Re: [Elecraft] Lightning concerns: Was: K4 Remote: My QTH vs. a friend's, many miles to the north
On 5/7/2024 4:46 PM, Al Lorona wrote: In spite of all the grounding and bonding and spark-gapping and everything else you may have done, are you confident enough that you would trust it all and let the direct hit happen? Or would you disconnect everything -- you know, just in case? I suspect every last one of us would disconnect absolutely everything that we wanted to save. It's good to be prepared, but we all know that significant risk always remains no matter what we do. A major misconception about lightning is that antennas are the primary target. Nothing could be further from the truth. Lightning comes in on telco, CATV, power lines, etc. IEEE says that 3KV can be induced on wiring inside our homes. If ALL interconnected stuff has their chassis bonded, it stays outside the box. If not, interconnected wiring takes it inside the box and fries stuff. It is ALL about grounding and bonding of ALL interconnected stuff. Example -- years ago, a professional colleague who's not a ham and had no antennas had everything in his home office Ethernet fried, because all of the gear was plugged into different outlets, all "protected" by MOV strips. Remembering that lightning is an RF event, the only bond between widely separated, but interconnected gear, was that Ethernet, the chassis of each piece of gear rose to a different potential depending on how much current the MOVs dumped into the green wire feeding it, and the difference in potential, seen only by the Ethernet stuff, fried it. Years ago, W8JI made a point of saying he never disconnects stuff. That's also my practice. 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] Lightning concerns: Was: K4 Remote: My QTH vs. a friend's, many miles to the north
On 5/5/2024 6:11 AM, Mike Fatchett W0MU wrote: There is no rhyme or reason why some devices are not damaged and other are. Indeed there IS rhyme and reason, but some of us haven't learned the tune! :) 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] Lightning concerns: Was: K4 Remote: My QTH vs. a friend's, many miles to the north
On 5/4/2024 9:57 PM, Rick NK7I wrote: From your description Jorge, it sounds like you did it correctly, but missed an entry point. I don't have sufficient information to agree that what Jorge described was correct. HOW all of that is done, matters. Failure to bond all the ground rods, and to bond all of the entry points for wiring like power, telephone, satellite, ham radio, CATV, etc. Failure to bond chassis-to-chassis of everything in the station. Leave anything out and lightning will find it! 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 Remote: My QTH vs. a friend's, many miles to the north
On 5/4/2024 9:21 PM, Jorge Diez - CX6VM wrote: So there is my question, if for such an expensive piece of equipment, there could be something of better quality, if not, I apologize, we will have to live with these things. The only things that Elecraft should do to prevent lightning damage are to properly terminate cable shields to the shielding enclosure at the point of entry, properly terminate power system safety ground contacts, the the shielding enclosure, and otherwise practice proper bonding within their products. The rest of it is up to us. About a week ago, I posted a link to tutorial slides for talks that I've done on the topic. EVERYTHING shown is good engineering practice to prevent lightning damage, and much of it also minimizes issues with RFI. Anything that we fail to do is an open door for lightning damage. 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] (ot) noise reduction resources
On 4/5/2024 12:59 PM, Robert Strickland via Elecraft wrote: The screen shot of the noise is posted on QRZ.com. This link will get you there. https://forums.qrz.com/index.php?threads/noise-reduction-resources.908913/ The thin vertical lines look like they're coming from some piece of electronics with a stable clock. The humps of noise around 21050 and above 21060 look like two different switch-mode power supplies. A wider span and longer time waterfall are more useful for classifying the type of thing generating noise. Study the applications note in the link below. http://k9yc.com/KillingReceiveNoise.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] (ot) noise reduction resources
Elecraft's own list is for support of ALL their products. Some guys wanted a list dedicated to the K3, so started their own. That's the groups.io list. There's another groups.io list dedicated to the K4. Elecraft is NOT doing censorship, it's simply a text only list, because they started it 25+ years ago. I started reading it in 2003 when I bought a used K2. I'm not aware of them ever censoring anything. Indeed, the two owners of the company read their list every day and have been known to chime in to solve problems. Several times over the years, I've seen Wayne or Eric get involved to solve problems with guys on remote DXpeditions. WE6R is one of several hams who work on a service bench there. He's been reading the kK3 list for a year or two. I think Wayne and/or Eric might browse it now and then. I live about 20 miles from Elecraft, so know these guys and several others. 73, Jim K9YC On 4/5/2024 12:30 PM, Robert Strickland via Elecraft wrote: Jim... How am I to understand the inclusion [screen shot] in the message from Jim W7RY on 4/3/24 concerning a micro controller in the K2? His message involves groups.io which may explain the difference. I still don't understand the relationship between the groups.io list and the Elecraft list. Being somehow different may make it possible to start an email with screen shot on groups.io that ports to the Elecraft list without the latter's censorship. Thanks for your time helping me out. ...robert KE2WY On 4/4/2024 03:04, Jim Brown wrote: On 4/3/2024 6:44 PM, Robert Strickland via Elecraft wrote: Jim, does that include attachments? No attachments. Elecraft started this reflector at least 25 years ago. That's how reflectors were in those days, and many of the old ones still exist. There are several hosted at contesting.com that are still running, and that are plain text. They date from the '90s at least. Plain text. 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 rc...@verizon.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] (ot) noise reduction resources
On 4/3/2024 6:44 PM, Robert Strickland via Elecraft wrote: Jim, does that include attachments? No attachments. Elecraft started this reflector at least 25 years ago. That's how reflectors were in those days, and many of the old ones still exist. There are several hosted at contesting.com that are still running, and that are plain text. They date from the '90s at least. Plain text. 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] (ot) noise reduction resources
On 4/2/2024 1:45 PM, Robert Strickland via Elecraft wrote: let;s try again w/ pic. This reflector is plain text only. It rejects everything else, including formatted text. 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] K4D purchase
On 3/24/2024 4:15 PM, Kevin McQuiggin wrote: Comments from owners of k4D I've had mine for 18-24 months. Like it a lot. Compared to K3S, better filters, sound of the radio improved, thanks to what chips were available 16 years later. Only issue is RF feedback at rear panel 3.5mm jacks. I suspect it's because the style of switched jacks the industry has used since at least the '50s are no longer available, so they couldn't bond the shield at the point of entry and had to add circuitry to do the switching. And some features have yet to be implemented, like remote control. 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] Considering purchase of K4D
Hi Allen, On 3/13/2024 12:56 PM, n...@earthlink.net wrote: Other than diversity receive, what additional benefits do I get with the 'D' version (for $1000)? Diversity RX is a biggie if you can rig decent antennas to use with it. I also use it in 160 contests when I want to listen in more than one direction, or when I want to listen with a wide antenna and a Beverage to get weak callers off-axis of the RX antenna 2. Why is the K4D down so low on the Sherwood receiver list and does it really make a difference in a somewhat noise, semi-urban environment? Remember that the Sherwood list is for a single parameter. I live in an environment that can be very quiet or very noisy, depending on time of day, what my neighbors are doing, where my RX is pointed. There are two solar systems at my 8 acre property line, a third across the road. I have Beverages pointed at all three. I'm a serious contester, and also serious on 6M. I'm quite satisfied with my K4D. In comparison to my upgraded 2008 K3, I like the filters a lot better, like the integration with computer, like the control layout, and like the sound of the radio that 15-year newer devices allow. 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] Mysterious K3 Symptoms - RFI?
On 3/13/2024 9:24 AM, Victor Rosenthal wrote: I recommend replacing Ethernet cables with wifi when possible, both for noise and rfi problems, as well as reducing the chance of lightning damage. I agree, Vic. I did that 20 years ago, before I moved west from Chicago, and never looked back. I have no wired Ethernet. No problem streaming hi-res video. IMO, the only good reason for wired Ethernet is running remote control of a station and contesting. 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] K4D for bargain price on eBay
On 3/12/2024 12:29 PM, John Oppenheimer wrote: Did you measure a Choke Balun, or sometimes known as Common Code Choke "The book" are in several pdf applications notes on my website. What I measured is well documented there. 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] K4D for bargain price on eBay
On 3/12/2024 9:29 AM, jerry wrote: On 2024-03-12 08:56, ev...@pa2kw.com wrote: If someone could tell what manufacture/type/model these cores are, I'm sure you can get this done for $20 *** Generally, it's well known what mix is required. Here's a good article by Palomar Labs: https://palomar-engineers.com/ferrite-products/ferrite-cores/ferrite-mix-selection These people have NO CLUE about how ferrites work at HF. This piece is useless! I wrote the book on this. k9yc.com/RFI-Ham.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] Piggy back KPA 1500 onto KPA 100
The KPA1500 has a great tuner. Like all Elecraft amps and tuners, it has nearly instantaneous automatic frequency detection and band-switching. A single dit or tap on the mic is all it takes. I used it for years with nothing but the front panel controls, which consist of a switch between two outputs, Tuner In or Bypass, and Tune. There are many antenna choices that are better than the one you're using and want to "upgrade." Because it's off-center fed, it's inherently noisy on receive, and cannot be effectively choked to reduce that noise. A choke that does anything useful is going to fry. With antennas like this, we're essentially "deaf" -- because of all the noise, there are lots of stations we can't hear. 73, Jim K9YC On 3/11/2024 12:28 PM, Karl W Hubbard via Elecraft wrote: This question may have been answered in the past. I have a KX3 and a KPA100, both with ATUs. Can I power up my TX via addition of a KPA1500, assuming I upgrade my antenna (Buckmaster 300watt OCFD 8 bander) to the 3000 watt version ? If feasible without risk of blowing up anything, and assuming the KPA 1500 also has a built-in autotuner, at what stage should auto tuner control be established? __ 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] Tip: Front Panel Illumination Tip
On 3/6/2024 8:39 AM, Rick Tavan wrote: It runs on USB power (not supplied) and works a treat! Looks nice. One caution, though -- USB-powered devices sometimes have DC-DC converters that can be noisy. W6GJB alerted me to this several years ago, when he chased noise down to USB-powered speakers! 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] O.T. Increase inDigital data on 30m
Thanks for the explanation, Dave. One small correction -- today's RTTY contest the North American QSO Party, is intended as a 100W contest, and features team competition with a limit of 100W. There are people who enter at high power, but they are a very small minority. If I'm not mistaken, those running high power are considered check logs. 73, Jim K9YC On 2/24/2024 5:23 PM, Dave New, N8SBE wrote: It's not easy finding open frequencies for an exercise of this sort, especially because today was the NA RTTY QSO Party (which doesn't take place on 30M because it is a contest) that completely wiped out the digital portions of the bands that we normally use for Winlink messaging. So it was difficult to work around the KW RTTY stations, to say the least. __ 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 port isolation??
