Re: [Elecraft] K3 AR0 & AR1 commands not working
Hi Wayne, Upgrading to the latest 5.64 version of K3 firmware corrected the problem. I can now change the 'RX ANT' by using the AR1 & AR0 commands. When I ran the K3 Utility earlier, and checked for the latest K3 release firmware release, it indicated that 5.57 was the most current version and that is what I had been using in my K3. However, on the 'K3/K3S Software' page it indicated that the latest current revision was 5.62 dated Nov 16, 2017 and not 5.57 that was indicated when I checked with the K3 Utility. Apparently the older 5.57 version which I was using did not have the capability of using AR0 and AR1 commands to control the "RX ANT". With the command working now, I can now remotely switch the K3 receiver between the main and Beverage antennas with my Android smart phone using the . Thanks for your rapid and right on the mark solution to my question. My almost decade old K3 is performing great. Since its introduction back last summer, I've been playing with the new WSJT-X FT8 digital mode. I've been working many grid squares, but my primary focus has been chasing DX. Using the K3, running 75 Watts with an A3S yagi and wire antennas, the K1HTV FT8 DXCC country totals presently stand at 214 worked and 201 confirmed. Thanks to Elecraft for producing such a great, high performance radio. 73, Rich - K1HTVhttp://www.qrz.com/db/K1HTV = = = > On April 26, 2018 at 11:59 PM Wayne Burdick <n...@elecraft.com> wrote: > > Hi Rich, > > Just download the latest beta firmware using instructions on our K3 > software page. Email supp...@elecraft.com mailto:supp...@elecraft.com if you > have any difficulties. > > Wayne > N6KR > > > http://www.elecraft.com > > On Apr 26, 2018, at 7:33 PM, Rich - K1HTV <k1...@comcast.net > mailto:k1...@comcast.net > wrote: > > > > > > > Hi Wayne, > > > >Tnx for the quick response. I have a KXV3A installed. I tried > > sending 'AR' in the command tester and still get no response. What does it > > take to get new firmware so I can use the 'AR' commands? > > > > > > 73, > > > > Rich - K1HTV > > > > > > = = = > > > > > > > On April 26, 2018 at 10:00 PM Wayne Burdick wrote: > > > > > > > > > I’m assuming you do have a KXV3 installed? > > > > > > Make sure you’re not in BSET or VFO A/B REVerse when you send > > > the command. > > > > > > Also try sending just “AR;” in the command tester and see if > > > you get a response. If you don’t, then you must have older firmware > > > without the command implemented. > > > > > > 73, > > > Wayne > > > N6KR > > > > > > > > > > On Apr 26, 2018, at 6:29 PM, Rich - K1HTV wrote: > > > > > > > > I have been unsuccessful in being able to control the > > > > K3 "RX ANT" using macros with either the AR1 (on) or AR0 (off) > > > > commands. Manually tapping the 'RX ANT' button on the K3 will correctly > > > > toggle the K3 receiver between the MAIN and RX ANT (Beverage) antennas. > > > > > > > > > > > > Using the latest version of the K3 Utility I verified > > > > that the K3 has the latest version of firmware and that it responded to > > > > a number of commands, but it would NOT respond to either the 'AR0' or > > > > 'AR1' commands. The K3 is SN 3657 with sync and the KIO3 USB upgrades. > > > > > > > > > > > > Thinking that there may be an EEPROM corruption problem > > > > I did an EEINT factory reset. After changing the CONFIG 'RS232' setting > > > > back to 'USB' so the K3 Utility could communicate again with the K3, I > > > > reloaded the last backup of the configuration settings. I still could > > > > not get the AR0 or AR1 commands to switch the RX ANT on the K3. > > > > > > > > > > > > Any suggestions as to how to get the 'AR0' and 'AR1' > > > > commands to work so I can use them in a macro? Could I have a bad > > > > EEPROM? > > > > > > > > > > > > 73, > > > > Rich - K1HTV > > > > > > > > __ > > > > Elecraft
[Elecraft] K3 AR0 & AR1 commands not working
I have been unsuccessful in being able to control the K3 "RX ANT" using macros with either the AR1 (on) or AR0 (off) commands. Manually tapping the 'RX ANT' button on the K3 will correctly toggle the K3 receiver between the MAIN and RX ANT (Beverage) antennas. Using the latest version of the K3 Utility I verified that the K3 has the latest version of firmware and that it responded to a number of commands, but it would NOT respond to either the 'AR0' or 'AR1' commands. The K3 is SN 3657 with sync and the KIO3 USB upgrades. Thinking that there may be an EEPROM corruption problem I did an EEINT factory reset. After changing the CONFIG 'RS232' setting back to 'USB' so the K3 Utility could communicate again with the K3, I reloaded the last backup of the configuration settings. I still could not get the AR0 or AR1 commands to switch the RX ANT on the K3. Any suggestions as to how to get the 'AR0' and 'AR1' commands to work so I can use them in a macro? Could I have a bad EEPROM? 73, Rich - K1HTV __ 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] Using your tower as a vertical - 160 or 80
Erik, I've been feeding K3 RF to my house bracketed, 75 ft Rohn 25 tower for years with great success on 160 Meters. The tower is topped with HF and VHF yagis which act as a capacitive top hat. The 50 Ohm coax feedline is connected to a tap on the coil of a parallel tuned circuit. The top of the LC circuit is connected to a #16 THHN wire which runs parallel to the tower, about 18" outside one of the legs and connects to a bolt around 10 ft down from the top of the tower. At the base of the tower I simply tune the capacitor and find the best spot on the coil to tap to obtain the lowest SWR. There are 16 quarter wave radials around the tower, most of them on the tower side of the house from south to north and a few wrapping around and under the back deck toward the northeast. There are around a dozen 8 ft ground rods connected to the tower with #6 wire and the tower also is connected to a perimeter ground system surrounding the house. The shields of most, but not all, of the coax cables leaving the tower are grounded at the tower base. Before all coax and control cables enter the shack they all are grounded at the steel entry box around 30 feet from the tower base. So how does a shunt fed 75 ft tower work with a barefoot K3 feeding it? With 100 Watts I've confirmed 229 countries on the Topband and have worked 89 countries on all continents with QRP 5 Watts. You can check out the 160M QRP WAC cards at: http://www.qrz.com/db/K1HTV If you haven't tried shunt feeding your grounded tower, give it a try. You may be surprised at how well it can work on 160 Meters. 73, Rich - K1HTV = = = Erik, K7TV wrote: Years ago, after putting up a heavy-duty crank-up tower with several antennas on a tall mast at the top, I was interested in loading up the whole metal tree for 160 and/or 80. However, I didn't like the prospect of transmitted power getting back into the shack via the existing feedlines, causing all kinds of problems including losses. From a surplus vendor I obtained four square slabs of ferrite (no spec's) and taped them together to form a box-shaped common mode choke around the existing feedlines (and rotor control cable etc). I didn't have radials at the tower base, but a couple of long and wide copper strips buried and connected to ground rods to which the tower was grounded. I opened up the tower ground connection and I had a feed point. Finding resonance was not as easy as using my antenna analyzer. The signal from the analyzer was overwhelmed by picked-up broadcast signals, rendering the analyzer unuseable. I got by using a custom measurement setup. It turned out that the entire metal tree resonated in the broadcast band and was inductive at 160. I tuned it with a serial variable capacitor, and found the antenna worked very well on 160. However, I didn't continue using it, as I didn't feel safe not to have the tower grounded. I pondered schemes to add some kind of gamma-like matching device, but never got around to it. Also I never tried it on 80, but I suspect it would not been ideal for low angle radiation. Later I added more antennas to the mast, and with the added cables, the whole bundle would no longer fit in the makeshift ferrite choke. Out of curiosity I once again tried ungrounding the tower to check on its characteristics as a vertical antenna. I could no longer find the resonance I had seen and used before. Apparently, the ferrite choke had been a crucial part of the scheme. At this point I still don't have an antenna for 160 or 80. (I did try an inverted vee off the tower for 80, but it caused terrible de-tuning of the 40m part of my beam on the tower, so I gave up on that. Maybe I should try a sloper.) I am thinking of putting up a dedicated vertical, but on my small lot it would couple to the tower. Perhaps it would be better to give the tower another look as my low-band vertical? My source of ferrite slabs dried up years ago. I wonder if anyone else on the list has used a similar approach and found a good way to choke off RF on a bundle of feedlines? Individual chokes don't seem very attractive to me as I have many cables, but if one has to go that route then it would make sense to look very carefully at the choice of chokes. I would also be interested in knowing about others' experiences with feed systems that leave the tower grounded. Thanks in advance for any useful ideas! 73, Erik K7TV __ 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 - 6 meter DX activity in sunspot low
Gary, The solar sunspot cycle, primarily effects F2 and TEP propagation on 6 Meters. A low sunspot number should have no effect on the E-skip (Es) propagation that occurs primarily during the summer months and secondarily during a minor Es peak during winter. I wouldn't worry too much about a 3 element add on 6M yagi mounted on your ranch. If you can get it up around 30 feet you should do very well during the upcoming Es seasons, especially if you live up in New England. After retiring from VOA and moving from our MD QTH to VA, for 3 years I ran a barefoot K3 to a porch mounted yagi. The yagi was 20 ft above the ground. During the years between 2009 and 2012 I worked 65 countries on 6 Meters. Those were very good Es years for summer 50 MHz DXing. Since then the summer Es propagation, while producing plenty of 6M DX, has been poorer for my area than the period I mentioned. The one thing you can expect as we approach the solar minimum is that each summer there will be plenty of Es openings and DX, at least for the northeastern U.S. where you live. The folks in the Mid-West and left coast won't get anywhere near the amount of DX, but they will have their good days when the MAGIC BAND does its magic. The thing you need to remember about DXing on 6 Meters is that you must be constantly aware of what is happening on the band or you will miss the DX openings. Remember, you snooze, you loose. You can keep in tune as to what is happening on 6 Meters by going to DXMAPS.COM and the ON4KST 50 MHz Region 2 chat page. The later requires that you register (free) before you can use it. Remember, that there is much more than Es SSB and QSos on the band. Many folks are using the digital modes (JT65A, FSK441, etc.) to make QSOs even when there is no Es propagation. Have fun on the Magic Band. 73, Rich - K1HTV www.qrz.com/db/K1HTV = = = Sent from my iPhone > On Aug 22, 2016, at 9:32 AM, Gary Smith <g...@ka1j.com> wrote: > > I've made exactly five 6M contacts in the last 36 years, all of them > a couple months ago during Field Day with my K3s. It piqued my > interest as I have DXCC from 160 through 10 & this would offer a new > challenge. > > I discovered DXEngineering has a 3 element, 6M add on that attaches > to a tribander and gives decent gain. Considering my tribander is > roof mounted on a ranch, I won't have a great antenna for 6 no matter > how I slice it. Still, if there is something worthwhile I can do with > 6M, I should. > > So my question is for those who have operated 6M for years and know > how the band works during the lows of the sunspot cycle; is it like > 17 & up where any DX openings are unobtanium, or does 6M behave > differently at sunspot lows and DX openings are common? > > Thanks & 73, > > Gary > KA1J > _ __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
[Elecraft] K3 & K3S are GREAT radios!
Gary, Congrats on working VK0EK on 160M with your K3S. Yes, it is a great radio. I'm using the K3 with the synthesizer upgrades made to both main and sub receivers. A few weeks ago I worked a super pee weak 4S7BRG on 40M for #313 on that band with 100 Watts and a wire antenna. When the rare VP8STI (So. Sandwich) and VP8STG (So. Georgia) DXpeditions came on the air, my barefoot K3 again did its thing, adding Topband countries #226 & #227 to my 100 Watt 160 Meter totals. The K3 with its 200 Hz roofing filters, DSP further reducing the bandwith to 50 Hz, then the APF further tightening the BW to a sharp 5 Hz peak made it possible to hear those weak signals through my local noise. Having K3S transceivers on the Antarctic end of the path sure helped those 160M QSOs make it into the K1HTV log. Now I need to focus on working VK0EK and FT4JA for even more Topband DX with my K3, a great radio! 73, Rich - K1HTV = = = Gary, KA1J wrote: I'm not the one here with the most money, I'm absolutely positive of that, but that said; I can buy any rig I want and the dollars spent wouldn't in any way affect me, or anything I do in the future. I just bought a K3S because of the many things it represents but I'm not a martyr to buy USA when something else is better or, buy something wonderful that is software based only like the Flex 6700; I bought the K3s because to my discovery, it is the finest radio out there. Yes, this is the Elecraft reflector so most of us are already on board but I bought this radio (I upgraded from an updated K3) because it is to me, the pinnacle of today's equipment. I just worked the VK0KE on 160 last night. I honestly, to God do not think that any radio I have ever owned before, save the K3 with the updated synthesizer, would have heard the incredibly diminutive signal that I heard reply to me. I was the first NA station to post them in the cluster yesterday and that is because of the quality of this radio. The K3s Rocks. IC-7300 Video... Pffttt. 73, Gary Gary KA12J __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
[Elecraft] K3 KDVR3 DVR memory bug
When using multiple K3 CW memories, they always chain their messages as expected. Pressing a CW "M" button starts keying the K3. While the message is being sent, when a second "M" button is pressed (it could be the same or a different button), the word "CHAIN" is displayed and the second message immediately follows as expected. This works great when calling DX. I store "K1HTV" in the "M1" memory. If I want to drop my call multiple times, I can press the M1 key while the previous message is being sent and get my call sign sent as many times as desired. One would expect the same chaining results on voice modes when using the K3's KDVR3 Digital Voice Recorder (DVR). However this is not the case. It is NOT possible to chain DVR messages! One must wait until the 1st message ends before pressing the same button or a different one. If you press a memory button while playing back the recording in a DVR memory, it can adversely affect the message being played. While playing back a DVR message (i.e. sending your call sign twice), if you press a second "M" button, the first message terminates abruptly after 3 seconds or so. Some times a partial syllable burp is heard. What would it take to correct this DVR anomaly so voice messages can be chained in the same way as CW memory messages? 73, Rich - K1HTV __ 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] Use of config Tx Inh pin 7 of ACC K3s
Howard, On my K3 I had to tie TX Inh (ACC pin 7) to +12V via a 2K resistor for the inhibit function to work correctly with my VHF/UHF sequencer. I used the +12V from the sequencer power supply, but you could use the +12V available at the RCA connector on the back of the radio to supply the necessary voltage. GL. 73, Rich - K1HTV = = = I am trying to use the Tx Inh (pin 7 of ACC) to allow the K3 to xmit only when my 2M EME sequencer allows. In testing out this function, I find that when Inh Hi or Lo is used, once you apply a logic change to pin 7 the Tx Inh will lock in the on position. Removing the logic signal, or returning to Rx leaves this function not active to allow for Tx. So Tx inh works fie but for only ONE time? I can re state the Tx Inh only if I go to config and cycle througe the states again. Am I not understanding the function of Tx Inh, or is there a problem in the K3 internal logic? Thanks, Howard AE3T __ 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] How can I get more Programmable Macros? (feature request?)
Hi Wayne, Thanks for the 'CW REV' reminder. Since the K3 remembers the sideband last programmed for a band I wish that there was a simple SSB mode change command which could be used in macros rather than a specific USB or LSB command or does this command already exist already? I believe that when I wrote the macros a few years ago I confirmed that such a command it wasn't available. Thanks for a great radio. Next thing to do, after the dust settles, is to upgrade the sync boards used for the main and sub receivers. 73, Rich - K1HTV = = = Rich, Thanks for re-posting this info. Note that some of the commands embedded in your macros may not be needed since they are already remembered on a per-mode basis. For example, once you've selected CW REV on a given band, it will always be CW REV until you change it. There are other cases as well, left as an exercise for the the reader :) 73, Wayne N6KR On Mar 3, 2015, at 8:30 AM, Rich - K1HTV k1...@comcast.net wrote: Seeing the request for self modifying macros, I thought I'd re-post these how-to documents that I posted on this reflector a number of years ago. Hopefully they will help you understand how to create your own macros which can be used to rotate between a series of parameter changes via a single PF1 or PF2 key press. Have fun playing with them, without as many headaches that I had in learning how to get them to work. 73, Rich - K1HTV For those of you who want to play more with macros, here are four that I use to set up my K3 for USB, CW, DATA-A and RTTY. Parameters that are set up include mode, receiver bandwidth, audio input connector (Front Panel for microphone, rear Line-In jack for DATA-A modes), Mic Gain and Compression level for SSB, CW Speed, VFO lock for DATA-A modes like PSK31, JT65 and WSPR. You can add or change other parameters in the macros for the various modes as you see fit. . balance deleted __ 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] How can I get more Programmable Macros? (feature request?)
