be advised that these last two mods might not work with all K2/100s. Later on I repackaged the HV Bias oscillator and voltage multiplier in a shielded box, with pi configuration filters on all DC lines to kill the problem at source. 73, Geoff GM4ESD - Original Message - From: "J F" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: Sent: Tuesday, December 19, 2006 1:21 PM Subject: [Elecraft] 10M birdie and other assundries Just out of curiousity, after spending some time on 10M during ARRL 10, I noticed a birdie around 28.019/20. Is there a way to eliminate this or move it below 28.000? ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] 10M birdie and other assundries
Anyone know if remoting the KPA100 to an EC-2 case reduces the birdie? --Mike At 10:32 AM 12/19/2006, Vic K2VCO wrote: J F wrote: Just out of curiousity, after spending some time on 10M during ARRL 10, I noticed a birdie around 28.019/20. Is there a way to eliminate this or move it below 28.000? Yes, but even I haven't had the guts to implement it. Replace the diode t/r switch with a reed relay such as the Matsushita RSD12V.Reduce the power level of the bias oscillator and remove the high voltage multiplier section so you can get -12v for the RS232 interface with less stray RF floating around. Alternatively, find a way to power it from the computer (and some RS232 ports will apparently work without the -12v at all), so the bias oscillator can be completely disabled. I tried various forms of shielding, filtering and bypassing without success. A friend pointed out to me that the birdie is a result of mixing between VHF harmonics of this and another oscillator in the K2, so that explains why it's so hard to kill. -- 73, Vic, K2VCO Fresno CA http://www.qsl.net/k2vco ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] 10M birdie and other assundries
Vic K2VCO wrote: Replace the diode t/r switch with a reed relay I should have specified that I was talking about the t/r switch in the KPA100, not the QRP K2, of course. -- 73, Vic, K2VCO Fresno CA http://www.qsl.net/k2vco ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] 10M birdie and other assundries
J F wrote: Just out of curiousity, after spending some time on 10M during ARRL 10, I noticed a birdie around 28.019/20. Is there a way to eliminate this or move it below 28.000? Yes, but even I haven't had the guts to implement it. Replace the diode t/r switch with a reed relay such as the Matsushita RSD12V.Reduce the power level of the bias oscillator and remove the high voltage multiplier section so you can get -12v for the RS232 interface with less stray RF floating around. Alternatively, find a way to power it from the computer (and some RS232 ports will apparently work without the -12v at all), so the bias oscillator can be completely disabled. I tried various forms of shielding, filtering and bypassing without success. A friend pointed out to me that the birdie is a result of mixing between VHF harmonics of this and another oscillator in the K2, so that explains why it's so hard to kill. -- 73, Vic, K2VCO Fresno CA http://www.qsl.net/k2vco ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
[Elecraft] Need time and freq for Elecradt CW net
I need the correct day, start time in GMT, and frequencies for the 40 and 20 meter Elecraft net. Reading the emails the frequencies appear to be 7045 and 14050 kc. It appears that this is a Sunday nite activity for North America. Does this net meet more than once a week ? Best, Joe - K9DMV# 5628 __ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] Morse test elimination
