date:20121129


Jack,

You are not missing anything.  You are seeing the audio bandwidth 
displayed on the K3.  Yes, the audio bandwidth is fixed in FM mode, so 
if you attempt to change if with the width knob, you will see N/A.


73,
Don W3FPR

On 11/29/2012 6:03 AM, W4GRJ wrote:

I installed both AM  FM filters and set them up using the K3 utility program, 
with AM using both filters. When I adjust the filter width on the K3 the max I can 
get on AM is 5 kHz. On FM it shows N/A. What am I missing ?

Jack
W4GRJ



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[Elecraft] [K3] 8-hour Build

2012-11-29 Thread Bill Tubbs

Like so many said, it takes about 8 hours to do a proper K3 build. I started 
mine at around 9am and finished the final tests at around 5pm, with a few small 
breaks during that period. 

I promised my wife that the kitchen counter would be clear by the time she got 
home from work, and just barely made it!

I saved a little time by not organizing all the hardware. I built  my KX3 
recently and had enough confidence in both my recognition of the differing 
sizes of screws, and Elecraft's parts packing to just work from the packages. 
And it was perfect!

Of course, the only options were the ATU and power amp., so that cut some of 
the potential time. 

Very nice rig...but I was already spoiled with the KX3 :-)

Bill
WK6A

Sent from my iPhone
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Re: [Elecraft] Inhibit connection between K3 - KPA500 - KAT500

2012-11-29 Thread Dick Dievendorff

The KAT500 connectors pass the INHIBIT line thru from K3 to KPA500.  INHIBIT
is connected so that the KAT500 microcontroller can read it, but I've not
found a use for it thus far. Current KAT500 firmware does not read INHIBIT.

The KPA500 owner's manual describes how it works.  I think maybe in some
sort of SO2R protective configuration I could find a use for it, but I
haven't needed to use it thus far. 

If I were constructing a new cable and had a spare wire left over, I'd
connect it.  But it's not currently needed or used by the KAT500.  

The KAT500 inhibits amplification by breaking the amplifier key (PTT) line
path between exciter and amplifier, a technique that works with most
amplifiers.

73 de Dick, K6KR



-Original Message-
From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net
[mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Ueli Zulauf
Sent: Thursday, November 29, 2012 2:08 AM
To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net
Subject: [Elecraft] Inhibit connection between K3 - KPA500 - KAT500

Subject: Inhibit connection between K3 - KPA500 - KAT500

Preparing the cables for the planed KTA500, I have a question: 
does the handshake between KPA500 and KAT500 need the inhibit line (ACC pin
11) and for what purpose? Remark: no frequency band shall be inhibited.
DIGOUT1 (K3 - ACC pin 11)  is used in my setup to power up the preamplifier
on 6m. In order to do that, I had to isolate the pin 11 on the ACC cable
going to the KPA500.

73 de Ueli, HB9MFK
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Re: [Elecraft] [K3} AGM Battery recommendation for K3

2012-11-29 Thread Wes Stewart

Jim,

I can tell you what I'm very successfully using.

I have a Deka 95AH AGM battery that is on continuous charge via a homebrew 25A 
smart charger.  I also have a boost regulator to keep the supply voltage up 
to minimize TX IMD, even when the battery voltage is dropping during a power 
outage.

The charger uses a modified Astron 35A supply to provide the raw DC and pass 
transistors.  A slightly modified AA Engineering card delivers the smarts.  
Contrary to what some in this forum will tell you, this combination will not 
overcharge the battery, but will keep it fully charged even while transmitting 
at 100W, even during an RTTY contest.

My battery sits on the floor under the operating desk.

Wes

--- On Tue, 11/27/12, Jim Miller j...@jtmiller.com wrote:

From: Jim Miller j...@jtmiller.com
Subject: [Elecraft] [K3} AGM Battery recommendation for K3
To: Elecraft Reflector elecraft@mailman.qth.net
Date: Tuesday, November 27, 2012, 8:47 PM

I've decided I might get a battery for my K3 for occasional operation
to chase QRM issues. As long as I'm getting it for reception I thought
I might consider one which would prove useful for transmitting as
well.

My shack is in the living area of our house with hardwood floors. I
wouldn't be happy with an acid spill there. So I'm looking for battery
size and type information and what sort of operating time I might
expect with QRP and 100W levels (and anything in between...).

Also would like some recommendations for practical handling and
charging to avoid issues. Charging would be from the AC line. No
solar planned.

I'm pretty sure an AGM deep cycle battery is what I've seen
recommended. What else should I look for?

All recommendations welcome.

73

Jim ab3cv
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Re: [Elecraft] [K3} AGM Battery recommendation for K3

2012-11-29 Thread Matthew Zilmer

The power arrangement in my shack is similar to Jim's, with slightly different 
bits and pieces.

Battery: Optima 75AH AGM, model D31M;
Siemens SR50 x 2 - 100W of PV solar panels on roof;
Micro-M Plus charge controller, modified for 8A output;
Transfer switch, homebrew.  Selects Samlex 1235 PSU input or PV input as the 
charge source;
TGE battery booster set to 14.5VDC, to keep the K3's DC input in a good range.

I have the Optima battery in a plastic container, although spills with AGM are 
almost unhead-of.

Matt Zilmer W6NIA

-Original Message-
From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net 
[mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Wes Stewart
Sent: Thursday, November 29, 2012 8:35 AM
To: Elecraft Reflector; Jim Miller
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] [K3} AGM Battery recommendation for K3

Jim,

I can tell you what I'm very successfully using.

I have a Deka 95AH AGM battery that is on continuous charge via a homebrew 25A 
smart charger.  I also have a boost regulator to keep the supply voltage up 
to minimize TX IMD, even when the battery voltage is dropping during a power 
outage.

The charger uses a modified Astron 35A supply to provide the raw DC and pass 
transistors.  A slightly modified AA Engineering card delivers the smarts.  
Contrary to what some in this forum will tell you, this combination will not 
overcharge the battery, but will keep it fully charged even while transmitting 
at 100W, even during an RTTY contest.

My battery sits on the floor under the operating desk.

Wes

--- On Tue, 11/27/12, Jim Miller j...@jtmiller.com wrote:

From: Jim Miller j...@jtmiller.com
Subject: [Elecraft] [K3} AGM Battery recommendation for K3
To: Elecraft Reflector elecraft@mailman.qth.net
Date: Tuesday, November 27, 2012, 8:47 PM

I've decided I might get a battery for my K3 for occasional operation to chase 
QRM issues. As long as I'm getting it for reception I thought I might consider 
one which would prove useful for transmitting as well.

My shack is in the living area of our house with hardwood floors. I wouldn't 
be happy with an acid spill there. So I'm looking for battery size and type 
information and what sort of operating time I might expect with QRP and 100W 
levels (and anything in between...).

Also would like some recommendations for practical handling and charging to 
avoid issues. Charging would be from the AC line. No solar planned.

I'm pretty sure an AGM deep cycle battery is what I've seen recommended. What 
else should I look for?

All recommendations welcome.

73

Jim ab3cv
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[Elecraft] Please DO NOT leave alkaline batteries in your KX3, KX1, or K1 for any length of time

2012-11-29 Thread Wayne Burdick

Alkaline batteries can leak for various reasons, potentially damaging  
your radio. (Nothing like caustic potassium hydroxide to ruin your  
day.) Even if the batteries are new, remove them when you're not  
actually using them for portable operation. Check their condition  
periodically.


We saw a case of Alkaline-inflicted damage recently: a radio in which  
batteries had been left for many months. Not pretty.


Lithium nonrechargeable camera batteries and NiMH batteries *can* be  
left inside for extended periods, but even these more stable types  
should still be checked once a month.


73,
Wayne
N6KR

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[Elecraft] filters

2012-11-29 Thread John Veach

'Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Sub RX no work

 

Check your filter locations and make sure they are selected. As I recall
you must instal the filters in slot 1 then 2 then 3. In other words, no
skipping over slots.  

 

 

 

I have no filter in Slot 1 so that isn't the issue here. I do remember a
software glitch in the config program that Elecraft put out a fix for so
that one could configure without using slot 1.

 

John KE4D

 

John

Unit 38 Fort Clark Springs

Brackettville, TX

 

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Re: [Elecraft] Your thoughts on running SDR on a Mac

2012-11-29 Thread Charles Johnson

Another idea:

I am a registered Apple developer and was a beta tester for Parallels 8. If you 
are NOT running Windows 8, then Parallels 7 is the virtual platform of choice. 
It is still available from retailers at substantial discounts to version 8. 
Almost all of the changes incorporated into Parallels 8 were because of Windows 
8 compatibility. Version 7 of Parallels is much more stable, and runs Win XP, 
Vista  7 very nicely on most any Mac.