Seeing the request for self modifying macros, I thought I'd re-post these how-to documents that I posted on this reflector a number of years ago. Hopefully they will help you understand how to create your own macros which can be used to rotate between a series of parameter changes via a single PF1 or PF2 key press. Have fun playing with them, without as many headaches that I had in learning how to get them to work. 73, Rich - K1HTV For those of you who want to play more with macros, here are four that I use to set up my K3 for USB, CW, DATA-A and RTTY. Parameters that are set up include mode, receiver bandwidth, audio input connector (Front Panel for microphone, rear Line-In jack for DATA-A modes), Mic Gain and Compression level for SSB, CW Speed, VFO lock for DATA-A modes like PSK31, JT65 and WSPR. You can add or change other parameters in the macros for the various modes as you see fit. Macros are created using the K3 Utility program on a computer connected to the K3 via one of its COM ports. 16 Macros can be save in the K3 Utility but only the first 8 macros can be uploaded to the K3. The macros can be tested using the K3 Utlity in real time. Once they have been uploaded to the eight K3 internal macro memory locations, they can be assigned to various keys. Each can be assigned to any of the M1-4 (Tap) keys, or M1-4 (Hold), or the PF1 or PF2 (Hold) keys. ***NOTE*** In the case below, 7 macros are created using the K3 Utility program. The first 4 macros (associated with 4 different modes) are loaded into MACRO memory positions 1,2,3 4 and programmed into the PF1 key. The last 3 macros (associated with setting 3 different power levels) are loaded into MACRO memory positions 5, 6 7. After they are loaded, when you HOLD the PF1 key the K3 will toggle between the USB, CW, DATA-A and RTTY modes. The 7 character mnemonic assigned to that mode wil flash briefly on the LCD screen. Wait for it to flash before HOLDing the PF1 button to toggle to the next mode. In a similar manner, when you HOLD the PF2 key, the power K3 level will switch to one of three different power settings. Mem MacroLabel Macro Commands -- #1 USB-PF1MD2;LK0;MN053;DN;DN;MG026;BW0250;CP020;MN110;SWT12;SWH45;SWT14; Explanation of commands: (Set mode to USB;Unlock VFO;Select the Front Panel mic jack(MN053;DN;DN);Set bandwidth to 2.5 KHz;Set Compression to 20;Set Macro#2 to be next one used; Menu exit). ***NOTE*** After switching to the USB mode on 40M, 80M or 160M with the PF1H key, don't forget to hold the MODE (ALT) key to change to the LSB mode for those bands. #2 CW-PF1 MD3;LK0;BW0040;KS025;MN110;SWT13;SWH45;SWT14; (Set mode to CW;Unlocks VFO;Set bandwidth to 400 Hz;Set CW mode to REV (I like to tune up into CW signals); Set Macro#3 to be the next one used;Menu exit) #3 DTA-PF1MD6;DT0;MN053;UP;UP;BW0250;PC050;LK1;MN110;SWT24;SWH45;SWT14; (Set mode to DATA Mode;Set to DATA-A mode;Select 'Line In' jack on rear of K3 (MN053;UP;UP);Set Bandwidth to 2.5 KHz;Lock VFO;Set macro #4 to be the next one used; Menu exit) #4 RTT-PF1MD6;DT2;MN053;DN;DN;BW0050;PC080;LK0;MN110;SWT11;SWH45;SWT14; (Set mode to DATA;Set to FSK-D;Set bandwidth to 50 Hz;Unlock VFO;Set macro #1 to be the next one used;Menu exit) The next 3 macros (5,6 7) use the PF2-HOLD key to toggle the K3 between three power levels, 10, 50 100 Watts. MacroLabel Macro Commands #5 10W-PF2PC010;MN110;SWT29;SWH47;SWT14; #6 50W-PF2PC050;MN110;SWT33;SWH47;SWT14; #7 100WPF2PC100;MN110;SWT27;SWH47;SWT14; = = = The following refers to the 4 mode macros and the sequence chosen to switch between each of them. The # below is the number of the macro memory location in which to store the particular macro in the K3. Since each macro command references a particular K3 memory to be used, do NOT change the K3 memories in which the macros are stored without making any necessary changes to the MN110;SWTnn; command. The sequence that holding the PF1 key will follow can be changed by changing the SWTnn command for each mode. In the example below, by holding the PF1 key, the switching sequence is USB, CW, DATA-A, RTTY, then back to USB. The two macro commands used to set up the next mode called is the MN110 (MACRO) followed by the SWTnn (keypad number 1-4) corresponding to the four modes programmed into those keys). Here is what is used for the sequence USB,CW,DATA-A,RTTY,USB : USB Macro #1 #1, MN110;SWT12 = Use Macro #2 (CW) next CW Macro #2, MN110;SWT13 = Use Macro #3 (DATA-A) next DATA-A Macro #3, MN110;SWT24 = Use Macro #4 (RTTY) next RTTY Macro #4, MN110;SWT11 = Use Macro #1 (USB) next Here is what is used for the sequence RTTY,DATA-A,CW,USB: USB Macro #1 #1, MN110;SWT24 = Use Macro #4 (RTTY) next RTTY Macro #4, MN110;SWT13 = Use Macro #3 (DATA-A) next DATA-A Macro #3, MN110;SWT11 = Use Macro #1 (CW) next CW Macro #2, MN110;SWT11 = Use Macro #1 (USB) next Here is what
Re: [Elecraft] My Conditions!
John, we on the Elecraft reflector can't help you, but there are some folks in Nigeria, who write to most of us, who say that they have millions of dollars. I'm sure that they would love to send you some money to help you out. :-) 73, Rich - K1HTV = = = John Lawrence via Elecraft wrote on 1/27/2015 9:14 AM: - This mail is in HTML. Some elements may be ommited in plain text. - Sorry for any inconvenience, I'm in a terrible situation. Am stranded here in Manila, Philippines since last night. I was hurt and robbed on my way to the hotel I stayed and my luggage is still in custody of the hotel management pending when I make payment on outstanding bills I owe. Am waiting for my colleagues to send me money to get back home but they have not responded and my return flight will be leaving soon. Please let me know if you can help and I will refund the money back to you as soon as I get back home. Please let me know if I can count on you and I need you to keep checking your email because it's the only way I can reach you at the moment. Let me know if you can be of help. Best regards John John Lawrence Pond Brook Farm 455 Flanders Corner Road Waldoboro, Maine 04572 j123...@aol.com 207-605-2154 __ 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] Unhook *ALL* connections before Lightning storm
I agree with Brian, its not very easy to pull off all wires and cables if you have a complex setup with multiple antennas and radios with many cables attached. In the K1HTV Ham shack I use my K3 and a few other radios on multiple modes on the HF, VHF UHF bands. Rather than removing all cables each time a storm is in the area, it is much more important to focus on installing a excellent ground system. Here at the K1HTV QTH, I've installed a perimeter ground around the house with 8 ft ground rods every 16-20 feet. The 77 ft tall tower with HF, VHF an HF antennas on it. An array of 8 ft long ground rods fan out from the tower and are connected to it and to the perimeter ground wire where it passes the tower. All coax cables from the tower to the shack are at or below ground level and enter the shack via 'UHF', 'F' or 'N' Female-to-Female barrel connectors attached to a steel box. This box is also connected to the perimeter ground, using 4 gauge wire. Rotator and control cables from the tower enter the box and each wire is protected with gas gaps to ground. The shack ground and the AC power panel are both tied to the perimeter ground system so both are at the same potential. If this isn't done, a large difference of potential can be developed in a lightning strike. The shack has a single point ground which connects to the steel cable entry box. Where the coax cable leaves the multi-port HF antenna switch to be connected to the K3, there is a gap device to ground via a UHF Tee connector. Using good grounding techniques, in my 56 years of Hamming I've never lost a piece of Ham equipment to lightning. That's not to say that there won't ever be a direct lightning hit that will cause damage. For now, I plan to continue to leave all equipment connected. Its just too impractical to disconnect everything. Just make sure that your household insurance is paid for and that it covers lightning damage. 73, Rich - K1HTV = = = This sounds like good advice. However, every connector socket on my K3 is populated, ditto the computer, ditto the KPA500, ditto the KAT500. Pulling all wires when there is a potential storm threat is totally impractical. Even if I did, I'm sure some of the connectors would simply not last. I suspect others have similar situations. 73 de Brian/K3KO n 7/15/2014 10:58, Bill Blomgren (kk4qdz) via Elecraft wrote: And another warning: Nearby (like next door) lightning will be picked up by ANY long wires which end up acting as antennas. I did computer repair in Florida. I had a time share/multitasking system in a law office that had thousands of dollars in damage after the building next door got hit. The terminals were plugged into serial lines back to the central system. So were the printers. (Think: 6 processor unix type system with a network inside the box) The tops of ICs were all over the guts of every printer, terminal and the computer let out the magic smoke. ALL of the terminals and printers had been unplugged - but not from the RS232 connections. The ONLY way to isolate the rig is totally unplug the thing: antennas, power supplies and so on... same with your computers. Down in Florida, there are code required surge MOV's in every circuit breaker panel. All they do is eliminate something close by. They get vaporized by a direct hit. KK4QDZ - Now with Extra Class Priv's, and a tiny KX3 to enjoy them! __ 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: Boy Scouts looking for first QSO
Mark, Glad the scouts had fun having QSOs. We need more young Hams added to our ranks. If the scouts are not licensed, you have to watch out not to violate FCC rules regarding what is called 3rd party traffic. Occasionally, DX stations may ask you to pass a third-party message to a friend or relative in the States. This is all right as long as the US has signed an official third-party traffic agreement with that particular country, or the third party is a licensed amateur. But it also means that a non-licensed person on this side cannot talk at a Stateside Ham station to Hams in certain countries. The list of countries which the U.S.A. has 3rd party agreements with can be found at: http://www.arrl.org/third-party-operating-agreements 73, Rich - K1HTV = = = Many thanks to all the Elecrafters who answered the boys' calls this morning. They successfully completed their very first QSOs with hams in New York , Massachusetts, Mississippi, Arkansas and Montana. One of the Scouts, Zach, then declared that he wanted to work some DX! (Yes, he really picked up the jargon that quickly...) So I switched the radio to 15 Meters, and Zach began calling CQ DX. Within just a couple of minutes, Zach had worked EI4HDB and an F1 station. He even tried out some of the French he has been learning in school. He was thrilled! I always enjoy watching youngsters experience the magic of shortwave for the first time. It's a memory they'll keep for a lifetime. 73, Mark AI4BJ On 3/21/2014 9:00 PM, Mark Volstad wrote: I am acting as counselor for a group of Scouts from the tri-state area (KY/OH/IN) who wish to earn their Radio merit badge. They will be looking to make their first QSO tomorrow (Saturday) morning, using the club station of Dixie Heights High School (KY4DH), but operating under my call. We will have a limited window in which to make the contacts, so if you happen to be near your radio between approx. 10:15 and 11:00 am EDT (1415 - 1500 UTC), I would appreciate it if you would keep an ear open for their CQs on 14.290 +/- QRM. 73, Mark AI4BJ __ 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 115, Issue 39
Mark, Try using LPBRIDGE. It allows you to use one com port for multiple applications. 73, Rich K1HTV - Original Message - From: elecraft-requ...@mailman.qth.net To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Sent: Tue, 26 Nov 2013 17:00:11 - (UTC) Subject: Elecraft Digest, Vol 115, Issue 39 Send Elecraft mailing list submissions to elecraft@mailman.qth.net To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to elecraft-requ...@mailman.qth.net You can reach the person managing the list at elecraft-ow...@mailman.qth.net When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than Re: Contents of Elecraft digest... __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] Using K3 to measure noise levels
David, I checked the Sept., Oct. and Nov. issues of QST, looking for your article about long term calibrated recording of noise but couldn't find it. Also couldn't find any mention of 'Citizen Science'. Where can we find your article ? 73, Rich - K1HTV = = = - Original Message - From: David Cutter d.cut...@ntlworld.com To: Sam Morgan k5oai@gmail.com, Rich - K1HTV k1...@comcast.net, Elecraft Reflector elecraft@mailman.qth.net Sent: Tuesday, October 15, 2013 6:05:33 AM Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Using K3 to measure noise levels For anyone serious about long term calibrated recordings of noise, see my article under Citizen Science in the latest QST. 73 David G3UNA __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
[Elecraft] Using K3 to measure noise levels
Using K3 to measure noise levels Since the beginning of the year I've been plagued with power line noise on the 6 Meter band. Before I called the local power company I used my K3 and rotatable 6M yagi antenna to quantify noise levels in various directions. I wanted to set a baseline to measure any improvement after the power line crew completed their work. Using the K3 with the beam aimed in the most quiet direction I was able to get a 0.0 dBV reference level based on the AFV reading for that particular direction. Then rotating the yagi, I took dBV readings every 10 degrees from 000 degrees to 360 degrees. If you have a rotatable beam for the VHF, UHF or higher HF bands and would like to map the noise levels in various directions around your QTH, here is how to do it with your K3. - Turn on your K3 and move to an quiet frequency on the band to be used. - Turn TECH mode to 'ON' (Hold 'Menu' button to get to 'CONFIG' menu) - Rotate VFO-B to 'TECH MD' and rotate VFO-A dial to display ON. - Tap MENU button - Tap 'DISP' button - Rotate VFO-B dial until 'AFV ' is displayed. This AFV reading () will be used as the 0.0 dBV reference level to which noise levels in other directions will be compared. - Rotate VFO-B to the maximum clockwise direction to read 'dBV'. - Record this reading and its beam heading. It should be close to 0.0 DB (+) plus or minus (-) a half DB or so. ***Note*** Do NOT move VFO-B from 'dBV' to 'AFV'. Doing so will reset the reference voltage. If you have a long yagi you probably want to measure every 10 degrees. On the higher HF bands every 30 degrees should do. - When finished taking all of your readings for each beam heading, tap DISP to return to the normal VFO-B display. After making noise measurements a few months after the initial ones, I was able to determine the level of improvement (in dB) resulting from the work done by the power company crew. I also discovered a new noise source in a different direction which needs to be corrected. In addition to making noise measurements You can also use the K3 AFV/dBV procedure described above to plot your yagi pattern. All you need is a Ham friend within a few miles of you to provide a steady QRP level carrier (With ID every 10 minutes, of course). I was able to plot my 6M yagi pattern and determine that something, possibly guys or HF antennas, was distorting the beam's pattern in certain directions. Hope that you found this K3 information of some use. 73, Rich - K1HTV __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
[Elecraft] K3 Location of saved MACRO files?
After I write new macros to my K3 with the K3 Utility I always click the 'SAVE' button. The K3 Utility help file indicates: The Save button stores Macro Labels and Macro Commands on your Personal Computer. Click Write Macros 1-8 to K3 to send macros to your K3. However I have looked all over the computer in various Elecraft folders but can't find any file which has the saved macros. Also, there is no SAVE AS option available in the K3 Utility to save the macro file(s) into a specific folder. During this past weekend I had to write some new macros for use in the ARRL VHF contest with the K8GP Grid Pirates multiop station. I now need to restore the old, saved, K3 macros used for the home station operation. Where might I find the old ones? By using SAVE in the K3 Utility did I write over the old macros? Or does the K3 Utility save them with a unique file name for each 'SAVE', possibly with the date embedded in the file name? What is the default folder location of 'SAVED' macros and what is/are the file name(s)? What really is needed is a new option in the 'Command tester/K3 Macros' section of the K3 Utility. This option would give the K3 user the capability of copying saved macro data back into the K3 Utility 'Macro Label' and 'Macro Commands' boxes. This capability should be available for both the Macros assignable to K3' tab as well as the 'Additional Macros' tabs in the K3. Fortunately I save each MACRO in a text file, so I can copy and paste each one into the 'K3 Utility'. But doing it manually is really a pain. We should be able to copy the saved data back into the K3 Utility. I hope that this capability can be implemented in a future version of the 'K3 Utility'. 73, Rich - K1HTV __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] K3 Location of saved MACRO files?
Dick, Thanks for the information on where the K3 Utility macro data is stored. I successfully exported the data then edited the '.reg' file. I deleted all lines except the top line [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Elecraft\K3 Utility] and the CommandCaption and CommandText lines, then saved the file. I was able to import it successfully to the registry using regedit. HOWEVER, I believe that you will find that most K3 users will be reluctant to mess with the Windows registry with regedit. Most of us have read and heard the warnings about what can happen if the registry gets corrupted. I think that you will find that K3 users who want to easily save and edit K3 macros, then reload them back to the 'K3 Utility' would want to be able to do so USING the K3 Utility. I don't believe that users should have to export macro data from and import macro data to the Windows registry. The chance of corrupting the registry might be too risky for most K3 users. I still feel that the suggestions for incorporating the capability of saving and loading files through the 'K3 Utility' should be given serious consideration. 73, Rich - K1HTV = = = - Original Message - From: Dick Dievendorff die...@comcast.net To: Rich - K1HTV k1...@comcast.net, Elecraft Reflector elecraft@mailman.qth.net Cc: k3supp...@elecraft.com Sent: Monday, June 10, 2013 6:04:03 PM Subject: RE: [Elecraft] K3 Location of saved MACRO files? The macros are stored in the registry as named values under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Elecraft\K3 Utility. You can export that register key with REGEDIT, save it as a .reg file with a file name you choose, and import it again to restore the macros (and other K3 Utility settings). You can also prune the .reg file so that it contains just CommandCaption1-16 and CommandTest1-16 if you don't want all the other settings overwritten when you restore. If you wrote macros 1-8 to your K3, you can read them out of the K3. 73 de Dick, K6KR -Original Message- From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net [mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Rich - K1HTV Sent: Monday, June 10, 2013 10:50 AM To: Elecraft Reflector Cc: k3supp...@elecraft.com Subject: [Elecraft] K3 Location of saved MACRO files? After I write new macros to my K3 with the K3 Utility I always click the 'SAVE' button. The K3 Utility help file indicates: The Save button stores Macro Labels and Macro Commands on your Personal Computer. Click Write Macros 1-8 to K3 to send macros to your K3. However I have looked all over the computer in various Elecraft folders but can't find any file which has the saved macros. Also, there is no SAVE AS option available in the K3 Utility to save the macro file(s) into a specific folder. During this past weekend I had to write some new macros for use in the ARRL VHF contest with the K8GP Grid Pirates multiop station. I now need to restore the old, saved, K3 macros used for the home station operation. Where might I find the old ones? By using SAVE in the K3 Utility did I write over the old macros? Or does the K3 Utility save them with a unique file name for each 'SAVE', possibly with the date embedded in the file name? What is the default folder location of 'SAVED' macros and what is/are the file name(s)? What really is needed is a new option in the 'Command tester/K3 Macros' section of the K3 Utility. This option would give the K3 user the capability of copying saved macro data back into the K3 Utility 'Macro Label' and 'Macro Commands' boxes. This capability should be available for both the Macros assignable to K3' tab as well as the 'Additional Macros' tabs in the K3. Fortunately I save each MACRO in a text file, so I can copy and paste each one into the 'K3 Utility'. But doing it manually is really a pain. We should be able to copy the saved data back into the K3 Utility. I hope that this capability can be implemented in a future version of the 'K3 Utility'. 73, Rich - K1HTV __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
[Elecraft] K3's in P5 (N. Korea)?
