Re: [Elecraft] No High Power on K3
Have you seen the ERR 12V message? I have an older K3 and ran into a problem where my 100 watt PA wasn't working. It turns out that there is a weak point in the power delivery connector & Elecraft had a fix for it out years ago, it just took a long time for mine to fail. I contacted support and ordered a small kit to fix it, it wasn't too pricy IIRC. Joe NE3R On Fri, Apr 17, 2020 at 5:45 PM Bill Gillenwater wrote: > New to the K3. This is a used K3 but in good shape. I downloaded the > current firmware as it was down several levels. > > The rig has been idle for a few months. > > The 100 watt board is installed. I went through the parameters trying to > set it for high power. However, every time I attempt to adjust power it > only goes to 12 watts and then a relay clicks in the rig and no power > output. > > It does TX at the low power level, no problem. Just no high power between > the 12 watts and 100. > > thanks, 73 > Bill K3SV > __ > 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 joseph.dur...@gmail.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] Elecraft CW Net Announcement
Good Evening, The sun has been out each day this week but this morning I awoke to the sound of rain. The budding leaves grew quickly today. I heard two new owls and a few other birds following all the new bugs. Trilliums are popping up throughout the thinned areas. More elk trails too. Hiking gets me off of a chair and out of the house while providing the biting flies with a meal. The sun may have been out this week but it has not gotten any more active. SFU seems stuck at or below 70 for months. There is no mention of solar winds so tomorrow's nets should have quiet bands. That helps with the noise part of the signal to noise ratio. One can only hope for a stronger signal component. However, one can never tell if a band is working until they call CQ. Please join us on (or near): 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] Excessive SWR Faulting KPA500
Hi guys, Here in Canada we have something called Safety Code 6, which states that a field strength level on any HF frequency over 3.16V/m is unsafe in an uncontrolled space. On a small city lot, close to neighbors, the power you're mentioning will definitely exceed 3.16V/m. What levels to do you have to comply with in the US? Bert VE3NR On 4/18/2020 8:33 PM, donov...@starpower.net wrote: Hi Andy, A very close 40 meter antenna is much safer than a close 12 or 10 meter antenna See FCC Amateur Radio Regulations: Part 97.13 Restrictions on station location. (c) Before causing or allowing an amateur station to transmit from any place where the operation of the station could cause human exposure to RF electromagnetic field levels in excess of those allowed under §1.1310 of this chapter, the licensee is required to take certain actions. (1) The licensee must perform the routine RF environmental evaluation prescribed by §1.1307(b) of this chapter, if the power of the licensee's station exceeds the limits given in the following table: Evaluation required if power in (watts) exceeds: 160m 500 watts 80 m 500 watts 75 m 500 watts 40 m 500 watts 30 m 425 watts 20 m 225 watts 17 m 125 watts 15 m 100 watts 12 m 75 watts 10 m 50 watts (2) If the routine environmental evaluation indicates that the RF electromagnetic fields could exceed the limits contained in §1.1310 of this chapter in accessible areas, the licensee must take action to prevent human exposure to such RF electromagnetic fields. Further information on evaluating compliance with these limits can be found in the FCC's OET Bulletin Number 65, “Evaluating Compliance with FCC Guidelines for Human Exposure to Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields.” 73 Frank W3LPL - Original Message - From: "Andy Durbin" To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Sent: Sunday, April 19, 2020 12:07:13 AM Subject: [Elecraft] Excessive SWR Faulting KPA500 "At a distance of only six feet to your antenna, perhaps your amplifier is trying to warn you that you may also have a human RF safety issue. " Well, do you feel warm We do what we must to get a signal out. My 40 m dipole is in the attic of a single story house under an asphalt and fibreglass radome. Yes I have RF in the "shack" and every other room in the house. My choice how high I turn the wick though and that choice is less than 500 W. My "controller" prevents my getting excited and turning the wick up all the way. Antenna is well matched though and KPA500 is happy. The only problems I've had with an unhappy KPA500 were on 20 m. 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 donov...@starpower.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 ve...@bell.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] Excessive SWR Faulting KPA500