Hi Peter, There are many ways in which noise enters our radios. Failure to do proper grounding and bonding both within our stations and throughout our homes is one cause. Failure to chase down and remove the dozens of noise sources in typical US homes is another. There are detailed Applications Notes on my website explaining how RFI happens, how to chase and hopefully kill it, and how to do that bonding and grounding. Your symptoms suggest that grounding and bonding is an important part of your problem, but so is killing as many of those sources as possible. While line noise is certainly a problem for many of us, trash generated by electronics in our own homes and those of our neighbors has long been an equally dominant source of that noise. k9yc.com/publish.htm k9yc.com/RFI-Ham.pdf http://k9yc.com/KillingReceiveNoise.pdf http://k9yc.com/GroundingAndAudio.pdf Don't let the title of the last link fool you -- it's mainly about grounding and bonding for lightning safety and to kill noise. 73, Jim K9YC On 2/1/2024 6:38 PM, Peter Dougherty (W2IRT) via Elecraft wrote: I have been experiencing extreme powerline noise for years (this isn't about that), so I've been looking for ways of mitigating it on my end to at least get useful signals of some kind on 80 and 160. I have a K9AY loop RX antenna and a full-size 80m Inverted Vee at 65'. Tonight, I was switching between my Inverted Vee and the K9AY loop with an external noise-canceller (WIMO "QRM Eliminator") in line. It's somewhat effective with about a 30dB improvement on the K9AY. But then something quite unexpected happened. I wanted to see how low my noise floor was with this new device inline so I figured I'd switch to an empty antenna port (ANT-2 on the K3s). As soon as I pressed the button my noise floor dropped to from about -130 to -140 on my P3, lower than it's been in years. But I was still hearing FT8 and the signal-to-noise improved considerably. This is.surprising to say the least. How am I still able to copy weak FT8 signals (and CW) with absolutely nothing connected to the ANT-2 port? I'm talking about copying stations in A7, V3, CT3, and west-coast US, not strong locals. I don't think I've ever had lowband S/N that good before to be honest. What is the port isolation supposed to be like on the K3s and is what I'm seeing normal? Just to be clear, I disconnected my AUX antenna that I use occasionally for diversity RX, and my K9AY and it was still the same. Only my Inverted Vee was connected to the K3s. When I disconnected it everything dropped to nothing. Is what I'm seeing expected behaviour? And this leads to a big question. With ANT-2 selected for RX, (remember, there's nothing connected to the ANT-2 SO-239 on the radio) is it possible to select a different TX Antenna? I'd be pleased as punch to receive in this configuration but it's not practical to manually switch from ANT-2 on receive back to ANT-1 for transmit. __ 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] Big Screen for K4
On 1/30/2024 4:46 PM, Alan Geller via Elecraft wrote: Thanks for any help. One of the most important factors in picking any monitor is whether it, or its PSU, generates noise, and how much it generates. An ideal condition is to be able to power from a 12-14V bus, so that you can drive it from the (hopefully) clean PSU that's running your radios. Probably 6-8 years ago, our contesting team discovered some 24-in Samsung monitors that met this condition, and all of us have bought them. One is running as an extension on the laptop on which I'm typing now, from from sealed lead-acid that is being float charged by a linear PSU. The one in my wife's office is also powered that way. There's detailed advice about this arrangement in applications note about finding and killing receive noise. k9yc.com/publish.htm 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] KAT 500 Loses Match
On 1/13/2024 2:02 PM, email wrote: With the K4 power (drive) low enough, the amp can make 200W. Maybe not efficiently. I regularly reduce drive from K3 or K4 to big amp to run 100W in NAQP, and on 60M, and 200W on 30M. I do that because I run the K3 and K4 for two-radio contesting from a 100Ah LiFePO4 battery that is floated through a charge regulator. That allows the battery to keep up during a long contest, AND run the radios in the range of 13VDC, where the output stage runs cleaner. (yes, 200W is only 3db more than 100W) If FT8 RX level at -24, then 3db may be important ?? Depends on what you're trying to work, and conditions. I run legal limit with WSJT modes when going for DX on 160M (5,000 mile paths), and for weak signal propagation on 6M. 73, Jim K9YC steve WB3LGC On 1/12/24 7:52 PM, Ken WA8JXM wrote: Why do you have the amplifier running? 30m is as restricted power band. __ 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] KAT 500 Loses Match
On 1/12/2024 1:46 PM, Paul Ecker wrote: Does this sound like a KAT 500 problem or maybe an RFI problem. It sounds like a problem somewhere after the output of the power amp, including all interconnecting cables, the feedline, and the antenna. Common problems are loose connectors and/or adapters, junk connectors and/or adapters, connectors poorly installed, moisture somewhere in that path, some defect in the antenna. The vast majority of connectors and adapters sold to hams are junk. If it isn't stamped "Amphenol" or with a MIL-spec number, it's probably junk. 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] K3+KPA500+KAT500 RFI Revisited
On 1/12/2024 12:18 PM, Jeff Wandling wrote: Seems like a while ago I was troubleshooting the RFI problem between the equipment. Is everything in your home and your station properly bonded and grounded? Is every chassis on your operating desk bonded together? Is the operating desk common point bonded to all the grounds in your home? http://k9yc.com/GroundingAndAudio.pdf Are there arrestors on all of your antennas, and are they bonded to the other grounds? Are there serious ferrite chokes at the feedpoint of every antenna? A serious ferrite choke is one of these. http://k9yc.com/2018Cookbook.pdf If you're using any form of end-fed antenna, including a vertical, does it have radials or a counterpoise? There's one other mechanism that I'm aware of, having been a beta tester for KA500 years ago. When running two radios with amps and tuners, their frequency-detecting circuitry for station #1 while in receive can get enough RF from station #2 transmitting to switch to station #2's band. This depends primarily on how close the antennas for the two stations are to each other and how much power we're running. This is very old info, from the early days of KAT500, and may have been minimized by later versions of firmware. 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] My KPA-500
On 1/10/2024 3:08 PM, David Gilbert wrote: That which works fine at 100 watts might not work fine at 500. That specially applies to antenna systems, including all the cable and connectors between the amp, a tuner if there is one, and the antenna, and the antenna itself. With 500W, voltage and current are more than double what they are at 100W. Measurements will rarely help in diagnosing faults. The exception would is high SWR measured with high power, intermittent or constant, when there is low SWR at low power. And even with that, careful visual inspection is required to find the fault. Except for the antenna itself, connectors are one of the first things to suspect. Has moisture intruded? Were connectors well installed to begin with? Are any of the connectors (including adapters) JUNK? If it isn't labeled Amphenol or with a MIL-spec number, there's a good chance it's junk. 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] Ham Antenna group...