The P5 Project was just announced officially at this year's Dayton Hamvention. I wonder who will provide the radios for the hopefully future DXpedition to North Korea. Radios with excellent performance in extreme QRM conditions will be needed. Hope that they will be Elecraft K3's as the pileups surely will be huge. You can read up on the P5 Project at: http://www.intrepid-dx.com/p5/news.php 73, Rich - K1HTV PS P5 is the only DXCC entity I still need for DXCC HR#1 with 100 Watts. My K3 will be ready if/when a No. Korean Ham station finally shows up. __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] UHF CONNECTORS
In response to the Dick Knadle (K2RIW) article concerning UHF connector losses at VHF/UHF frequencies, local Fauquier Amateur Radio Association club member John Huggins, KX4O wrote: I challenge it because I did make the measurements... http://www.hamradio.me/connectors/uhf-connector-test-results.html John's test results and graphics make for even more interesting reading on the topic of UHF connectors. 73, Rich - K1HTV = = = On 4/27/2013 8:10 AM, riese-k3...@juno.com wrote: http://www.wa1mba.org/UHFconn.htm This is an excellent piece of work, Bob. Very solid science and very good practical application of it. Many thanks for posting 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
[Elecraft] K3 - Clipperton on 160M with 5 Watts
Spent all weekend on 160M at Multi-Multi station W3LPL using my K3 in the diversity mode in the ARRL Phone DX contest. Despite the poorer than normal conditions we still managed to work 57 countries. The best 160M DX QSO was with NH2T on Guam. I believe that Dave was also using a K3, probably the same one used a year ago to hear my barefoot K3 on 160M from the home VA QTH. The QSO with Guam was a new K1HTV DXCC country and the 33rd zone worked on 160 Meters. On Monday evening while on 160 Meters at home, I pushed the PF2 macro button to set my K3 to QRP 5 Watts. Within 10 minutes of calling, I managed to break the Clipperton DXpedition pileup to work TX5K for 160M QRP country #89. Thank you Elecraft for a great communications tool! 73, Rich - K1HTV = = = The very first QSO with my K3 was TX5K on 6m off the moon. Nice way to break it in! 73, Josh W6XU On 3/5/2013 11:11 AM, Eric Swartz WA6HHQ - Elecraft wrote: Clipperton is definitely ok to post about. Especially, since they are using K3s.. ;-) 73, Eric elecraft.com _..._ __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
[Elecraft] K3 'REPEAT' display when using SUB rx
In contests, I often call CQ in the REPEAT mode (Hold the M1-4 key for the memory with the CQ in it). I tune the SUB receiver VFO up or down the band to a different frequency, getting ready to search for new multipliers after the CQ ends. On 160 meters at Multi-Multi op station W3LPL, between sending repeated CQ's, I often want to quickly move the SUB receiver to the frequency of a DX Custer spot to check it out. The problem is that the way the K3 firmware is presently written, there is no way of knowing the frequency of the SUB receiver while a CQ is being sent in the REPEAT mode. The LCD readout displays REPEAT while the repeated CQ is being sent. It would be better if the REPEAT message displayed on the LCD screen was replaced with the SUB receiver frequency while VFO-B is being tuned. A slight delay in re-displaying 'REPEAT' could be added after the VFO-B tuning stops. Is it only me, or are there other K3 (w/SUB receiver) contest ops who would like this firmware change? 73, Rich - K1HTV __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] K3 Macros in memory
Jan -KX2A, I posted the macro info below many months ago. It might help you and others that want to create macros for use with a K3 or KX3. After you become familiar with creating and using macros to more easily set up your K3, check out the Elecraft archives for a posting I made regarding assigning multiple macros to a single button. I use one to set my K3's power output to either 10W (drives my 6M amp), 50W (PSK31 and other digital modes) and 100W (for normal HF use). A second multi-macro sets up my K3 for CW, SSB, RTTY or DATA modes. If you can't find the old post and you are interested in the one-button multi-macros, drop me an email. 73, Rich - K1HTV K3 MACROs info on how to use them. The K3 Utility is used to create K3 macros and easily upload them to the K3 via one of your computer COM ports. If you haven't yet downloaded and installed the 'K3 Utility' software you can find the Windows version at the Elecraft website: http://www.elecraft.com/K3/software/K3_Utility_Setup_1_12_12_17.exe = = = With the K3 turned on and connected to your PC via one of its COM ports, start the K3 Utility. Tap the Port tab and use the pulldown menu to select the COM port to be used. Clicking on Test Communications should produce a K3 Status box which indicates that the K3 Utility is talking to the K3 via the selected COM port at the selected baud rate in the K3 CONFIG RS232 menu option. Click on the Command Tester/K3 Macros tab then click the Edit Macros box. To start, you can cut and paste a macro label and its associated macro from some of the samples below. Here are some K3 macros which can be used to easily change K3 modes and parameters. The first line describes what is being changed or switched to. The 2nd line contains the macro label (up to 7 characters) plus the actual macro. Don't forget the semicolon between commands and at the end of the macro. Refer to the PDF document K3 KX3 Programmer's Reference Manual (see URL at the end of this post) for more details on how to create other macros to quickly configure the K3 the way you want it for particular operational needs. 1 - USB mode - USB mode, Unlock, FP [Front Panel Mic-In], Mic gain=26, BW=2.5KHz, Compress=020, Pwr=100W, Menu USB - MD2;LK0;MN053;DN;DN;MG026;BW0250;CP020;PC100;MN255; 2 - CW mode - CW mode, Unlock, CW-Rev, BW=400Hz, Pwr=100W, Menu CW - MD3;LK0;SWH17;BW0040;PC100;MN255; 3 - PSK31 mode - DATA mode, Data-A, Line-In (use Mic pot to set level), 2.5KHz, Lock, Pwr=50W, Menu PSK31 - MD6;DT0;MN053;UP;UP;BW0250;LK1;PC050;MN255; ** If you use the Front Panel Mic-In instead of the Line-In use: 3 - PSK31 mode - Data mode, Data-A, FP Mic-In, Mic Gain 4(set to proper level), 2.5KHz, Lock, Pwr=50W, Menu PSK31 - MD6;DT0;MN053;DN;DN;MG004;BW0250;LK1;PC050;MN255; 4 - RTTY mode - Data mode, Data-FSK, B=500Hz, Unlock, Pwr=80W, Menu RTTY - MD6;DT2;MN053;DN;DN;BW0050;LK0;PC080;MN255; 5 - 6M-WSJT mode - VFO-A=50260, VFO-B=50125, DATA mode, DATA-A, Line-In, BW=2.5KHz, Unlock, Pwr=80W, Menu 6M-WSJT - FA0005026;FB00050125000;MD6;MN053;UP;UP;BW0250;LK0;PC080;MN255; ** If you use the Front Panel Mic-In instead of the Line-In use: 5 - 6M-WSJT - VFO-A=50260, DATA mode, DATA-A, FP Mic-In,Mic Gain 4 (set to proper level), BW=2.5KHz, Unlock, Pwr=80W, Menu 6M-WSJT - FA0005026;MD6;MN053;DN;DN;MG004;BW0250;LK0;PC080;MN255; 6 - 6M-USB mode- VFO-A=50125, copy VFO-A to VFO-B, USB mode, FP Mic-In, Compress=20, Mic Gain=26, BW=2.5KHz, Unlock, Pwr=100W, Menu 6M-USB - FA00050125000;SWT13;SWT13;MD2;MN053;DN;DN;CP020;MG026;BW0250;LK0;PC100;MN255; 7 - 30M WSPR - Data Mode, 10138.700 KHz (30M WSPR freq.), DATA-A, BW=2.5KHz, Lock, Power=5W, Menu (Macro sets up WSPR on 30M) 30WSPR - MD6;DT0;FA00010138700;MN053;UP;UP;BW0250;LK1;PC005;MN255; 8 - (This macro is used to set up the K3 for the WSPR mode and is used after changing the K3 to another band. The WSPR software actually changes the K3 to the proper frequency for that band.) WSPR - Data Mode, DATA-A, BW=2.5KHz, Lock, Power=5W, Menu WSPR - MD6;DT0;MN053;UP;UP;BW0250;LK1;PC001;MN255; After you finish entering macros into the K3 Utility, before you upload them to the K3, click on the SAVE box. You should see two sets of 8 boxes with macro labels that you entered. Each macro can be tested by clicking on the desired macro box. After you are satisfied with the macros performance, you can move them to the K3 by clicking on Edit Macro, then clicking on Write Macros 1-8 to K3. An additional 8 macros can be saved in the K3 Utility under the Additional Macros tab, but only 8 can be transferred to and stored in the K3. You can also transfer macros already in the K3 into the K3 Utility. Once macros are stored in the K3 memories, they can be assigned to the M1 through M4 buttons (tap or hold) as well as the PF1 and PF2 buttons (hold only). Remember
Re: [Elecraft] Big weakness in Macro's
Ed, You probably already now this, but other K3 or KX3 users may not. Until there is a single command for changing between the K3's front panel mic jack, the rear panel mic jack or the rear panel line in, the way to make the switch is to use one of these macros. Mic Input - Front Panel: MN053;DN;DN;DN;MN255; Mic Input - Rear Panel: MN053;DN;DN;DN;UP;MN255; Line Input - Rear Panel: MN053;UP;UP;MN255; You can also add gain (MG0##;) and/or compression (CP0##;) settings to the microphone macro examples above, where ## is the desired two digit setting. Use your front panel MIC gain pot to set levels if you use Line Input. For those who are interested in writing macros for the K3 or KX3, you can download the K3/KX3 Programmer's Reference at: http://www.elecraft.com/manual/K3KX3%20Pgmrs%20Ref,%20E2.pdf 73, Rich - K1HTV = = = On Dec 7, 2012, at 11:07 AM, W0SD Ed Gray wrote: IMHO there is a big need for a command that can be use to define things back to the same state. One big rule in programming is you always set the state of things so you are always dealing with a known starting point. The command structure in the K3 does not permit this. A number of things in the K3 are toggle, for example in MIC SEL 1 toggles the mic back and forth from high to low and 2 toggles for bias on or no bias. There are a number of other instances of this in the K3. Not having a command to define things back to the same state, lets call it a default or reset state makes the programming commands in the K3 pretty weak IMHO. Ed W0SD __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] DVR Repeat on LCD display
I have the same complaint as I operate my K3 on the Topband at Multi-Multi station W3LPL. While in the repeat mode, during the pauses, I listen to the sub receivebut with REPEAT constantly being displayed there is no way to know what frequency I am tuning. It would be helpful, if while tuning the REPEAT is replaced with the VFO-B frequency. After a delay after tuning is stopped, the word REPEAT could be re-displayed to remind the op that the K3 was still in that mode. 73, Rich - K1HTV W3LPL 160M op - Original Message - From: elecraft-requ...@mailman.qth.net To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Sent: Sat, 27 Oct 2012 12:51:23 - (UTC) Subject: Elecraft Digest, Vol 102, Issue 42 Send Elecraft mailing list submissions to elecraft@mailman.qth.net To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to elecraft-requ...@mailman.qth.net You can reach the person managing the list at elecraft-ow...@mailman.qth.net When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than Re: Contents of Elecraft digest... __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
[Elecraft] More Multiple MACROs
For those of you who want to play more with macros, here are four that I use to set up my K3 for USB, CW, DATA-A and RTTY. Parameters that are set up include mode, receiver bandwidth, audio input connector (Front Panel for microphone, rear Line-In jack for DATA-A modes), Mic Gain and Compression level for SSB, CW Speed, VFO lock for DATA-A modes like PSK31, JT65 and WSPR. You can add or change other parameters in the macros for the various modes as you see fit. After the following 4 macros are loaded in MACRO positions 1,2,3 4 and programmed into the PF1 key, when you HOLD the PF1 key the K3 will toggle the K3 between the USB, CW, DATA-A and RTTY modes. # MacroLabel Macro Commands 1 USB-PF1MD2;MN053;DN;DN;MG026;CP020;LK0;BW0250;MN110;SWT12;SWH45;SWT14; 2 CW-PF1 MD3;LK0;BW0040;KS025;MN110;SWT13;SWH45;SWT14; 3 DTA-PF1MD6;DT0;MN053;UP;UP;BW0250;LK1;MN110;SWT24;SWH45;SWT14; 4 RTT-PF1MD6;DT2;MN053;DN;DN;BW0050;LK0;MN110;SWT11;SWH45;SWT14; The next 3 macros (5,6 7) use the PF2-HOLD key to toggle the K3 between three power levels, 10, 50 100 Watts. # MacroLabel Macro Commands 5 10W-PF2PC010;MN110;SWT29;SWH47;SWT14; 6 50W-PF2PC050;MN110;SWT33;SWH47;SWT14; 7 100WPF2PC100;MN110;SWT27;SWH47;SWT14; For those that haven't yet programmed multiple macros into one of the PF1 or PF2 (HOLD) or M1-8 (Tap or Hold) keys, the procedure is: With the K3 powered on, open the K3 Utility. Click on the Port tab then click Test Communications. If the results is successful K3 status, click OK. Click on the Command Tester/K3 Macro tab. Click on Edit Macros in the upper right corner. You can cut the Macro Label and Macro Commands from above and paste them into the correct boxes for each macro number. When all the data has been entered: Click on Write Macros 1-8 to K3. Click Save then close or minimize the K3 Utility. Next, at the K3, to assign the macros to the PF1 HOLD key: 1) Hold the MENU key. 2) Rotate the VFO-B dial so it reads to MACRO on the lower half of the LCD screen and FUNCTION above it. 3) Tap the first macro # to be entered. The LCD will read MACRO # 4) HOLD the PF1 key until PF1 SET appears. 5) Tap the Menu key. Go back to Step 1,using the next macro # in step 3, followed again by steps 4 5. Keep repeating this until all macros have been stored in PF1. Follow the same steps to assign the three Power Level macros 5,6 7 to the PF2-HOLD key. Test the mode change with repeatedly HOLD the PF1 key. Test power level with HOLDs of the PF2 key. That only leaves MACRO 8 free. We need more MACRO memories! Is that possible in a future firmware upgrade or are there hardware constraints preventing it from happening? 73, Rich - K1HTV __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
[Elecraft] K3 - How to scan while tuning sub RX
How too scan a range of frequencies while tuning the K3 Sub-receiver Here is another 'How To from my bag of K3 tricks. I frequenctly put my K3 in the scan mode on 6 Meters, looking for activity from propagation beacons. While the MAIN receiver is scanning, I can simultaneously monitor the 6 Meter DX (50.110) or North American (50.125) calling frequencies or can tune around with the sub receiver with VFO-B. For those of you who have not yet tried to use the K3 scanning feature or have tried but have had no success, here is how it is done: 1) Set VFO-A to lowest frequency to be scanned and set the bandwidth and mode to be used during the scan. 2) Set VFO-B to the highest frequency to be scanned. If you have a sub receiver, press the BSET and set the bandwidth, mode, NB, etc. that you want to use on the sub receiver. Tap the BSET key when finished. 3) Next, press the VM button once and use VFO-A to find a free memory to use to store the lowest and highest frequencies. I use Memory #99 for most scans. 4) Press the VM button again to move the frequencies and modes into the chosen memory (#99). 5) Press the MV button once. It should already be set to #99. If not, then dial the memory (#99) using VFO-A. 6) Press the MV button a second time to move the desired freqs from Memory #99 to the A B VFOs. If you skip steps 5 6, when you try to initiate a scan you will get the error message MV REQ. There are two kinds of scans, Muted (SCAN) and Unmuted (AF ON). 1) To start a muted scan, HOLD the SCAN button for about a second until SCAN appears on the LCD screen. When a signal is sensed, the scanning will stop and you will hear the audio of the detected signal. After a few seconds, if it stopped on a stable carrier or the signal disappears, the scan will resume. If the scan stops on a CW signal, it usually stays on that frequency until the CW stops, then resumes scanning. 2) To start an unmuted scan, HOLD the SCAN button about 3 seconds until the LCD screen reads AF ON. During an unmuted scan, it will not stop as it tunes past signals. To stop either a muted or unmuted scan, move VFO-A or tap any button. Do you have a sub receiver in your K3? It is possible to tune around the band with your sub receiver while a scanning with the MAIN receiver. To do so, before you press the SCAN button, press the SUB button. If you want the change sub receiver's mode, bandwidth, NB on, etc., HOLD the BSET button, make the changes, then tap the BSET button. To start the scan, HOLD the SCAN button. As soon as the scan starts on the MAIN receiver, you can start tuning around the sub receiver with VFO-B. If you accidentally move VFO-A, the scan will stop. The speed of the scan can be changed by tapping the FINE button. It seems like a lot has to be done to set up a scan. But once you load a memory with the frequencies and modes, starting a scan is quite simple. Once my primary scan storage memory #99 is set, here are the keystrokes used to quickly start a scan: Tap MV Tap MV Tap SUB to turn on sub receiver if desired Hold SCAN I hope that you find this info to be useful. 73, Rich - K1HTV __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] [K3] Toggle macros
Joe, Thanks for pointing that out...duh. So the answer is, as you suggested is to extend the number of macro slots. I wonder if that is simply a software issue or if the K3 has a hardware restriction which would prohibit the addition of macro slots. I guess that is why the Elecraft software brains in the white lab coats get paid the big bucks :-). 73, Rich - K1HTV = = = -Original Message- From: Joe Subich, W4TV [mailto:li...@subich.com] Sent: Wednesday, July 11, 2012 20:15 To: Rich - K1HTV Cc: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: Re: [Elecraft] [K3] Toggle macros Rich, But, once the macros are assigned from the present 8 K3 memories to specific keys in the K3, there is not reason why these memories can not be written over for the next batch of 8 different macros to be assigned as multiple macros to other 1-8 or PF keys. There's the rub ... if you load new values to Macro 1 - Macro 8 your multi-state macro *will no longer work correctly*. The multi-state macros work by *assigning new values* to the key every time you press it. If you change the contents of Macro 1 - Macro 8 the new value of Macro 'n' will be assigned to the key - not what is expected by the multi-state macro. 73, ... Joe, W4TV On 7/11/2012 2:47 PM, Rich - K1HTV wrote: Joe, Yes, more macro slots would be helpful. It would be great to be able to transfer not only Macros 1-8 in the K3 Utility, but also Macros 9-16, which presently can NOT be sent to the K3. But, once the macros are assigned from the present 8 K3 memories to specific keys in the K3, there is not reason why these memories can not be written over for the next batch of 8 different macros to be assigned as multiple macros to other 1-8 or PF keys. 73, Rich - K1HTV = = = -Original Message- From: Joe Subich, W4TV [mailto:li...@subich.com] Sent: Wednesday, July 11, 2012 14:13 To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: Re: [Elecraft] [K3] Toggle macros Given the usability of these multi state macros it would be valuable if Wayne would extend the number of macro slots that can be assigned to K3 switches. In effect each of these toggle or tri-state macros is two or three individual macros that remap the key on each step - with at least 10 assignable keys (M1-M4 tap, M1-M4 hold, PF1, PF2) if each key were used for a multi-state application the number of required macro slots could easily exceed 20 if each key were used for a toggle function. If one does not use DVK/CW/FSK memories, the number of available keys (10) already exceeds the number of assignable macro slots (8). 73, ... Joe, W4TV On 7/11/2012 8:17 AM, GW0ETF wrote: Apologies if this is 'yesterday's news'... When I'm SPing in a contest with the 2nd receiver in the right ear (A-AB) I like to be able to switch quickly to sub in both ears (AB-AB); often it makes it easier to copy a weaker signal. I've been doing this with 2 macros to switch the L-MIX-R menu item, one allocated to M4 TAP and the other to M4 HOLD. After reading the recent posts on the K3 Triple Macro ('self modifying code') for cycling power levels I realised I should be able to set up the audio mixing macro on just one button as a true toggle switch, and the following 2 macros both allocated to M4 TAP does just that and now releases the M4 HOLD for another macro. MACRO 5 AB AB MN111;MP003;MN110;SWT29;SWT39;SWT14; MACRO 6 A ABMN111;MP001;MN110;SWT27;SWT39;SWT14; Thanks to whoever thought of all this, it's pretty neat. The first 2 fields (MN111;MP003;etc) switch the L-MIX-R and were originally allocated to tap and hold separately; the other fields reset the macro as in the 'Triple Macro' examples. As an aside, it would be great to be able to comment the macros (in K3 Utility?) especially when they're a bit involved like this; I've not found this is possible. Presumably this won't work unless the 'comments' are stored in the K3's EEPROMwith the inevitable space issues? 73, Stewart, GW0ETF -- View this message in context: http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/K3-Toggle-macros-tp7558974.html Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] K3 macro help