73, Charlie, K4ZRJ

 
On Nov 29, 2012, at 8:34 AM, Bayard Coolidge n...@yahoo.com wrote:

 I know nothing about SDR, and I own a K3, not a KX3.
 
 But I do have a 27 inch iMac running Mountain Lion, with Parallels 8 and
 Windows 7 64bit Home Premium installed.
 
 It was working beautifully with RMS Express, HRD, and the Elecraft utilities, 
 etc.
 ...until yesterday (or late Tuesday), when I swallowed the latest update to 
 Parallels
 (build 8.0.18345), which has a bug in it that prevents Windows 7 from being 
 able
 to see the USB/Serial FTDI-based cables/chips properly and messes up the 
 drivers.
 The issue has been raised to Parallels support and a fix is in the works, I 
 think. Someone
 just posted a workaround on their user forum indicating that installing the 
 FTDI driver
 on Mac OS X and creating a serial port on the VM will work, but it's limited 
 to two of them.
 
 So, basically, I can't control the K3 using its serial port, nor can I use my 
 Signalink USB,
 for the time being. Yes, I need to spend a few hours pawing through my Time 
 Machine
 backups to find the most recent working .pvm file, etc., but it's time I 
 don't have right now.
 
 I allocate one CPU core and 4GB of memory to the Parallels virtual machine, 
 and that's
 given me very good performance (when it works!). One criterion for me is the 
 time it
 takes HRD to switch modes between, say, PSK31 and RTTY-45 - there is a 
 pregnant pause
 of several seconds on my Acer netbook (32 bit Atom processor at 1.66GHz, 2GB 
 memory),
 but barely a blink on the iMac. Startup times for HRD and RMS Express are 
 also impressive.
 
 Personally, I would recommend you stick with a Windows 7-based solution for 
 your SDR
 work until Windows 8 has been shaken out a bit - when you start adding layers 
 of complexity
 like this, it becomes difficult to troubleshoot as there are likely multiple 
 problems/interactions.
 
 HTH,
 Brandy, N1HO
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[Elecraft] Firmware Bug and err key message

2012-11-29 Thread dc0ed

Hello,

I build my KX3 kit today, the newest firmware revision is installed and
there seem to be a strange firmware bug. The KXPD3 option is not installed
(and no other option) and only the antenna is connected to the KX3, nothing
else. When I set the MENU:CW KEY 1 to TIP=DASH or TIP=DOT and push the data
button the KX3 beginns immidiately to transmit and you can not switch it
back to receive, you have to switch the KX3 off. Also the menu layer is
directly affected, with this setting the menu ends at LCDTEST in the upward
direction and at ATU MD in the downward direction, it is not possible to see
any other menu item. When you reach the menu item LCDTEST or ATU MD you
can't leave the menu and you can't switch the menu item, the menu simply
hangs and you have to switch off the KX3 again.
This behavior completely disappears when I set the MENU:CW KEY 1 to HAND.
Very strange

Next problem: Every time when I switch the KX3 on, there is the err key
message in the display, but nothin but the antenna is connected to the KX3?
When there is a short the KX3 will tramsmit the hole time, or I'm wrong?

Many thanks in advance

73 Attila DC0ED



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Re: [Elecraft] Please DO NOT leave alkaline batteries in your KX3, KX1, or K1 for any length of time

2012-11-29 Thread W5RDW

I second that, from experience!

Left the batteries in my MFJ 259B Antenna Analyzer for just a short time and
will not do that again! What a mess. Some white looking pookie leaked out
on, fortunately, one end of the battery tray and did no harm. But if I had
left it there for months, I can imagine it would have been a big problem.



-
Roger W5RDW
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Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
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[Elecraft] KX3 and K3 on AGM batteries

2012-11-29 Thread Gary Gregory

Hi to the group.

I have been reading the recent postings on AGM battery use and some of the
set-ups being used seem a little odd to me.

I have in my Motorhome, 800W of solar panels @ 24V and a pair of 270aH AGM
batteries. I use 24vdc to 14vdc stepdown to power the K-Line and KX3/GS-3
screwdriver antenna.

Prior to installing the system I researched solar power regulated systems
and paid close attention to the controllers being used and looked at
battery longevity. Many folks I have met often stated their batteries were
not lasting for years and this was a common comment. So I set out to find
out why and what I uncovered was that there are controllers and controllers.

For anyone wanting to know more about what I ended up doing, feel free to
send me an email and I will send more information with brand/model numbers
and a wiring diagram on how it should be done to gain an 8 year life cycle
from AGM batteries and full control of your solar system with historical
data available so you can see over time just how your system is working.
You don't want to destroy expensive batteries I'm sure.

regards,

-- 
*Gary - VK1ZZ
Motorhome Portable
The Shack*
*Elecraft K3
P3 Panadapter
KPA500FT
KAT500FT**
KX3-K
*
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[Elecraft] KAT 500 hookup to IC 7600

2012-11-29 Thread K6USN

I have a new KAT 500 and wish to interface it with my KPA 500
amp and also my IC 7600.
The manual diagrams are a bit vague (for me).  Anyone help out?
Allen
Madison, WI
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Re: [Elecraft] Please DO NOT leave alkaline batteries in your KX3, KX1, or K1 for any length of time

2012-11-29 Thread hawley, charles j jr

I've had no issues with Energizers and used them for years. I have had spent 
button cells leak a little. It always seemed that charged cells were less 
likely to leak.


Sent from my iPad
Chuck, KE9UW 
(Jack for BMW motorcycles)

On Nov 29, 2012, at 11:15 AM, Wayne Burdick n...@elecraft.com wrote:

 Alkaline batteries can leak for various reasons, potentially damaging your 
 radio. (Nothing like caustic potassium hydroxide to ruin your day.) Even if 
 the batteries are new, remove them when you're not actually using them for 
 portable operation. Check their condition periodically.
 
 We saw a case of Alkaline-inflicted damage recently: a radio in which 
 batteries had been left for many months. Not pretty.
 
 Lithium nonrechargeable camera batteries and NiMH batteries *can* be left 
 inside for extended periods, but even these more stable types should still be 
 checked once a month.
 
 73,
 Wayne
 N6KR
 
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[Elecraft] WTB: Inrad 710L 6000Hz AM filter

2012-11-29 Thread Gary Smith

I'm looking for a Inrad 710L 8215 KHz 6000Hz AM filter for the K3. If 
anyone has one you're not using, please contact me off list.

Thanks,

Gary
KA1J
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Re: [Elecraft] Please DO NOT leave alkaline batteries in your KX3, KX1, or K1 for any length of time

2012-11-29 Thread Fred Jensen

I'd modify that to, Never leave ANY battery inside of your radio or 
test equipment. Li-ion's seem to be very stable, I haven't ever heard 
of a cell phone or laptop with a leakage problem.  Li-Poly's don't seem 
to leak but they do catch fire ... at least once.  Fortunately, I was 
out on the deck with my KX1 and the battery was external on a pigtail by 
which I picked it up and threw it over the rail onto our gravel 
driveway.  Lots of sparken und fizzen.


73,

Fred K6DGW
- Northern California Contest Club
- CU in the 2013 Cal QSO Party 5-6 Oct 2013
- www.cqp.org

On 11/29/2012 11:00 AM, W5RDW wrote:

I second that, from experience!

Left the batteries in my MFJ 259B Antenna Analyzer for just a short time and
will not do that again! What a mess. Some white looking pookie leaked out
on, fortunately, one end of the battery tray and did no harm. But if I had
left it there for months, I can imagine it would have been a big problem.



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Re: [Elecraft] KAT 500 hookup to IC 7600

Basically all you need to do is this:

Connect DC power to the KAT500

Connect our antenna(s) to the KAT500 (it defaults to Ant 1 and returns there
whenever you remove power)

Connect your IC7600 RF out to the KPA500 RF INPUT (probably is already ;-)

Remove the PA Key input to the KPA500 and connect it to one of the two
RCA-type PTT RLY jacks on the back of the KAT500 (and no, I have no idea why
Elecraft calls KEY in one place and PTT RLY in another ;-) As you probably
know, the center and shield in that cable must be shorted together to enable
the KPA500. Otherwise, KPA500 is inhibited. This wiring puts the KAT500 in
that circuit. A relay inside the KAT500 opens the circuit so the KPA500
cannot be enabled when the KAT500 is tuning. That prevents hot-switching
while high level RF power is applied which can damage the KAT500 and cause
the KPA500 to fault. 