On 1/7/2024 5:40 AM, Dave (NK7Z) wrote: Thanks for vote of confidence sir! I have a question for you... Have you been following the discussion on CMCs and if they are coax, or two wire, vs., constructed, and the results of impinged RFI on the cables feeding a rig I don't know about the group, and none of the discussion hasfound its way to me. I suspect that the discussion is based upon a lack of understanding of transmission lines by those who are concerned about it. 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] Origin of Signal-Fine Structures in SSB Pass Band Waterfall, mainly 80/40m
On 1/6/2024 4:05 PM, Dave (NK7Z) wrote: I have some articles on this subject at: Dave's stuff is excellent. I'm also an EMC professional, long time Vice-Chair of the EMC WG of the Standards Committee of the Audio Engineering Society, principal author of most of our EMC Standards. And I've published a lot of research on the topic. 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] Origin of Signal-Fine Structures in SSB Pass Band Waterfall, mainly 80/40m
On 1/6/2024 9:54 AM, Chris wrote: Digital signals (square waves, waveforms with sharp edges) have very high spectral content (_many_ harmonics), so you may see many lines at constant frequency spacing all over the HF spectrum and beyond. Switching power supplies (inside electronic devices, wall-warts, etc), and digital signals from monitors, computers, routers, coffee makers, washing machines, (seems everything that plugs in these days has microprocessors), LED lighting, etc. can all cause interference like this. You are entirely correct about this being the primary cause of all of us being varying degrees of deaf. See my tutorial on chasing noise to build contest scores at k9yc.com/publish.htm 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] Beware of junk mail: "four pictures to you from Elecraft List"
On 1/2/2024 6:10 PM, Pete Smith N4ZR wrote: Tbird is what I have used for years. Same here. It's very well designed software. That ability to see the raw code in an email can be helpful with issues like this. 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] KAT-500 + KPA-500 / SWR Thresholds
On 1/1/2024 8:33 PM, Jeff Wandling wrote: TL;DR; Situation is resolved. Bad RF due to crap elbow connector and lack of diligence in ferrite application on AUX serial cabling. Thanks for posting. Two points. First, NEVER use JUNK connectors, defined as anything that isn't stamped Amphenol, or with MIL-spec numbers. All that stuff sold at ham flea markets is designed for CBers. When I got back on the air in 2003 after 25 years, I didn't realize that all this junk had come on the scene, so stocked up with all sorts of adapters, Tees, elbows, barrels. Over the next five years, they caused me all sorts of problems that were difficult to find. Those elbows have nothing but a tiny spring inside, that melts with power. I've had Tees and adapters fall apart. Second, needing ferrites on interconnect cables is often the result of failure to do proper bonding in the shack, and/or omitting a serious transmitting choke at the feedpoint of every antenna, and/or omitting radials for end fed antennas that need them. Guidelines for transmitting chokes and for grounding and bonding are on my website, k9yc.com/publish.htm 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] P3
On 12/17/2023 1:12 PM, Brian Hunt wrote: I’ve discovered that it’s easier to see a very weak signal on the waterfall than in the amplitude plot. Setting the SVGA screen for 25% spectrum and 75% waterfall gives lots of space to see dim traces. You may have to adjust the threshold a bit. YES! The settings I've described will optimize that visibility in the waterfall. Increasing the time in the waterfall to the max, especially with the SVGA (about 2 minutes), is great help in finding empty spots to call CQ in a contest, and to find running (CQing) stations to work. 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] P3
On 12/17/2023 12:05 PM, Jim Murray via Elecraft wrote: My thought is at this point the P3 is not doing me much good looking for a weak dx signal. I have to think I have something not set up right etc.. What is required is careful (and ongoing) adjustment of P3 controls. For everyday operation, I set the display range to 32 dB, set Averaging to max (20), and adjust the noise floor to the bottom of the display. The first two adjustments are more or less set and forget; the noise floor will change from day to day and from band to band. On CW and RTTY, I typically use display widths of 50 to 100 kHz, or whatever covers the activity; on SSB, I usually set it to the 200 kHz max. In both cases, setting the center so that I'm seeing that activity. What Averaging does is cause random noise to cancel, but causing signals to be reinforced. Averaging is the power tool that lets us see weak signals. Averaging also emphasizes electronic noise, that's acting like miniature radio transmitters. It's also important to set the P3 so that the frequency limits of the display remain fixed as we tune the band; if we set it to always be centered, averaging will re-start as we tune, rendering it useless. If I'm going for very weak signals on a quiet band, I'll change that 32 dB display range to 24 dB; in a contest, with lots of big signals, to 42 dB. I do NOT recommend averaging of the waterfall itself. These applications notes on different topics include P3 and P3/SVGA screen grabs. The first two are "on-the-air;" the third was done in my shack, looking at the bandwidth of various rigs and amps. If you know what you're doing, the P3 and P3/SVGA are very good test instruments, that are with respect to frequency resolution, far superior to HP spectrum analyzers! http://k9yc.com/K6XXAmpTalk.pdf http://k9yc.com/KillingReceiveNoise.pdf http://k9yc.com/P3_Spectrum_Measurements.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] User's Dilemma
On 12/15/2023 12:41 PM, KJ7SOY wrote: and the primary industry (about 80% of the business in the area) is agriculture. People won’t move to small/medium sized agricultural communities because there isn’t a lot there for them, so importing skilled staff isn’t feasible. That's a pretty limited description of the Monterey Bay area, which Watsonville roughly centers. Since 2006, I've lived about 20 miles north in the Santa Cruz Mountains. There's a LOT of technical talent around here. Watsonville is 40-50 miles from Silicon Valley, and people from this area commute to, or work remotely for companies based there. The real issues are 1) cost of living -- it ain't cheap to live here, and 2) there's a lot of competition for talent. It's a great place to live, it's also popular with tourists. When I raised the manpower issue with Wayne in direct email several years ago, his response was something like, "have you tried hiring technical talent recently?" > With the current global labor shortage it’s close to impossible to > hire people in ANY industry, and electronics fabrication and repair is > no exception. Yep! 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] User's Dilemma
On 12/14/2023 10:57 AM, Pete Smith N4ZR wrote: If they were starting from scratch, I'd agree, but there are currently-operating independent technicians out here who could be up and running relatively easily. I supervised a service department many years ago, having previously worked on a service bench, and driving around Chicago doing field service. And as it happens, I visited Elecraft yesterday with my KPA1500 (45 minutes each way with traffic). There is considerable benefit from experience on specific equipment, and to the interchange between techs working on the same products on the basis of "come over and look at what I'm seeing." That happened with my KPA1500. There's also the matter of stocking repair parts. Yes, shipping time is a factor of a few days, at least within North America, but not having enough techs working on a bench is multiple weeks, even more than a month. If I were Elecraft, I'd devote resources to hiring another tech or two. And with either location, there's the matter of training and developing experience on specific equipment. The mentoring to do that is far easier to do with a tech working on the bench next to you. That is happening at Elecraft. 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] K3S Receiver Spurious
On 12/5/2023 9:33 AM, Michael Tope wrote: I did move the Astron RS-35 that powers the K3S off my UPS a few weeks ago. See this note on a manufacturing issue that I found in several of my Astron supplies that can cause instability. The bond between the AC green wire, V-, is insulated from the chassis by paint at the mounting leg of the old-style terminal strip next to the V- terminal. The defect can be confirmed by an ohmmeter measurement between the green wire at the plug and the chassis. http://k9yc.com/PowerSupplyBondingAndAudioDistortion.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] Noise from KAT500?
Clarifying a typo, "antenna tuners" like the KAT500 are networks that transform the impedance presented by the transmission line to 50 ohms, allowing the output stage to provide power to the line. This has NO effect on loss in the line, which is determined solely by the match between the antenna and the line, as Bob correctly states. That said, line loss due to SWR is often wildly overestimated. For 60M, I'm using an 80M dipole fed with about 160 ft of a good RG11, which looks like 5:1 VSWR at the transmitter. Taking line loss into account, VSWR at the antenna is around 7:1. A good transmission line calculator shows the excess loss in the line due to VSWR to be about 1 dB, which is a small fraction of an S-unit. Using FT8, I've confirmed more than 70 countries on that band with 100W, and can work EU almost any night from my QTH near San Francisco. 73, Jim K9YC On 12/4/2023 7:16 AM, Bob McGraw wrote: The KPA500 at the station only matches the transmitter to the transmission line and likewise for the receiver. It does not change the match between the antenna and transmission line, thus the SWR and related loss from SWR remains. __ 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] Noise from KAT500?
On 12/3/2023 4:20 PM, David Woolley wrote: small, ferrite toroid. Using a higher frequency allows a less bulky transformer. Yes. 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] Elecraft Digest, Vol 236, Issue 2
On 12/3/2023 9:23 AM, Bob McGraw wrote: Jim, K9YC, has very strong merits in that each and every piece of equipment MUST be bonded to a single common point. I use the station power supply for my single common bonding point. I DO NOT use an external dedicated ground as it would be 35 ft in length and serve as an antenna to pick up noise. After all, that is 1/4 wavelength on 40M. Yes, but that's a VERY oversimplistic description. Study N0AX's ARRL book on the topic, to which I contributed, and/or this pdf of slides for a talk I've done at Visalia, Pacificon, and to various large clubs. http://k9yc.com/GroundingAndAudio.pdf The VERY short answer is that everything that's connected to the rig must be bonded together by short fat copper AT the operating desk. That common point must be bonded to every other ground in our home, also by the shortest practical fat copper. In the shack, I mostly use #10 stranded; outside, I use #6 stranded. 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] Noise from KAT500?
On 12/2/2023 7:33 PM, David Gilbert wrote: Most of them have almost no reliable voltage regulation either. They are typically designed for a certain load, and if they don't see that load the voltage is much higher than rated. I've tested dozens of these things (I tend not to throw anything away) and it's fairly typical that a 12 volt rated wall wart power supply presents 16 to 18 volts (or higher) no load. That can be death to a piece of 12 volt gear that doesn't draw much current. Exactly right, Dave! I discussed in detail in the tutorial. Nearly all of the warts, lumps, and the equipment they power are labeled with voltage and current. My advice in the tutorial, with pictures, is break the DC cable, add Power Poles, and use one of the inline volt-ammeters to confirm that the PSU is within the safe operating range of the unit being powered. In the 20 years I've been making these replacements, I've yet to blow anything up! 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] Noise from KAT500?