Jim, It appears that you are trying to imbed the PF key numbers in the macro, which is not the way to load it into those keys. Here is how I get my macros to work, a kind of mini macro tutorial: After typing the commands into the Macro Label and Macro Command boxes in the K3 Utility click on the Write Macros 1-8 to K3 button. All 8 macros in the K3 Utility are sent to the eight K3 macro memories (1-8). To assign a macro that you have written, a macro that now resides in one of eight K3 memories, you must next assign them to one of the memory KEYS (1-8 TAP, 1-8 Hold, PF1 Tap or PF1 Hold). To do this, hold the MENU button then use the VFO-B dial until you see MACRO on the LCD screen. Next tap the keypad number (1-8) which holds the macro commands that you want to assign. Next on the K3, TAP or HOLD the key (M1-8 or PF1/2) that you want the macro to reside in. If done correctly, you will see a brief message on the screen confirming that the command has been set in the key that you pressed. Here are a few macros that I've written which can be assigned to any of the Memory (Tap or Hold) or the PF1/PF2 (Hold) keys. You can modify them to suit your operating needs. The first line contains the Macro Label followed by the macro commands. The lines following contain a brief description of what is being accomplished. USB - MD2;LK0;MN053;DN;DN;MG026;BW0250;CP020;PC100;MN255; Set mode to USB;Unlock VFO;Select the Front Panel mic jack(MN053;DN;DN);Set bandwidth to 2.5 KHz;Set Compression to 20;Set power to 100 Watts; Menu exit DATA-A - MD6;DT0;MN053;UP;UP;BW0250;LK0;PC050;MN255; Set mode to DATA Mode;Set to DATA-A mode;Select 'Line In' jack on rear of K3 (MN053;UP;UP);Set Bandwidth to 2.5 KHz;Lock VFO;Set power to 50 Watts; Menu exit (Note, first tune the K3 to the frequency to be used because this command will lock the VFO to the frequency that the VFO-A is tuned to when the macro is used. This DATA-A macro can also be used for PSK31,WSPR and WSJT). CW - MD3;LK0;SWH17;BW0040;PC100;KS020;MN255; Set mode to CW;Unlocks VFO;Set CW mode to REV (I like to tune up into CW signals);Set bandwidth to 400 Hz;Set power to 100 Watts;Menu exit RTTY - MD6;DT2;BW0050;LK0;PC090;MN255; Set mode to DATA;Set to FSK-D;Set bandwidth to 50 Hz;Unlock VFO;Set power to 80 Watts;Menu exit Hope that you find this info useful so you can get your K3 macros running properly. 73, Rich - K1HTV = = = -Original Message- From: Jim Leder [mailto:k8...@fuse.net] Sent: Wednesday, July 11, 2012 14:02 To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: [Elecraft] K3 macro help I am trying to write 2 simple macros and assign them to PF1 and PF2. The macros are for changing mode to DATA A and toggeling MIC+LIN on for PF1, and then returning to CW on PF2 and toggeling MIC+LIN off. They look like this: MD6;DT0;MN015;UP;SWH45;MN255 /* assigned to pf1 hold */ MN015;UP;SWH47;MN255;MD3 /* assigned to pf2 hold */ Any old PL/1 programmers may recognized the /* and */ as comment fields. Anyway, these two macros work perfect from the K3 utility. They also work OK direct in the radio, BUT ONLY THE FIRST TIME. After that, unless I reassign them after a reload, they give me a MIC+LIN N/A in CW mode. It's like MD6 isn't being done, after the first execution (and, it's not). What I don't get, is it works the FIRST time, but subsequent PF1H and PF2H give me the error. I got to believe I am missing something, but not sure what it is. Any ideas? Thanks ... Jim K8CXM __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] [K3] Toggle macros
Joe, Yes, more macro slots would be helpful. It would be great to be able to transfer not only Macros 1-8 in the K3 Utility, but also Macros 9-16, which presently can NOT be sent to the K3. But, once the macros are assigned from the present 8 K3 memories to specific keys in the K3, there is not reason why these memories can not be written over for the next batch of 8 different macros to be assigned as multiple macros to other 1-8 or PF keys. 73, Rich - K1HTV = = = -Original Message- From: Joe Subich, W4TV [mailto:li...@subich.com] Sent: Wednesday, July 11, 2012 14:13 To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: Re: [Elecraft] [K3] Toggle macros Given the usability of these multi state macros it would be valuable if Wayne would extend the number of macro slots that can be assigned to K3 switches. In effect each of these toggle or tri-state macros is two or three individual macros that remap the key on each step - with at least 10 assignable keys (M1-M4 tap, M1-M4 hold, PF1, PF2) if each key were used for a multi-state application the number of required macro slots could easily exceed 20 if each key were used for a toggle function. If one does not use DVK/CW/FSK memories, the number of available keys (10) already exceeds the number of assignable macro slots (8). 73, ... Joe, W4TV On 7/11/2012 8:17 AM, GW0ETF wrote: Apologies if this is 'yesterday's news'... When I'm SPing in a contest with the 2nd receiver in the right ear (A-AB) I like to be able to switch quickly to sub in both ears (AB-AB); often it makes it easier to copy a weaker signal. I've been doing this with 2 macros to switch the L-MIX-R menu item, one allocated to M4 TAP and the other to M4 HOLD. After reading the recent posts on the K3 Triple Macro ('self modifying code') for cycling power levels I realised I should be able to set up the audio mixing macro on just one button as a true toggle switch, and the following 2 macros both allocated to M4 TAP does just that and now releases the M4 HOLD for another macro. MACRO 5 AB AB MN111;MP003;MN110;SWT29;SWT39;SWT14; MACRO 6 A ABMN111;MP001;MN110;SWT27;SWT39;SWT14; Thanks to whoever thought of all this, it's pretty neat. The first 2 fields (MN111;MP003;etc) switch the L-MIX-R and were originally allocated to tap and hold separately; the other fields reset the macro as in the 'Triple Macro' examples. As an aside, it would be great to be able to comment the macros (in K3 Utility?) especially when they're a bit involved like this; I've not found this is possible. Presumably this won't work unless the 'comments' are stored in the K3's EEPROMwith the inevitable space issues? 73, Stewart, GW0ETF -- View this message in context: http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/K3-Toggle-macros-tp7558974.html Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
[Elecraft] K3 Macro TRIPLE toggle code
After seeing the note about creating a macro to toggle between two power levels on the K3, I thought I would try writing a macro for a triple toggle. With this macro the K3 power output can be toggled between 10W, 50W and 100W using the PF2-HOLD key. If you prefer to TAP instead of HOLD, use one of the M1-4 keys and change the SWH47 to the appropriate SWTnn number. Refer to the K3 Macro tutorial. This is being written not only for the K3 users who already know how to write macros, but for those K3 users who have never done so and want to give it a try. So please excuse the extra steps which must be performed that you already know how to do. Assuming that you already have the K3 Utility installed on your computer, turn on your K3. Start the K3 Utility and confirm that your K3 is communicating with your computer. Click the Test Communications tab. Click Port Test Communications. If successful you will get a box indicating so. Click the Command Tester/K3 Macros tab. Click Edit Macro Use the information below to populate the Macro Label boxes and the Macro Commands boxes for the macro number that you will be using. At K1HTV I used the K3's 5, 6 and 7 macros for the triple power toggle. If you use other ones, change the SWT29, SWT33 and SWT27 to the appropriate numbers for the macro numbers you want to use. You can type in the info below, but you will probably find it easier to simple cut and paste the commands (the ones with the semicolons between) from this document into the K3 Utility macro boxes being used. Macro# Label (10W) (Macro)(6) (PF2H) (Menu) 5 10W PC010;MN110;SWT29;SWH47;SWT14; Label (50W) (Macro)(7) (PF2H) (Menu) 6 100W PC100;MN110;SWT33;SWH47;SWT14; Label (100W) (Macro) (5) (PF2H)(Menu) 7 100W PC100;MN110;SWT27;SWH47;SWT14; After you have filled in the Macro Label and :Macro Commands boxes for Macro 5 (10W), Macro 6 (50W) and Macro 7 (100W) click on Write Macros 1-8 to K3. Next, at the K3: Hold the MENU key. Rotate the VFO-B dial until MACRO appears. Tap the 5 on the keypad so the screen reads MACRO 5. Hold the PF2 key until PF2 SET appears. Tap the MENU key. Hold the MENU key again until MACRO appears. Tap 6 on the keypad so the screen reads MACRO 6. Hold the PF2 key until PF2 SET appears. Tap the MENU key. Tap 7 on the keypad so the screen reads MACRO 7. Hold the PF2 key until PF2 SET appears. Tap the MENU key. Test by holding the PF2 key until either 10W, 50W or 100W appears briefly on the LCD screen. It should toggle between the three power levels each time you HOLD the PF2 key. *** NOTE*** When writing lines of multi-line toggling macros, make sure the number for the macro number following the MN110; is the macro number for the following line or the toggle feature will not work. Hope you find this info useful. 73, Rich - K1HTV = = = -Original Message- From: Pierfrancesco Caci [mailto:p...@tippete.net] Sent: Sunday, July 08, 2012 10:55 To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 Macro toggle Ok, so Dick and Bill suggested two similar approaches, one is to save a completely empty macro, one with just ; in the macro. Both work the same way, and pressing M4-HOLD will flash MACRO 2 and do nothing else, as expected. I don't remember how a virgin K3 behaves wrt empty M-keys, but I suspect that what John observed is the expected behaviour. Anyway, this mostly boils down to a curiosity, and the empty macro trick does what I want to achieve for the moment, until I'll come up with anothe use for it. Thanks to all for your attention Pf __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
[Elecraft] K3 Triple Macro - Corrected version
Thanks to VE3KI who caught a typing error in the second line of commands of the original Triple Macro. The following is a corrected version. 73, Rich - K1HTV = = = After seeing the note about creating a macro to toggle between two power levels on the K3, I thought I would try writing a macro for a triple toggle. With this macro the K3 power output can be toggled between 10W, 50W and 100W using the PF2-HOLD key. If you prefer to TAP instead of HOLD, use one of the M1-4 keys and change the SWH47 to the appropriate SWTnn number. Refer to the K3 Macro tutorial. This is being written not only for the K3 users who already know how to write macros, but for those K3 users who have never done so and want to give it a try. So please excuse the extra steps which must be performed that you already know how to do. Assuming that you already have the K3 Utility installed on your computer, turn on your K3. Start the K3 Utility and confirm that your K3 is communicating with your computer. Click the Test Communications tab. Click Port Test Communications. If successful you will get a box indicating so. Click the Command Tester/K3 Macros tab. Click Edit Macro Use the information below to populate the Macro Label boxes and the Macro Commands boxes for the macro number that you will be using. At K1HTV I used the K3's 5, 6 and 7 macros for the triple power toggle. If you use other ones, change the SWT29, SWT33 and SWT27 to the appropriate numbers for the macro numbers you want to use. You can type in the info below, but you will probably find it easier to simple cut and paste the commands (the ones with the semicolons between) from this document into the K3 Utility macro boxes being used. Macro# Label (10W) (Macro)(6) (PF2H) (Menu) 5 10W PC010;MN110;SWT29;SWH47;SWT14; Label (50W) (Macro)(7) (PF2H) (Menu) 6 50W PC050;MN110;SWT33;SWH47;SWT14; Label (100W) (Macro) (5) (PF2H)(Menu) 7 100W PC100;MN110;SWT27;SWH47;SWT14; After you have filled in the Macro Label and :Macro Commands boxes for Macro 5 (10W), Macro 6 (50W) and Macro 7 (100W) click on Write Macros 1-8 to K3. Next, at the K3: Hold the MENU key. Rotate the VFO-B dial until MACRO appears. Tap the 5 on the keypad so the screen reads MACRO 5. Hold the PF2 key until PF2 SET appears. Tap the MENU key. Hold the MENU key again until MACRO appears. Tap 6 on the keypad so the screen reads MACRO 6. Hold the PF2 key until PF2 SET appears. Tap the MENU key. Tap 7 on the keypad so the screen reads MACRO 7. Hold the PF2 key until PF2 SET appears. Tap the MENU key. Test by holding the PF2 key until either 10W, 50W or 100W appears briefly on the LCD screen. It should toggle between the three power levels each time you HOLD the PF2 key. *** NOTE*** When writing lines of multi-line toggling macros, make sure the number for the macro number following the MN110; is the macro number for the following line or the toggle feature will not work. Hope you find this info useful. 73, Rich - K1HTV __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] K3 Triple Macro - Corrected version
Hi Wayne, My post about the Triple Power Setting Macro inspired Ed, K5EK, to write a macro for setting up various splits (UP1, UP2, UP5). Here is Ed's code. Macro 1 - Up 1 SWT13;SWT13;FT1;UPB4;RT0;XT0;MN110;SWT12;SWT39;SWT14; Macro 2 - Up 2 SWT13;SWT13;FT1;UPB5;RT0;XT0;MN110;SWT13;SWT39;SWT14; Macro 3 - Up 5 SWT13;SWT13;FT1;UPB7;RT0;XT0;MN110;SWT11;SWT39;SWT14; He asked me if there was a way of deactivating the keying output signal used to turn on an external amp via a command that could be imbedded in a macro. Like Ed, I found that there does NOT appear to be a way of disabling the keying signal, other than having to break it with some kind of external mechanical or electronic switch. The signal activates various relays in the amp, but when the amp is warmed up, and only the barefoot K3 is needed, we want to be able to stop the keying signal via the macro that sets the K3 power to 100W. When the K3 is set to amp driving levels (10-20W, set by a macro) we would like to reactivate the keying output signal to turn on the amp when the K3 is transmitting. Is there a hidden command that we folks don't know about that can be used to accomplish the above? If not, we would appreciate it if this request would be considered for a future software revision. Thanks and keep up the great work at Elecraft. 73, Rich - K1HTV = = = -Original Message- From: Wayne Burdick [mailto:n...@elecraft.com] Sent: Monday, July 09, 2012 20:33 To: Rich - K1HTV Cc: Elecraft Reflector Subject: Re: K3 Triple Macro - Corrected version Rich, This is a very clever use of the K3's macro facility. Here's how it works (for those who are not quite motivated enough to look up all those commands): Each of the three switch macros sets a different power level -- that's the obvious part (PCxxx). Normally, you'd assign each of them to a different programmable switch and leave it at that. Instead, Rich set up the macros so that holding PF2 not only changes the power level, it then *changes* PF2's macro assignment to the next macro in the sequence. The last macro (100 W) wraps back to the first macro (10 W). It's a little bit like self-modifying code. Wish I had thought of this myself :) You could use the same technique to set up a single programmable switch to top among a few favorite frequencies, or even bands, on repeated taps. 73, Wayne N6KR On Jul 9, 2012, at 12:14 PM, Rich - K1HTV wrote: Macro# Label (10W) (Macro)(6) (PF2H) (Menu) 5 10W PC010;MN110;SWT29;SWH47;SWT14; Label (50W) (Macro)(7) (PF2H) (Menu) 6 50W PC050;MN110;SWT33;SWH47;SWT14; Label (100W) (Macro) (5) (PF2H)(Menu) 7 100W PC100;MN110;SWT27;SWH47;SWT14; __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] 2m Transverter keeps switching back to 6m
If it happened that the switching back from 2 Meters to 6M occurred during the contest you can credit you K3 knowing that the 6M band was open for lots of E-skip and was reminding you, like the Chick Filet commercial to 'Eat mor chickin or Work more 6 Meters. You have a smart K3, :-). It knew that there was a great Es opening. I was at K8GP and was running W6 and W7 stations Sunday afternoon. We ran K3 radios at the more 6M positions at the K8GP multi-op station in the VHF contest. Being up high were heard many very strong locals, one of them, W3IP with a K3, only a mile or so up the road running high power. Our K3s worked great from our Mt. Weather site in FM19bb. We worked over 850 stations in 249 grids on the Magic Band, including many European stations. Seriously, hope that you can figure out what is causing the switching problem. Sorry that I am of no help. Enjoy your K3. I certainly am enjoying mine. 73, Rich - K1HTV = = = -Original Message- From: Richard Ferch [mailto:ve3...@storm.ca] Sent: Saturday, June 09, 2012 21:33 To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: Re: [Elecraft] 2m Transverter keeps switching back to 6m Do you have any software with radio control capability (e.g. a logging program) connected to the K3? If so, does the problem still happen if you disable the software control? 73, Rich VE3KI AG6AZ wrote: Quick question. My K3 keeps switching back to 6m when I turn it to 2m. It will go to any frequency on 2m and then a second later switches back to 54.0 MHz. Any thoughts? __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] two k3's on the same band
Matt, We've used two K3's on 160 Meters driving a common 1500 Watt amplifier at W3LPL in the CQ ARRL DX contests for the past few years with no problems. Frank has eight 500+ feet long Beverage antennas located a couple of hundred of feet from the 4-Square antenna. On CW the K3 op listening for mults is able to receive on most of the Beverages as close at 10 KHz from the transmit frequency. The K3's are isolated from the Beverages by a band pass filter and preamp. Antennas for the other HF bands, also fed with a KW, are even closer to the Beverages and have no effect at all on the 160M K3 transceivers. About the only thing that will blow the preamps is a lightning strike. At home with a barefoot K3 at 100 Watts, I feed 4 switched Beverage antennas to the K3's sub-receiver using a common preamp. The antennas are as close as 50 feet with no sign of the overload relay clicking in. 73, Rich - K1HTV = = = -Original Message- From: Matt Murphy [mailto:m...@nq6n.com] Sent: Wednesday, March 21, 2012 15:24 PM To: Elecraft Reflector Subject: [Elecraft] two k3's on the same band Just wondering if anyone has any experience using two K3's on the same band (for example, one for running, one for mults in a multi-op single transmitter scenario). Is there any danger of damaging the receiver(s) by transmitting with high power so close by (different antenna, same property). Is there a difference if the transmission is a few KHz away vs (accidentally) on the same frequency? Just curious what sorts of precautions (if any) ought to be taken and what solutions exist (if necessary). 73, Matt NQ6N __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] Strange Vertical - need help
Gerald, The specs for the GP10-40 call for use of the transceiver's ATU (Antenna Tuning Unit). If you have an ATU in your K3 you should have no problem with it providing a proper match to the transmitter with the SWR measurements that you mention in your note. They quote using a 100 foot long run which you have. They also imply in the specs that if a shorter line (75 ft) is used, a wider range tuner would be needed. Do you have an ATU in your K3? If so, make sure that it is not in BYPASS mode (Hold the ATU button to change it) then tap the ATU TUNE button and it should easily make the K3 happy with the load that it sees. If you don't have the internal K3 ATU, then you will either need to install one or use an external antenna tuner to provide the proper match for the K3. 73, Rich - K1HTV = = = -Original Message- From: KC6CNN [mailto:kc6...@gmail.com] Sent: Sunday, March 11, 2012 11:48 AM To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: [Elecraft] Strange Vertical - need help I installed a vertical with ground radial kit up 20 feet. The antenna mast and negative sheild connector is grounded to a ground rod. The antenna covers 10 to 40 meters. I can tune 10 meters fine, and fourty meters fine, but 12,15,17,20,and 30 will not tune and SWR are high. here are the SWR reading taken on AM running 25 watts. 10 meter 2804550 is 2 to 1 SWR 2882000 is 1.5 to 1 SWR 12 meter 249 is 3 to 1 SWR 24990 is 3 to 1 SWR 15 meter 2103900 is 4 to 1 SWR top porting is 3 to 1 SWR 17 meter 1809000 is 3 to 1 SWR 1817000 is 2 to 1 SWR 20 meter 1402800 is 2 to 1 SWR 143 is 2 to 1 SWR 30 meter 1010500 is 4 to 1 SWR 1014000 is 4 to 1 SWR 40 meter 7026 is 2 to 1 SWR 7290 is 1.5 to 1 SWR Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I will be receiving my K3 on Tuesday and am trying to get this antenna sorted out before then. Oh yea the rig I'm using right now is a Kenwood 570, the Coax is LMR400 with a 100' run. the Antenna is a ZeroFive GP10-40. Thank you Gerald Manthey KC6CNN -- View this message in context: http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/Strange-Vertical-need-help-tp7363205p736320 5.html Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
[Elecraft] K3 - G5RV vs ZS6BKW antenna
Dick, Instead of the G5RV antenna, consider using a modified version of it, the ZS6BKW, with your K3. The ZS6BKW antenna has better impedance characteristics on more bands than the G5RV. The K3's ATU matches the antenna on all of the bands that it is designed to work on, 80, 40, 20, 17, 12 and 10 meters. It will also work on 6 Meters, but its lowest SWR is at 51 MHz, not very helpful. The ZS6BKW antenna has a slightly shorter flat top and slightly longer section of ladder line than the G5RV. I've installed two ZS6BKW antennas with a 45 degree difference in orientation and can switch between either of them. On 20 Meters, the results is that the 4 major nulls of one antenna can be covered by switching to the 4 major lobes of the other antenna. So, how do they work? Well, in the past 3 years since retiring from VOA and moving to a new VA QTH, I have worked 275 countries with 100 Watts. I recently added a borrowed 3 element tribander for most of the last 15 countries worked. Over 260 countries were worked using ZS6BKW antennas. With the K3 and its ATU the ZS6BKW will work well on 80, 40, 20, 17, 12 and 10 Meters. On 160, 30 and 15M, the ZS6BKW does not work well at all, even though the ATU can produce a match for the K3 on some of those bands. A ZS6BKW construction note, for one of the antennas I used a common mode RF choke made up of the 20 turns of the 50 Ohm RG58U coax feed line wound around a 6 inch diameter plastic COSTCO nut container. The second ZS6BKW antenna uses a choke made of the same type coax but wound on a pair of toroids, as described by Jim, K9YC on his website. In each case, the choke is installed where the ladder lead meets the coax and NOT at the shack end of the coax. If you are interested in the ZS6BKW antenna, check out the articles below. http://www.ab4oj.com/dl/sprat_zs6bkw.pdf http://www.w5ddl.org/files/Zs6bkw_vs_G5rv_20100221b.pdf 73, Rich - K1HTV www.k1htv.us = = = -Original Message- From: raro...@comcast.net [mailto:raro...@comcast.net] Sent: Friday, March 09, 2012 2:38 AM To: Elecraft Reflector Subject: [Elecraft] G5RV antenna experience on K3 Hi there-- Am considering putting up a g5rv antenna and was wondering what experiences K3 users have with this antenna. Is an external tuner necessary? Is internal KAT3 up to the task of taming this wire? Any hints will be helpful -- 73 de Dick, ka1oz Elecraft K3/100 GAP Titan-DX Antenna PS...Tried sending via my gmail account, but haven't seen it posted. I appologize for any wasted bandwidth. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
[Elecraft] Tired of VFO spinning?