That does it. 

Now, the KAT500 does have a TUNE input for those who have Icom rigs using
the AH-4 protocol. You'll need to dig into your IC7600 manual for details
about hooking that up, but it's optional. 

Note that the KAT500, like the KPA500, senses the RF drive power frequency
and changes bands accordingly. Furthermore, the KAT500 switches to the
settings for various frequency segments within each band since many antennas
are not broad-banded enough for one tuner setting to be optimum for the
entire Ham band - particularly on the lower frequency bands. This makes
resetting almost instantaneously once you have done a TUNE operation and the
KAT500 has memorized the antenna selected and the L and C values for each
frequency segment. But you *must* apply RF for the KAT500 to change to the
new band and frequency segment. Usually a single 'dit' is all you need send
and the KAT500 is instantly on frequency and ready for power. 

73, Ron AC7AC





-Original Message-
From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net
[mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of k6...@aol.com
Sent: Thursday, November 29, 2012 12:03 PM
To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net
Subject: [Elecraft] KAT 500 hookup to IC 7600

I have a new KAT 500 and wish to interface it with my KPA 500 amp and also
my IC 7600.
The manual diagrams are a bit vague (for me).  Anyone help out?
Allen
Madison, WI
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[Elecraft] [KX3] [KXBC3] Fresh Charge Depleted

2012-11-29 Thread Gary Marklund

I just installed the KXBC3 in my KX3 SN 460. The batteries are Sanyo
Eneloop XX 2400 mAH rechargeable NiMH batteries. I had charged them one
time before installing on a NiMH specific charger. There was maybe a few
hours of use on them. They were run down to the point where the rig shut
down. As soon as I installed them in the KXBC3, I did a 4 hour charge to
top them off. They indicated a full charge when I was done. I turned on the
KX3 and the battery indicator showed a full charge but began an immediate
slow discharge. Within a few minutes they hit the 8.5 V limit and the rig
shut down. I've read and re-read the manual but do not see anything that
I've done wrong. I've been running the KX3 on SLA batteries with no issues.

Suggestions, Please!

73,

Gary KJ7RT
Sun City, AZ
Fists #14460  NAQCC #3709
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Re: [Elecraft] Please DO NOT leave alkaline batteries in your KX3, KX1, or K1 for any length of time

2012-11-29 Thread Bob

If you do go and leave alkaline cells in a device hopefully they were a major 
brand.  They will stand behind their batteries against leakage. For instance 
Duracell will repair or replace an item damaged by their batteries.  Here:


http://www.duracell.com/en-US/battery-care-disposal.jspx

Years ago they made good on a damaged Garmin GPSIII and also damaged flashlights 
were replaced with a better one than was sent in. Worth spending a little 
premium per cell.


73,
Bob
K2TK  EX KN2TKR (1956)  K2TKR



On 11/29/2012 3:17 PM, hawley, charles j jr wrote:

I've had no issues with Energizers and used them for years. I have had spent 
button cells leak a little. It always seemed that charged cells were less 
likely to leak.


Sent from my iPad
Chuck, KE9UW
(Jack for BMW motorcycles)

On Nov 29, 2012, at 11:15 AM, Wayne Burdick n...@elecraft.com wrote:


Alkaline batteries can leak for various reasons, potentially damaging your 
radio. (Nothing like caustic potassium hydroxide to ruin your day.) Even if the 
batteries are new, remove them when you're not actually using them for portable 
operation. Check their condition periodically.

We saw a case of Alkaline-inflicted damage recently: a radio in which batteries 
had been left for many months. Not pretty.

Lithium nonrechargeable camera batteries and NiMH batteries *can* be left 
inside for extended periods, but even these more stable types should still be 
checked once a month.

73,
Wayne
N6KR



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Re: [Elecraft] [KX3] [KXBC3] Fresh Charge Depleted

You didn't charge them long enough Gary. 

Battery voltage is not a good indicator of the state of charge. 

You indicated that they were discharged and that they are 2400 mAH
batteries. As the manual says, Charging Time = 1.2X(MAH rating)/200. So your
batteries needed 14.4 hours to charge up. Set your charger for 16 hours.
(see Determining the Charging Time in your manual)

73, Ron AC7AC



-Original Message-
From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net
[mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Gary Marklund
Sent: Thursday, November 29, 2012 1:07 PM
To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net
Subject: [Elecraft] [KX3] [KXBC3] Fresh Charge Depleted

I just installed the KXBC3 in my KX3 SN 460. The batteries are Sanyo Eneloop
XX 2400 mAH rechargeable NiMH batteries. I had charged them one time before
installing on a NiMH specific charger. There was maybe a few hours of use on
them. They were run down to the point where the rig shut down. As soon as I
installed them in the KXBC3, I did a 4 hour charge to top them off. They
indicated a full charge when I was done. I turned on the
KX3 and the battery indicator showed a full charge but began an immediate
slow discharge. Within a few minutes they hit the 8.5 V limit and the rig
shut down. I've read and re-read the manual but do not see anything that
I've done wrong. I've been running the KX3 on SLA batteries with no issues.

Suggestions, Please!

73,

Gary KJ7RT
Sun City, AZ
Fists #14460  NAQCC #3709
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Re: [Elecraft] [KX3] [KXBC3] Fresh Charge Depleted

2012-11-29 Thread Gary Marklund

Thanks to all that replied, both to the list and privately. It looks as
though I misunderstood how long a charge was required. I have set it back
up to charge for 16 hours. Hopefully that will solve the problem. The
batteries worked fine from their initial charge so I think all will be well.

73,

Gary KJ7RT
Sun City, AZ
Fists #14460  NAQCC #3709



On Thu, Nov 29, 2012 at 2:06 PM, Gary Marklund gary.kj...@gmail.com wrote:

 I just installed the KXBC3 in my KX3 SN 460. The batteries are Sanyo
 Eneloop XX 2400 mAH rechargeable NiMH batteries. I had charged them one
 time before installing on a NiMH specific charger. There was maybe a few
 hours of use on them. They were run down to the point where the rig shut
 down. As soon as I installed them in the KXBC3, I did a 4 hour charge to
 top them off. They indicated a full charge when I was done. I turned on the
 KX3 and the battery indicator showed a full charge but began an immediate
 slow discharge. Within a few minutes they hit the 8.5 V limit and the rig
 shut down. I've read and re-read the manual but do not see anything that
 I've done wrong. I've been running the KX3 on SLA batteries with no issues.

 Suggestions, Please!

 73,

 Gary KJ7RT
 Sun City, AZ
 Fists #14460  NAQCC #3709


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Re: [Elecraft] Why did I purchase this antenna for the KX3?

2012-11-29 Thread Philip G0ISW

You may be surprised with the results.

My Miracle Whip antenna was used by me extensively on holiday in France with
a Yaesu FT-817 and I was working all over Europe on it with 5 Watts on SSB
speech.

My best DX with the Miracle whip was indoors from home on 14 MHz when I
worked Venezuela in South America again with 5 Watts SSB speech.

Hope that encourages you to use it.

73 de Philip G0ISW

http://www.qsl.net/g0isw





--
View this message in context: 
http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/Why-did-I-purchase-this-antenna-for-the-KX3-tp7346180p7566453.html
Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
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Re: [Elecraft] Please DO NOT leave alkaline batteries in your KX3, KX1, or K1 for any length of time

2012-11-29 Thread W5RDW

ke9uw wrote
 I've had no issues with Energizers and used them for years
 Chuck, KE9UW

These were Energizers that leaked! 

I just take them out now and go thru the pain of the install later.



-
Roger W5RDW
--
View this message in context: 
http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/Please-DO-NOT-leave-alkaline-batteries-in-your-KX3-KX1-or-K1-for-any-length-of-time-tp7566438p7566454.html
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Re: [Elecraft] Why did I purchase this antenna for the KX3?



I sincerely hope nobody takes you seriously.  It may radiate something, 
but the manufacturer's claims for this antenna are simply ridiculous.


Dave   AB7E



On 11/29/2012 3:07 PM, Philip G0ISW wrote:

You may be surprised with the results.

My Miracle Whip antenna was used by me extensively on holiday in France with
a Yaesu FT-817 and I was working all over Europe on it with 5 Watts on SSB
speech.

