[Elecraft] K3 Amplifier Drive Inconsistency
I need help solving an amplifier drive inconsistency problem when I operate using digital modes on 50 MHz. I noticed during a recent contest that the K3 will sometimes key the amplifier but provide zero drive. I'm using K3 SN 669 on 50 MHz FT8, FT4 and MSK 144 and driving a KPA1500 to about 750 watts. After several consecutive transmissions I notice that the amplifier responds briefly to being keyed but the power drops to zero. It's keyed up but has no output. The K3's output (drive) is set at 17 watts but there is no output on the RF meter when this happens. The K3's red TX indicator is on. This problem also occurs when driving a KPA500, though less often I can correct this problem temporarily by switching the amplifier to standby, which allows the K3 to change to "barefoot" output then switch the amplifier back to "operate" which changes drive power back to it's preset level. That's usually good for a dozen or so transmit cycles before the problem reappears. This problem does not occur when driving other amplifiers; nor does it occur when using CW or SSB modes. It seems to have something to do with the K3/KPA1500 command interface controlling the output power of the K3. Any ideas? 73 Bill W7QQ __ 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] Using the KRC2 with the K144XV inside the K3s
I’m using a KRC2 with a K3s to control transverters and a homebrewed band switch system. At present I have limited my drive needs to the 28 Mhz 0dB and all has been well. I’m considering adding transverters that utilize 144 Mhz drive and 0.1 to 1.0 watt drive level supplied by the K144XV internal 2 meter unit in my K3s. I’m a little fuzzy whether the KRC2 will recognize an “INT. TRN 0-9” address through the Auxbus pin #2 of the K3s ACC (Accessory I/O) port and provide the needed relay driver outputs. The owner manuals of the KRC2 and K3s are not clear. Has anyone been through this? Bill W7QQ DM75ao __ 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] K3 Digital Voice Recorder Offset
Greetings, I have an older K3 with the digital voice recorder. When I play a digitally recorded message the monitored audio makes it sound like I’m listening to a sideband station that’s tuned a couple hundred cycles high. Others who hear my transmitted signal do not hear this offset. Does anyone have ideas why this happens and how to correct it? 73 Bill W7QQ __ 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] K3 Digital Voice Recorder Offset
I have an older K3 with the digital voice recorder. When I play a digitally recorded message the monitored audio makes it sound like I’m listening to a sideband station that’s tuned a couple hundred cycles high. Others who hear my transmitted signal do not hear this offset. Does anyone have ideas why this happens and how to correct it? 73 Bill W7QQ __ 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] XV Transverter RF Voltages
I'm not an expert but I have built and aligned a half dozen XVs. Rather than measure the RF voltage, I would recommend going back through the Alignment and Test section of the XV Build/Operation Manual. The DC voltages shown there are much easier to measure accurately. I'm sure you'll be able to use that info to determine what changed since you last operated your XV222. 73 Bill W7QQ DM75ao __ 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] K144XV Frequency Error
Hi Folks, I need help. I have an early K3 equipped with the K3EXREF Frequency Lock Option, K144XV Two Meter Module and K144XV Reference Oscillator Phase Lock Option. Some time after installing the KSYN3A synthesizers I noticed that the 144 Mhz band has a 5.6 KHz frequency error. Signals occurring on the 144.200 calling frequency appear at 144.1944. Other bands do not display this frequency error. These observations have been verified by a very precise RF signal generator. I verified that the 10 Mhz GPS reference is present and meets the Elecraft amplitude requirements. The tech mode menu "ref cal" asterisk is present and blinking, indicating that the radio is phase locked to the 10 Mhz reference. I went back through the installation manuals for the options mentioned and did not find any error. I'm concluding that I may have made an assembly error when installing the KSYN3a. Can some member of the Elecraft "brain trust" help me find and resolve this problem please? Thanks, Bill W7QQ __ 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] Future R radio dreamin'
