Re: [Elecraft] Four Elecraft Digests in one day
I only wish. By far this mailing list has the most off topic posts than any of the others I read. I wish Eric would just create an “Elecraft Off-Topic” list. 73 de Sebastian, W4AS > On Sep 20, 2015, at 8:53 AM, Jim Bolit <jbol...@outlook.com> wrote: > > . > > Nope > JimW6AIM > > . > > > Original message > From: George via Elecraft <elecraft@mailman.qth.net> > Date: 9/20/2015 7:34 AM (GMT-06:00) > To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net > Subject: [Elecraft] Four Elecraft Digests in one day > > Four Elecraft Digests in one day is more than I can swallow. As I attempt > to wade through the messages, I find a lot of stuff that doesn't seem > worthy of taking up everyone's time. Microphones, seriously? > > With this much message traffic, is there a better way? > > 73, George, K5KG __ 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] Cwskimmer Bandwidth and more
Only when there is a direct connection to one of the hard coded SDRs, such as: SDR-IQ, QS1R, Mercury or Perseus. When you use a K3 with an SDR-IQ, for example, you will see a pan adaptor display of up to 192 kHz, but CW Skimmer (setup as SoftRock-IF) will still be limited to much less than 48 kHz. Now if you have found a way around that, myself and many more would like to know. 73 de Sebastian, W4AS On Jul 24, 2015, at 6:41 PM, Doug Ellmore d...@ellmore.net wrote: Don, cwskimmer settings allows up to 196khz. I have seen it decode way more than 48k. With the subreciever tap you did for me, I have had separate cwskimmer sessions running on each receiver in the k3. I then am alerted of a needed station on another band. I use win4k3 for the main control and panadapter display, and then nap3 for the second pandapter display. There are frequency polling issues with the subreciever, but if I get an alert in skimmer, I can easily find the right frequency and work them. 73 Doug NA1DX __ 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 setting your computer to NIST
Having an accurate clock if you are using, or plan to use, the WSJT digital modes with Windows, is highly recommended. The average user shouldn’t be making changes to the registry, and there is no reason why you shouldn’t use a third party utility program to have an accurate clock; even if you aren’t using digital modes. 73 de Sebastian, W4AS On Jun 27, 2015, at 3:31 PM, Tony Estep estept...@gmail.com wrote: I think the main point is that for the last several versions of Windows you haven't needed to, and probably shouldn't, use a 3rd party program to sync time. You can set up a regular sync with a few clicks from the home screen. If your machine's clock needs more frequent sync, one way to set the interval is described in the instructions found here: http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/89800-internet-time-synchronization-update-interval.html Tony KT0NY On Sat, Jun 27, 2015 at 1:00 PM, Harry Yingst via Elecraft elecraft@mailman.qth.net wrote: I used a Raspberry Pi and made a NTP server to hook to my GPSDO I didn't really need one but I had the GPSDO with the NMEA and PPS output and a spare Raspberry Pi __ 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] Quick review of the new preamps in KXV3B
A very similar experience here as well. One thing I dislike, is the flashing PRE when preamp 2 is on. It is annoying to see the constant flashing, to me that generally means there is something wrong. But it looks like that part of the K3’s display doesn’t have the ability to display something else. It should be treated the same as the noise blanker for example, which has multiple settings, yet only NB displays when it is on. 73 de Sebastian, W4AS On Jun 7, 2015, at 10:07 AM, Jim Sheldon w...@cox.net wrote: Right now 6 meters is marginally open between KS and the Southeast US. (NC down to FL). First chance I've had to check out the Preamp 2 function on the new KX3VB. Boy what a difference it makes. Had it set to Preamp 1 and just barely hearing signals so went to Preamp 2 and really good copy on everyone I could hear. Makes a really decent 6 meter rig out of an older K3 without the PR6. Have not had a chance to test it on 10 and 12 meters other than observing a very distinct increase in background noise with it in Preamp 2 mode as both bands were not open when I tested the KXV3B after finally getting it enabled yesterday. This morning 6 is open so that one gets tested first. Overall I'm very pleased with the operation of this board and no negative issues noted other than the initial lack of information in the documentation on how to enable it. Jim - W0EB __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] ERR XV3