My best DX with the Miracle whip was indoors from home on 14 MHz when I
worked Venezuela in South America again with 5 Watts SSB speech.

Hope that encourages you to use it.

73 de Philip G0ISW

http://www.qsl.net/g0isw





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Re: [Elecraft] Why did I purchase this antenna for the KX3?

2012-11-29 Thread Mel Farrer

Didn't I see an allband DC to Daylight portable antenna for sale in the 
60-70's.  It did infact radiate, but oh my the eff numbers were that of a dummy 
load.  You can't fool mother nature and physics.
 
Mel

--- On Thu, 11/29/12, David Gilbert xda...@cis-broadband.com wrote:


From: David Gilbert xda...@cis-broadband.com
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Why did I purchase this antenna for the KX3?
To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net
Date: Thursday, November 29, 2012, 2:25 PM



I sincerely hope nobody takes you seriously.  It may radiate something, 
but the manufacturer's claims for this antenna are simply ridiculous.

Dave   AB7E



On 11/29/2012 3:07 PM, Philip G0ISW wrote:
 You may be surprised with the results.

 My Miracle Whip antenna was used by me extensively on holiday in France with
 a Yaesu FT-817 and I was working all over Europe on it with 5 Watts on SSB
 speech.

 My best DX with the Miracle whip was indoors from home on 14 MHz when I
 worked Venezuela in South America again with 5 Watts SSB speech.

 Hope that encourages you to use it.

 73 de Philip G0ISW

 http://www.qsl.net/g0isw




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Re: [Elecraft] Please DO NOT leave alkaline batteries in your KX3, KX1, or K1 for any length of time

My MFJ-259B has NiMH batteries, and I set the internal plug to trickle 
charge them.
Most of the time, it just sits in its place on the bench, connected to a 
12 volt wall-wart to keep them topped up.  No problem after 3 years.  
Yes, the same set of batteries have been used that way.  The capacity of 
the batteries may have reduced over time, but they are still sufficient 
for my needs (an hour or less in the antenna field).
When those batteries no longer fill that need, I will put in new NiMH, I 
have already gotten my money's worth out of them.


73,
Don W3FPR

On 11/29/2012 5:19 PM, W5RDW wrote:

ke9uw wrote

I've had no issues with Energizers and used them for years
Chuck, KE9UW

These were Energizers that leaked!

I just take them out now and go thru the pain of the install later.




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Re: [Elecraft] Why did I purchase this antenna for the KX3?

2012-11-29 Thread KQ8M

Actually there was a loop advertised and reviewed by QST as an antenna that 
works and had a very good flat SWR. Turns out it had a
50ohm resistor across the connector sealed inside.

73,
Tim Herrick, KQ8M
Charter Member North Coast Contesters
k...@kq8m.com

AR-Cluster V6 kq8m.no-ip.org
User Ports: 23, 7373  with local skimmer, 7374 without local skimmer
Server Ports: V6 3607, V4 Active 3605, V4 Passive 3606


-Original Message-
From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net 
[mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Mel Farrer
Sent: Thursday, November 29, 2012 5:38 PM
To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net; David Gilbert
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Why did I purchase this antenna for the KX3?

Didn't I see an allband DC to Daylight portable antenna for sale in the 
60-70's.  It did infact radiate, but oh my the eff numbers
were that of a dummy load.  You can't fool mother nature and physics.
 
Mel

--- On Thu, 11/29/12, David Gilbert xda...@cis-broadband.com wrote:


From: David Gilbert xda...@cis-broadband.com
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Why did I purchase this antenna for the KX3?
To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net
Date: Thursday, November 29, 2012, 2:25 PM



I sincerely hope nobody takes you seriously.  It may radiate something, 
but the manufacturer's claims for this antenna are simply ridiculous.

Dave   AB7E



On 11/29/2012 3:07 PM, Philip G0ISW wrote:
 You may be surprised with the results.

 My Miracle Whip antenna was used by me extensively on holiday in France with
 a Yaesu FT-817 and I was working all over Europe on it with 5 Watts on SSB
 speech.

 My best DX with the Miracle whip was indoors from home on 14 MHz when I
 worked Venezuela in South America again with 5 Watts SSB speech.

 Hope that encourages you to use it.

 73 de Philip G0ISW

 http://www.qsl.net/g0isw




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Re: [Elecraft] Please DO NOT leave alkaline batteries in your KX3, KX1, or K1 for any length of time

2012-11-29 Thread Bob Stephens

I keep Sanyo Eneloops in my MFJ269. They have been in there for about 6 months
and the unit spends most of its time stored in the cabinet. I took it out last
weekend and it still showed a good charge, was used for about 1/2 hour tuning
an antenna, and then put back in the cabinet showing a full charge. The
Eneloops are working fine for me.

73 de AF9W
Bob Stephens

On Nov 29, 2012, at 2:52 PM, stan levandowski wrote:

Timely post, Roger! I just went down and checked my MFJ 259B and two of the
cells were leaking white stuff. No damage was done. Thanks much!

The cells were the common black-and-gold Duracells.

The MFJ-259B is a tough piece of gear to have not ready at all times. Most
of the time it just sits on the bench. But when you need it, you need it NOW
and it's a PITA to have to find a small Phillips to back out the two screws
and load up the cells. This is the trap I fell into. Those batteries have
been in there for at least three years ;)

I think I'll locate - or fabricate- some thumbscrews (like the KXPD3) so I
can more rapidly remove the access cover and lessen the temptation to leave
cells in there.

73, Stan WB2LQF

On Thu, Nov 29, 2012 at 2:00 PM, W5RDW wrote:

I second that, from experience!

Left the batteries in my MFJ 259B Antenna Analyzer for just a short time and
will not do that again! What a mess. Some white looking pookie leaked out
on, fortunately, one end of the battery tray and did no harm. But if I had
left it there for months, I can imagine it would have been a big problem.

-
Roger W5RDW
--
View this message in context:
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[Elecraft] KAT-500-K #0233 arrives

2012-11-29 Thread Sam Morgan


The long wait is ended, KAT500-K #0233 arrived today.
/me does happy dance  --not a pretty picture)  ;-)
--

GB  73
K5OAI
Sam Morgan
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Re: [Elecraft] Please DO NOT leave alkaline batteries in your KX3, KX1, or K1 for any length of time

2012-11-29 Thread hawley, charles j jr

Bummer...were they still charged or not? 
I do pull them out if they are mostly discharged or near the end of date.

Chuck, KE9UW
Lionel Trains, TCA, LCCA, LRRC
aka Jack, BMW Motorcycles BMWMOA #224


From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net [elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] on 
behalf of W5RDW [rwhitete...@verizon.net]
Sent: Thursday, November 29, 2012 4:19 PM
To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Please DO NOT leave alkaline batteries in your KX3, 
KX1, or K1 for any length of time

ke9uw wrote
 I've had no issues with Energizers and used them for years
 Chuck, KE9UW

These were Energizers that leaked!

I just take them out now and go thru the pain of the install later.



-
Roger W5RDW
--
View this message in context: 
http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/Please-DO-NOT-leave-alkaline-batteries-in-your-KX3-KX1-or-K1-for-any-length-of-time-tp7566438p7566454.html
Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
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Re: [Elecraft] Please DO NOT leave alkaline batteries in your KX3, KX1, or K1 for any length of time

2012-11-29 Thread Dave Lankshear

Another thing to check is the batteries in the remote controllers that
proliferate in homes these days.

 

I've had so many leakages from Energizer batteries that I won't have them in
the house.  They, too, claimed to provide a replacement or refund for any
item damaged by leakage, in the very, very small print.  I tested this and
began to think I'd taken up a new hobby.  They made the claim such hard work
that it made me more and more determined to win.  Each time I received a
payment, it was for less than they had agreed.  It took them 6 attempts to
cough up with the agreed sum.

 

It's sound advice from Wayne. Batteries are just waiting to leak in your
irreplaceable items.

 

Perhaps the KX4 would have a removable, slot-in battery pack Hi!

 

73 Dave G3TJP

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Re: [Elecraft] Why did I purchase this antenna for the KX3?

2012-11-29 Thread Bill K9YEQ

Mel,  

My favorite antenna is a 10W 50 Ohm resistor.  I can contact my other
stations in the shack :-).  Then I use my full dipoles and loop for all the
other outside the shack contacts.  They work extremely well.  For portable I
do resort to shortened antennas, the best being those non resonant with good
counter-poises and last but my favorites so far:  loaded whips.  I have a
project on the side to develop a portable whip, super lightweight, to mount
directly to the KX3.  Too little time, too much work.