I've been watching this K radio wish list thread and I liked where it went. I too would like to see a new Elecraft KV3 as a technical update to the venerable Yaesu FT-736r. Some features of interest are: - Dual simultaneous receive; switchable among the VHF bands; 50 and 144 as a minimum. Selectable transmit on either single band. - Dual band stereo audio with each receiver in each ear. Also front panel selectable for both ears on one receiver or the other - Optional modular capability for 222, 432, 902/3 and 1296 Mhz bands - State of the art receive performance with respect to sensitivity without external (PR-6 type) pre-amplification. - K3 receive performance with respect to strong adjacent signal rejection. - Future 70 Mhz expansion capability - Architecture similar to K3/0 or KX3 type user interface with remote black box for RF power handling, switching, sequencing and cooling chores. Feedlines, external keying, external IF, freq reference would interface with the remote box, and some infrequently accessed user adjustments would reside there. User interfaces, mic, key/paddle, external PC would connect to the user interface box. - Seperate RF inputs/outputs for each band with user defined TR switching or seperate rcv and xmt paths - Compatible with P3 and /or other graphical displays - 100 watt power output on 6 and 2 meters, 25+ watt power output on 1.25 M and 70 cm bands; 10+ watts on 33 and 23 cm bands - Separately adjustable output power for each band with no key-up power spike. - High duty cycle transmit capability - Capability to discipline IF and LO frequencies with an internal or external precision 10 Mhz reference. - Available zero dBm (1 milliwatt) drive on 28 and 144 Mhz selectable per band for external transverters - Integrated KRC2 type band decoder - Integrated five event sequencer for each band with the KV3 keying selectable as any one of those five events. Menu selectable event delay and per band external electrical access on each sequenced event. - Variable VFO doppler correction rates for each receiver - Mode change from SSB to CW without VFO change Sweet dreams.. Bill W7QQ __ 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
[Elecraft] K3/P3 communication
About 30 days ago I noticed that the K3 randomly keyed up and briefly transmitted full power CW every few seconds while listening. This happened with no action from me. I unplugged the paddle, mic, and headphones. None of these had any effect on this behavior. Tuning the K3 made this uncommanded keying speed up and occur at a rate porportional to the tuning rate. This problem occurred abruptly. The station had been working fine for months before this occurred. This behaviour stopped when I powered down the P3. In the days following I went through the K3 menus, certain that I had unintentionally selected something that cause this behaviour. I found that my transmit power setting for transverters was set below 1 miliwatt; sometimes as low as 0.1 milliwatt. When I restored the XV drive power setting to zero dB the uncommanded keying stopped, even with the P3 powered up. Hm Now there's a different problem: The P3 does not initially display the K3 frequency upon K3/P3 power up. Instead it shows the # symbol in the top center of the screen. When this happens the P3 does not display the green or purple frequency bands of the a and b VFO on the scope. The spectral display seems to be unaffected. This condition can sometimes be fixed by changing bands, especially when changing to a band that requires an XV transverter to be powered up, but not always. Band change communication with the KPA500 occurs normally with or without the P3 powered up. Usually this P3 display behavior goes away and the P3 behaves normally after 30 minutes of operation. I seldom see it after an hour of operation. The station is all single point grounded. Both the K3 and KPA500 are tied to this single point ground. P3 and transverters are not seperately grounded. The K3 has firmware revision 4.42. The P3 has firmware revision 1.09. Apparently there is some marginal communication issue between K3 and P3. has anyone observed this odd behaviour? 73, Bill W7QQ __ 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
[Elecraft] XV Transverter Local Oscillator -- GPSDO?
Hi Guys and Gals, Does anyone know of a mod to the Elecraft XV transverters that provides for 10 Mhz GPS disciplined oscillator control of the transverter local oscillator? I think that would be a popular feature for Elecraft to consider on future versions of XV transverters. It would be similar to the K3EXREF Frequency Lock Option for the K3, which works flawlessly. Bill, W7QQ __ 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