"A very close 40 meter antenna is much safer than a close 12 or 10 meter antenna " I used to teach the RF safety class for our club's extra and general course students. Most people in the Extra course were already General and almost none of them had ever conducted an RF safety evaluation. I don't think any of the Extra student even knew what an RF safety evaluation was. A concern for my station is that my roof mounted 2 ele SteppIR can be pointed directly into my neighbor's 2 story house. Good thing there is little DX to chase directly north of my QTH. 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] Excessive SWR Faulting KPA500
Hi Andy, A very close 40 meter antenna is much safer than a close 12 or 10 meter antenna See FCC Amateur Radio Regulations: Part 97.13 Restrictions on station location. (c) Before causing or allowing an amateur station to transmit from any place where the operation of the station could cause human exposure to RF electromagnetic field levels in excess of those allowed under §1.1310 of this chapter, the licensee is required to take certain actions. (1) The licensee must perform the routine RF environmental evaluation prescribed by §1.1307(b) of this chapter, if the power of the licensee's station exceeds the limits given in the following table: Evaluation required if power in (watts) exceeds: 160m 500 watts 80 m 500 watts 75 m 500 watts 40 m 500 watts 30 m 425 watts 20 m 225 watts 17 m 125 watts 15 m 100 watts 12 m 75 watts 10 m 50 watts (2) If the routine environmental evaluation indicates that the RF electromagnetic fields could exceed the limits contained in §1.1310 of this chapter in accessible areas, the licensee must take action to prevent human exposure to such RF electromagnetic fields. Further information on evaluating compliance with these limits can be found in the FCC's OET Bulletin Number 65, “Evaluating Compliance with FCC Guidelines for Human Exposure to Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields.” 73 Frank W3LPL - Original Message - From: "Andy Durbin" To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Sent: Sunday, April 19, 2020 12:07:13 AM Subject: [Elecraft] Excessive SWR Faulting KPA500 "At a distance of only six feet to your antenna, perhaps your amplifier is trying to warn you that you may also have a human RF safety issue. " Well, do you feel warm We do what we must to get a signal out. My 40 m dipole is in the attic of a single story house under an asphalt and fibreglass radome. Yes I have RF in the "shack" and every other room in the house. My choice how high I turn the wick though and that choice is less than 500 W. My "controller" prevents my getting excited and turning the wick up all the way. Antenna is well matched though and KPA500 is happy. The only problems I've had with an unhappy KPA500 were on 20 m. 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 donov...@starpower.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
[Elecraft] Excessive SWR Faulting KPA500
"At a distance of only six feet to your antenna, perhaps your amplifier is trying to warn you that you may also have a human RF safety issue. " Well, do you feel warm We do what we must to get a signal out. My 40 m dipole is in the attic of a single story house under an asphalt and fibreglass radome. Yes I have RF in the "shack" and every other room in the house. My choice how high I turn the wick though and that choice is less than 500 W. My "controller" prevents my getting excited and turning the wick up all the way. Antenna is well matched though and KPA500 is happy. The only problems I've had with an unhappy KPA500 were on 20 m. 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
[Elecraft] Quick 6m noise survey
For anyone who has a reasonably quiet 6m location, what levels are you seeing on the P3 with Span set to 5khz and averaging set to 20? I get a bit below -150 after rain quiets my powerline noise. -160 is a dummy load. Thanks Jim ab3cv __ 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] Excessive SWR Faulting KPA500