73,
Bill
K9YEQ


-Original Message-
From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net
[mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Mel Farrer
Sent: Thursday, November 29, 2012 4:38 PM
To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net; David Gilbert
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Why did I purchase this antenna for the KX3?

Didn't I see an allband DC to Daylight portable antenna for sale in the
60-70's.  It did infact radiate, but oh my the eff numbers were that of a
dummy load.  You can't fool mother nature and physics.
 
Mel

--- On Thu, 11/29/12, David Gilbert xda...@cis-broadband.com wrote:


From: David Gilbert xda...@cis-broadband.com
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Why did I purchase this antenna for the KX3?
To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net
Date: Thursday, November 29, 2012, 2:25 PM



I sincerely hope nobody takes you seriously.  It may radiate something, but
the manufacturer's claims for this antenna are simply ridiculous.

Dave   AB7E



On 11/29/2012 3:07 PM, Philip G0ISW wrote:
 You may be surprised with the results.

 My Miracle Whip antenna was used by me extensively on holiday in 
 France with a Yaesu FT-817 and I was working all over Europe on it 
 with 5 Watts on SSB speech.

 My best DX with the Miracle whip was indoors from home on 14 MHz when 
 I worked Venezuela in South America again with 5 Watts SSB speech.

 Hope that encourages you to use it.

 73 de Philip G0ISW

 http://www.qsl.net/g0isw





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Re: [Elecraft] Please DO NOT leave alkaline batteries in your KX3, KX1, or K1 for any length of time

2012-11-29 Thread Benjamin Garcia

How about NiMH? 

-- 
Ben
W6MCM
Sent with Sparrow (http://www.sparrowmailapp.com/?sig)


On Thursday, November 29, 2012 at 15:24, Dave Lankshear wrote:

 Another thing to check is the batteries in the remote controllers that
 proliferate in homes these days.
 
 
 I've had so many leakages from Energizer batteries that I won't have them in
 the house. They, too, claimed to provide a replacement or refund for any
 item damaged by leakage, in the very, very small print. I tested this and
 began to think I'd taken up a new hobby. They made the claim such hard work
 that it made me more and more determined to win. Each time I received a
 payment, it was for less than they had agreed. It took them 6 attempts to
 cough up with the agreed sum.
 
 
 It's sound advice from Wayne. Batteries are just waiting to leak in your
 irreplaceable items.
 
 
 Perhaps the KX4 would have a removable, slot-in battery pack Hi!
 
 
 73 Dave G3TJP
 
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[Elecraft] KAT500-K #257 is ALIVE!

2012-11-29 Thread Rick Bates

Shipped and received in UNDER 24 hours, YAY UPS Ground and Elecraft!

 

Assembled carefully in about 90 minutes and is already installed into the
station.

 

Happy, now I can heat up some wire with the KPA500.  ;o)

 

Rick wa6nhc

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Re: [Elecraft] Why did I purchase this antenna for the KX3?

2012-11-29 Thread Andrew Moore

Good for you Philip - and I hope what they take away from this is that you
can gain loads of enjoyment from seemingly minimalist setups.

That's the thrill of QRP: Doing more with less, and sometimes intentionally
putting limits on the gear to see just what you can do with almost nothing.
For many, it amplifies the fun factor.

No disrespect to QRO and bigger/better antennas... they're great too.

73,
--Andrew, NV1B
maineware.net
..

On Thu, Nov 29, 2012 at 5:25 PM, David Gilbert xda...@cis-broadband.comwrote:


 I sincerely hope nobody takes you seriously.  It may radiate something,
 but the manufacturer's claims for this antenna are simply ridiculous.

 Dave   AB7E




 On 11/29/2012 3:07 PM, Philip G0ISW wrote:

 You may be surprised with the results.

 My Miracle Whip antenna was used by me extensively on holiday in France
 with
 a Yaesu FT-817 and I was working all over Europe on it with 5 Watts on SSB
 speech.

 My best DX with the Miracle whip was indoors from home on 14 MHz when I
 worked Venezuela in South America again with 5 Watts SSB speech.

 Hope that encourages you to use it.

 73 de Philip G0ISW

 http://www.qsl.net/g0isw


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Re: [Elecraft] Please DO NOT leave alkaline batteries in your KX3, KX1, or K1 for any length of time

2012-11-29 Thread Bill Frantz

I have the bad habit of leaving batteries in equipment, 
sometimes for years. I have developed some skill in removing the 
residue and getting the equipment going again, all the time 
kicking myself for being stupid.


I have not had leakage problems with rechargeable batteries 
including NIMH. I have had problems with button cells and 
primary cells (non-rechargeable). YMMV


Cheers - Bill, AE6JV

On 11/29/12 at 4:10 PM, archie...@gmail.com (Benjamin Garcia) wrote:


How about NiMH?

---
Bill Frantz| Privacy is dead, get over| Periwinkle
(408)356-8506  | it.  | 16345 
Englewood Ave
www.pwpconsult.com |  - Scott McNealy | Los Gatos, 
CA 95032


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Re: [Elecraft] Why did I purchase this antenna for the KX3?



I personally would not call paying $130 for a base loaded five foot whip 
without a counterpoise to be a minimalist approach, but to each his 
own.  If you want to intentionally put limits on the gear it would be 
far cheaper (as well as more effective) to hang simply an appropriate 
length of #24 wire on the wall with masking tape.


And I still say that the manufacturer's claims are ridiculous ... read 
them yourself if you don't believe me.


Dave   AB7E



On 11/29/2012 5:36 PM, Andrew Moore wrote:

Good for you Philip - and I hope what they take away from this is that you
can gain loads of enjoyment from seemingly minimalist setups.

That's the thrill of QRP: Doing more with less, and sometimes intentionally
putting limits on the gear to see just what you can do with almost nothing.
For many, it amplifies the fun factor.

No disrespect to QRO and bigger/better antennas... they're great too.

73,
--Andrew, NV1B
maineware.net
..

On Thu, Nov 29, 2012 at 5:25 PM, David Gilbert xda...@cis-broadband.comwrote:


I sincerely hope nobody takes you seriously.  It may radiate something,
but the manufacturer's claims for this antenna are simply ridiculous.

Dave   AB7E




On 11/29/2012 3:07 PM, Philip G0ISW wrote:


You may be surprised with the results.

My Miracle Whip antenna was used by me extensively on holiday in France
with
a Yaesu FT-817 and I was working all over Europe on it with 5 Watts on SSB
speech.

My best DX with the Miracle whip was indoors from home on 14 MHz when I
worked Venezuela in South America again with 5 Watts SSB speech.

Hope that encourages you to use it.

73 de Philip G0ISW

http://www.qsl.net/g0isw



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Re: [Elecraft] Why did I purchase this antenna for the KX3?

2012-11-29 Thread Robert Vargas (KP4Y)

Philip, thanks for sharing your experience with the Miracle Whip. I currently 
live in an apartment and I felt really encouraged by your story.

73,
Robert-KP4Y
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Re: [Elecraft] Why did I purchase this antenna for the KX3?

2012-11-29 Thread Robert Vargas (KP4Y)

Of course, the #24 wire taped to a wall in my apartment would be cheaper and my 
XYL would love it. ;-) 

73,
Robert-KP4Y

David Gilbert xda...@cis-broadband.com wrote:


I personally would not call paying $130 for a base loaded five foot whip 
without a counterpoise to be a minimalist approach, but to each his 
own.  If you want to intentionally put limits on the gear it would be 
far cheaper (as well as more effective) to hang simply an appropriate 
length of #24 wire on the wall with masking tape.

And I still say that the manufacturer's claims are ridiculous ... read 
them yourself if you don't believe me.

Dave   AB7E



On 11/29/2012 5:36 PM, Andrew Moore wrote:
 Good for you Philip - and I hope what they take away from this is that you
 can gain loads of enjoyment from seemingly minimalist setups.

 That's the thrill of QRP: Doing more with less, and sometimes intentionally
 putting limits on the gear to see just what you can do with almost nothing.
 For many, it amplifies the fun factor.

 No disrespect to QRO and bigger/better antennas... they're great too.

 73,
 --Andrew, NV1B
 maineware.net
 ..

 On Thu, Nov 29, 2012 at 5:25 PM, David Gilbert 
 xda...@cis-broadband.comwrote:

 I sincerely hope nobody takes you seriously.  It may radiate something,
 but the manufacturer's claims for this antenna are simply ridiculous.