Jim, If you are tired of spinning your K3 VFO from one end of the band to the other, and also switching modes when you get there, you might consider this suggestion. On each band, you can easily set up 4 different go-to frequencies using the four (M1-4) memory buttons. On each band and for each of 4 modes, tune VFO-A to the desired frequency, set both VFOs to the same frequency (tap AB twice), select a mode, and optimize your filter settings. To store these settings in one of the four memories: Tap the VM button once. Tap the M# (1-4) button that you want to use for that frequency/mode. Do this for each of four mode/frequency/filter combinations on each of the bands from 160M to 6M. On each band I use M1 for CW, M2 for SSB, M3 for PSK31 and M4 for RTTY. On 30M, where SSB is not allowed, I substituted the WSPR frequency/mode info for the M3 memory. You can make changes based on your mode/frequency preferences. To quickly switch to one of the M1-4 memories: Tap the MV button once. Tape the M# (1-4) once. This will allow you to quickly move you between frequencies and modes on each band. I hope that you find this info useful. 73, Rich - K1HTV = = = -Original Message- From: bill ny9h [mailto:n...@arrl.net] Sent: Sunday, March 04, 2012 12:20 PM To: Jim McDonald; elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 feature request - auto-changing tuning rate i do tire of spinning that know from ssb to cw. what's the harm if it can be shut off?? pse ...when you have some spare time wayne bill ny9h/3 __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] 30% off on the K3 book
Fred, Congrats on the very informative K3 book. It's a great reference document for all who own a K3. Liked it so much that I purchased one as a Christmas present for son Andy, K1RA who also owns a K3. How about a book on the topic of K3 macros with plenty of examples? Keep up the good work. 73, Rich - K1HTV = = = -Original Message- From: Cady, Fred [mailto:fc...@ece.montana.edu] Sent: Friday, January 27, 2012 16:21 PM To: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: [Elecraft] 30% off on the K3 book Lulu has a 30% discount on The Elecraft K3: Design, Configuration and Operation until midnight 1/31. Enter the code SHELFSTOCK305. 73 all, Fred Fred fcady at ieee dot org The Elecraft K3: Design, Configuration, and Operation www.ke7x.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
Re: [Elecraft] K3 spurious radiation?
Ken, I hear that some wise guys are sending the calls of DX stations, CQ callsign or de callsign, on oddball frequencies so they will show up as skimmer spots. That might explain some of the bogus spots being posted on the DX cluster network. I have seen quite a few low band spots for Asian DX stations from W3LPL hours after Frank's sunrise. Having operated DX contests at W3LPL at the 160M position since the mid '90's, I know what DX can be expected to be heard after sunrise. I'm pretty sure that the source of those bogus spots are ops with a twisted sense of humor who are within radio range of skimmer receivers . Maybe they are trying to make W3LPL and other skimmer stations look bad so they will turn them off. Skimmers have resulted in my adding many new band countries to the K1HTV low power totals. Now have over 2800 worked with 100 Watts. Still having fun in Ham Radio after almost 54 years and loving my K3! 73, Rich - K1HTV = = = -Original Message- From: Ken G Kopp [mailto:kengk...@gmail.com] Sent: Tuesday, January 24, 2012 11:56 AM To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: [Elecraft] K3 spurious radiation? There are -many- bogus spots showing up on the DX Summit site, and most seem to originate from skimmers running amuck. W3LPL's seems to be among the largest error generators. 73! Ken - K0PP __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] Tracking down S9+ noise on 40M
And don't forget ELECTRIC BLANKETS! I just found the source of a loud noise which appeared to be emanating from a neighbor's house. The noise source turned out to be an electric blanket with independent control boxes and control units (rotary controls). Each box was causing either a loud click every second or a loud AC buzz when the electric blanket's control was set to call for more heat. I took a portable Sony AM/FM/SW radio with me to the neighbor's house and walked around the inside the house with him. At the far end of the house the signal was moderately loud with the antenna collapsed while listening on 10 Meters. When we got to the master bedroom, the signal got noticeably louder. Unplugging the AC from one box stopped one of the clicks/buzzes. Unplugging the second box produced silence. In the bedroom, the noises could also be heard on broadcast band frequencies, but were not very strongly in the AM BC band outside the house. The frequencies with the strongest signal from a noise source is often related to the length of the wires attached to it. In this case, the signals seemed to peak on higher frequencies in the 6M and 10M bands. In the case of a noisy power line, where the wires are attached to arcing hardware are physically longer, you can expect to have stronger signals on the lower frequencies. But even with power lines, in addition to using an AM BC radio, it is often helpful to use a portable radio that can tune in the 108-130 MHz AM aircraft band to find noise sources on power line poles. In your case, if you can hear the noise on a portable AM radio at the breaker panel, try killing power to one breaker at a time to see which one kills the noise. Good luck in playing noise detective! 73, Rich - K1HTV = = = From: riese-k3...@juno.com [mailto:riese-k3...@juno.com] Sent: Wednesday, January 18, 2012 22:49 PM To: kc9ehq2...@yahoo.com Cc: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Tracking down S9+ noise on 40M light dimmers touch on off lamps plasma tv sets bob k3djc On Wed, 18 Jan 2012 19:41:33 -0800 (PST) David Dietrich kc9ehq2...@yahoo.com writes: Hi All, Could someone please explain the proper way to track down RF noise in and around my house? . 73, David, KC9EHQ __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] 160m loop experiment a big failure
Don, How did you plan to use the 160M loop? If you want to work the locals (within 500 miles) a low (less than 100 ft high) 160M loop is a great sky warmer. If you are more interested in working DX on the Topband then give an Inverted-L a try. I've had very good luck with two that I've built. The one that favors Europe, Africa, the Caribbean and So. America has only 30 feet of the 135 feet of wire vertical. The rest of it is horizontal, ending up around 50 feet high in a tree. This Inverted-L is fed with 50 Ohm coax with a 500pf capacitor in series at the base of the antenna. Presently there are 16 short (1/8 wavelength, 65 ft) radials. The second Inverted-L has 60 ft. of vertical with the rest horizontal, sloping down to 30 feet. This antenna favors the west and northwest. It has 8 quarter wave, 130 feet, radials. Running the K3 barefoot with these Inverted-L antennas, since I've moved to my new VA QTH, I've increased my Topband DXCC total from 201 to 222 countries confirmed running 100 Watts or less. Some of the best DX to the east includes 4X, S0, 5N, D4 and UA6. To the south CE, CX, VP8/F and to the west FO, FO/A,T30,T2,KH6,ZL a number of KL7's to the NW. So, as you can see the Inverted-L, even without a lot of the wire being vertical, can perform well as a DX antenna. It certainly will outperform a 160M loop. So, if you are interested in making longer haul QSOs on 160M, I would ditch the loop and go with an Inverted-L. If you have a tower, I would shunt feed it, but that's another story. 73, Rich - K1HTV = = = -Original Message- From: gold...@charter.net [mailto:gold...@charter.net] Sent: Saturday, October 15, 2011 12:15 PM To: Elecraft Subject: [Elecraft] 160m loop experiment a big failure I set up a 160m loop in the yard to try one out from all the great reading I did regarding the antenna. For me I can get it to tune with no problems except the RF in the shack is terrible. . . . . So I thought I would share my current failure while I ponder my next move or give up on the loop. Ok I wont give up, YET! Cheers ~73 Don KD8NNU __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
[Elecraft] K3 Channel Hopping anomaly?
I recently set up a band of memories for the frequencies used by one of the DX-peditions. Using the Elecraft K3 Memory Editor the CW, SSB RTTY freqs were stored in a few of the ten channel memory banks. When the Frequency Hopping was started, the K3 hopped properly to the frequencies in each of the 10 memories, but did NOT follow the mode set in the memories. The K3 stayed in only one mode for all channels chosen for frequency hopping. It stayed in the mode of the channel chosen to initialize the setup (MV, select memory with VFO-A, MV, then hold the SCAN button). The channels received should follow the mode for each channel as read from each memory in the bank, right? Also, it would be helpful, when in the K3 channel hopping mode, to have some way of slowing down the speed of the scan. There appears to be no way of changing the frequency hopping speed. When scanning a range between between two frequencies, the tuning rate and the speed of scanning can be changed using 'FINE/COARSE' and 'RATE' buttons. At a minimum, can the same options be added to the channel hopping mode? Being able to listen to a switched channel for at least a few seconds is needed to identify what is on the channel. 73, Rich - K1HTV __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] K1HTV Re: K3 DVR anomaly
No Rick. All messages that I record in the K3 DVR memories have zero delay time at the end of the recordings, when played back alone. If a second DVR message is started while the first one is being played, there is a delay of silence equal to the length of the message in the memory for the second button pressed. Try it and let me know if you also experience what I have observed. 73, Rich - K1HTV = = = -Original Message- From: Rick Prather [mailto:k6limae...@gmail.com] Sent: Monday, September 19, 2011 21:52 PM To: Rich - K1HTV Cc: Elecraft List Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K1HTV Re: K3 DVR anomaly Rich, If you have a delay at the end of the message then you recorded it that way. I had to go back and record my DVR messages several times before I was able to hit the rec button immediately after I was done. Now if I give my call for instance the TX drops as soon as I finish with the call. Rick K6LE On 9/19/2011, at 6:46 , Rich - K1HTV wrote: Thanks Gary. It's a real pain when I'm in a pileup calling a DX station on SSB and accidently hit the same or another memory button before the message playing back has ended. When this happens, my transmission stops but the K3 stays in the TX node during that time . If the DX stations quickly replies during after the message ends I can not here him because the K3 hasn't yet switched back to receive. Not good :-( . Hope that this can be corrected in the near future rather than later distant future. Thanks 73, Rich - K1HTV __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
[Elecraft] K3 DVR anomaly
K3 DVR anomaly I use the M1-M4 CW DVR voice memories in my K3 to store various messages. I'm using software versions MCU 4.39 / DSP 2.73 . On CW, pressing the same or different memory button while a message is playing will result in the two messages being chained, as they should be. However, when the same is tried with the voice memories this does not occur. Instead of the audio in the two memories playing sequentially, only the first memory is played. This is followed by a period of silence before the K3 switches from transmit back into the receive mode. The amount of silence depends on the length of the recording in the memory of the 2nd button that is pressed. I recorded a 2 second voice message in M1 and a 6 second message in M2. During the playback of the M1 message I pressed the M2 button. After the M1 message ended, there was 6 seconds of silence before the K3 went from transmit back into the receive mode. Again, the amount of silence depends on the length of the message in the second button that is pressed. I believe that this is a bug and not a feature :-). Are others experiencing the same anomaly? If at all possible, please modify the K3 DVR software so it allows the chaining of voice messages in the same manner as CW messages. Thanks. 73, Rich - K1HTV __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] K1HTV Re: K3 DVR anomaly
Thanks Gary. It's a real pain when I'm in a pileup calling a DX station on SSB and accidently hit the same or another memory button before the message playing back has ended. When this happens, my transmission stops but the K3 stays in the TX node during that time . If the DX stations quickly replies during after the message ends I can not here him because the K3 hasn't yet switched back to receive. Not good :-( . Hope that this can be corrected in the near future rather than later distant future. Thanks 73, Rich - K1HTV _ From: Gary Surrency [mailto:g...@elecraft.com] Sent: Monday, September 19, 2011 18:36 PM To: Rich - K1HTV Cc: k3supp...@elecraft.com Subject: K1HTV Re: K3 DVR anomaly Hi Rich, This is how the DVR was originally designed and works, and there are plans in the future to address this with a firmware change. No word on when that will happen though. -- 73, Gary AB7MY = supp...@elecraft.com Elecraft Technical Support On 9/19/2011 12:18 PM, Rich - K1HTV wrote: K3 DVR anomaly I use the M1-M4 CW DVR voice memories in my K3 to store various messages. I'm using software versions MCU 4.39 / DSP 2.73 . On CW, pressing the same or different memory button while a message is playing will result in the two messages being chained, as they should be. However, when the same is tried with the voice memories this does not occur. Instead of the audio in the two memories playing sequentially, only the first memory is played. This is followed by a period of silence before the K3 switches from transmit back into the receive mode. The amount of silence depends on the length of the recording in the memory of the 2nd button that is pressed. I recorded a 2 second voice message in M1 and a 6 second message in M2. During the playback of the M1 message I pressed the M2 button. After the M1 message ended, there was 6 seconds of silence before the K3 went from transmit back into the receive mode. Again, the amount of silence depends on the length of the message in the second button that is pressed. I believe that this is a bug and not a feature :-). Are others experiencing the same anomaly? If at all possible, please modify the K3 DVR software so it allows the chaining of voice messages in the same manner as CW messages. Thanks. 73, Rich - K1HTV - No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 10.0.1410 / Virus Database: 1520/3906 - Release Date: 09/19/11 __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] K3 6M problem
Jamie, In your note on the 6M problem you didn't indicate if you tried the K3 in the ATU 'BYPASS' position. I had the problem of a high SWR on 6 Meters when the ATU tried to find a match on my 6M yagi with a known relatively good 1.2:1 SWR. In the BYPASS mode the SWR looked fine. Using the ATU produced a much higher SWR on 50 MHz. If your K3 internal SWR display indicates a good SWR in the BYPASS mode, but the ATU cannot find a good match, there is a fix. I received a BETA firmware update along with suggested parameter changes of some of the hidden MENU settings (need to turn TECH MD on) which addressed the 6M ATU problem. The ATU in my K3 now performs as it should on 6 Meters. Local friend K2PI also had the same problem which was resolved with the BETA firmware update. If your 6M SWR is good in the ATU BYPASS mode, drop Elecraft tech support a note. 73, Rich - K1HTV = = = -Original Message- From: James C. Hall, MD [mailto:heart...@nwtcc.com] Sent: Friday, July 01, 2011 12:06 PM To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: [Elecraft] K3 6M problem Hello: After returning my K3 back to the shack after Field Day, I have discovered that 6M no longer transmits with low SWR. I checked all the rear panel connections as it is interfaced through a microham MK2R+ and Stationmaster band decoder. However, I have the 6M antenna coax directly going to Antenna 2 on the radio. Using an antenna analyzer, the antenna shows excellent SWR. Using a dummy load to each antenna port, all bands shows good SWR except 6M. I updated the firmware and cycled the power but I still have the HI SWR showing with 6M. I do have the PR6 pre-amp in line, but the problem is not receive. I'm stumped. Any help appreciated. 73, Jamie WB4YDL -- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by MailScanner, and is believed to be clean. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
[Elecraft] K3 Hi Cut Low Cut granularity bug?
K3 Hi Cut Low Cut granularity bug? Lately I've been running a number of digital modes (JT65A, PSK31 RTTY) on the HF bands. The K3's APF and dual PB filters really help to copy weak RTTY signals, especially when there is QRM. When using the JT65A mode, signals even weaker than -20 dB can be copied. These very weak signals are often effected by much stronger signals within the receiver's pass band. Often, these very strong signals will act on the K3's AGC and push the weaker signals farther into the noise, making them uncopyable. I have found that adjusting the K3's 'Hi' and 'Lo' cut filters to be the quickest and easiest way to reduce the QRM from adjacent loud signals. At times an offending strong station is very close to the weak signal's frequency. The 'Hi-Cut' and 'Lo-Cut' filters must be adjusted so they attenuate the nearby loud interfering signal but not the weak signal you are attempting to copy. Unfortunately, these controls can only be adjusted in 100 Hz increments. Although the SHIFT can be set up for 10Hz or 50 Hz increments, at present the granularity of the K3's WIDTH, HI CUT, and LOW CUT controls can only be set to 100 Hz in the CW Digital modes. Also, when the SHIFT granularity (CONFIG:PB CTL) is changed from 50Hz to 10Hz, the Hi Cut and Low Cut controls do not work at all! Is this a BUG or a FEATURE? I'm presently using K3 firmware update MCU 4.36 . It would be very helpful if the 'Hi-Cut' and 'Lo-Cut' filtering could be adjusted in smaller increments than the present 100Hz. Being able to fine tune the Hi and Low cut filters would really help to quickly and easily reduce QRM that might develop either above or below the digital signal being copied. I hope that this request can be implemented in a future revision of K3 software. 73, Rich - K1HTV __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] K3 Hi Cut Low Cut granularity bug?