On 12/2/2023 5:48 PM, W2HX wrote: I then replaced the wall-wart power supply with a 12V battery. And this is what I saw for BOTH bypass and inline. Clearly the problem. https://w2hx.com/x/Elecraft/KAT500/Noise-Issue/KAT500-battery.png using a battery, the noise is about -80 dBm. Using the wall-wart, in some cases the noise is as high as -60 dBm My task now is to either leave it on battery or preferably, find a low noise PS. 99.9% of stuff that plugs into the wall has a Switch-mode power supply, most of which are varying degrees of noisy. They were mandated to save energy about 20 years ago, but thanks to small government, the FCC has no money to enforce their Rules that they be quiet. So they aren't. A typical home has several dozen of them, either in the form of wall warts and line lumps or built into equipment and appliances. Rather than buying bigger and better anything for our station, our time and money is far better spent identifying and replacing as many as possible of these nasty noise sources. There's a tutorial on my website, k9yc.com/publish.htm about how to find and replace them. All of the 12V gear in my shack runs on two big batteries that are float charged by re-purposed Thinkpad power supplies using Genasun charge regulators. A 100Ah LiFePO4 runs the rigs, a 100Ah Sealed Lead Acid runs the rest of the stuff. 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] USB/3.5mm Extension?
On 11/29/2023 7:47 AM, Andy Durbin wrote: The MAX3232 terminates the input with 5k which is almost identical to the KAT500 transmitter source impedance. The impedance that must be matched to preserve waveshape is that of the transmission line. The RS232 protocol does not do that. Most other protocols do. Zo of practical cables is in the range of 50-100 ohms. 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] USB/3.5mm Extension?
On 11/28/2023 6:46 AM, Andy Durbin wrote: Isn't it true that the KAT500 USB cable uses RS-232 protocol but TTL signal levels? T RS-232 is NOT a matched transmission line -- it's a low-Z source and high-Z input. The limitation on line length is not signal strength, but rounding of the pulses by cable capacitance. 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] Power oscillation problem (KPA500+KAT500)
On 11/21/2023 9:03 AM, Andy Durbin wrote: I should be able to fix the problem with better decoupling and/or choking of the breakout box connections. That suggests bonding and grounding may not be sufficient. Every chassis that is part of the station must be bonded together, and that bonded to all other grounds in our home. The root cause is probably a Pin One Problem in one or more pieces of equipment, and bonding is a solution. Some cables may be carrying noise and radiating it, so it can help to choke them. For example, I choke video and power cables to external monitors. 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] Power oscillation problem (KPA500+KAT500)
On 11/20/2023 8:00 PM, Rick NK7I wrote: In that search, high on the list of suspects (right up there with failure of any antenna elements) is damage from tiny livestock (mice, rats, birds that may have gotten into the attic or bugs like mud wasps); chewed wires, cables and insulators. More possibilities. Back in Chicago, I traced an intermittent in an antenna to a junk connector adapter. After getting back on the air in 2003 after 20+ years off, I made the mistake of restocking my parts stash with junk adapters from a Chicago flea market. Over the next five years, I traced a half dozen failures to them as a cause. My definition of a junk connector is one that isn't stamped "Belden," or with a MIL part number, or one of the types made for hard line. Perhaps a ferrite choke that is poorly designed, under-rated for the specific use, or used with a badly imbalanced antenna has failed. They do that. :) And, of course, loose connectors. 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] K3 Resistor Values
Schematics are on their website. 73, Jim K9YC On 11/15/2023 5:20 AM, sem...@semaos.plus.com wrote: Can anyone tell me where I can get the values of Resistor R81 on the K3S RF Board please? __ 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] KPA 500 Question
I have cables that control the amplifier for each radio. By default, the KPA500, KPA1500, and KAT500 all have near-instantaneous frequency-detection. They switch very quickly to the right band, and the tuners will recall previous antenna tunings for the detected frequency. All it takes is a dit or a tap on the mic. That's in addition to the front panel band switches. I own all three, and have never used an AUX cable with any of them. 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] Duty Cycle of FT8 #Elecraft
On 11/10/2023 6:27 AM, Pete Smith N4ZR wrote: I started operating FT8 while my KPA-1500amp was out for repair. Now it's back and raising a question: Operating with just my K-3, set at 100 watts, I would see 100 watts indicated on its meter through the whole 15-second FT8 transmission.. When I drive my amp, it only needs 30 watts for full CW power (on 24 MHz), but the amp indicates 1200 watts input for the whole FT8 transmit cycle. I'm wondering if I should back off to protect the amp,considering the duty cycle is so high - on the other hand, the temperature reading profile of the amp seems to be pretty much the same as on CW. I've been told by someone who knows that 1) it is normal for MOSFet devices to lose efficiency as they heat; 2) the KPA1500 can run WSJT modes at rated power except on 6M, where it's best to not run much more than 1 kW for long TX sessions, like meteor scatter. It's an issue un-related to the the MOSFets; and 3) to use default fan settings and let the amp adjust upward as needed. 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] HI CUR warning on K3
On 11/8/2023 8:21 AM, Pete Smith N4ZR wrote: I've fairly well established that the problem is not at the antenna, but arising somewhere in the grounding/RFI protection in my station, since it occurs only on one band and (more importantly) because it stopped totally after I re-tightened all the connections in my grounding system yesterday That can certainly be a major cause of problems with RF in the shack. The Carolina Windom incorporates a line isolator 22 feet down from the feedpoint, but technical questions have been raised about exactly what you describe, and I'm not technical enough either to question the analysis or to experimentally measure the common mode current on the feedline. ALL off-center-fed antennas are a train wreck for RF in the shack, and for blowing "line isolators" and chokes. This is because their strong imbalance puts huge common mode current on the feedline. They are a very bad idea, especially if running high power. Anything done to try to "fix" them is putting lipstick on a pig. 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] K3S Split Operation
On 11/6/2023 10:37 AM, Wes wrote: I've been licensed 65 years and I've never owned a transceiver with two receivers. I am one away (drat) from top of the DXCC Honor Roll, am on both the Mixed and Phone HR, am a few short on CW and have DXCC on nine bands. A person's needs/desires depends on goals and resources (like real estate). In the 15 years I've had the 2nd RX in the K3, I've found diversity RX to be quite helpful on 40M and below during contests and for DXpeditions over difficult paths. I strongly agree that a spectrum display is quite useful, especially with good frequency resolution and a long waterfall, and I find the display in the P3/SVGA much more useful than what's in the K4. 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] KX3 - CWT, no ALC in Data Mode
On 10/28/2023 2:29 PM, John Overbaugh wrote: Messing around with PSK today and I'm stumped... I am sure I just switched a setting somewhere but I can't figure out where. When I am in DATA A mode for PSK, I see the CWT meter, not the ALC meter. ALC shows only in TX mode. For digital modes, the manual says to set audio drive from the computer to the rig so that ALC reads 4 bars flashing 5 when transmitting. Digital modes should use the LINE Input. The correct audio drive setting is a combination of computer output gain and Line Input gain. When in Digital modes, the Mic Gain knob becomes Line Input gain. In general, computer output should set at least 6 dB below 100%. 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] List guidelines, please review.
Blank email. This reflector is plain text only, and is known to reject posts with HTML-formatting. 73, Jim K9YC On 10/27/2023 2:52 PM, Rich WC3T wrote: __ 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 j...@audiosystemsgroup.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] XV 144 trasnverter for sale
On 10/26/2023 10:20 AM, Clay Autery wrote: 1) It ain't Elecraft. That could be a plus -- that 20 year old series of transverters had serious stability problems, thanks at least in part to seriously flawed construction. RF I/O was on BNCs that were isolated from the chassis! I bought a set of three used around that time, still have the 2M unit. I sold the 6M unit after the band started showing up on HF rigs, donated the 220 MHz unit to the N6RO contest station. Their positive features are 1) RX had a pretty good front end; and 2) great flexibility with respect to RF drive on TX. I think I'd heard that frequency stability wasn't great, but don't take that for certain. 2) The XV-144 is out of production as you well know. $600.00 is well within the realm of reasonable for the right buyer. Not in light of the above. 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] TS-890 vs K4D performance?