Thanks to Dan, KB6NU and his license class, my son Mike, KD8DKT got his General ticket in April. He took the course specifically so that he could work PSK31 and other digital modes, which he has been listening to for years. What's his favorite mode now? CW! 73, Larry N8LP Dan KB6NU wrote: Over the past year, I've given presentations to many middle school groups, and like Dave, I find that the kids are fascinated by Morse Code. They don't care if it's ancient technology--it's fun! We should all start doing this if we want CW to not just survive, but thrive. 73! Dan KB6NU -- CW Geek and MI Affiliated Club Coordinator Read my ham radio blog at www.kb6nu.com LET'S GET MORE KIDS INTO HAM RADIO! On Dec 17, 2006, at 10:48 AM, David Cutter wrote: I did an all day demo at a local kids school (<11 years old) and they enjoyed most of what we did. But what they really lapped up was being taught to send and receive Morse Code across the class room and into adjacent rooms. I was astonished at how quickly they caught on and how they enjoyed it. They didn't know it is "irrelevant" to today's information society, it was just fun. Similarly, a friend told me that in some RN ships they still teach Morse by lamp just for the fun of it. Developing a skill for its own sake is not logical, but it works. David G3UNA - Original Message - From: "Karl Larsen" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "VR2BrettGraham" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Cc: Sent: Sunday, December 17, 2006 12:52 PM Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Morse test elimination Guys, the ARRL almost caused a revolt in FCC-Wireless. They were being visited by ARRL people daily. They are lawyers and they are trying to kill Internet on power lines, and push band planning and morse code testing removal. Then after they GOT the band plan they pushed it was discovered ARRL goofed. They made too much space near the CW/Digital bands Extra Class. But then wait. It will be simple to get a Extra Class license. No 20 WPM send and receive, hard written stuff, it is just some multiple guess questions now. The ARRL keeps sending me mail which says they need big bucks to keep the lawyers in Washington. Will I send a hundred bucks? I throw away to letter. All the fun I have had teaching code to people is over. My last effort was fun because I had a 5 year old girl. She had little trouble with the code, but she had not learned how to write down a Z or A. So all this is over. Well I'm almost over too. 72 73 Karl K5DI ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] Morse test elimination
In message <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, Dan KB6NU <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes Similarly, a friend told me that in some RN ships they still teach Morse by lamp just for the fun of it. Its not taught in the Royal Navy for the fun of it or just in some ships. Morse by flashing light is still considered an essential skill which is taught by the RN and used on a regular basis. It is by far the most secure method for short range comms. I suspect the same applies in the USN. Trev G3ZYY -- Trevor Day Sunny Saltash ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] 10M birdie and other assundries
Julius, I also strugled with this and made a small Excel file to calculate at which frequency this birdie will be. File can be found at: www.pc5m.com\projects\resources\kpa100_xtal.xls At the top you can input the x-tal freq used in the KPA100 and below it will calculate the mixing products (up to 5th level). If a cell turn red than the spur will be in-band ! It turns out that NO x-tal (in the vicinity of original one) will provide birdie free operation on all bands, but depending on your preference you can position this birdie on the bands/frequencie best for you. In my case I changed the x-tal to 16.0 MHz gl, Carel, pc5m --- Just out of curiousity, after spending some time on 10M during ARRL 10, I noticed a birdie around 28.019/20. Is there a way to eliminate this or move it below 28.000? As to my high current draw on 160, the KPA100 works fine into a dummy load and straight into the antenna. It does seem to draw more with the KAT100 in the circuit. I can't imagine much in the tuner that would cause such a problem (although I could be wrong). My thoughts drift towards a ground loop issue and/or rf getting back into the rig's control circuit. Guess I will be adding some further current chokes in the shack... Best wishes to all for the holiday season. May 2007 be good to you and yours... Cheers, Julius n2wn ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
RE: [Elecraft] Non-standard XV-50 installation...
