[Elecraft] Elecraft CW Net Announcement
Good Evening, It was cool but not very wet this week. Good for all the hiking it takes to retrieve and rebuild an antenna. It is a doublet with one leg a few inches shorter than the other. A portable spar pole was not lowered as the loggers moved it around the mountain. It was tall enough to sever my 14 ga. THHN 40 feet above the road. I use green wire and it is very hard to see against the fir and hemlock. Instead of running it in a straight line one leg points east and the other leg points north. There is a decided difference between my two antennas. I'll try a few A/B checks tomorrow to see which one works best for either band. The two legs are not level but they do parallel the ground. Please join us on: 14050 kHz at 2200z Sunday (3 PM PDT Sunday) 7047 kHz at z Monday (5 PM PDT Sunday) 73, Kevin. KD5ONS - __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] K4 standing on Sherwood's RX list
I agree that TX IMD is an important parameter. In my experience (measuring a sample of two, my K3 and K3S) regrettably, there is no one number to be published. IMD varies with Vcc (or Vdd), output power, load Z and most interesting, frequency. In a K3(S)/100 case, there is another wrinkle, there are two PAs, LPA and HPA and those numbers vary as well. If you want to cherry-pick data, you can get pretty much any answer you want. Wes N7WS On 6/8/2019 3:08 PM, Bob McGraw K4TAX wrote: Yes, yes, and yes. One can download the Receiver Test Report and import it into an EXCEL file. That will then allow one to sort on 1 or 2 or 3 or more different criteria. The 2 kHz Narrow Spaced number, to me, is not as important as some other numbers. It is nice to have a radio, K3S, that falls in the upper position of the list, but I suggest one look at "OTHER NUMBERS". I do wish he would post transmit IMD numbers. You might surprised at the radios that are clean and the radios that are...well not so clean. 73 Bob, K4TAX On 6/8/2019 1:13 PM, Wes wrote: Rob doesn't use Elecraft equipment so I'm not sure whether he reads this list of not. I do know that he has repeatedly said that any radio in the top 10 or more on his list would suit almost any user. He also tries to implore people to NOT judge a radio purely on the sort order of the presented data. Many other factors are important too: ergonomics and reliability are prime concerns for me. Even though my personal radio (loaned to Rob for testing) is near the top of the sorted list, based on my criteria it would be nowhere close to equipment I've owned before. YMMV Wes N7WS __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] K4 standing on Sherwood's RX list
What a nice piece of work Jim, thank you! 73s and thanks, Dave (NK7Z) https://www.nk7z.net ARRL Technical Specialist ARRL Volunteer Examiner ARRL Asst. Director, NW Division, Technical Resource On 6/8/19 3:53 PM, Jim Brown wrote: On 6/8/2019 3:08 PM, Bob McGraw K4TAX wrote: I do wish he would post transmit IMD numbers. You might surprised at the radios that are clean and the radios that are...well not so clean. There are alternative measurements, done by ARRL as part of their lab tests, that quantify an even more important performance spec -- CW keying bandwidth. Several years ago, after discussions about excessive CW bandwidth at a WRTC, N0AX arranged for me to get ARRL's data in electronic form. I exported that data to a spreadsheet and plotted data for most of the rigs on the same graph. That report is at http://k9yc.com/TXNoise.pdf I've also done some of my own measurements, using my second K3/P3. The first set of data is at http://k9yc.com/P3_Spectrum_Measurements.pdf A second set of data focuses on the FTDX5000. I measured my neighbor's rig before and after he had loaded Yaesu's "fix" for it's very excessive bandwidth. It's at http://k9yc.com/FTDX5000_Report.pdf 73, Jim K9YC __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to d...@nk7z.net __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] K4 standing on Sherwood's RX list
Even though my personal radio (loaned to Rob for testing) is near the top of the sorted list, based on my criteria it would be nowhere close to equipment I've owned before. YMMV Wes N7WS >>> Other radios nowhere close? Sounds like you have some potentially very >>> useful information. Details, please! THANKS, 73 ED W2RF __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
[Elecraft] K4 standing on Sherwood's RX list
"I do wish he would post transmit IMD numbers. You might surprised at the radios that are clean and the radios that are...well not so clean." Rob previously owned a Kenwood TS-990 and now owns, among other rigs, a Kenwood TS-890. He is active on groups.io for those radios and quite often posts very interesting comments on these and other radio. There are lots of subtleties that are not shown by reading the table alone and Rob has posted several comments about TX IMD and TX harmonics. It bugs me that so many latch on to "top of the list" and I have, perhaps tongue in check (perhaps not), suggested to Rob that he sort on some completely irrelevant parameter to see people's reactions. I wonder how many would dump what they had and buy new "top of list". In my opinion being very familiar with what you own, and knowing how to get the best out of it, is far more important than having the "best" rig. I've been a TS-590S owner for nearly 8 years and still not seen anything that would tempt me to get rid of either of them. 73, Andy, k3wyc __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] K4 standing on Sherwood's RX list