 Dave   AB7E




 On 11/29/2012 3:07 PM, Philip G0ISW wrote:

 You may be surprised with the results.

 My Miracle Whip antenna was used by me extensively on holiday in France
 with
 a Yaesu FT-817 and I was working all over Europe on it with 5 Watts on SSB
 speech.

 My best DX with the Miracle whip was indoors from home on 14 MHz when I
 worked Venezuela in South America again with 5 Watts SSB speech.

 Hope that encourages you to use it.

 73 de Philip G0ISW

 http://www.qsl.net/g0isw


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Re: [Elecraft] Why did I purchase this antenna for the KX3?

2012-11-29 Thread Andrew Moore

I have no idea what this Miracle Whip is  or what it cost, but if
Philip gained that much enjoyment from it and encouraged others,
sounds like he wins.

--Andrew

On Nov 29, 2012, at 9:16 PM, David Gilbert xda...@cis-broadband.com wrote:


 I personally would not call paying $130 for a base loaded five foot whip 
 without a counterpoise to be a minimalist approach, but to each his own.  
 If you want to intentionally put limits on the gear it would be far cheaper 
 (as well as more effective) to hang simply an appropriate length of #24 wire 
 on the wall with masking tape.

 And I still say that the manufacturer's claims are ridiculous ... read them 
 yourself if you don't believe me.

 Dave   AB7E



 On 11/29/2012 5:36 PM, Andrew Moore wrote:
 Good for you Philip - and I hope what they take away from this is that you
 can gain loads of enjoyment from seemingly minimalist setups.

 That's the thrill of QRP: Doing more with less, and sometimes intentionally
 putting limits on the gear to see just what you can do with almost nothing.
 For many, it amplifies the fun factor.

 No disrespect to QRO and bigger/better antennas... they're great too.

 73,
 --Andrew, NV1B
 maineware.net
 ..

 On Thu, Nov 29, 2012 at 5:25 PM, David Gilbert 
 xda...@cis-broadband.comwrote:

 I sincerely hope nobody takes you seriously.  It may radiate something,
 but the manufacturer's claims for this antenna are simply ridiculous.

 Dave   AB7E




 On 11/29/2012 3:07 PM, Philip G0ISW wrote:

 You may be surprised with the results.

 My Miracle Whip antenna was used by me extensively on holiday in France
 with
 a Yaesu FT-817 and I was working all over Europe on it with 5 Watts on SSB
 speech.

 My best DX with the Miracle whip was indoors from home on 14 MHz when I
 worked Venezuela in South America again with 5 Watts SSB speech.

 Hope that encourages you to use it.

 73 de Philip G0ISW

 http://www.qsl.net/g0isw
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Re: [Elecraft] Why did I purchase this antenna for the KX3?

2012-11-29 Thread Andrew Moore

(what mfr claims is irrelevant to me)




On Nov 29, 2012, at 9:16 PM, David Gilbert xda...@cis-broadband.com wrote:


 I personally would not call paying $130 for a base loaded five foot whip 
 without a counterpoise to be a minimalist approach, but to each his own.  
 If you want to intentionally put limits on the gear it would be far cheaper 
 (as well as more effective) to hang simply an appropriate length of #24 wire 
 on the wall with masking tape.

 And I still say that the manufacturer's claims are ridiculous ... read them 
 yourself if you don't believe me.

 Dave   AB7E



 On 11/29/2012 5:36 PM, Andrew Moore wrote:
 Good for you Philip - and I hope what they take away from this is that you
 can gain loads of enjoyment from seemingly minimalist setups.

 That's the thrill of QRP: Doing more with less, and sometimes intentionally
 putting limits on the gear to see just what you can do with almost nothing.
 For many, it amplifies the fun factor.

 No disrespect to QRO and bigger/better antennas... they're great too.

 73,
 --Andrew, NV1B
 maineware.net
 ..

 On Thu, Nov 29, 2012 at 5:25 PM, David Gilbert 
 xda...@cis-broadband.comwrote:

 I sincerely hope nobody takes you seriously.  It may radiate something,
 but the manufacturer's claims for this antenna are simply ridiculous.

 Dave   AB7E




 On 11/29/2012 3:07 PM, Philip G0ISW wrote:

 You may be surprised with the results.

 My Miracle Whip antenna was used by me extensively on holiday in France
 with
 a Yaesu FT-817 and I was working all over Europe on it with 5 Watts on SSB
 speech.

 My best DX with the Miracle whip was indoors from home on 14 MHz when I
 worked Venezuela in South America again with 5 Watts SSB speech.

 Hope that encourages you to use it.

 73 de Philip G0ISW

 http://www.qsl.net/g0isw
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[Elecraft] K2 Output issues in Tune

2012-11-29 Thread N9AUP

My K2 (#7235) recently started to have intermittent issues with power output
in tune.  Sometimes I get the power I set for a given band and sometimes I
don't.  Just now, if I set the level at 10 watts for each band, they all
work as expected (with a little dithering in the 10ths position) when I
press Tune except for 80 meters where I get 5 watts and 10 meters where I
get 8 watts.  This morning I got 2.5 watts in 80 meters and returned later
to find it spot on at 10 watts.  In each case, mode was CW and the vfo set
for the cw section for each band.  Usually, if a band shows low power and I
hold tune in for 5 seconds the output level will climb up roughly a watt.  I
first discovered the issue last week when 15 meters went bonkers with the
forward power waving up and down quite rapidly.  I immediately stopped,
changed bands, saw normal behavior then went back to 15 meters and it was
right where I had set it.  At that point, all bands were ok and no further
problems were observed.  Yesterday, things were as described above.

I have been testing with cables running from the rig through the SWR meter
and into the station dummy.  I did try an alternative dummy and checked the
cables as well.

If all bands acted the same, I'd be looking for a bias issue.  Could there
be something wrong in the relays?

George
N9AUP



--
View this message in context: 
http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/K2-Output-issues-in-Tune-tp7566472.html
Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
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[Elecraft] AGMs

2012-11-29 Thread John's email

Gary, I put AGMs in my RV in 2003. I rewired the coach so all circuits except 
the ac units ran off of my inverter. I ran my computer and a number of radios 
including my first K2 off of that not true sine wave inverter powered by my 
AGMs until 2011. I figured 8 years was pretty good on those $180 each 
batteries. ( I have 350 watts of solar panels). When I attempted to replace 
those AGMs in 2011 I found that the price had doubled. I can't justify $1200 
for four batteries on a 13 year old coach. Since we are not fulltimers anymore 
I just went back to flooded lead acid. However I still have the same inverter 
and intend to run my K3 with it. Besides, with the $800 I saved by not buying 
new AGMs I can buy more Elecraft stuff. 
FYI, several of my fulltimer buddies are closing in on 10 years of life with 
their AGMs.  We all had or have Lifeline batteries. 

John ke4d. 

Sent from my iPad
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Re: [Elecraft] Why did I purchase this antenna for the KX3?

Regardless of any particular user's success or failures, please indicate 
the gain (or loss) with respect to an isotropic radiator (or a resonant 
dipole in its greatest gain forward position).


I have heard claims of success with the Miracle Whip, and have seen a 
lot of it is a miracle that it radiates any signal at all comments - I 
am not moved by such claims (that also applies to many other antenna 
manufacturers making similar statements) - show me the antenna patterns 
and the reference levels with respect to either a dipole or an isotropic 
radiator.


There are a lot of manufacturer's statements similar to this antenna 
has worked DXCC in less that 24 hours or something similar.  I do not 
pay much attention to such claims, a $2 hunk of wire can be used to make 
those contacts too.


BUT, if whatever particular portable antenna you choose is sufficiently 
efficient for you, who am I to argue with your choice. My portable 
preference is an inverted VEE supported with my 32 foot telescoping 
fiberglass pole - it is either a full size resonant dipole on 80 through 
6 meters (band set by jumpers), or it is a 44 foot dipole that needs a 
tuner.  I use both depending on my mood and the physical circumstances.  
This is not pedestrian mobile, but then PM is not of current interest to me.


73,
Don W3FPR

On 11/29/2012 9:37 PM, Andrew Moore wrote:

I have no idea what this Miracle Whip is  or what it cost, but if
Philip gained that much enjoyment from it and encouraged others,
sounds like he wins.