On 10/23/2023 2:24 PM, Linda M wrote: Blank email. This reflector is plain text, rejects HTML 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] Headset Hubbub
On 10/12/2023 4:33 PM, Al via Elecraft wrote: A large music distributor, sweetwater.com, sells the Yamaha language learning system and has occasionally had CM-500s available at a reasonable price. They're a good, long established company. Another in that league is Full Compass, based in Madison, WI. I used to know the owners, a married couple, and worked in pro audio sales in competition with them. They son later went into pro audio as well. They're good people. 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] Trade K4D for loaded K3S + cash
On 9/17/2023 9:51 AM, n...@n1ix.com wrote: As you probably know the K4 is a great radio but I am a CW op and don't use most of the features. I've always been primarily a CW op, and my K4D is the best rig for CW I've ever owned in 69 years as a ham. I especially like the filters and the sound of the radio. 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] OT: The day I found out I was going to be an engineer
On 9/16/2023 7:09 PM, Nate Bargmann wrote: Don't push too hard. Even though dad fixed some TVs up until I was six or seven, I didn't gain an interest in electronics until after high school at age 17. As a youth I had Lego, Tinker Toys, and Erector Sets. All were educational in various ways. Exposure to various hands-on things will let him find what he likes. Great advice, Nate. I exposed my kids to lots of things and let them figure out if they wanted more. I've watched many other parents do the same, and their kids have all turned out pretty happy! 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] K2 Band Data
On 9/1/2023 7:21 PM, Michael Carter wrote: One clarification on the AUXBUS signal: the 'auxbus' is Elecraft's proprietary 1-wire signaling scheme by which the main MCU on the K2 Control board talks to all of the other controller ICs on the various option modules and the I/O controller (relay driver, among other functions) on the K2 RF board. The 'auxbus' signal is made available via the KIO2 interface, if installed, for use with external Elecraft modules (e.g. the KAT100 ATU, KPA100 PA, and the transverter modules). One caution -- I was told by someone at Elecraft years ago that not all later products implement it. I think I remember KAT500 and/or KPA500. I'm using Auxbus from K3s KRC2s to generate band data to switch bandpass filters. Very nice - a single coax from K3 to KRC2. I don't remember what format the filters wanted. That was W6FB's project, I think. 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] Portable antennae for the KX3
On 9/1/2023 1:36 PM, Walter Underwood wrote: Regardless of what else you carry, I recommend taking a BNC to double binding post adaptor and two wires, 25 feet each. Excellent advice. 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] Portable antennae for the KX3
On 9/1/2023 12:46 PM, Bill Priakos via Elecraft wrote: I am new to the site – I hear some antenna designs for portable operation with the KX3 posted here! There's nothing special about antennas for Elecraft radios. The ARRL Handbook and Antenna Book are our friends, and ought to be on every ham's bookshelf! We've been using the same antennas for almost a century! 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] KPA500 17M missing
On 8/31/2023 2:45 PM, Henry Pfizenmayer via Elecraft wrote: I have a friend across town who has a KPA500 built from a kit Aug 2017 SN 33XX who has never used his K3S or KPA500 on17 m and just got an antenna for 17 and lo and behold NOTHING he does will allow operation on 17. Hank, Will the K3S transmit on 17M with the antenna connected directly to it? 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] FW: Interesting observations after installing antenna switch
On 8/29/2023 7:58 PM, ken.k...@gmail.com wrote: 80 meter OCFD through an LDG AT-1000Pro tuner for everything below 20. Where is the tuner? Jim __ 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] Interesting observations after installing antenna switch
On 8/29/2023 11:58 AM, ken.k...@gmail.com wrote: The designer of the switch says that each band data channel only draws around 4 mA, with each channel buffered by a transistor switch in an attempt to isolate the band data voltage from the radio. In my working days in the entertainment industry, I would use a distribution amp to give me multiple audio outputs when needed. Is there such a "distribution amp" available for the band data signals? Would the Elecraft KRC2 accomplish this? There are multiple formats for band data. I suspect that the one used by your switch is one that is not compatible with Elecraft's. It's been a while since I worked with the KRC2 that's in W6GJB's contesting trailer, but I think I remember that it can be set for all of the common band data formats. I suggest studying the manual for the KRC2 -- most if not all Elecraft manuals are on their website. Your KPA500 is probably throwing an alarm because it's not being band-switched. However -- I've never sent band data to my Elecraft amps or tuners -- all it takes is a single dit or tap on the mic for them to detect frequency and switch on their own. I don't see mention of a tuner, so I suspect all of your antennas are reasonably matched to coax. If not, remember that any transmission line transforms any mismatched load to some different complex impedance (that is, resistance and reactance), depending on its length. So if line lengths changed as a result of the switch, it could change that impedance, and some impedances with the same VSWR look different to the transmitter than others. 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] A Good Headset For A K3
On 8/8/2023 10:32 PM, Victor Rosenthal wrote: Back in the days that I operated SSB, I transmitted more than one meow as a result of using VOX. I had a cat that loved to sleep on top of my K2, while looking out the window. I have photos. 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] CM-500 Question
On 8/8/2023 7:07 AM, David Herring wrote: Comfort. My ears tend to be on the large side. Most “over the ear” headphones are really “on ear” headphones for me. After an hour or two of that, my ears really begin to hurt. The CM500s have large enough cups to encompass my entire ear (albeit barely), thus permitting me to wear them for extended periods of time. Dave is a great example of the very important point I stated near the beginning of this thread -- headphone comfort is strongly dependent on the size/shape of our head and ears. > but if the CM500s stink in the mic sensitivity department, This matters ONLY if you can't adjust mic gain to provide 100% modulation and achieve good levels of speech compression, 10 dB or so on voice peaks. 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] CM-500 Question
On 8/7/2023 4:09 PM, David Herring wrote: I can confirm that it works (albeit poorly) with bias on and does not work at all when the bias is turned off. Thanks Dave. 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] CM-500 Question
On 8/7/2023 12:44 PM, Alan Bloom wrote: I also use it for recording a radio show on a computer sound card. Again, I have to set the gain to near maximum to get proper levels. Alan, The CM500 has always had an electret mic, which requires bias, although the data sheet has always called it a dynamic mic. As a test, turn off bias and see if that changes anything. If it is a dynamic, turning off bias should make it work better. My WAG is that what you bought might be a counterfeit. My experience buying all sorts of things in the last 5 years (kitchen tools, shoes, etc.) has been seeing lots of what appear to be either counterfeit or cheapened versions of stuff I'd previously owned and wanted a second one. 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] CM-500 Question
On 8/7/2023 10:46 AM, Larry Martin wrote: I've read several comments that the current CM-500's don't have as good of a microphone as the earlier ones. That's news to me, but the last one I bought was 4-5 years ago. 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] A Good Headset For A K3
Looks like a well thought out design, except for the focus on impedance matching, which hasn't been the practice in audio for almost 50 years. Impedance matching is primarily a transmission lines concept. Standard practice has long been low-Z source and high-Z input impedance. :) I don't see anything on the website about whether the phones are enclosed, which would be quite beneficial in multi-ops. When not using an SO2R box, I like the ability to plug the headset into the rear panel. I also don't see anything about whether the mic is omni or cardioid, or its frequency response. 73, Jim K9YC On 8/6/2023 2:32 PM, Richard Thorne wrote: Then I found the Inrad W1 http://vibroplex.com/contents/en-us/d9181.html Hands down the best, in my opinion. It's over the ears, doesn't clamp on, not heavy and is stout. Rich - N5ZC __ 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] A Good Headset For A K3
On 8/6/2023 2:29 PM, George Fremin III wrote: I tried settings that rolled off the low end in a few contests but for me this is not work well - this gives me a fuller sound that I am much happier with and I often get good audio reports from folks. Hi George, Your monster station gives you a huge advantage over us mere mortals, so you can get away not cutting the low end. It's a very bad idea for the rest of us! 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] A Good Headset For A K3
On 8/6/2023 11:43 AM, Eric Garner wrote: 2nding the radiosport headsets. They are not cheap, but they are comfortable for extended wear, sound great, and block nearly all background noise. Comfort depends strongly on the head of the wearer. I tried on a set twice, first at a club meeting, then a few years later after seeing/hearing posts like this. On both occasions I found them to be an instrument of torture. By contrast, the Yamaha CM500 headset is VERY comfortable -- I've worn mine for long contest weekends with no fatigue, and both phones and mic sound great. With the right TXEQ, audio is super competitive, is easy to listen to and cuts through noise and QRM. The headset plugs straight into the rear panel of both a K3 and a K4, (turn on bias, because mic is an electret). Most of us program PF2 to toggle the speaker on and off (go to the menu for that function and push PF2). With the right cable adapter, it also works great with a KX3. The only shortcoming of the Yamaha headset is it's somewhat light construction -- I'm super clumsy, am always knocking the headset on the floor, which has broken the cable. But at $60 or so compared 4-6 times that cost for ham specialty headsets that are no better, it's cheap. 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] Buying a K4 in UK