Tom, Answers: 1) No provision for such connections in the XV-50 2) Don't try this - 'strange happenings' will occur (usually Hi-Cur and inadequate drive to the KPA100) 3) Risky 4) The K60XV is a more elegant solution - you do not have to swap antenna connectors - I recommend it highly. Two short RG174 cables plus the connection to the AUX I/O are all you need to connect the K2 and the XV-50. You can still arrange it in a 'cube' with just three external cables. 73, Don W3FPR > -Original Message- > > Question for Wayne/Eric and anyone else familiar with the XV-50. > > As some of you know, my KAT-100 tuner is built flush against the > bottom of my K2/100 as a solid brick with no external interface > wire or power leads. This was possible due to the brilliantly > conceived 2D fasteners as well as Elecraft having silk-screened > and plated holes for a header assembly allowing a ribbon cable to > be connected directly to the main board of the KAT-100 and back > up to the KPA-100 and onto the K2 CPU board. > > Some questions: > 1) Is there a provision on the XV-50 for a dual pin header > connector to allow the control signals from the > K2/KPA-100/KAT-100 into the XV-50 as there is in the KAT-100? > > 2) I don't have the 60M/transverter option in my K2. I was > thinking about running the old RF output of the K2 internally > down through the KAT-100 and into the XV-50 while leaving it in > parallel with the input of the KPA-100. I don't THINK this would > hurt operation on HF nor VHF. > > 3) Optionally, I might consider using the ANT-2 output of the > KPA-100 as the input for the XV-50 and the ANT-1 output for HF. > The danger in that is the possibility of pumping 100W of 14MHz of > RF into the XV-50.wot's dat I smell? > > 4) I am considering taking the RX output of the XV-50 and running > it into the optional RX antenna input of the 160M option and > selecting EXT RX ANT when using the transverter. Good..bad..problems? > > The end result would be a nearly perfect cube of a radio covering > 160-6M with no external cabling. > > Any suggestions/opinions would be appreciated. > > - Tom K2TA > -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.432 / Virus Database: 268.15.24/592 - Release Date: 12/18/2006 1:45 PM ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] 10M birdie and other assundries
Hi Jules! I have a temporary workaround that I use...albeit a pain in the butt one. That birdy seems related to an oscillator in the KPA-100 (HV PS?)..although Don can be probably be more specific. I've found that by turning the power level down that the birdy shifts a bit in frequency...maybe a few kHz. Enough to make a difference between hearing a station and not. If a new country is sitting on 29.020 I'll twiddle the power level between transmissions...otherwise I avoid that frequncy during normal operation. 73 de Tom K2TA - Original Message - From: "J F" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: Sent: Tuesday, December 19, 2006 8:21 AM Subject: [Elecraft] 10M birdie and other assundries Just out of curiousity, after spending some time on 10M during ARRL 10, I noticed a birdie around 28.019/20. Is there a way to eliminate this or move it below 28.000? As to my high current draw on 160, the KPA100 works fine into a dummy load and straight into the antenna. It does seem to draw more with the KAT100 in the circuit. I can't imagine much in the tuner that would cause such a problem (although I could be wrong). My thoughts drift towards a ground loop issue and/or rf getting back into the rig's control circuit. Guess I will be adding some further current chokes in the shack... Best wishes to all for the holiday season. May 2007 be good to you and yours... Cheers, Julius n2wn ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
RE: [Elecraft] Beta Testers Wanted
Earlier this morning Karl-Heinz wrote ... The link is: http://www.unpcbs.com/manuals/pdfs/companionguidebeta.pdf -- Thanks Karl-Heinz. Our updated Companion Guide also far superior to my previously posted instructions regarding where to find it on our website! ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
[Elecraft] Non-standard XV-50 installation...
Question for Wayne/Eric and anyone else familiar with the XV-50. As some of you know, my KAT-100 tuner is built flush against the bottom of my K2/100 as a solid brick with no external interface wire or power leads. This was possible due to the brilliantly conceived 2D fasteners as well as Elecraft having silk-screened and plated holes for a header assembly allowing a ribbon cable to be connected directly to the main board of the KAT-100 and back up to the KPA-100 and onto the K2 CPU board. Some questions: 1) Is there a provision on the XV-50 for a dual pin header connector to allow the control signals from the K2/KPA-100/KAT-100 into the XV-50 as there is in the KAT-100? 2) I don't have the 60M/transverter option in my K2. I was thinking about running the old RF output of the K2 internally down through the KAT-100 and into the XV-50 while leaving it in parallel with the input of the KPA-100. I don't THINK this would hurt operation on HF nor VHF. 3) Optionally, I might consider using the ANT-2 output of the KPA-100 as the input for the XV-50 and the ANT-1 output for HF. The danger in that is the possibility of pumping 100W of 14MHz of RF into the XV-50.wot's dat I smell? 4) I am considering taking the RX output of the XV-50 and running it into the optional RX antenna input of the 160M option and selecting EXT RX ANT when using the transverter. Good..bad..problems? The end result would be a nearly perfect cube of a radio covering 160-6M with no external cabling. Any suggestions/opinions would be appreciated. - Tom K2TA ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] ESD Risk vs Relative Humidity