--Andrew

On Nov 29, 2012, at 9:16 PM, David Gilbert xda...@cis-broadband.com wrote:



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Re: [Elecraft] Your thoughts on running SDR on a Mac

2012-11-29 Thread Bayard Coolidge

I was able to work around the issue by viewing Parallels' Knowledge Base 
article #114449 at
http://kb.parallels.com/en/114449

which is entitled Parallels Desktop 7 for Mac does not start after upgrade to 
OS X Mountain Lion
and discusses the fact that users needed to get an updated version of Desktop 7 
to run under ML,
and provided a clickable link. I downloaded and 
installed ParallelsDesktop-7.0.15107.796624.dmg,
and it brought up my Windows 7 Home Premium installation very nicely. I tweaked 
a couple of
parameters (i.e., pointed it to the USB/Serial adapter), rebooted Windows, and 
then check its
settings. I then tested it by first bringing up the Elecraft K3 Utility, 
discovering in the process that
the new K3 firmware had been released. That was successful as far as I can tell 
- I haven't explored
all of the firmware changes/features yet, but the radio still works. I then 
brought up Ham Radio DeLuxe,
adjusted it to point to the new COM port and the USB Audio port, and it 
appears to work fine.
Finally, I did the same with RMS Express and tested it with a WINMOR 
connection, and it's fine.

I don't know if there is a later build of 7.0 out there, nor do I particularly 
care at this point. I can
only hope that further investigation will glean what updates within the 
Parallels 7 release stream
are available, what their designations are, and whether I can selectively 
update without having to
be nagged about migrating to Parallels 8.

Bottom line appears to be that users of Windows 7 should NOT migrate to 
Parallels 8 unless/until
they are actually going to immediately migrate to Windows 8 as well. Obviously, 
some extensive
research of the vendor documentation, and full backups of the current working 
environment,
will be needed.

My thanks to everyone with whom I've exchanged e-mail both on and off the list 
about this issue.



 From: Charles Johnson cbjk4...@gmail.com
To: Bayard Coolidge n...@yahoo.com 
Cc: Mike Weir ve3...@hotmail.com; elecraft@mailman.qth.net 
elecraft@mailman.qth.net 
Sent: Thursday, November 29, 2012 1:00 PM
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Your thoughts on running SDR on a Mac
 
Another idea:

I am a registered Apple developer and was a beta tester for Parallels 8. If you 
are NOT running Windows 8, then Parallels 7 is the virtual platform of choice. 
It is still available from retailers at substantial discounts to version 8. 
Almost all of the changes incorporated into Parallels 8 were because of Windows 
8 compatibility. Version 7 of Parallels is much more stable, and runs Win XP, 
Vista  7 very nicely on most any Mac.

73, Charlie, K4ZRJ


On Nov 29, 2012, at 8:34 AM, Bayard Coolidge n...@yahoo.com wrote:

 I know nothing about SDR, and I own a K3, not a KX3.
 
 But I do have a 27 inch iMac running Mountain Lion, with Parallels 8 and
 Windows 7 64bit Home Premium installed.
 
 It was working beautifully with RMS Express, HRD, and the Elecraft utilities, 
 etc.
 ...until yesterday (or late Tuesday), when I swallowed the latest update to 
 Parallels
 (build 8.0.18345), which has a bug in it that prevents Windows 7 from being 
 able
 to see the USB/Serial FTDI-based cables/chips properly and messes up the 
 drivers.
 The issue has been raised to Parallels support and a fix is in the works, I 
 think. Someone
 just posted a workaround on their user forum indicating that installing the 
 FTDI driver
 on Mac OS X and creating a serial port on the VM will work, but it's limited 
 to two of them.
 
 So, basically, I can't control the K3 using its serial port, nor can I use my 
 Signalink USB,
 for the time being. Yes, I need to spend a few hours pawing through my Time 
 Machine
 backups to find the most recent working .pvm file, etc., but it's time I 
 don't have right now.
 
 I allocate one CPU core and 4GB of memory to the Parallels virtual machine, 
 and that's
 given me very good performance (when it works!). One criterion for me is the 
 time it
 takes HRD to switch modes between, say, PSK31 and RTTY-45 - there is a 
 pregnant pause
 of several seconds on my Acer netbook (32 bit Atom processor at 1.66GHz, 2GB 
 memory),
 but barely a blink on the iMac. Startup times for HRD and RMS Express are 
 also impressive.
 
 Personally, I would recommend you stick with a Windows 7-based solution for 
 your SDR
 work until Windows 8 has been shaken out a bit - when you start adding layers 
 of complexity
 like this, it becomes difficult to troubleshoot as there are likely multiple 
 problems/interactions.
 
 HTH,
 Brandy, N1HO
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Re: [Elecraft] [KAT500] KAT500-K thermal pad question

2012-11-29 Thread Phil Hystad

Sam,

My KAT500 kit #223 arrived yesterday and I did the parts inventory and I was 
missing the thermal pad too.  I immediately sent off a part request to 
pa...@elecraft.com and got immediate response and I expect the thermal pad to 
arrive in tomorrow's mail.

Unless you are in that much of a rush to get the kit built, why not wait for 
the actual replacement part from Elecraft.  They are very responsive and quick 
to deal with these things.  Judging from my own experience, I think that the 
total business hours time from the point of receive of my e-mail to getting 
notice from Elecraft that they sent the part to me in the mail was no more then 
3 hours at the most!  That is speedy service.

73, phil, K7PEH


On Nov 29, 2012, at 6:12 PM, Sam Morgan k5oai@gmail.com wrote:

 My KAT500 K #0233 arrived missing the 'thermal pad'
 perhaps some of you who have already built your kit,
 could answer my question...
 what is this missing 'thermal pad'?
 
 Is it something to insulate R6 from the case,
 like used on a transistor to insulate it from ground?
 
 or
 
 is it something to help transfer heat to the case?
 
 if it's the latter could I temporally use
 some CPU thermal paste until the replacement part arrives?
 
 TIA
 
 -- 
 
 GB  73
 K5OAI
 Sam Morgan
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[Elecraft] Leaky batteries, portable shortened antennas.

2012-11-29 Thread k...@juno.com

snip
I think I'll locate - or  fabricate-  some thumbscrews (like the KXPD3) so I 
can more rapidly remove the access cover and lessen the temptation to leave 
cells in there.

73, Stan WB2LQF

An effective but truly inelegant method is to run a screw through a wingnut. 
You may need to file the screwhead a bit to reduce the diameter or file 
clearance for the screwhead on the wingnut. If you use brass components, a 
little solder will preclude loosening of the wingnut from the screw.

Less awful is to use an Allen socket-head screw and the little
plastic thingies (hi!) that press over the tops and convert the Allen head 
screws into thumbscrews.


The DC-to-Gamma Rays antenna was a dipole marketed under the
MaxRad name.

Many years ago, miracle antenna was a derogatory term used
in the phrase: If it works, it is a miracle.

On this side of the pond, Miracle Whip is the trade name for
a mayonnaise substitute marketed by Kraft Foods.


Of all the brands of alkaline batteries I've used in gear, with the exception 
of no-name Chinese hamfest specials the worst are Ray-O-Vac which I've had 
leak in their unopened packaging.. years away from the expiration date.

HPE C U ARRL 160M 'TEST!

72,

Tim   

A Super Pill to Burn Fat?
Hailed as a Miracle Diet Aid -- But Is It Right for You?
http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL3131/50b832326ad8a32323d7cst03duc
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[Elecraft] KAT500-F Received and installed!

2012-11-29 Thread Jim Miller

KAT500 SN 0143 seems to work well. Tuned my 80m vertical fed by LDF5 nicely
across the band. Can't wait to get my antenna switch integrated next and my
high 40m dipole finished.

73

jim ab3cv
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Re: [Elecraft] Leaky batteries, portable shortened antennas.

I do not understand the need for all this commotion.  My KX3 has two 
thumbscrews on each end.  Loosen all 4 and the 2 halves are easily 
separated.  Remove or insert batteries and then reassemble.  No new 
screws needed, they are supplied as part of the stock assembly.


73,
Don W3FPR

On 11/29/2012 11:11 PM, k...@juno.com wrote:
I think I'll locate - or fabricate- some thumbscrews (like the KXPD3) 
so I can more rapidly remove the access cover and lessen the 
temptation to leave cells in there. 



73, Stan WB2LQF


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Re: [Elecraft] Why did I purchase this antenna for the KX3?

2012-11-29 Thread Bill Frantz

When I travel to my New Hampshire QTH I take a PSK-20 radio and 
a 20 meter dipole. I hang it between the house and a tree at 
about 6 meters.


(If I had a KX3, I would be interested in a more wide-band 
antenna choice. My ever patient XYL doesn't need the KX3 budget 
hit after the K3 and P3 hits. hihi).