On 8/3/2023 3:47 PM, G3WPF via Elecraft wrote: I would still rather travel one hour within this country to get things sorted. Your experience of Kenwood in the USD is a mirror image of the situation here with Elecraft. It seems a characteristic of US manufactured equipment over here going back to Heath, Drake, Swan etc which was always fraught with difficulties. As a result, it's always seemed to be considered as a "niche" market. I just hope it can change in the future. The possibility for change is in Europe, not at Elecraft. When Elecraft felt there was a suitable partner, the had the relationship. I'm not advocating for purchasing the K4 in the UK, but I can offer this. I've been running a K4 for about a year, and I love it. The only hardware issue I've encountered is a design issue, likely necessitated by discontinuance of the switching-type 3.5mm TRS jacks long used for headphones, which results in very strong susceptibility to RFI at one or more rear panel 3.5mm jack(s). And while firmware has yet to be released for some functions (like remote control, but also a few operational functions and behaviors), it is under active development, and all firmware updates/upgrades are free and easy to install, in a manner similar to their other rigs. I'd guess that there have been 3-4 upgrades since I've owned the radio, and while I've always been very happy with it, each upgrade has improved the performance. To get a full picture of the K4 and any issues, I suggest you subscribe to the dedicated K4 groups.io reflector. It's web-based, and can be set to send each post as an email, and if you join, you'll have access to the complete history of the group. 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] Buying a K4 in UK
On 8/3/2023 2:29 AM, G3WPF via Elecraft wrote: You are still missing the point Jim. The choice is simple. The customer can either go through the risk and rigmarole of conducting their business direct with Elecraft, several thousand miles away or driving an hour or so to buy/have serviced/repaired a broadly equivalent rig from other manufacturers. I haven't misunderstood at all -- indeed, I WOULD consider that issue. And I suspect that if Elecraft does not currently have a relationship with distributor or service in EU, it's because they don't know of a suitable firm. That said, EI2CN has responded to this concern in a positive way. And this observation from my experience: several years ago, I bought a Kenwood D74A VHF/UHF talkie from a US vendor, hoping it would be a replacement for the TH-F6As that I've used and loved for twenty years. The user interface was so bad that I had to refer to the manual (a pdf, which I printed most of) to do almost anything, so I rarely used it, sticking the TH-F6A instead. When I eventually did pick it up for some reason, it was dead, and out of warranty. In this country of ~340 million souls, Kenwood lists only one service center, and it took nearly a month to get an address or contact info. I've long considered Kenwood as the best of the JA rigs. 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] Buying a K4 in UK
On 8/2/2023 7:40 PM, Peter Hall wrote: Unfortunately, Elecraft's preferred carrier - UPS - is certainly not Tier-1 Elecraft is a small enough company that the issue of shipment could certainly be addressed when discussing a purchase. I've long heard that DHL is well respected in the UK. They're not well known here (although they used to be 30 years ago, and I used them in my biz to ship architectural drawings around), but Elecraft will probably know how to access them. Again, ASK! Elecraft is not like Kenwood, ICOM, or Yaesu! Anyone who's been on this reflector for very long knows that Wayne and Eric (who does most of the management stuff) are both online and read this reflector, and the company is online friendly. So is SDRKits (in the UK), from whom I've made four purchases over about ten years, all of which arrived painlessly by USPS. One of their people reads the support reflector for their excellent VNWA and responds promptly and in a very positive way to any issues. 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] Buying a K4 in UK
On 8/2/2023 12:55 PM, David Gilbert wrote: That's a pretty simplistic and condescending reply to Geert's well written post. Which ignore the obvious -- ask before assuming. 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] Buying a K4 in UK
On 8/2/2023 12:34 PM, Geert Jan de Groot wrote: For one, it is not obvious because Elecraft does not have (and can not have) expertise in the complex and fast-changing world of international customs regulations. Management at Elecraft are not babes in the woods. 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] Buying a K4 in UK
Call Elecraft and see what they tell you. Why is this not obvious? 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] A dumb question about lightning
On 7/31/2023 2:14 PM, jerry wrote: Interesting. Suppose the service entrance is at one end of the house, and the ham shack at the other end? I don't think it's physically possible to provide a low inductance path that's 60 feet long, is it? I've posted a link to my tutorial, which covers this, but which folks who need to know what's in it haven't bothered to read. Fred is absolutely correct, BY LAW, all grounds in a premises MUST be bonded together. In his ARRL book on the topic, to which I contributed, Ward Silver, N0AX, recommends a perimeter ground ring, connecting multiple driven rods. A full perimeter ring wasn't practical for the building that houses my shack, so I did a half perimeter ring from the sub-panel for the building to the shack on the other side of the building. Jerry is entirely correct -- indeed, the rule of thumb for bonding between a tower and the building(s) where there's no mains power at the tower is to NOT bond if the tower is more than 100 ft from grounds for the building (and some references suggest 60 ft). The whole point of bonding all the grounds is so that in the event of a strike, the entire premises rises as closely as practical to the same potential, minimizing the potential difference between grounded equipment and surfaces. Re-posting the link. http://k9yc.com/GroundingAndAudio.pdf And it's NOT mainly about audio. 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 and Yamaha CM-500 Mic?
On 7/30/2023 4:40 PM, Oscar Staudt wrote: I attempted to get 3-5 bars of ALC by turning up the mic gain control. Even with the gain up to 80, I’d have to speak*very* loudly to just get a flicker on the ALC meter. Do the headphones work? Are you sure that the mic is plugged all the way into the jack? 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] Grounding, Lightning & Attic Antennas
On 7/29/2023 7:18 PM, Steve L wrote: What I don’t clearly see is how to provide a station and antenna ground for a basement operating position. Steve, Email reflectors are NOT the place to learn this stuff, but they are the place to learn where to learn it. STUDY the link I provided to my tutorial, and/or the N0AX (Ward Silver) ARRL Book. k9yc.com/publish.htm Scroll down. 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] [OT] A dumb question about lightning
On 7/28/2023 5:46 PM, Tom Doligalski via Elecraft wrote: Turned out when the cable was brought into the house many years ago the installer failed to adequately ground at the entry point In the home I bought here in W6, power, CATV, and telco terminate at the same point. That's a good thing. The only attempt at an earth electrode was about 35 ft of bare (#10?) copper (subsequently painted with the house) that wandered to the outlet for a garden hose, which was fed by PVC pipe. So the system had no ground. They did slightly better in the mother-in-law garage apartment building that now houses my shack. The same bare copper, again painted, ran from that building's sub-panel, up into the attic, across to the other side of the building, where it snaked along framing and a window frame, where it finally was connected to a driven rod, the only one on the property. There were other glaring wiring errors, including 120V outlets in a half-kitchen/laundry room fed between phase and green. There was a generator in a nice little doghouse, with manual transfer switches, but the generator was missing lots of parts, so it could not possibly have run. And a company got paid to inspect the place on my behalf (I lived in Chicago at the time). This turkey found a list of dumb stuff, like dimensions of exterior steps, but nary a word about electrical. 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] [OT] A dumb question about lightning
A very significant thing I remember that's new/significantly expanded in the second edition is to address a shack on a higher floor or otherwise non-ideally located. Other issues like that. A lot of little stuff, like responding to questions Ward had heard when he did talks to clubs and at conventions. And like most good writers, tweaking language to make things more clear. 73, Jim K9YC On 7/28/2023 5:41 PM, Russ Tobolic wrote: I have the first edition of the ARRL book. What is significant about the second edition that is different from the earlier edition? __ 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] [OT] A dumb question about lightning
On 7/28/2023 1:31 PM, Al Lorona wrote: Please don't laugh at me; I'm a transplant from a region of the country with essentially no lightning to a region where you have to worry about it quite a bit. The answer is, as KK9A said, to follow proper grounding and bonding to the letter. N0AX's ARRL Book on the topic, to which I contributed, is excellent. You want the Second Edition, published about a year ago. The book also references the slide deck for my tutorial talks. Don't let "audio" in the link fool you -- it's all about grounding and bonding in the shack for lightning protection and to minimize RFI. http://k9yc.com/GroundingAndAudio.pdf On 7/28/2023 3:04 PM, Keith Trinity WE6R wrote: > Please, PLEASE disconnect your COMPUTER from your radio(s) if lightning > is in the area! > > Almost ALWAYS lightning damaged gear that comes in for repair, was hit > _thru the comm port!_ > (lightning hits Cable/DSL lines). This is the result of failure to follow proper grounding and bonding, and the failure of equipment mfrs to properly bond cable shields to the chassis at the point of entry. That failure to common to all ham mfrs, including Elecraft. This construction error was first addressed in 1994 by a ham working in pro audio, Neil Muncy, ex-W3WJE (SK), and he called it "The Pin One Problem," because Pin 1 of the XLR connectors used to carry balanced audio is the shield contact. I addressed it beginning on page 5 of this RFI tutorial, which started out life in 2007. k9yc.com/RFI-Ham.pdf A major contributor to that lightning damage are the MOV-based surge protectors provide power to interconnected equipment. The MOVs short to the green wire; the IR drop in the green wire from that current spike raises the reference potential for equipment plugged into it, and the difference between that and the chassis of interconnected equipment that's grounded somewhere else fries the interconnected circuitry. We started seeing this in pro audio systems in the early '90s, with no antennas involved. The solution was elimination of those MOV protectors, replacing them with series-mode units that stored surge in a monster inductor, then discharged it slowly as a trickle after the strike had passed. A colleague blew out the Ethernet ports of computers in his small design office from exactly this mechanism. Again, no antennas were involved. 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] Aircraft Doppler shift