On 6/8/2019 3:08 PM, Bob McGraw K4TAX wrote: I do wish he would post transmit IMD numbers. You might surprised at the radios that are clean and the radios that are...well not so clean. There are alternative measurements, done by ARRL as part of their lab tests, that quantify an even more important performance spec -- CW keying bandwidth. Several years ago, after discussions about excessive CW bandwidth at a WRTC, N0AX arranged for me to get ARRL's data in electronic form. I exported that data to a spreadsheet and plotted data for most of the rigs on the same graph. That report is at http://k9yc.com/TXNoise.pdf I've also done some of my own measurements, using my second K3/P3. The first set of data is at http://k9yc.com/P3_Spectrum_Measurements.pdf A second set of data focuses on the FTDX5000. I measured my neighbor's rig before and after he had loaded Yaesu's "fix" for it's very excessive bandwidth. It's at http://k9yc.com/FTDX5000_Report.pdf 73, Jim K9YC __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] K4 standing on Sherwood's RX list
Yes, yes, and yes. One can download the Receiver Test Report and import it into an EXCEL file. That will then allow one to sort on 1 or 2 or 3 or more different criteria. The 2 kHz Narrow Spaced number, to me, is not as important as some other numbers. It is nice to have a radio, K3S, that falls in the upper position of the list, but I suggest one look at "OTHER NUMBERS". I do wish he would post transmit IMD numbers. You might surprised at the radios that are clean and the radios that are...well not so clean. 73 Bob, K4TAX On 6/8/2019 1:13 PM, Wes wrote: Rob doesn't use Elecraft equipment so I'm not sure whether he reads this list of not. I do know that he has repeatedly said that any radio in the top 10 or more on his list would suit almost any user. He also tries to implore people to NOT judge a radio purely on the sort order of the presented data. Many other factors are important too: ergonomics and reliability are prime concerns for me. Even though my personal radio (loaned to Rob for testing) is near the top of the sorted list, based on my criteria it would be nowhere close to equipment I've owned before. YMMV Wes N7WS __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
[Elecraft] P3 Noise band
I noticed when working the 6M contest today, I observed a band of noise on my P3. It always tracks above the frequency about 20kHz at the lower edge. The width of the band of noise is about 35 kHz. As I tune, the band of noise stays relative to the tuned frequency, thus moving up or down as I tune. The amplitude of the band of noise is about 10 dB above the noise floor or about -125 db as shown on the P3. I've noted that it exists on both the yagi and the dummy load. I've changed the input cable between the P3 and K3S, no change. When I disconnect the cable from the K3S the band of noise is not evident. It doesn't cause me any issues, just noticed it. Makes my go hu? Any clues? 73 Bob, K4TAX __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] Deaf K3 follow up
I can't emphasize this enough. BACKUP BACKUP BACKUP the configuration on a regular basis using the K3 Utility. When things get screwy and weird, one has a way to step back to "when things worked". Much like the RESTORE feature on the computer. The K3 Utility makes this easy to do and saves the files per radio serial number, date and time. You can have many different versions on the same computer. However, you can't send one radio configuration to another radio as they are serial number specific. 73 Bob, K4TAX On 6/8/2019 2:48 PM, NW0M wrote: Hi Mike, If you're talking about the EE INIT, it's on page 66 of my K3 manual under the Parameter Initialization section. It's on page 72 of the current K3S. 73, Mitch NWØM -- Sent from: http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/ __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to rmcg...@blomand.net __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] Deaf K3 follow up
Hi Mike, If you're talking about the EE INIT, it's on page 66 of my K3 manual under the Parameter Initialization section. It's on page 72 of the current K3S. 73, Mitch NWØM -- Sent from: http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/ __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
[Elecraft] Deaf K3 follow up
I did a factory reset and then restored my settings using the K3 Utility. This seems to have done the trick. BTW, I *did not* find the reset procedure in the manual. Thanks to all those who offered suggestions. 73, Mike K4QU -- Michael March K4QU 242 Clay Hill Dr. Winchester, VA 22602 mikek...@gmail.com 540-539-8500 cell __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] KX3 and the Sigmalink USB
If you look at the jumper configuration in Fig 2 & 3 of the Signalink USB documentation, you can insert the capacitor, in place of the jumper, between the MIC pin on JP1 and the corresponding Mic Input terminal on JP1. A 0.1 mfd 50 V disk ceramic should be very adequate. That will block the DC bias from the radio and keep it from saturating the output transformer T2 The schematic is available at this link. http://www.frenning.dk/OZ1PIF_HOMEPAGE/images/Tigertronics%20Signalink%20USB%20Schematic%20v1p2.pdf 73 Bob, K4TAX On 6/8/2019 12:47 PM, Terry Basom wrote: The SLMODKX3 jumper module for using the Signalink USB with a KX3 or KX2, has a DC blocking capacitor built in. Can anyone tell me where it is in the circuit and a value? It eliminates turning off the mike bias in the menu when using the Signalink USB. I am just using jumpers and would like to put in the capacitor to eliminate having to turn off mike bias and having to remember to turn it back on. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to rmcg...@blomand.net __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] K4 standing on Sherwood's RX list