Joe, I'm aware of the SHIFT granularity being settable from 50 Hz to 10 Hz. What I was questioning is why, when this change is made, that the K3's HI CUT and LOW CUT controls are disabled. After you set CONFIG:PB CTL to 10 Hz, when you press either HI-CUT or LOW-CUT. nothing happens and you can no longer roll off either side of the passband as you could when PB CTL is configured to 50 Hz. Is this an undocumented feature? If so, I think it is a bad one. 73, Rich - K1HTV = = = -Original Message- From: Joe Subich, W4TV [mailto:li...@subich.com] Sent: Tuesday, June 07, 2011 19:42 PM To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 Hi Cut Low Cut granularity bug? Also, when the SHIFT granularity (CONFIG:PB CTL) is changed from 50Hz to 10Hz, the Hi Cut and Low Cut controls do not work at all! Is this a BUG ora FEATURE? I'm presently using K3 firmware update MCU 4.36 . Feature ... as documented every since the 10 Hz steps for shift/width was first provided in beta testing. 73, ... Joe, W4TV On 6/7/2011 5:26 PM, Rich - K1HTV wrote: K3 Hi Cut Low Cut granularity bug? Lately I've been running a number of digital modes (JT65A, PSK31 RTTY) on the HF bands. The K3's APF and dual PB filters really help to copy weak RTTY signals, especially when there is QRM. When using the JT65A mode, signals even weaker than -20 dB can be copied. These very weak signals are often effected by much stronger signals within the receiver's pass band. Often, these very strong signals will act on the K3's AGC and push the weaker signals farther into the noise, making them uncopyable. I have found that adjusting the K3's 'Hi' and 'Lo' cut filters to be the quickest and easiest way to reduce the QRM from adjacent loud signals. At times an offending strong station is very close to the weak signal's frequency. The 'Hi-Cut' and 'Lo-Cut' filters must be adjusted so they attenuate the nearby loud interfering signal but not the weak signal you are attempting to copy. Unfortunately, these controls can only be adjusted in 100 Hz increments. Although the SHIFT can be set up for 10Hz or 50 Hz increments, at present the granularity of the K3's WIDTH, HI CUT, and LOW CUT controls can only be set to 100 Hz in the CW Digital modes. Also, when the SHIFT granularity (CONFIG:PB CTL) is changed from 50Hz to 10Hz, the Hi Cut and Low Cut controls do not work at all! Is this a BUG or a FEATURE? I'm presently using K3 firmware update MCU 4.36 . It would be very helpful if the 'Hi-Cut' and 'Lo-Cut' filtering could be adjusted in smaller increments than the present 100Hz. Being able to fine tune the Hi and Low cut filters would really help to quickly and easily reduce QRM that might develop either above or below the digital signal being copied. I hope that this request can be implemented in a future revision of K3 software. 73, Rich - K1HTV __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html __ Elecraft 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
Re: [Elecraft] KX3 Audio output
Jim, I can see that magnetic fields in a vehicle could cause problems with a microphone, as the output level is in the -50dBm range and is much more susceptible to it . Using equipment like the KX3 at consumer line level (-20dBm) there would much less of a problem with magnetic fields, so a less expensive, unshielded in-line transformer would probably work just fine. 73, Rich - K1HTV = = = -Original Message- From: Jim Brown [mailto:j...@audiosystemsgroup.com] Sent: Wednesday, June 01, 2011 13:04 PM To: Reflector Elecraft Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KX3 Audio output On 6/1/2011 5:31 AM, Rich - K1HTV wrote: Looks like the addition of an inline audio transformer between the wireless transmitter's miniplug and the KX3 (or any device powered by the vehicle) would resolve the potential problem which you have addressed. Yes -- IF the transformer did not pick up magnetic fields from the vehicle's systems. I saw that when doing testing of some pro mics for RFI in a Volvo S80 -- the output transformer in the mic was not shielded, and picked up trash. That would be fixed with a transformer that has a mu-metal shield, but shielded transformers are expensive. 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
Re: [Elecraft] Clock Sync and JT65A
Jim, If you want to try JT65A on the Magic Band, the agreed upon calling frequency is 50.276 MHz. Almost all 6M JT65 signals that I've seen have been using JT65A. Congrats on taking the first step working this mode. I have found that on the super weak signals (less -20dB), stronger signals in a 2.5KHz pass band can push already weak signals farther into the noise to the point that they can not be copied. That's where the 3M's Hi-Cut and Lo-Cut controls come in handy. If you view a very weak trace on the JT65HF waterfall in the presence of loud (0 to -5 dB) signals, then tighten the filters you will see the weaker trace improve (get thicker). I only wish that the K3 filter (Hi, Low and BW) adjustment increment could be reduced from the present 100Hz to 50Hz or even 25Hz. This would allow the attenuation of QRM from very loud signals that are very near in frequency to very weak ones without affecting the weak signal's data. I hope that this suggestion could be considered in a future K3 firmware update. Have fun with JT65 as you watch the paint dry :-). 73, Rich - K1HTV = = = -Original Message- From: Jim Brown [mailto:j...@audiosystemsgroup.com] Sent: Wednesday, June 01, 2011 13:20 PM To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: [Elecraft] Clock Sync and JT65A On 6/1/2011 8:43 AM, Mike Markowski wrote: Don't forget NTP (Network Time Protocol), the widely used standard described in an RFC. It has been ported to Windows and is free. For many years, I've used a clock setting program distributed by NIST called nisttime. It can use NTP. Google to find it. Free download from nist.gov It can be set to do a re-sync as often as you like. I don't know how good it is at compensating for network delays, but it thinks its setting the clock to an accuracy of tens of msec. To get that level of accuracy you need to use it 2-3 times in succession. All this talk about WSPR and JT65 motivated me to download, install, and study the doc for both Joe Taylor's software and W6CQZ's HF version. Made my first contacts last night on 10139 kHz with VK and ZL running about 25W to the K3 and an 80M dipole. A JT65 contact is sorta like watching paint dry, but I couldn't even hear the ZL that I worked, and there was a lot of other activity within the passband that the software worked around. I'm convinced that the W6CQZ version is the way to go for HF work. Next step is to figure out how to use JT65A during 6M openings. Is there a calling frequency where everyone sets up shop on 6M in North America? Which modulation scheme(s) are most used for E-skip? 73, Jim Brown 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
Re: [Elecraft] KX3 Audio output
Jim, Looks like the addition of an inline audio transformer between the wireless transmitter's miniplug and the KX3 (or any device powered by the vehicle) would resolve the potential problem which you have addressed. 73, Rich - K1HTV = = = -Original Message- From: Jim Brown [mailto:j...@audiosystemsgroup.com] Sent: Monday, May 30, 2011 13:54 PM To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KX3 Audio output On 5/30/2011 8:50 AM, Rich - K1HTV wrote: Do a Google search for Coby CA-745, an FM wireless transmitter that plugs into a cigarette lighter. You can find them at Amazon, Wal-Mart and Best Buy for between $16 and $19. The input is via a stereo miniplug at the end of an attached cable. There is potential for significant difficulty using a device powered from one point in the automotive DC power with another device powered from a DIFFERENT point in the same automotive power system. The reason is simple -- there can be a lot of DC resistance between different parts of the system, and a lot of noise, both audio and RF, between those points. The audio interconnect is unbalanced, so any noise that is present is likely be added to the audio feed. Consider the use for which these modulators were designed -- a BATTERY-powered personal music player, like an iPod or CD player. With these devices, there is only ONE connection to the automotive power system, the lighter plug. Ditto with a wired AUX plug-in for those players. BTW -- this issue requires VERY CAREFUL attention to the design of DC busing and both audio and RF interfacing between the KX3 and the power amp if those units are to be physically separated (for example, the power amp in the trunk or under a seat). 73, Jim Brown 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
Re: [Elecraft] WSPR
Don, Do you run software to keep you PC clock in sync with UTC? If not, you won't have much if any success making JT65A contacts. I use Dimension 4, and have set it to sync my PC clock every 5 minutes. D4 is a free download and works well. Do you use JT65HF software or the original WSJT software by K1JT for JT65A? I find the JT65HF software by W6CQZ to be much easier to use. Is your transmitter stable? Too much drift and you won't be copied. Using wire antennas on HF and 3DB more power than you (I usually run 30 Watts with my K3) in the past 2 months I have worked all 50 States and 60 countries using JT65A. Once you figure it out, you should make plenty of contacts on this neat mode. 73, Rich - K1HTV www.qrz.com/k1htv = = = -Original Message- From: gold...@charter.net [mailto:gold...@charter.net] Sent: Monday, May 30, 2011 22:04 PM To: Max Kempson Cc: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: Re: [Elecraft] WSPR I find the JT65 very frustrating to get a qso in, as I can hear them but they don't seem to hear me.. But then that is what patience is for with only 15 watts being used. Don KD8NNU On Mon, May 30, 2011 at 9:06 PM, Max Kempson wrote: Extremely easy to set up, just two audio cable plus the serial port. I have had reports using 100mW at over 200,000 Km per watt and using simple wire delta loop antenna. I have copied station from the UK who was using a small copper loop antenna, about 4 feet diameter. I am also active on JT65hf and getting very good results. The K3 must be the simplest rig to set up for digital modes. Be prepared for frustration though. You will hear much more than you can work!! 73 Max/ZL4VV __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html __ Elecraft 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
Re: [Elecraft] KX3 Audio output
Dave, Do a Google search for Coby CA-745, an FM wireless transmitter that plugs into a cigarette lighter. You can find them at Amazon, Wal-Mart and Best Buy for between $16 and $19. The input is via a stereo miniplug at the end of an attached cable. The frequency can be changed and is displayed on an LCD screen on the front of the unit. It looks like it should work fine with a KX3 or any audio device that you want to play back on a clear frequency through your vehicle's FM radio. 73, Rich - K1HTV = = = -Original Message- From: Dave KK7SS [mailto:kk...@frontier.com] Sent: Sunday, May 29, 2011 10:29 AM To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KX3 Audio output Sad to report that my car does not have a tape player :( Even worse, the CD player is behind the NAV screen. But there is supposed to be sn iPod audio socket somewhere... That just might work if the impedance is ok. I suppose I'll have to look for it now G On May 27, 2011 at 4:14pm Fred K6DGW wrote: My wife has a fake tape cassette that goes in the car's tape player and a cable that plugs into her iPod.gt; -- Dave G KK7SS DN06ig Richland, WA '59 Morris Minor 1000 '65 Sprite - in process '76 Midget - shared with my #4 son. '06 Honda Civic Hybrid __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] KAT3 and Six Meters ...
Joe, You are not alone. I've noticed the same problem here with my K3's ATU. With the ATU in BYPASS the SWR is low on my 6M yagi. When I turn the ATU on and press the tune button, the K3 finds a dip, but when I transmit, the SWR is much higher than with the ATU turned on. Pressing the tune button a 2nd or 3rd time makes do difference. As you reported, this does not happen on any of the other HF bands. 73, Rich - K1HTV = = = Original Message- From: Joe Subich, W4TV [mailto:li...@subich.com] Sent: Friday, May 27, 2011 11:42 AM To: Elecraft Reflector Subject: [Elecraft] KAT3 and Six Meters ... I'm seeing a strange behavior with the KAT3 on six. If I engage the tuner it finds a low SWR and stops tuning. However, if I then close the Key the K3 shows HI SWR and folds back. This happens even on the dummy load (1.15:1). It does not happen on any other band. Suggestions? 73, ... Joe, W4TV __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] K3 at VP8ORK
The So. Orkney micro-lite DX-pedition must be using a K3 on 160M. They heard my barefoot K3 so they must have had the APF feature on. I needed to turn on APF to hear them on the Topband. VP8ORK was DXCC country #222 on 160M with 100 Watts. My antenna is an Inverted-L (30' vertical, 100 ft horizontal) with 16 short (1/8 wavelength) radials. The K3 worked great in last week's CQ 160M CW contest. It's great being able to work with so may high power stations so close to my run frequency. The K3 is a superb performer! 73, Rich - K1HTV = = = -Original Message- From: Dick Grolleman [mailto:groll...@planet.nl] Sent: Monday, January 31, 2011 15:12 PM To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: [Elecraft] K3 at VP8ORK Didn't someone nitice the Vp8ORK is using K3s? here is the link with pictures http://www.vp8o.com/vp8pictures.html 73 de Dick PA3FQA __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
[Elecraft] K3 Slow power change
K3 Slow power change I've been using WSPR for the past week with my 100 Watt K3 at QRP (5W) and QRPp (100mw to 500mw) power levels. I noticed that if I move the K3 'PWR' power level control either up or down one increment (i.e from 5W to 4W or from 0.5 to 0.6W) the power drops way down and slowly rises. Here is how long it takes the power, as read on the K3 and on a W2 watt meter, to recover after the PWR control is changed slightly. Elapsed time - Power output 0 seconds- 5 Watts 1 seconds- 2 Watts 7 seconds- 3 Watts 19 seconds - 4 Watts 30 seconds - 5 Watts Making a small incremental change in the power output using the PWR control will cause the slow recovery if done before or during a WSPR transmission. Is this normal? 73, Rich - K1HTV K3 #3657 __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] Use of Linked Main and Sub
Fred, During last years E-skip season, when 50 MHz was full of stations, I used the 'LINKed receivers' function on the K3 to tune up and down the band looking for DX. This method was instrumental in working a number of stations that I may have missed. With the sub receiver on, I usually set the two VFOs 10 to 20 KHz apart, listing to VFO-A (MAIN RX) in my left ear and VFO-B (SUB RX) in my right ear. There are times when you will pass a quiet frequency, which becomes active a few seconds later. Tuning the sub receiver's VFO-B through the same frequency a few seconds later would often pick up stations which were missed by VFO-A. If you hear a station on the sub receiver that you want to work, simply tap the A/B button and the K3 is now ready to transmit on the correct frequency. Using the above method, I picked up E7DX in Bosnia-Herzogovina for my 6M country #150 during a great E-Skip opening to Europe last June. I hope that this summer's Es season is as productive as last year when I worked 44 countries using my barefoot K3 and a yagi on the back deck, only 20 feet high. 73, Rich - K1HTV You can check out QSLs confirming my 6M WAC at: www.qrz.com/db/k1htv = = = -Original Message- From: Cady, Fred [mailto:fc...@ece.montana.edu] Sent: Monday, January 03, 2011 11:19 AM To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: [Elecraft] Use of Linked Main and Sub I'm wondering how people use the Linked receivers function (holding SUB for less than 2 seconds). I'm not asking about diversity mode. I could see it, maybe, when listening on a band with repeaters to listen to repeater input and output to see if you can work the station directly, but are there other uses? Thanks, 73, KE7X Fred Cady fcady at ieee dot org __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] spectrogram
Jim, FYI, when I downloaded the 'spectrogram.exe' file from your site I got a message from my Norton Security software that it contained TROJAN.ADH. I checked its definition and came up with: Trojan.ADH or Heuristic.ADH is a very harmful Trojan that will infect executable files on the compromised computer. Trojan.ADH and Heuristic.ADH are generic detection for a malicious files or computer virus with the same functionalities and payload once executed on the system. Not sure if it's a bogus message or is really a threat. 73, Rich - K1HTV = = = -Original Message- From: Jim Brown [mailto:j...@audiosystemsgroup.com] Sent: Wednesday, December 29, 2010 11:41 AM To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: Re: [Elecraft] spectrogram On 12/29/2010 7:47 AM, John Cooper wrote: the company that made it went out of buiseness. It was not a company, it was shareware, written by an individual, and he retired from developing and supporting it several years ago. With his permission, I put the final version on my website as a free download. http://audiosystemsgroup.com/spectrogram.exe 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
[Elecraft] Band memories stored BW filter settings
I recently have been using the four M1 through M4 band memories to store frequencies, filter bandwidth info, and mode setup data for 4 modes on each band. After setting the frequency, mode and bandwidth for that mode, a press of the VM button followed by one of the four M1-4 buttons will store this data into that particular band memory. After switching to a band, a press of the MV followed by one of the four M# buttons will move the K3 to a frequency where that mode is normally used and set up the K3 for that mode. It also sets up the bandwidth that was programmed into the selected M1-4 memory for that band. All works fine when selecting the desired mode on a band with MV followed by the M# button set up for that mode. I have memory setups on each band for CW, SSB, PSK31 (MD6, DT0 2.5KHz BW) and RTTY (MD6,DT2 500 Hz BW). Alternating back and forth between the first 3 modes produces the correct bandwidth as stored in the memories. Selecting the RTTY mode will also set the K3 to a narrow bandwidth. However, after the RTTY mode has been selected, when I switch to the PSK31 mode, its bandwidth is no longer 2.5 KHz. It is a much narrower 500 Hz and stays there until the WIDTH knob is turned to widen it back to the desired wider bandwidth. Once RTTY is selected on any band, the PSK31 bandwidth is reduced to 500 Hz on all bands where the band memory used for that mode. I also have noticed that no matter what bandwidth is stored in a band memory used for RTTY, it is always stored as 500 Hz. This is normally not a problem, since this default BW is fine for RTTY reception. Are these two noted anomalies bugs or features ? :-) 73, Rich - K1HTV (Loving my K3!) __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] ZLX8 - K3 firmware