Mike and Don, Thanks for your input. I suspect that ESD damage occurs more often than one realises. Don's report confirms. I read reports that quite a few of the NATO IC-781s went down in the last gulf conflict for no apparent reason, other than microprocessor failure suspected due to the extreme low humidity. I have experienced some strange and otherwise wholly inexplicable PC failures due to early working without a wrist strap in the past. For safety sake I will stick with the new mat amd its combined wrist strap. Then at least I will eliminate one possibility from my shopping list of problem causes. Best 73 Wyn, VR2AX - Original Message - From: "Mike Harris" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Wyn Hughes" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; Sent: Tuesday, December 19, 2006 5:42 AM Subject: Re: [Elecraft] ESD Risk vs Relative Humidity > G'day, > > > Today in Hong Kong we have relative humidity (RH) of 55% (temp a > 'freezing' 16 C), compared to our norm of 90 - 100% RH and temp 30 C+ > > > I assume the 16C was outside not inside. > > These past two days my daughter and xyl have mentioned several 'static > shocks' when they play with our cats, all 6 of them. > > I remember my school kid days of cats tail static generators, but there's > a serious question behind this. Under what conditions of RH do most > builders of Elecraft rigs operate? > > > RH in the house is of the order 40-60% temp 20-22C most of the time. No > cats, no ESD countermeasures besides touching an earthed object before > picking up sensitive devices. Not killed one yet. > > Regards, > > Mike VP8NO > > ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
[Elecraft] 10M birdie and other assundries
Just out of curiousity, after spending some time on 10M during ARRL 10, I noticed a birdie around 28.019/20. Is there a way to eliminate this or move it below 28.000? As to my high current draw on 160, the KPA100 works fine into a dummy load and straight into the antenna. It does seem to draw more with the KAT100 in the circuit. I can't imagine much in the tuner that would cause such a problem (although I could be wrong). My thoughts drift towards a ground loop issue and/or rf getting back into the rig's control circuit. Guess I will be adding some further current chokes in the shack... Best wishes to all for the holiday season. May 2007 be good to you and yours... Cheers, Julius n2wn ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] Morse test elimination
Over the past year, I've given presentations to many middle school groups, and like Dave, I find that the kids are fascinated by Morse Code. They don't care if it's ancient technology--it's fun! We should all start doing this if we want CW to not just survive, but thrive. 73! Dan KB6NU -- CW Geek and MI Affiliated Club Coordinator Read my ham radio blog at www.kb6nu.com LET'S GET MORE KIDS INTO HAM RADIO! On Dec 17, 2006, at 10:48 AM, David Cutter wrote: I did an all day demo at a local kids school (<11 years old) and they enjoyed most of what we did. But what they really lapped up was being taught to send and receive Morse Code across the class room and into adjacent rooms. I was astonished at how quickly they caught on and how they enjoyed it. They didn't know it is "irrelevant" to today's information society, it was just fun. Similarly, a friend told me that in some RN ships they still teach Morse by lamp just for the fun of it. Developing a skill for its own sake is not logical, but it works. David G3UNA - Original Message - From: "Karl Larsen" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "VR2BrettGraham" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Cc: Sent: Sunday, December 17, 2006 12:52 PM Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Morse test elimination Guys, the ARRL almost caused a revolt in FCC-Wireless. They were being visited by ARRL people daily. They are lawyers and they are trying to kill Internet on power lines, and push band planning and morse code testing removal. Then after they GOT the band plan they pushed it was discovered ARRL goofed. They made too much space near the CW/Digital bands Extra Class. But then wait. It will be simple to get a Extra Class license. No 20 WPM send and receive, hard written stuff, it is just some multiple guess questions now. The ARRL keeps sending me mail which says they need big bucks to keep the lawyers in Washington. Will I send a hundred bucks? I throw away to letter. All the fun I have had teaching code to people is over. My last effort was fun because I had a 5 year old girl. She had little trouble with the code, but she had not learned how to write down a Z or A. So all this is over. Well I'm almost over too. 72 73 Karl K5DI ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] Beta Testers Wanted
Hi Gary, it's a long way ... The right link is: http://www.unpcbs.com/manuals/pdfs/companionguidebeta.pdf 73/72 de 'Karl'-Heinz, DF7KHK ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