Rob doesn't use Elecraft equipment so I'm not sure whether he reads this list of not. I do know that he has repeatedly said that any radio in the top 10 or more on his list would suit almost any user. He also tries to implore people to NOT judge a radio purely on the sort order of the presented data. Many other factors are important too: ergonomics and reliability are prime concerns for me. Even though my personal radio (loaned to Rob for testing) is near the top of the sorted list, based on my criteria it would be nowhere close to equipment I've owned before. YMMV Wes N7WS On 6/6/2019 9:38 AM, K5WA wrote: Maybe I've missed an answer since I don't read all the posts but I'm wondering if the K4HD's design should beat the K3S's on Sherwood's RX list. I'm sure it will be at least a year before that list is updated with a production K4HD so plenty of time to speculate. I have not seen any detailed specifications out yet but it confuses me when I read that the K4HD will have a K3S front end. I've got 3 K3's that are fully upgraded so maybe the K4 line is just a nice product packaging idea and not a serious jump in performance? As you can tell, I am no RF engineer but simply a numbers guy who is interested in having a better performing rig purely for ego sake because the K3 already supplies and outperforms my contesting skills significantly. Maybe this is an Eric or Wayne question. Thanks, Bob K5WA __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
[Elecraft] KX3 and the Sigmalink USB
The SLMODKX3 jumper module for using the Signalink USB with a KX3 or KX2, has a DC blocking capacitor built in. Can anyone tell me where it is in the circuit and a value? It eliminates turning off the mike bias in the menu when using the Signalink USB. I am just using jumpers and would like to put in the capacitor to eliminate having to turn off mike bias and having to remember to turn it back on. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] K4 and RX Antenna
Paul (N2PK) wrote: > Will the single ADC K4, without the KAT4, support an RX antenna? Yes. Even without a KAT4, you'd have two RX antenna inputs to choose from (RX ANT IN1 and RX ANT IN2). The selection is stored per-band. 73, Wayne N6KR __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
[Elecraft] K4 and RX Antenna
Hi, Will the single ADC K4, without the KAT4, support an RX antenna? Thanks and 73, Paul N2PK __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] KX3 CWT and decode
I recently started trying to use the CW decoder on my KX3 and am having similar problems. There seem to be several variables that can affect correct decoding. You might try changing the RX threshold settings for the decoder. The manual suggests RX THR3. Bandwidth may make a difference? I have been trying to use the KX3 Utility Terminal tab to decode CW, which seems to work well enough on strong received signals. It works fine coding and sending text from memory tabs or from the transmit window, My problem with the KX3 Utility Terminal tab is that it doesn't show my own keying in the top window. Are you using the PX3? I'd try taking it out of the system and see what happens. I suspect it can mess with decoding CW. The big surprise is that, while the KX3 Utility doesn't show my CW keying, the text window in the PX3 DOES! 73, david, KC1DNY On 6/8/2019 10:16 AM, Steve Zabarnick wrote: I don't use CW decode on my KX3 and I noticed that CWT doesn't work correctly when decode is turned off. With decode on all is fine, but with decode off the middle CWT bar is always lit. A strong off frequency signal will sometimes move the CWT bar to the left or right but it is difficult to use CWT to center the signal. Anyone else see this? Steve N9SZ __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to dhai...@bates.edu __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] Deaf K3
Try pressing the 'RX ANT' Button and see it changes On Saturday, June 8, 2019, 08:41:00 AM EDT, Mike March wrote: My K3 (no ATU) purchased used at Dayton is quite deaf. Transmit seems fine. Antenna routing perhaps? Thanks in advance. Mike -- Michael March K4QU 242 Clay Hill Dr. Winchester, VA 22602 mikek...@gmail.com 540-539-8500 cell __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to hlyin...@yahoo.com __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
[Elecraft] KX3 CWT and decode
I don't use CW decode on my KX3 and I noticed that CWT doesn't work correctly when decode is turned off. With decode on all is fine, but with decode off the middle CWT bar is always lit. A strong off frequency signal will sometimes move the CWT bar to the left or right but it is difficult to use CWT to center the signal. Anyone else see this? Steve N9SZ __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
[Elecraft] Deaf K3
My K3 (no ATU) purchased used at Dayton is quite deaf. Transmit seems fine. Antenna routing perhaps? Thanks in advance. Mike -- Michael March K4QU 242 Clay Hill Dr. Winchester, VA 22602 mikek...@gmail.com 540-539-8500 cell __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