Bill, By far, I believe that in the long run, if you are interested in working more DX stations running split pileups, the KRX3 will serve you much better than the P3. With the audio of the sub-receiver in your right ear, you will find it easy to identify stations working the DX. You will also be able to determine the tuning pattern they are using. Some DXpedition ops work many callers on the same frequency. Others tune up or down in small frequency increments. Other DX stations randomly tune around after each QSO in a Russian Roulette style. A P3 will help finding activity on a quiet band. On a busy band, it can show you where pileups have developed, but NOT where the station presently being worked is operating. That could happen only if all stations calling the DX would immediately stop transmitting while only the one station being worked transmits solo. If that miracle would happen, a single pip would show up on the P3 screen and you could click on it to move you K3 to that frequency. If you have listened to pileups calling DX stations you know that the chance of that happening is near nil. Once you have determined the working pattern, you can adjust where you place your signal with VFO-B to improve your chances of working that DX station. Much of my success over the years in working DX using split operating can be attributed to placing my 100 Watt signal on the proper frequency, improving my chances of making the QSO. In addition to being able to use the KRX3 for listening to two frequencies at once, there is the ability to listen to weak stations in the diversity mode with separate antennas on each receiver. This can produce amazing results on some signals as their signals fade down and out on the left ear while fading up in into the right ear. The brain can integrate what the left and right ears hear to produce Q5 copy where using either separately would produce fractured copy. Hope that these observations from my frequently using the K3 sub receiver are of some help in making you KRX3 vs. P3 decision. 73, Rich - K1HTV www.qrz.com/db/k1htv = = = -Original Message- From: Bill VanAlstyne W5WVO [mailto:w5...@cybermesa.net] Subject: Re: [Elecraft] ZLX8 - K3 firmware ZL8X is running seven (7) stations concurrently. See their website: http://www.kermadec.de/organisation/equipment/index.php They may be running K3s, but they make no mention on their website of what brand of equipment they are using, and Elecraft is not one of their sponsors (nor are any of the other radio companies -- IKenSu etc.). Worked them on 40 CW this morning with 100W to a non-resonant SWL sloper 15 ft up at the top end. After two hours banging away at the pileup (which was nearly 3 kHz wide, BTW), I was about to give up when I was finally able to find a contact's transmit frequency and tail-end him -- switching back and forth using the RIT button with XIT turned on. This would have been MUCH easier with a P3 or with a KRX3, or both! When each QSO transmission is about 2-3 seconds long, this is really doing it the hard way. But I did it, and I'm in their online log this evening. To all veteran HF CW DXers -- If I were going to get EITHER a KRX3 or a P3 to make working split pileups more efficient and productive, WHICH should I invest in first? Bill W5WVO = = = -Original Message- From: Rich - K1HTV Sent: Monday, November 22, 2010 01:17 To: 'Johnny Siu' Cc: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: Re: [Elecraft] ZLX8 - K3 firmware Hi Johnny, I think you meant ZL8X. I'm sure glad that they are using a K3 on that Dxpedition to Kermadec. They must have been using it on 160 Meters this morning when I worked them. I was running 100 Watts to an Inverted-L from my VA QTH. They were Q5 here on my K3 with the APF turned ON. There is nothing wrong with the APF, but I did notice that when I reduced the RF gain control a bit the copy became better. Must have been hitting the DSP with a bit too much of my local noise. ZL8X on Kermadec Island is K1HTV country #221 with 100 Watts. I can thank having K3 on both ends of the path, as also occurred for my 160M QSO with Dave, KH2/N2NL a few weeks ago. Thank you Elecraft! 73, Rich - K1HTV __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] ZLX8 - K3 firmware
Hi Johnny, I think you meant ZL8X. I'm sure glad that they are using a K3 on that Dxpedition to Kermadec. They must have been using it on 160 Meters this morning when I worked them. I was running 100 Watts to an Inverted-L from my VA QTH. They were Q5 here on my K3 with the APF turned ON. There is nothing wrong with the APF, but I did notice that when I reduced the RF gain control a bit the copy became better. Must have been hitting the DSP with a bit too much of my local noise. ZL8X on Kermadec Island is K1HTV country #221 with 100 Watts. I can thank having K3 on both ends of the path, as also occurred for my 160M QSO with Dave, KH2/N2NL a few weeks ago. Thank you Elecraft! 73, Rich - K1HTV = = = -Original Message- From: Johnny Siu [mailto:vr2...@yahoo.com.hk] Sent: Saturday, November 20, 2010 19:02 PM To: Elecraft Subject: [Elecraft] ZLX8 - K3 firmware Hello Group, K3 is the main radio in ZLX8. Do you know which version of Firmware they are using? Yesterday, I hear ZLX8 at 20 metre 59+. I returned to them with my QRP K3, also received 59 signal report. My KPA3 is under repair by Elecraft. cheers, Johnny VR2XMC __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
[Elecraft] K3 - 160M Country #219 TNX to APF
Boy, I'm sure glad that I downloaded the Beta version of the K3 firmware with the new APF feature. I noticed a 160 Meter putout for KH2/N2NL this morning just before our 11:44Z sunrise at this VA QTH. I tuned down to 1817.5 KHz only to hear noise...then a pee weak, unreadable signal. I switched on the new APF feature and up popped the signal from Guam, now 449. We exchanged reports and 73 and K1HTV Topband country #219 was in the log. That's 219 countries on 160 Meters with 100 Watts or less. FYI, the antenna on this end was an Inverted-L, 70 ft of it vertical, used for both TX and RX. Heard nil on the Beverages. K3What a radio! Thanks for the Elecraft software brains for adding the APF feature to an ever growing K3 bag of tricks. 73, Rich - K1HTV __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] 6M CW
Dave, The 6 Meter band can be VERY selective as to who is favored with the propagation required to work DX. You must know to what area the DX is working. Keep and eye on the 'www.vhfdx.net' website and its DX-Sherlock application to see what regions are working each other. If others in your region are working DX and you are not hearing it, keep listening. Don't be surprised if suddenly you begin to hear DX. Don't expect to just turn on your K3 and hear the DX that others are working, although that does happen at times during a widespread opening. So, what does it take to work DX on 50 MHz? Well, I presently am using a barefoot K3 and a yagi on my back porch, only 20 feet high. From my VA QTH (FM18ap), in the direction of SE thru SW the yagi looks into the house. In all other directions, including Europe and the West Coast the yagi look into 40 to 50 ft high trees. You would thing that with this antennas system I'd have a tough time working DX. Not so! Making QSOs is quite easy...when the band opens up. Since July 1, over 270 QSOs have been entered into the K1HTV log book, almost half of them on CW. Since the first of June, 44 DX countries have been worked, 27 of them since July 1st. Countries worked on 6 Meters with the low yagi and K3 include 9A, 9H, 9Y, C5, C6, CN, CO, CT, CT3,CU, E7, EA, EA6, EA8, EI, F, FG, FM, FS, G, GD, GJ, HA, HI, I, J3, J6, J8, KP2, KP4, LA, OX, P4, PJ2, S5, TF, V4, VE, VP2M, VP5, VP9, W, XE and YN. You will find that being up in FN42 you should be able to work much more Europe DX than down here in VA, and probably the same amount of DX to the south. Just be patient. If you are at you K3 when the band opens up there you'll soon be entering DX QSOs into the N1IX log. Have fun with your K3 on the magic Band! 73, Rich - K1HTV http:www.k1htv.us = = = Date: Tue, 6 Jul 2010 09:53:44 -0400 From: David leDuc n...@n1ix.com Subject: Re: [Elecraft] 6M CW To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Message-ID: 001a01cb1d12$a6627bc0$f32773...@com Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii I know this is not a 6 meter discussion group but I do have a K3. I am hearing a lot of people on 6 meters working DX which I cannot hear, also calling CQDX. I am wondering what kind of antennas you are using? I am using a 3 element SteppIr and am in FN42 Dave N1IX __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] 6 meters Newbie
Lee, Don't worry about your beam being up 25 feet. At 6 Meters, that is almost a wavelength high. If you have a relatively quiet QTH, the PR6 preamp for you K3 will help pull out the weak ones on 6 Meters. Check out the Elecraft Archives for other info on this topic. The key to working DX on 6 Meters is to BE ON THE AIR when the band is open to your QTH. If you are around when it does open, you will work plenty of DX with your K3 and low yagi. The majority of the 6M DX that I have worked as been with a single yagi at 30 feet or less. It worked great during the peak of the sunspot cycle when the higher F2 layers were ionized as the MUF climbed above 50 MHz. From my old MD QTH, DX was worked from great distances (FR, ZS, ZL, VK, JA, KH2, V7, etc.) with the beam on the roof at 30 feet. Now that we have E-Skip as the primary means of propagating signals, it is still possible to work plenty of DX with a low yagi and 100 Watts. My friend N4QQ, living in a VERY noisey suburban lot, last summer, worked over 40 countries with his K3 and a 3 element homebrew yagi at 20 feet. Yes, being in the east helps, but there is plenty of DX to be worked from the west, but you must be there when the band opens. You will find that some openings can be very short, lasting only a minute or so to your QTH before the propagation favors another QTH. From my new VA QTH, using my barefoot K3 and the 20' high yagi, I've already worked almost 40 countries including 2 new ones (HA E7) bringing the K1HTV DXCC total to 150 DX countries on 50 MHz. As far as a good web site which will let you know what what is happening to help you work 6M (and 2M) DX, check out this great site, which is maintained by EA6VQ: http://www.vhfdx.net/ Click on the DX-Sherlock 1.97 bullet http://www.vhfdx.info/spots/map.php?Lan=E Clicking on the various tabs will give you a graphical depiction of who is working whom in the world or on NA, SA, EU, etc. continents. Click on one of the maps will produce a new window which will list the details of each QSO, including calls, distances, propagation mode, etc.. I think that you will find this site to be most helpful in catching band openings to your area. Have fun with your K3 and low yagi on the 'Magic Band'. 73, Rich - K1HTV http://www.k1htv.us = = = Date: Thu, 1 Jul 2010 09:28:57 -0700 (PDT) From: Lee Buller k...@swbell.net Subject: [Elecraft] 6 meters Newbie To: Elecraft Reflector elecraft@mailman.qth.net Just got up my three element 6 meter beam at about 25 feet. ?I know it is not high. ?Could someone tell me a good web site to access to learn more about 6 meters? ?Watch for openings? ?Etc. ?Also, is the pre-amp a good investment if I am going to do more 6 meters Lee - K0WA __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] 6 Meters
Hi Sam, Welcome to 6 Meters, the 'Magic Band'. Sounds like you have found out that plenty on stations can be worked with your K3, even with antennas made for the HF bands. My K3 has been performing great during the Es (E Skip) openings the past few days. I've been running the K3 barefoot into a yagi on the deck, only 20 feet above ground since the tower isn't yet up at the new K1HTV VA QTH. In the past days my 6M grid total of over 850 grids worked on 6M has climbed by over a dozen. Single and double hop QSOs for the past two nights have produced 3 log pages of QSOs from my northern VA (FM18ap) QTH. This morning the band opened up to Europe. Starting at 1316Z I worked E7DX in Bosnia-Hertzegovina for country #149 followed by 9A5CW. At 1320Z, HA3UU became 6M country #150. Four Italian stations were also worked followed by another station in Hungary. These European DX stations were not only working the U.S. East Coast. They worked well out into the 'EM' and 'DM' grids out west. A few Italian stations worked out to the DM and CN grids today. Swedish stations worked into EM, DM DN grids this morning. Much of the DX has been on CW but some were worked on SSB. Having the K3 sub receiver set for the CW part of the 6M band in one ear and the main receiver tuning the 6M SSB freqs worked great. After seeing a putout for an HA station in one of the countries that I still needed, I simply parked one ear on the 'B' VFO frequency reported on the DX Cluster while tuning around for other stations with the 'A' VFO. When HA3UU's signal rose above the noise level, I was ready for him. Boy, this K3 is a great radio! Just remember, the band may seem dead but can quickly come to life from one part of the world then just as quickly, the skip will change and another area is working the DX as it dies for you. Don't let it get you down. Although it will help, you don't need high power and high antennas to work plenty of DX on 6 meters. If you haven't already tried it, check out this site as an aid to chasing VHF DX with your K3: http://www.vhfdx.info/ Click on the 'DX-Sherlock 1.97' bullet to view current paths reported open on various VHF bands. Enjoy your K3 on the Magic Band. 73, Rich - K1HTV http://www.k1htv.us = = = Date: Sun, 20 Jun 2010 09:25:33 -0500 From: Sam Morgan k5oai@gmail.com Subject: Re: [Elecraft] 6 Meters Cc: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Message-ID: 4c1e24dd.70...@gmail.com Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed On 6/19/2010 11:18 PM, David Yarnes wrote: Bottom line--if you haven't put your toe in the water on 6 yet, do it! You probably have an antenna that will work fine, and don't realize it. I can testify this is true. Last night about 10:15pm cdt, I decided to see what I could hear. With my Elecraft K3 running 100w into my 7' tall Hi-Q 6/160 vertical @ 20' on the apartment building roof. http://tinyurl.com/26zd4ub I tuned the Hi-Q to ~ 11.65mhz so it would be a 5/8 on ~ 50.1mhz amazingly it tuned up with a flat 1.1:1, didn't even need the ATU there is about 50'? of RG-213 coax feeding it. Perhaps losses and the capacitance of the coax run made the match? MFJ 259B showed it as SWR= 1.2 R=38 X=0 Anyway made 2 contacts with Washinton state stations, I think I can feel the tug from that 6m bugitus hook being set... -- GB 73 K5OAI Sam Morgan __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
[Elecraft] Firmware load issue
Clint, I had a similar issue with the 3.97 Beta firmware, but in my case only the DSP2 wouldn't take. It kept indicating that 2.58 DSP2 load had failed and noted that DSP2 vers.2.54 was still installed. I tried a number of times with the same result. Finally I powered down the K3. When I turned it back on I got two ERR messages (sorry, I didn't write them down). I powered the K3 down then up a second time, tried to reload only the DSP2 firmware and it took. All is well now. 73, Rich - K1HTV = = = Date: Fri, 28 May 2010 13:15:40 -0700 From: Clint clint.st...@sbcglobal.net Subject: [Elecraft] Firmware load issue To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Message-ID: 3fb3eac9155f4338945c665a687e5...@casedd0dd3bb6f Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 I just had an issue installing the Beta firmware (3.97 - 2.58) on my K3. The first 2 times I tried, the DSP load failed on both 1 2. As I just installed a new RS232 card in my computer (my USB-232 converter scheme was quite noisy) I assumed something was wrong with the new set-up. I went in and checked all the settings on the computer and K3. A-OK so I tried again. This time DSP 1 loaded OK but DSP 2 failed again. I re-checked my new RS232 set-up and it works great with HRD and the Elecraft utility (I used to get noise when the utility polled the K3), noise issue completely gone. I tried again after setting the I/O buffers a bit lower on the computer port settings, no joy. As this last attempt was in progress I noticed the S meter was very busy. After it was done (failed), I turned the RF gain (and AF gain) all the way down and tried once more. Bingo! Anybody else ever notice this? Clint KI6SSN __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] OT: ROCKWELL automation at Dayton
Don, The Rockwell Retro-Encabulator is old technology. Check out the latest technology, the Turbo Encabulator as described on this video: http://s263.photobucket.com/albums/ii154/slowmols1/?action=viewcurrent=TurboEnc .flv The guys at Elecraft are going to have to go a long way to beat or even match these specs! 73, Rich - K1HTV = = = From: Don Rasmussen wb8...@yahoo.com Subject: [Elecraft] OT: ROCKWELL automation at Dayton To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net elecraft@mailman.qth.net While the Elecraft Booth was jammed at Dayton, this fellow was quietly introducing the world to an invention that -could- change everything in ham radio in a heartbeat. Company is ROCKWELL automation. Try to keep up... http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5125780462773187994# __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] Calling CQ on PSK-31
LS, W5QD writes in reference to short PSK31 CQs: ... unless the other station has a pan adapter, the likelihood of them happening to hear you during those times is pretty small unless it's a contest or QSO party situation. LS, Some PSK31 decoding software is designed to simultaneously copy multiple PSK31 signals, each on a separate line. I've used Digipan for years. When it decodes the letters CQ from a station, the entire line background color changes from white to another color on each line with a CQ' in it. So even a 1x1 CQ will show up boldly using Digipan. Other software may also have this feature. A simple click on that line will quickly put you on the correct frequency to answer the CQ. If you haven't yet used Digipan, give it a try. It's a free download from www.digipan.net . 73, Rich - K1HTV = = = From: lstavenhagen lstavenha...@hotmail.com Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Calling CQ on PSK-31 LS, W5QD writes in reference to short PSK31 CQs: So unless the other station has a pan adapter, the likelihood of them happening to hear you during those times is pretty small unless it's a contest or QSO party situation. __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] CW/CW-REV config option
W5QD Hi LS, The request for consideration sent to Elecraft Support was not for a new way to set USB and LSB (or CW and CW-REV). It had to do with the way that they and other tranceiver manufacturers have defined how their radios tune into a CW signal. Some have defined CW as if it were being received in the way a USB signal is received. In this case, one tunes into the CW signal from a lower frequency and after tuning through and past the frequency, the signal rapidly disappears. Other manufacturers have implemented CW as if it were a LSB signal with the user tuning down towards the CW signal, it it disappearing after tuning past it towards a lower frequency. Like many other CW operators, we have no problem pushing the CW-REV button to select our prefered option of tuning UP the band and into CW signals. There are many software programs which simply send a mode switch command as 'CW'. Some programs have a 'CW-REV' mode switch command available, but many don't. I chose to use three pieces of radio controlling software which suit my operational needs, two of which simply send a 'CW' command. The problem is that when a program sends a 'CW' command, the K3 switches from my prefered way to tuning (CW-REV ) back to (CW). Having to push the CW-REV button after each software mode switch is an annoyance in casual operation but becomes much more of a pain while operating in a contest environment. In the future, I may use other programs which I find to be excellent and fit my operating needs, but may NOT have the CW/CW-REV option. I have chosen the track of making a request to the manufacturer of my K3 radio and not to multiple software producers. The transceiver manufacturers are not in agreement on this CW/CW-REV issue. The result is that the 'CW' mode on these radios will performs in opposite ways of tuning into CW signals as described above. My suggestion to Elecraft Support was that they consider this difference and give the user the option of DEFINING how the CW and CW-REV commands respond to reflect their tuning preferences. As you can tell from the response on this topic, there are CW users on both sides of this issue. Some have suggested that having this option will confuse some users. Well, there are already plenty of options which now do this. But those same options have allowed many users to optimize the K3 to their operating preferences. One of the reasons why Elecraft is the great success that they are today is because they listen to the suggestions and recommendations of the users of the equipment that they manufacture. 73, Rich - K1HTV = = = From: lstavenhagen lstavenha...@hotmail.com Subject: Re: [Elecraft] CW/CW-REV config option To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Message-ID: 1272593424732-4983548.p...@n2.nabble.com Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii I would also agree to leave the K3 as-is. I don't see why there needs to be more ways to set USB and LSB just hold CW-Rev to get to the other one. 73, LS W5QD __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
[Elecraft] CW/CW-REV config option
Am I the only one who prefers to tune 'Up the Band' into a CW signal rather than from a frequency above a CW signal to receive it? Apparently not, since there is a 'CW-REV' button on the K3 as well as on many other radios. Over the past 5 decades, I've become accustomed to tuning in CW stations from below the signal's transmitted frequency. Not all radios define 'CW' and 'CW-REV' the same way. The Kenwood TS850 and other Kenwood transceivers have the user tuning into CW signals from below. Using narrow bandwith, a CW signal quickly disappears as the receiver is tuned above the signal frequency. Icom radios and the K3 are the opposite, where the 'CW' mode has the user tuning in CW stations from above the signal's frequency. Users who wish to tune from below and into a signal must switch to 'CW-REV'. This is not a problem since the K3 remembers this preference on each band. However, when rig controlling software programs such as CT, N1MM, RXCLUS, etc. are used, every time the 'CW' mode command is sent by the program to the K3, the radio switches to the 'CW' mode rather that the prefered 'CW-REV' mode. Would it be possible to have a CONFIG setting which would allow the user to define 'CW' and 'CW-REV' modes, that is, the way of tuning into CW signal frequencies (lower to higher or higher to lower)? If this option was available, when radio controlling software sent a generic 'CW' mode change to the K3, it would respond by switching to the user's prefered way (CW or CW-REV) of tuning into CW signals. What say? 73, Rich - K1HTV __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] K3 Split option idea