Interesting! Other observations in this thread have been with respect to FT8 signals on 6M. 73, Jim K9YC On 7/23/2023 7:45 PM, Jim Brown wrote: Andy, My observations here are consistent with yours -- I regularly see Doppler on either side of a signal, sometimes even both sides, which would be consistent with multiple aircraft. And without Doppler, I always see low level sidebands on locals that are approximately symmetrical with the P3/SVGA cranked to minimum span. Last season, Trey and I were seeing a neighbor being much wider than normal. Trey went to his shack to help him figure it out while I watched on the P3. It was coming from his Expert amp, and we managed a modest improvement. If I'm remembering correctly, he was running the amp on the low voltage setting. 73, Jim K9YC On 7/23/2023 6:30 PM, Andy Durbin wrote: The aircraft that can be expected to cause Doppler shifted reflection in the Phoenix Class B airspace are transport aircraft following Standard Instrument Departures (SID) and Standard Terminal Arrival Route (STAR) routings. My QTH is about a mile from a KPHX STAR (BRUSR ONE). On a busy day with winds out of the East they go by at about one per minute. As they approach from the North I would expect reflections with a higher frequency. After they pass and move to the South I would expect reflections with a lower frequency. With multiple aircraft following the same route I would expect a mix of reflected signal frequencies spread on each side of the transmitted signal frequency. __ 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 j...@audiosystemsgroup.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] Aircraft Doppler shift
Andy, My observations here are consistent with yours -- I regularly see Doppler on either side of a signal, sometimes even both sides, which would be consistent with multiple aircraft. And without Doppler, I always see low level sidebands on locals that are approximately symmetrical with the P3/SVGA cranked to minimum span. Last season, Trey and I were seeing a neighbor being much wider than normal. Trey went to his shack to help him figure it out while I watched on the P3. It was coming from his Expert amp, and we managed a modest improvement. If I'm remembering correctly, he was running the amp on the low voltage setting. 73, Jim K9YC On 7/23/2023 6:30 PM, Andy Durbin wrote: The aircraft that can be expected to cause Doppler shifted reflection in the Phoenix Class B airspace are transport aircraft following Standard Instrument Departures (SID) and Standard Terminal Arrival Route (STAR) routings. My QTH is about a mile from a KPHX STAR (BRUSR ONE). On a busy day with winds out of the East they go by at about one per minute. As they approach from the North I would expect reflections with a higher frequency. After they pass and move to the South I would expect reflections with a lower frequency. With multiple aircraft following the same route I would expect a mix of reflected signal frequencies spread on each side of the transmitted signal frequency. __ 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] Power hunting
Exactly right, Joe. AND, the crystal filters in the K3 are not ideal. Soon after I started running RTTY with my K3s in 2008, I saw incidental AM resulting from the ripple in the stock 2.7 kHz 5-pole filter. When I replaced it with a 2.8 kHz 8-pole filter, which is flatter, but still not ideal, that measurably reduced the incidental AM. And as Joe observes, real filters have both magnitude and phase response. So while Joe and the WSJT team have done their best to minimize the extent to which they can excite IMD, real radios are not theoretical, and WSJT signals DO produce some IMD in real radios. 73, Jim K9YC On 7/23/2023 10:08 AM, Joe Subich, W4TV wrote: This is true for any "N of M tone" FSK mode where N is 1. However, the DSP filtering in both the K3 and K4 has a finite delay which causes some "spreading" of energy from one bit to the next which means there is *some* level of both tones present during the transition. This two tone condition *can* result in IMD. Since both the K3 and K4 are "100W, 12V" final amplifiers, the finals will begin to go into gain compression (the early stages of saturation) at around 80W (look at the data sheets on the final devices) and will produce IMD if run with the PWR control above the onset of compression - *EVEN WITH A "CONSTANT* *CARRIER, CONSTANT ENVELOPE" MODE* __ 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] K3 Power-hunting on FT8
On 7/23/2023 9:49 AM, Andy Durbin wrote: It is my belief that many of the wide FT8 signals seen on 6 m FT8 are caused by Doppler shifted aircraft reflections. It's very common here in the Phoenix metro area and does not imply that the transmitted signal was in any way abnormal. YES! It's very common anywhere around airports with much traffic. We see lots of it in the SF Bay area -- N5KO, W6RN, WB6RJH, and I are roughly 20 miles from SJC (San Jose) 30 miles from SFO (San Francisco), a little farther from OAK (Oakland). There are other propagation-related causes for spreading signals. 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] K3 Power-hunting on FT8
On 7/20/2023 2:47 PM, Rick NK7I wrote: s said MANY times, set the WSJT-X output to MAX, then IGNORE IT. Hi Rick, This is the only part of your excellent advice that I disagree with. The reason is that the analog stages of computer gear tend to be poor, and start generating increased distortion well below clip. My advice is to run analog outputs of computer gear 6 dB below clip. 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] K3 Power-hunting on FT8
On 7/20/2023 2:16 PM, Pete Smith N4ZR wrote: I've recently started operating FT8, and on advice from other K3 users, have been adjusting the power slider in WSJT-X to a level just short of or just into the first flickers of ALC. I did this because I was advised that setting the slider for 4 or 5 bars of ALC generated junk in the FT8 passband. I am running the K3 in Data A mode I saw that post, and suspected at the time that you got bum advice. That's why it's power-hunting. I'd go back to what Elecraft says in their manual. 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] Very late to the party - computer rig control and sound card modes for K3
On 7/18/2023 1:58 AM, Paul Barlow wrote: I'm still using a paper log, and QRP CW is my 'thing'. One other thing. By all means, get into computer logging. MANY reasons to do so, including easy interface with LOTW. Like you, I've always been primarily a CW op, work some QRP, but also do lots of serious contesting. When I got back on the air in 2003 after many years off, I was lucky to discover DXKeeper, part of the excellent DXLab Suite, all of it FREEware! A nice free utility called JTAlert can automatically log to DXKeeper (and to several other free loggers). LOTW has become very much the standard for confirming contacts, so that we don't need to spend thousands on stamps to request and mail paper cards. I'd guess that 90% or more of hams running digital modes use LOTW. Being outside the US, you must jump through a few hoops and mail things to document your license, but once you've done that, it's free until you want to claim an award using it, at which time the cost per QSO is a small fraction of the cost of mailing a paper QSL. Those hoops are to prevent those who want to scam the system by getting confirmation of QSOs that don't exist. :) 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] Very late to the party - computer rig control and sound card modes for K3
Hi Paul, Yes, that USB cable will work just fine for rig control. You will want some sort of audio interface. The Signalink is well advertised, but not a great product nor value for the money. There's a piece on my website about some very good interfaces from the world of pro audio. Some of the recommended products are getting a bit old in the tooth, but I would buy used on ebay from vendors having nearly 100% ratings. The most you might need to do is solder up a few cables with 3.5mm and RCA connectors. The link also provides several good ways to set levels, depending the instrumentation that you have on hand, including your ears. http://k9yc.com/USB_Interfaces.pdf Go to the WSJT-X download site, get the software and install it, and STUDY the documentation that's on the website, and that downloads with the program. All of the digital modes generate audio tones that modulate a USB transmitter, transmitting a signal that's about 50 Hz wide, at an RF frequency equal to the audio frequency plus the dial frequency. In other words, it occupies a specific spot on the dial, just like a CW signal, except that it's frequency shifted for modulation. Carefully follow the instructions in the K3 manual for setting audio drive, which calls for the ALC to show 4 bars flashing 5. You should be in DATA A mode, and driving the Line Input. Follow instructions in the Elecraft manual for what knob to turn to adjust levels. For decoding, the Line Out drives the computer sound card Recording Input. The sound card MUST be set in Windows for 48 kHz STEREO. Windows has a nasty habit of changing this when it does program updates. I use VOX for PTT, so you'll need to fiddle with VOX gain, which interacts with audio input drive. WSJT-X does a St. Vitus dance to prevent harmonic distortion being transmitted by a technique it CALLS "Split" (not what experienced hams would call split for working DX) that shifts the TX frequency in one direction and the AF in the other so that any 2nd harmonic generated by overdrive is killed by the TX sideband filter. In the WSJT-X instructions, you see directions to set the radio for 3 kHz bandwidth and let the software do the filtering to separate signals in that passband. It's VERY good at that. On the spectrum and waterfal display of the audio passband, set it to start at 200 Hz and use a number of bins to make the upper limit about 3 kHz. I have a very important difference with their instructions about setting the audio drive from the radio to the decoder. They say to set it for 30 dB with no signal. That is VERY limiting of dynamic range, and will cause it to miss weak signals in the presence of very strong ones. My advice is to set audio drive so that the green bar on the left side comes as close as possible to 80 dB without ever turning red (which indicates digital clip). In case you don't know, the AFSK mode is only for RTTY, which is transmitted LSB, while all other digital modes are transmitted USB, as I've described. 73, Jim K9YC On 7/18/2023 1:58 AM, Paul Barlow wrote: Dear Elecrafters, I am very late to the party. For various reasons I have been QRT for a few years and I'm just now getting back on the air. I'm still using a paper log, and QRP CW is my 'thing'. My rig is a K3, serial no. in the 7000's. I have the KUSB cable, which I have only used to update the firmware. Could I use this to connect to a pc and have rig control via this cable? Say for interfacing with a logging program? Also, I've never used the FT8 type modes. I understand they use the pc for all the signal processing, and I could interface the K3 directly using audio cables and VOX. I see that there are products available like the SignaLink which interface with a pc using usb, which I think might be a less fiddly option. __ 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] KPA500 PA DISS fault
On 7/16/2023 6:43 AM, Rajiv Dewan wrote: What do you think I should check or do? Call Elecraft support. Their service techs will likely have seen it before. 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] PRIVATE Re: Field Day Operation
Right. Bad fingers. On 7/10/2023 8:17 AM, Kent Trimble wrote: Jim ... There was no FTDX1000. FTDX5000 maybe? Kent K9ZTV On 7/10/2023 5:40 AM, Jim Brown wrote: It was motivated by complaints by WRTC participants of trash competitors in the same group of sites were generating with rigs like the FTDX1000. __ 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] Field Day Operation