Hi Ed, At a distance of only six feet to your antenna, perhaps your amplifier is trying to warn you that you may also have a human RF safety issue. 73 Frank W3LPL - Original Message - From: k...@juno.com To: rmcg...@blomand.net Cc: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Sent: Saturday, April 18, 2020 7:53:06 PM Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Excessive SWR Faulting KPA500 Bob, You mentioned: "Also you can bypass the KPA500 to STBY mode and check the system by observing the SWR on the K3." I think you meant the KAT500 instead of the K3. The K3 has to be bypassed to work with the tuner. Anyway, I have made some progress. I tried running through my dummy load and I got the run-up condition to fault on 17 and 20. I had to run reduced power since the load is only rated for 300W. The odd thing is that I had to use the tuner to make things happy with the load. Thanks to AI4VZ, I have the schematics for the KPA500 and the LPF details. The schematics are from 2011 or so and my gear is from 2017 but I doubt the design changed significantly. After testing with the dummy load, I re-connected to my patch panel only to find that all the settings in the KAT500 were gone. I had to retune from 80 through 10; what a PITA! However, my efforts were rewarded with the amp working fine on CW everywhere except 12 meters. I may have an intermittent on 12 since the best I can do is 2.9:1 SWR after the tuner shuts up. Since both the 12 and 17 meter Vs are off the same feed point, the 17 may be guilty as well; it settles around 1.9:1. As for the amp faulting, I may have an RFI issue. The 6BTV is only six feet from the shack. Another possibility: the fault surfaced when running the amp on FT8. The long duty cycle plus RFI may have done me in. Tnx for your help. 73 de Ed __ 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 donov...@starpower.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] K3s/P3 noise comparisons
Alan You nailed it! Thanks! jim ab3cv On Sat, Apr 18, 2020 at 3:46 PM Alan Bloom wrote: > > Since noise power scales with the square root of the bandwidth > > > > That may be the source of the error. Noise power scales directly with the > bandwidth. (Noise *voltage* scales as the square root of the bandwidth.) > > > Since the P3's effective bandwidth is 11 Hz and the K3 sensitivity is > specified for 500 Hz, the P3 should be showing > > 10 * log (500/11) = 16.5 dB lower than the P3. > > > If the P3 is reading -162 dBm, then that corresponds to -145.5 dBm on the > K3, close to the -145 dBm spec. > > > Alan N1AL > > > > On 2020-04-18 12:33, Jim Miller wrote: > > I'm doing some work on measuring RFI levels on 6m at my QTH. > > One tool I'm using is the P3 with averaging set to 20 to make for easier > reading. > > With the K3s preamp 2 engaged I read -162dbm on the P3 scale when connected > to a 50ohm dummy load. > > I'm trying to correlate that to the MDS numbers for the K3s. > > The K3s specification with Pre2 engaged is -145dbm measured in a 500hz > bandwidth. > > The effective bandwidth of the P3 per the P3 manual is Scale/450 which for > 5K that I'm using is 11hz. > > Since noise power scales with the square root of the bandwidth that > should result in a ratio of SQRT(45) or 6.7. 10*log(6.7) = 8.2 > > Adding -162 to 8.2 only brings me to -153db. > > So it seems I'm missing something. The P3 is telling me the K3s is 8db more > sensitive than its specification. > > What am I missing? > > Thanks > > JIm ab3cv > __ > 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 a...@elecraft.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
Re: [Elecraft] Excessive SWR Faulting KPA500
Bob, You mentioned: "Also you can bypass the KPA500 to STBY mode and check the system by observing the SWR on the K3." I think you meant the KAT500 instead of the K3. The K3 has to be bypassed to work with the tuner. Anyway, I have made some progress. I tried running through my dummy load and I got the run-up condition to fault on 17 and 20. I had to run reduced power since the load is only rated for 300W. The odd thing is that I had to use the tuner to make things happy with the load. Thanks to AI4VZ, I have the schematics for the KPA500 and the LPF details. The schematics are from 2011 or so and my gear is from 2017 but I doubt the design changed significantly. After testing with the dummy load, I re-connected to my patch panel only to find that all the settings in the KAT500 were gone. I had to retune from 80 through 10; what a PITA! However, my efforts were rewarded with the amp working fine on CW everywhere except 12 meters. I may have an intermittent on 12 since the best I can do is 2.9:1 SWR after the tuner shuts up. Since both the 12 and 17 meter Vs are off the same feed point, the 17 may be guilty as well; it settles around 1.9:1. As for the amp faulting, I may have an RFI issue. The 6BTV is only six feet from the shack. Another possibility: the fault surfaced when running the amp on FT8. The long duty cycle plus RFI may have done me in. Tnx for your help. 73 de Ed __ 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] K3s/P3 noise comparisons