I have been amazed at the DXCCs I have been able to work with 
that combination. The east coast really has an advantage over 
the west coast with many easily contacted DXCC entities.


Cheers - Bill, AE6JV

On 11/29/12 at 7:15 PM, w3...@embarqmail.com (Don Wilhelm) wrote:

My portable preference is an inverted VEE supported with my 32 
foot telescoping fiberglass pole - it is either a full size 
resonant dipole on 80 through 6 meters (band set by jumpers), 
or it is a 44 foot dipole that needs a tuner.  I use both 
depending on my mood and the physical circumstances.

---
Bill Frantz|The nice thing about standards| Periwinkle
(408)356-8506  |is there are so many to choose| 16345 
Englewood Ave
www.pwpconsult.com |from.   - Andrew Tanenbaum| Los Gatos, 
CA 95032


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Re: [Elecraft] Why did I purchase this antenna for the KX3?

I never said that Philip shouldn't enjoy what he has. But he did
encourage others to buy that antenna, and that's the part to which I
take exception. It simply is not comparable in
performance-versus-cost-versus-portability to other options. And those
manufacturers claims that you don't care about are what lots of other
people base their buying decisions upon.

QRP is fun ... I used to do a lot of it. Using simple gear is fun, too
... I used to do a lot of that as well. But I would never try to talk
somebody into spending $130 for a poor approach to either.

Dave AB7E

On 11/29/2012 7:37 PM, Andrew Moore wrote:

I have no idea what this Miracle Whip is or what it cost, but if
Philip gained that much enjoyment from it and encouraged others,
sounds like he wins.

--Andrew

On Nov 29, 2012, at 9:16 PM, David Gilbert xda...@cis-broadband.com wrote:

I personally would not call paying $130 for a base loaded five foot whip without a counterpoise to
be a minimalist approach, but to each his own. If you want to intentionally put
limits on the gear it would be far cheaper (as well as more effective) to hang simply an
appropriate length of #24 wire on the wall with masking tape.

And I still say that the manufacturer's claims are ridiculous ... read them
yourself if you don't believe me.

Dave AB7E

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Re: [Elecraft] Why did I purchase this antenna for the KX3?

2012-11-29 Thread va3bxg

The problem is at times a 'simple' is not. And one needs just to 'get out' in 
any way one can. And if the whip works, then why not tell people (disclaimer 
don't have the whip)

It is easy to say that it does perform as well as other. But when one can not 
anything but something like this, why not tell people/endorse about it?

I live in a condo with no outside access 15+ floors up. 
a 'kosher ham'

Robert

-Original Message-
From: David Gilbert xda...@cis-broadband.com
Sender: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net
Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2012 22:44:32 
To: Andrew Mooreandrew.n...@gmail.com
Cc: elecraft@mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Why did I purchase this antenna for the KX3?


I never said that Philip shouldn't enjoy what he has.  But he did 
encourage others to buy that antenna, and that's the part to which I 
take exception.  It simply is not comparable in 
performance-versus-cost-versus-portability to other options.  And those 
manufacturers claims that you don't care about are what lots of other 
people base their buying decisions upon.

QRP is fun ... I used to do a lot of it.  Using simple gear is fun, too 
... I used to do a lot of that as well.  But I would never try to talk 
somebody into spending $130 for a poor approach to either.

Dave   AB7E


On 11/29/2012 7:37 PM, Andrew Moore wrote:
 I have no idea what this Miracle Whip is  or what it cost, but if
 Philip gained that much enjoyment from it and encouraged others,
 sounds like he wins.

 --Andrew

 On Nov 29, 2012, at 9:16 PM, David Gilbert xda...@cis-broadband.com wrote:

 I personally would not call paying $130 for a base loaded five foot whip 
 without a counterpoise to be a minimalist approach, but to each his own.  
 If you want to intentionally put limits on the gear it would be far 
 cheaper (as well as more effective) to hang simply an appropriate length of 
 #24 wire on the wall with masking tape.

 And I still say that the manufacturer's claims are ridiculous ... read them 
 yourself if you don't believe me.

 Dave   AB7E



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Re: [Elecraft] [K3] 8-hour Build

2012-11-29 Thread Vic Goncharsky

Yes Bill, this figure is quite realistic. 
I've recently built two K3/10 with internal 144 modules, the first one took 
about 8 hours, or so, too. 

The second one took about 5 hours.

Building my first K3/100 in 2009 really helped to learn the tricks.
Nice kits, easy to build.
Waiting for 432 MHz transverter kit to arrive.
73 Vic US5WE


 From: Bill Tubbs cgpi...@yahoo.com
To: Elecraft Reflector elecraft@mailman.qth.net 
Sent: Thursday, November 29, 2012 3:07 PM
Subject: [Elecraft] [K3] 8-hour Build
 
Like so many said, it takes about 8 hours to do a proper K3 build. I started 
mine at around 9am and finished the final tests at around 5pm, with a few small 
breaks during that period. 

I promised my wife that the kitchen counter would be clear by the time she got 
home from work, and just barely made it!

I saved a little time by not organizing all the hardware. I built  my KX3 
recently and had enough confidence in both my recognition of the differing 
sizes of screws, and Elecraft's parts packing to just work from the packages. 
And it was perfect!

Of course, the only options were the ATU and power amp., so that cut some of 
the potential time. 

Very nice rig...but I was already spoiled with the KX3 :-)

Bill
WK6A

Sent from my iPhone
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Re: [Elecraft] [KAT500] KAT500-K thermal pad question

No, it is NOT an insulator. That's why it's called a pad and not an
insulator. 

That resistor can be called upon to handle quite a bit of dissipation at
times. The pad helps improve the thermal path to the cover which acts as a
heatsink. The pad is soft so it makes more intimate contact with the cover
metal than just the metal tab and cover alone. 

Many KAT500s have undergone rigorous usage without benefit of the pad. It
was added as part of Elecraft's philosophy of doing everything they can to
make the rig as robust as possible.

It's not a big deal to install it later. You'll need to remove the top cover
and then remove screw and nut holding the resistor tab to the bottom cover.
Then you can remove the bottom cover, stick the thermal pad (it has
self-stick material) on the resistor tab and put everything back. 

73, Ron AC7AC



-Original Message-
From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net
[mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Phil Hystad
Sent: Thursday, November 29, 2012 8:09 PM
To: Sam Morgan
Cc: elecraft@mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] [KAT500] KAT500-K thermal pad question

Sam,

My KAT500 kit #223 arrived yesterday and I did the parts inventory and I was
missing the thermal pad too.  I immediately sent off a part request to
pa...@elecraft.com and got immediate response and I expect the thermal pad
to arrive in tomorrow's mail.

Unless you are in that much of a rush to get the kit built, why not wait for
the actual replacement part from Elecraft.  They are very responsive and
quick to deal with these things.  Judging from my own experience, I think
that the total business hours time from the point of receive of my e-mail
to getting notice from Elecraft that they sent the part to me in the mail
was no more then 3 hours at the most!  That is speedy service.

73, phil, K7PEH


On Nov 29, 2012, at 6:12 PM, Sam Morgan k5oai@gmail.com wrote:

 My KAT500 K #0233 arrived missing the 'thermal pad'
 perhaps some of you who have already built your kit, could answer my 
 question...
 what is this missing 'thermal pad'?
 
 Is it something to insulate R6 from the case, like used on a 
 transistor to insulate it from ground?
 
 or
 
 is it something to help transfer heat to the case?
 
 if it's the latter could I temporally use some CPU thermal paste until 
 the replacement part arrives?
 
 TIA
 
 --
 
 GB  73
 K5OAI
 Sam Morgan
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Re: [Elecraft] Why did I purchase this antenna for the KX3?

I think that many of us wince at the snake-oil approach saying that such
an antenna will do everything. (Snake oil was sold in the US far west in
the 1800's as a cure for everything from gout to toothache and, since it was
generally 90 proof alcohol, it usually seemed to do the job -- until after
the hangover). 

The point is that sticking a wire into the center of the antenna connector
and taping it to the wall as high as you can reach will work as well and
likely much better. 

We have many Hams in the USA today who have no technical understanding of
radio. Our licensing is mostly about operating a radio according to the FCC
rules, not so much about how radio works. Such Hams are easy prey for the
'snake oil' salesmen. The rest of the fraternity wince at seeing them spend
dollars for something that can be done for pennies. 

73, Ron AC7AC

 

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Re: [Elecraft] Why did I purchase this antenna for the KX3?