On 7/9/2023 11:32 PM, dyno lab wrote: However, a new K3s Retrofit RF power amplifier is coming on the market that will resolve this problem and it may be seen in my W7YNC Bio at QRZ.com Engineering is NOT defined as producing an ideal product, but one with certain user objectives, one of which is operation from 13.8VDC, and in a compact package that can be carried on an airplane to a DX operation. The K3 solves the latter design objectives quite well; while it's IMD is not wonderful at 100W, it's pretty good at the 25-50W level need to drive most power amps, and the real enemy of two radios in close proximity on the same band, phase noise, is spectacularly good. What matters about IMD are clicks and splatter when the signal is loudest, usually when it is driving a legal limit amp. It's a byproduct of my work in the highest levels of pro audio, where I learned not to make the lab measurements of a distortion, but to measure the practical effects of it, clicks and splatter. And modern spectrum analyzers, like the P3/SVGA and lots of SDRs with good software blow away the lab gear for these measurements by at least two orders of magnitude! The frequency resolution of my HP8590D is only 100 Hz, compared to the P3 at a few Hz and the P3SVGA 10x better! Yes, the P3 can display only 80 dB of its 100 dB dynamic range on screen, but the bodies are buried in the range of 40-70 dB down! The K3 is a spectacularly good neighbor on CW, thanks to the carefully shaped keying -- my neighbor K6XX and I, about 3 miles apart, can run legal limit to serious antennas and work within 500 Hz of each other when contesting. And thanks to the control of phase noise, our CQP team could run K3s with KPA500s on the same band with in-line dipoles and Yagis from 80-10M. At home, I learned that could run two K3s and Ten Tec legal limit 3CX800A7 amps on the SAME BAND, 20M and above, within 60 kHz of each other, feeding Yagis separated by 100 ft, colinear to each other, and not know the other transmitter was there! There is FAR more to life than measurements of IMD test signals! A FAR better test of IMD is the measurement of the bandwidth of a signal using spectrum analysis capable of very narrow resolution bandwidth, like the P3 (a few Hz), or even better, the P3/SVGA (a few fractional Hz). Download and study http://k9yc.com/P3_Spectrum_Measurements.pdf and http://k9yc.com/TXNoise.pdf The first link shows measurements of my K3, pre-upgraded synths, driving a Ten Tec 425 (2 3CX800A7s), a KPA500, and another amp I sold as soon as I realized how dirty it was compared to the others. The second link is my analysis data ARRL Labs sent me in electronic form of their measurements of more than a dozen rigs, plotting all on the same graph making comparison jump out at you! It was motivated by complaints by WRTC participants of trash competitors in the same group of sites were generating with rigs like the FTDX1000. BTW -- after I'd done the work for the first link, Warren Pratt, NR0V, inventor of Pure Signal and long-time running partner of Rob Sherwood, NC0B, demonstrated to me that the RX in the $900 ANAN transceiver could display fractional Hz resolution with 120 dB dynamic range with his software (for ANAN) running the radio. I bought one to use in my measurement lab! I've never used it as a transceiver. 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] Err 70 PTT low power
On 7/2/2023 7:54 AM, Christian Friess wrote: I don't own a K4. But my experience let me bet "RF got into a cable". I wonder what power you are using. There is a SCREAMING Pin One Problem at the connector for the paddle and/or the key. From what I can discern from Elecraft's response, it is the result of the availability of the connectors, and circuitry to detect the presence of a connector being inserted. It may also be present at other rear panel connectors. I experienced it here the first time I fired up on 10M, with the TX antenna on a 120 ft tower 100 ft from the shack. I wound ferrite chokes onto those cables and to others at the rear panel. 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] Field Day Operation
This is typical of what I see anytime I tune the phone bands from Yaesu rigs, except that the dynamic range my K4D is far better adjusted. I've been posting about this for a couple of years now. Around that time, W4TV had posted general comments about how it was happening. 73, Jim K9YC On 7/1/2023 6:44 AM, Wes wrote: How about publicly shaming the guy whose signal is occupying the band in this photo? Or is that receiver overload? https://photos.app.goo.gl/wJrLrryYkPrh7t1C8 __ 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] Field Day Operation
On 7/1/2023 10:34 AM, Steve L wrote: The IC7300 was among the better commercial transceivers in terms of spurious emissions, clicks, splatter, etc. It wasn’t at the top of the list (the K3s is however), but was in the “better” category. However, Rob recommended a change in the CW signal rise time to no less than 6 milliseconds - I forget which menu item it was - but he criticized Icom specifically for a default setting that induced key clicks. ICOM rigs are NOT among the cleaner ones -- that spot falls to Kenwood, which is second to Elecraft (and, I suspect, Flex 6000 series, which I haven't measured). Yes, adjustable rise time is a REALLY bad idea, which K6XX pointed out in 2013, and which I measured on the air for K6XX's talk, in a neighbor's ICOM rig. Slower is better, but Elecraft's is best by far, carefully shaped keying waveform. 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] Field Day Operation
On 7/1/2023 8:47 AM, Steve L wrote: I recently discovered several presentations by Rob Sherwood - famous for his receiver testing. I was fortunate to get to meet him at Hamvention this year and thanked him for his work. His new(?) message: CLEAN UP THE DIRTY TRANSMITTERS. And he calls out specific models! BTW, Elecraft was NOT on the lists, but it is surprising which ‘high end’ transceivers were. It’s worth reviewing his presentations on the subject - and it kept me from a bad upgrade! It's good to see that Rob has finally started paying attention to dirty transmit, but I started working on this ten years ago. My first publication was jointly with K6XX, the second an analysis of ARRL Labs data that they sent me in electronic form. The third consists of measurements in my own lab, using the P3/SVGA in my second radio. http://k9yc.com/K6XXAmpTalk.pdf (Published Nov 2013) http://k9yc.com/TXNoise.pdf (published July 2014) http://k9yc.com/P3_Spectrum_Measurements.pdf (published March 2015) When I leaked an early version of the ARRL data analysis to someone I strongly suspected would make sure that Yaesu saw it, they issued a firmware update that brought their flagship radio, the FTDX5000 from absolute worst to roughly even with the second worst, ICOM 7800. The March 2015 shows before and after measurements of a neighbor's Yaesu rig. While Rob is a great engineer and has done a lot to improve our receivers, there are some things he doesn't understand, and refuses to listen to what I've told him to fill in his gaps -- that audio is dynamic, and that traditional RF test signals are not the way to test SSB rigs. Rather pink noise, which has been used in pro audio for more than 40 years, is a far better test signal to expose defects in rigs, an example of which is, again, Yaesu! 73, Jim K9YC 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] Field Day Operation
On 6/26/2023 4:08 PM, Wes wrote: You simply have to be nice to the inexperience operators and coach them along. It's far more than that -- far too many stations run high power. We added an SSB station one year from a 5,000 ft peak; it was a complete exercise in frustration. CW is FAR more effective under crowded band conditions. 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 Rx is awesome...
On 6/26/2023 2:01 PM, Jan wrote: The K4/at is a delight to operate anytime; this last weekend it was used Thanks to the hundred that I had exchanges with 73, Jan K1ND PS: At 86 years of age it was fun! At W6BX, W6JTI and I, also octogenarians, worked you on at least one band. We were QRP with a K3/P3/SVGA, with the entire station on battery power. 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] K3s Receive EQ
On 6/26/2023 12:24 PM, W3AB/GEO wrote: A good product line at a good price. Used his products in the past. Very satisfied. https://w2ihy.com/product-category/equalizers/ Good to know that they're good quality, but I firmly agree with W4TV that they're a great example of a "fool and his money" with EQ as good as what's in Elecraft rigs beginning with the K3. Speech compression is also pretty good in these rigs, especially designed for ham radio, so outboard gear designed for high quality audio doesn't make sense either -- they're designed to announcers and singers sound great through high quality sound systems with 20 kHz bandwidth, not on 400 Hz to 3 kHz ham rigs. That money would be FAR better spent on the antenna system! 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] K3s Receive EQ
I strongly agree with Joe. Both of us have broadcast experience, after that, I spent most of my life in pro audio. And I've been a ham for 67 years. Not to be interpreted as set in my ways -- far from it, I was an early adopter of WSJT modes about 10 years ago. My only minor difference with Joe is that I'd also do max cut at 200 Hz for SSB and 6 dB cut of 400 Hz. Agree, no more than 3-6 dB boost of the top two bands. 73, Jim K9YC On 6/26/2023 6:49 AM, Joe Subich, W4TV wrote: Parametric EQs are much less flexible than a graphical. When it comes to graphical, the RX EQ built into the K3 is much better suited to the job at hand than most of the small 6/7/8 band consumer products that generally have "bands" up to 20 or 40 KHz that are wasted for our purposes. The K3 RX EQ maintains separate settings for SSB and CW. I generally set CW to max cut for 50/100 and -6/10/12 for 1600/2400/3200 (my pitch is ~500 Hz). SSB is set to max cut at 50/100, flat at 200/400/800, +2/4 at 1600/2400 and -8 at 3200 (to roll off a hit of the hiss). Those settings are not as "hard" as some would suggest for TX EQ but seem to help. For phone one could push the 1600/2400 boost a bit but too much boost will do more harm that good. __ 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 Receive EQ
On 6/25/2023 11:05 PM, Richard wrote: I love my K3s, warts and all, but I want a way to tailor incoming audio for better readability in special cases. Yes, I know about the built-in function, but that's hardly comfortable for quick, on-the-fly adjustments. There are only 2 possibilities for best readability -- one for CW, which is to cut the bands away from where you like the Pitch, the other for Voice modes, which is max cut for the three lowest bands, 6 dB cut of the fourth (400 Hz center), and 3-6 dB boost of the two top bands. This favors the part of the spectrum that makes the greatest contribution to speech intelligibility and minimizes that parts (below 400 Hz) that don't. This is nothing new -- AT Bell Labs, probably the greatest engineering institution on the planet for most of the 20th century, figured out the science of this in the earliest days of telephony. 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 Rx is awesome...
On 6/25/2023 7:19 AM, Al Lorona wrote: I went to CW after this and found the operating to be a lot better. I gave up on SSB on FD more than ten years ago. Instead, have been doing FD QRP with W6GJB and W6JTI. There are still guys who haven't been on the air in the year between, and some long pauses after a QSO, but that's the exception. 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