> Since noise power scales with the square root of the bandwidth That may be the source of the error. Noise power scales directly with the bandwidth. (Noise *voltage* scales as the square root of the bandwidth.) Since the P3's effective bandwidth is 11 Hz and the K3 sensitivity is specified for 500 Hz, the P3 should be showing 10 * log (500/11) = 16.5 dB lower than the P3. If the P3 is reading -162 dBm, then that corresponds to -145.5 dBm on the K3, close to the -145 dBm spec. Alan N1AL On 2020-04-18 12:33, Jim Miller wrote: > I'm doing some work on measuring RFI levels on 6m at my QTH. > > One tool I'm using is the P3 with averaging set to 20 to make for easier > reading. > > With the K3s preamp 2 engaged I read -162dbm on the P3 scale when connected > to a 50ohm dummy load. > > I'm trying to correlate that to the MDS numbers for the K3s. > > The K3s specification with Pre2 engaged is -145dbm measured in a 500hz > bandwidth. > > The effective bandwidth of the P3 per the P3 manual is Scale/450 which for > 5K that I'm using is 11hz. > > Since noise power scales with the square root of the bandwidth that > should result in a ratio of SQRT(45) or 6.7. 10*log(6.7) = 8.2 > > Adding -162 to 8.2 only brings me to -153db. > > So it seems I'm missing something. The P3 is telling me the K3s is 8db more > sensitive than its specification. > > What am I missing? > > Thanks > > JIm ab3cv > __ > 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 a...@elecraft.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] K3s/P3 noise comparisons
I'm doing some work on measuring RFI levels on 6m at my QTH. One tool I'm using is the P3 with averaging set to 20 to make for easier reading. With the K3s preamp 2 engaged I read -162dbm on the P3 scale when connected to a 50ohm dummy load. I'm trying to correlate that to the MDS numbers for the K3s. The K3s specification with Pre2 engaged is -145dbm measured in a 500hz bandwidth. The effective bandwidth of the P3 per the P3 manual is Scale/450 which for 5K that I'm using is 11hz. Since noise power scales with the square root of the bandwidth that should result in a ratio of SQRT(45) or 6.7. 10*log(6.7) = 8.2 Adding -162 to 8.2 only brings me to -153db. So it seems I'm missing something. The P3 is telling me the K3s is 8db more sensitive than its specification. What am I missing? Thanks JIm ab3cv __ 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] KX2 sluggish/intermittent VFO display
I have seen the same on my KX2, while dialing it seems to freeze at times for a second or so at a time. Even after being on only a few minutes. Kind of annoying but not too worrying to me. At least for now. Serial # 01927 73 de Tom KB2SMS On 4/18/20 10:44 AM, Heinz Baertschi wrote: A colleague's KX2 has had the following symptom several times after approx. 2 hours of portable operation at ambient temperatures of approx. 20-25 °C and locations in the shade or in the sun: Sluggish and intermittent VFO display when dialling to a new frequency. The selected frequency then appeared correctly after approx. 0.5-1.5 seconds. Has anyone noticed the same symptom and if so, what had to be done to fix it? Any help would be appreciated? 73 tks, Heinz HB9BCB __ 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] KX2 sluggish/intermittent VFO display
A colleague's KX2 has had the following symptom several times after approx. 2 hours of portable operation at ambient temperatures of approx. 20-25 °C and locations in the shade or in the sun: Sluggish and intermittent VFO display when dialling to a new frequency. The selected frequency then appeared correctly after approx. 0.5-1.5 seconds. Has anyone noticed the same symptom and if so, what had to be done to fix it? Any help would be appreciated? 73 tks, Heinz HB9BCB -- 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] BP2 Error
OK, Grant, I already disabled it in the menu and the problem continues, I will try to remove the plate and see if the audio goes back to normal 73 Claudio PY2KP __ 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