Many Thanks Ted. Guess after the many reads of TFM I still missed it :-). I'm heading off to my K3 to set the SPLIT option now. Thanks again. 73, Rich - K1HTV = = = -Original Message- From: Ted Roycraft [mailto:w...@comcast.net] Sent: Wednesday, April 07, 2010 12:11 PM To: Richard Zwirko Cc: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 Split option idea That option to save the split state per band is already there. Turn SPLT SV to YES. 73, Ted, W2ZK On 4/7/2010 12:01 PM, Richard Zwirko wrote: I wonder what other K3 users think about having this SPLIT option available on the K3. Like many K3 users, chase DX stations and DXpeditions. Many of them working split, listening on a different frequency. With many radios that I have used, when a band switch is made, not only are both the 'A' and 'B' VFO FREQUENCIES stored for each band, but they also retain the SPLIT /NON-SPLIT conditions for that band. When chasing multiple DX stations, often switching between between bands, I have to remember to hold in the SPLIT button each time I change between bands. If I forget, I get 'reminded' by the KHz Cops. Am I the only one? Would it be possible to allow K3 users to have the capability of retaining the SPLIT condition on each band, if desired, with a menu option? If there is concern about accidentally going back to a band and forgetting that the radio is still in the split mode, how about having a blinking SPLIT icon? I know that the blinking SPLIT icon is used to warn of the 2 VFOs being set to different modes and that the yellow LED is on when there is a difference between RX and TX frequencies. How about the idea of the SPLIT icon blinking when the K3 is in the SPLIT mode on instead. Thoughts/Comments? 73, Rich - K1HTV __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html __ Elecraft 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
Re: [Elecraft] T32MI K3 rig problem
Hi Bob, OK on seeing the problem of the K3 shutting down when the transmitter is keyed on 40 Meters. If there is a 40 Meter 'sensitivity-to-RF' problem with the K3, then there is a reason for it. It may take a super sleuth to discover the cause. It may be a component resonance problem within the radio such as a combination of a trace length and a bypass cap causing a parallel resonant circuit at 40M. Who knows. If the problem is being triggered by 40 Meter RF and the internal fix can not be found, then the user should be able to take some actions to reduce the problem. Stray RF can be reduced with a good RF ground at the radio, using a resonant antenna with low standing waves, adding coax chokes or installing ferrites on antenna coax feedline. Your mileage may vary :-). 73, Rich - K1HTV = = = -Original Message- From: Bob Naumann [mailto:w...@w5ov.com] Sent: Monday, March 29, 2010 21:21 PM To: 'Rich - K1HTV' Subject: RE: [Elecraft] T32MI K3 rig problem I've seen this problem many times in the past - that's why I ask. I don't know the connection, but 40m seems to do this a lot. -Original Message- From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net [mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Rich - K1HTV Sent: Monday, March 29, 2010 8:06 PM To: 'Bob Naumann' Cc: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: Re: [Elecraft] T32MI K3 rig problem They don't, but if it is triggered by RF, the proposed suggestion is simple one and worth trying with available parts. Rich - K1HTV -Original Message- From: Bob Naumann [mailto:w...@w5ov.com] Sent: Monday, March 29, 2010 21:00 PM To: 'Rich - K1HTV'; iz1...@tin.it Cc: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: RE: [Elecraft] T32MI K3 rig problem How do they know it's the radio and not the power supply shutting off? -Original Message- From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net [mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Rich - K1HTV Sent: Monday, March 29, 2010 7:46 PM To: iz1...@tin.it Cc: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: [Elecraft] T32MI K3 rig problem IZ1CRR Maury, Regarding the 40M problem with Derek's K3, it may be related to stray 40M RF getting into the radio when it is keyed. If this is the cause, an easy fix may be to create an imaginary ground on it by connecting a 1/4 wave long (around 10.56 Meters or 34.6 feet) wire to the ground screw on the back of the K3. The high impedance end of the 1/4 wave wire is transformed to a low impedance at the radio. This should reduce any stray RF around the radio. It is a simple thing to try and may fix the problem. I would be interested to hear if it fixes the 40 Meter problem. I had no difficulty in working T32MI on CW SSB with 100 Watts and a wire antenna from my QTH in Virginia, my IOTA number 964. They are a great operators! 73, Rich - K1HTV Retired from VOA = = = From a post of the K3 Reflector from Roland, DC1RS 2010-03-28 08:30 This morning local time (Saturday 21:00 gmt) we started our journey to Caroline island. Estimate 5 days sailing. Almost 9,000 Qs in our logs from the 3 days on Malvern. Derek's beloved Elecraft K3 has a problem! On 40m only, the instant the rig is keyed, even at min power, it switches off as if the supply plug is disconnected. After an indeterminate delay power is restored and the rig can be used on other bands. Any ideas, please contact Maury, IZ1CRR (iz1crr @ tin.it). 73 Derek __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html __ Elecraft 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
Re: [Elecraft] T32MI K3 rig problem
Tom, Your points are well taken. However, my original suggestion was how to possibly resolve the problem with available resources (wire) that the guys on rare East Kiribati IOTAs were experiencing when their K3 transmitted on 40 Meters. Hopefully the resident Elecraft 'super sleuth' will be able to recreate the problem and find a fix. 73, Rich - K1HTV -Original Message- From: Tom W8JI [mailto:w...@w8ji.com] Sent: Tuesday, March 30, 2010 9:46 AM To: Rich - K1HTV; 'Bob Naumann' Cc: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: Re: [Elecraft] T32MI K3 rig problem OK on seeing the problem of the K3 shutting down when the transmitter is keyed on 40 Meters. If there is a 40 Meter 'sensitivity-to-RF' problem with the K3, then there is a reason for it. It may take a super sleuth to discover the cause. It may be a component resonance problem within the radio such as a combination of a trace length and a bypass cap causing a parallel resonant circuit at 40M. Who knows. The RF should never be making it back inside the cabinet. All the super sleuth really has to do is look at external ports and find the bad bypassing, poor grounding of a shield, or ground loop. That shouldn't take much time, if it is a radio problem. If the problem is being triggered by 40 Meter RF and the internal fix can not be found, then the user should be able to take some actions to reduce the problem. Stray RF can be reduced with a good RF ground at the radio, using a resonant antenna with low standing waves, adding coax chokes or installing ferrites on antenna coax feedline. Your mileage may vary :-). Although SWR can indirectly affect common mode current by changing voltages and currents at the antenna feedpoint, SWR by itself is unrelated to common mode RFI, as is resonance of the antenna. Common mode is caused by an improper feed system (bad antenna or feedline construction or design) or an antenna too close to the shack, and that can happen with equal severity if SWR is 1:1 or 100:1. The first thing to look at is the antenna system and what goes on around the feedpoint and feedline. The second thing is something wrong with I/O port design. http://www.w8ji.com/rfi_rf_grounding.htm 73 Tom __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
[Elecraft] T32MI K3 rig problem
IZ1CRR Maury, Regarding the 40M problem with Derek's K3, it may be related to stray 40M RF getting into the radio when it is keyed. If this is the cause, an easy fix may be to create an imaginary ground on it by connecting a 1/4 wave long (around 10.56 Meters or 34.6 feet) wire to the ground screw on the back of the K3. The high impedance end of the 1/4 wave wire is transformed to a low impedance at the radio. This should reduce any stray RF around the radio. It is a simple thing to try and may fix the problem. I would be interested to hear if it fixes the 40 Meter problem. I had no difficulty in working T32MI on CW SSB with 100 Watts and a wire antenna from my QTH in Virginia, my IOTA number 964. They are a great operators! 73, Rich - K1HTV Retired from VOA = = = From a post of the K3 Reflector from Roland, DC1RS 2010-03-28 08:30 This morning local time (Saturday 21:00 gmt) we started our journey to Caroline island. Estimate 5 days sailing. Almost 9,000 Qs in our logs from the 3 days on Malvern. Derek's beloved Elecraft K3 has a problem! On 40m only, the instant the rig is keyed, even at min power, it switches off as if the supply plug is disconnected. After an indeterminate delay power is restored and the rig can be used on other bands. Any ideas, please contact Maury, IZ1CRR (iz1crr @ tin.it). 73 Derek __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] T32MI K3 rig problem
They don't, but if it is triggered by RF, the proposed suggestion is simple one and worth trying with available parts. Rich - K1HTV -Original Message- From: Bob Naumann [mailto:w...@w5ov.com] Sent: Monday, March 29, 2010 21:00 PM To: 'Rich - K1HTV'; iz1...@tin.it Cc: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: RE: [Elecraft] T32MI K3 rig problem How do they know it's the radio and not the power supply shutting off? -Original Message- From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net [mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Rich - K1HTV Sent: Monday, March 29, 2010 7:46 PM To: iz1...@tin.it Cc: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: [Elecraft] T32MI K3 rig problem IZ1CRR Maury, Regarding the 40M problem with Derek's K3, it may be related to stray 40M RF getting into the radio when it is keyed. If this is the cause, an easy fix may be to create an imaginary ground on it by connecting a 1/4 wave long (around 10.56 Meters or 34.6 feet) wire to the ground screw on the back of the K3. The high impedance end of the 1/4 wave wire is transformed to a low impedance at the radio. This should reduce any stray RF around the radio. It is a simple thing to try and may fix the problem. I would be interested to hear if it fixes the 40 Meter problem. I had no difficulty in working T32MI on CW SSB with 100 Watts and a wire antenna from my QTH in Virginia, my IOTA number 964. They are a great operators! 73, Rich - K1HTV Retired from VOA = = = From a post of the K3 Reflector from Roland, DC1RS 2010-03-28 08:30 This morning local time (Saturday 21:00 gmt) we started our journey to Caroline island. Estimate 5 days sailing. Almost 9,000 Qs in our logs from the 3 days on Malvern. Derek's beloved Elecraft K3 has a problem! On 40m only, the instant the rig is keyed, even at min power, it switches off as if the supply plug is disconnected. After an indeterminate delay power is restored and the rig can be used on other bands. Any ideas, please contact Maury, IZ1CRR (iz1crr @ tin.it). 73 Derek __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html __ Elecraft 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
Re: [Elecraft] Audio dropouts while tuning in K3 SubRX
Hi Cookie. Which version of K3 firmware are you using? It's odd that the click is heard only on the sub and not the main. Oh, BTW, I forgot to mention that the problem occurred when running the two receivers independently with the VFOs not locked and not in the DIVERSITY mode. Is that the way you tested your K3? 73, Rich - K1HTV _ From: WILLIS COOKE [mailto:wrco...@yahoo.com] Sent: Tuesday, March 09, 2010 23:20 PM To: Rich - K1HTV; elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Audio dropouts while tuning in K3 SubRX I checked my K3 and it does not seem to have that problem Willis 'Cookie' Cooke K5EWJ _ From: Rich - K1HTV k1...@comcast.net To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Sent: Tue, March 9, 2010 9:14:58 PM Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Audio dropouts while tuning in K3 SubRX I noticed the same short audio dropout on the SubRx only (not the main) while operating the CQ160 SB contest at home and the ARRL DX Phone contest at W3LPL. I don't recall seeing this problem being reported until Brett mentioned it. I noticed the clicks occurring on 160M at the frequency transitions every 5 KHz: 1816.449 to .450 1821.449 1826.449 1831.449 When tuning some freqs above 1900 KHz the spacing changed to 6 KHz: 1937.449 to .450 1943.449 1949.449 1955.449 1961.449 It's not a severe problem but certainly was annoying hearing the clicks when certain freqs were passed while hunting the 160 Meter band for mults. I was using the new Beta firmware. Will check out the previous version when I get a chance to see if it was there and not previously noticed. 73, Rich - K1HTV = = = Date: Sat, 6 Mar 2010 02:24:32 -0800 From: Brett Howard br...@livecomputers.com Subject: [Elecraft] Audio dropouts while tuning in SubRX To: elecraft elecraft@mailman.qth.net Message-ID: fb5179b41003060224o5e45597bi171ffcf084855...@mail.gmail.com Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 What is the story behind the audio breaks when tuning in the sub rx... Right now I get a break anytime I tune from and to the following frequencies: 7.060.99 - 7.061 7.069.99 - 7.070 7.078.99 - 7.079 7.085.99 - 7.086 7.086.99 - 7.087 There are more but thats an example of them... Its just a short blank pause in audio whenever I make those transitions (in either direction I hear the pause). ~Brett (KC7OTG) __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html __ Elecraft 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
Re: [Elecraft] K3 auto spot function
Hi OM or YL, Since you have never given your call or name (or did I miss it in once of your posts?) we have no idea who is the person using The Smiths email address. I guess all we know is that since you used Euros to purchase your K3 sub-receiver, you are probably in Europe. As far as this ongoing thread of the K3 auto spot function, I completely agree with your logic and the need for such a function. Having a single button to properly center the receive signal of a calling station (without changing the TX frequency) would be great. It would be a very efficient way of optimizing the incoming audio tone to the proper frequency for the user to quickly reduce the K3's filter bandwith. I work CW contests and usually start off using a relatively wide, 500 Hz CW bandwidth. This is done because, as has been noted, many stations will call off frequency. When a weak one calls off frequency, but is still in the passband of the wider filter, having the described feature would allow users to quickly narrow the Width control to optimize the SNR. If not properly centered in the passband, the signal can disappear when the bandwidth is reduced, until the VFO or RIT is manually tuned. I believe that adding this autotune RIT option to the CONFIG: menu would be helpful to us who need to quickly dig into the noise for weak, off frequency stations that answer our CQs. The default could have this option off for those not needing to use it. So, the ball is in the court of Elecraft's great software designers to either accept and implement the suggestion or reject it. The topic has been thoroughly discussed. What say Elecraft? Yea? Nay? 73, Rich - K1HTV Cwops #198 __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
[Elecraft] ZS6BKW vs G5RV
For those of you presently using or those considering installing a G5RV antenna, take a look at the ZS6BKW antenna. It is a modified G5RV with slightly different dimensions which result in better SWR bandwidth characteristics than the G5RV. It even performs well on 6 Meters. You can check it out at: http://www.nonstopsystems.com/radio/ZS6BKW-2.pdf 73 de Rich - K1HTV = = = Date: Fri, 15 Jan 2010 23:48:00 -0500 From: Guy Olinger K2AV olin...@bellsouth.net Subject: Re: [Elecraft] [OT] High SWR on 20 and 40 To: d...@w3fpr.com Cc: elecraft@mailman.qth.net, djmd d...@fuse.net Message-ID: 46f338981001152048l76272924k241e403e9c887...@mail.gmail.com Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 The 16 feet of window line makes me wonder if you're not trying to do a half-size G5RV, but got the top dimensions wrong. It would be 51' (instead of 67 which is REALLY bad on 20 meters), or a little longer, say 54' if you wanted to load on 17m and 12m. My K2/10 and the auto tuner will match most anything, but your lengths are not anything I would do on purpose for multiband : ) On Fri, Jan 15, 2010 at 7:49 PM, Don Wilhelm w3...@embarqmail.com wrote: Dave, If you did not disconnect the KAT2, then please tell us the setup (all the connections) when you have SWR readings below 1.5. That may be capable of providing some sort of clue. 73, Don W3FPR __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
[Elecraft] More on K3 wiki site
Having been in broadcasting for 48 years, 20 of them in commercial radio, I learned one thing well.ADVERTISING WORKS. After posting a suggestion that a K3 wiki site be created, WB6RSE wrote me about one that already exists, so I'm going to do a bit of 'advertising' about it to my K3 user friends who frequent this reflector. The wiki, which includes many of the topics that have been asked about, can be found at the URL: http://www.zerobeat.net/mediawiki/ Sysops presently include: K3HRN, WB8TQI as well as N1EU and G4ILO. For those of you who might be interested, here is a summary of what you will find at that site: CONTENTS 1 Welcome to the ELECRAFT K3 Wiki at ZeroBeat.NET 2 K3 News and Features 3 K3 Wiki Sections 4 K3 Shipping Status 5 K3 Manuals 6 K3 Factory Mods 7 K3 Help and Service 8 User Nets 9 Related Links 10 User Links Topics in K3 Wiki Sections include: What is the K3 Wiki? | FAQ What is the Elecraft K3 transceiver? | K3 Where are the production units? | K3 Serial Numbers K3 Stereo Diversity Reception and SO2V Contesting K3 Suggested Configurations K3 Roofing Filters K3 Kit Building K3 Firmware | K3 Hardware K3 DSP | K3 ESSB | K3 Data Modes K3 Amplifier Topics K3 Operating Tips | K3 AGC K3 Troubleshooting Tips K3 Contesting: configurations, software and hardware K3 CAT Control and Software K3 Reviews K3 Transverter Topics K3 Noise Blanker | K3 Accessories K3 Interfacing hardware from other manufacturers K3 Front Panel Mods K3 Order Desk | K3 Wallpaper LP-PAN and LP-Bridge, CW Skimmer and PowerSDR So, if you are interested in K3 info, it looks like this site is a good one to use. If you would like to add info to it, as the wiki writes, ... feel free to make changes to any existing pages with respect to accuracy in content, spelling, or grammar. Just click on the 'discussion' tab located to the right of the K3 photo and provide the changes that are desired. The sysops will come around periodically and update the pages with the discussion text. Hope this will be of some help to mty fellow K3 users. 73, Rich - K1HTV __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
[Elecraft] K3 tech/ops manual idea - Wikipedia?
I've seen a number of posts requesting a technical manual or one which could explain more about the various operational aspects of the Elecraft K3. There is a growing number of K3 users, many of whom are becoming 'experts' in various operational and technical performance of the K3. How about starting a Wikipedia page on the K3. Those who feel that they could contribute the knowledge that they have learned about this great radio could add this info. This info could be modified, corrected or added to by others who desire to do so. The documentation could become what many K3 users have been requesting. It would take a webmeister of sorts to get it going and keep it on track, with possible oversight for technical errors by those of the Elecraft staff. I believe that a Wikipedia page would allow the knowledge base to be available to the thousands of K3 users. So instead of the Elecraft staff having to create the documentation being requested, it could be created by the expert K3 users with minimal overseeing by Elecraft. The Electraft resources could instead focus more on designing and firmware upgrades. I have no expertise in Wikipedia, only being an occasional user, but I can see the potential of it being the vehicle for disseminating valuable technical and operational info for the multitude of K3 users. Anybody interested in coming forward to start a K3 Wikipedia page? 73 de Rich - K1HTV __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] K3 tech/ops manual idea - Wikipedia?
Steve, Thanks for the info on the K3 wiki info. I had searched the Wikipedia.org web site and didn't find one for the Elecraft K3. Guess I should have Googled it instead. Will have to check out the 'zerobeat.net' K3 wiki URL that you posted in your note. 73, Rich - K1HTV = = = -Original Message- From: wb6r...@mac.com [mailto:wb6r...@mac.com] Sent: Friday, December 25, 2009 16:58 PM To: Rich - K1HTV Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 tech/ops manual idea - Wikipedia? FYI: http://www.zerobeat.net/mediawiki/index.php/K3_Wiki_at_ZeroBeat.NET 73! Steve WB6RSE __ 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