Yes, thanks for the information. I don’t see that in the KXV3B installation instructions, or at their web site which mentions the changes to the firmware revisions here: http://www.elecraft.com/K3/k3_software.htm. 73 de Sebastian, W4AS On Jun 6, 2015, at 5:41 PM, Jim Sheldon w...@cox.net wrote: BINGO! I must have missed that somewhere in the release notes or something. Works like a champ now! THANK YOU! Jim - W0EB -- Original Message -- From: Robert Friess rfri...@usa.net To: Jim Sheldon w...@cox.net Cc: Elecraft elecraft@mailman.qth.net Sent: 6/6/2015 4:37:18 PM Subject: Re: [Elecraft] ERR XV3 Go to Config, KXV3, tap 9 Exit the menu. 73, Bob, N6CM __ 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] update on my KXV3B
You need to set PREAMP2 to on by holding down MENU/CONFIG. Then press the PRE button and it will rotate from OFF to PRE 1, then to PRE 2. This needs to be done 3 times, if you desire, for 6, 10 and 12 meters. 73 de Sebastian, W4AS On Jun 6, 2015, at 6:35 PM, Dick Hanson d...@dkhanson.com wrote: First of all, thanks to all for responding! The good news, fwiw, is that I was able to toggle to the B configuration by following Bob's suggestion of going to the KXV3 menu and then pressing 9. It switched to the new configuration and no more err. When I press PRE, it now briefly displays PRE 1, which is new to my radio. Have not yet been successful bringing up pre 2. And of course, after plugging my trusty serial to usb cable..it seems to have quit, at a very inopportune time. Been that kind of day, but, I'll find another cable and go for 5.26. Thanks again. 73 Dick, K5AND __ 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] KXV3B install and enable.....in K3
You are now the third person to mention this. I have emailed support so hopefully we can get an answer on Monday. 73 de Sebastian, W4AS On Jun 6, 2015, at 5:25 PM, Dick Hanson d...@dkhanson.com wrote: Hello. Just back on list, so may have missed the answer to this. Installed the above today in SN6141, with 5.14 firmware. At the end of the installation booklet, it says to refer to the Owner's Manual for enable instructions. When I turn it on now, it gives and err xv3 message. Must be missing something here, but I surely don't have a K3S yet, so no 'current' manual. Anybody been down this path recently? Thank you. Dick, K5AND __ 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] ERR XV3
I received today the new KXV3B module, and installed it in my K3 serial number 05864, using K3 Utility Revision 1.15.5.1. I also updated my K3 firmware, to revision 05.26. I completed the Milliwatt TX Gain Calibration (since I also have an XV222). For good measure, I also completed both the 5 and 50 watt calibration, using an old Heathkit Cantenna. All of those completed with no errors. However, upon powering up the K3, I see the ‘ERR XV3’ message. I have twice removed and reinstalled the module, everything visually appears to be ok. Since I had the original KXV3 module, I did not open the bottom of the case, and I used the same TMP cable. Using the menu settings, I show that PREAMP2 is off, it cannot be changed. KXV3 is ‘nor'; I can however cycle through ’not inSt’ and ’tESt’. ATTEN is 10 db and also cannot be changed. What puzzles me is that my 222 MHz transverter appears to be functioning, which of course is installed to the KXV3B module. And the IF Output port is functioning since I have it installed with an external SDR (Elad FDM-S1). Additionally, while I do not have a different antenna for receive, the RX ANT switch appears to be working, as pressing it heavily attenuates and/or removes signals completely. Since it is the weekend and I won’t be able to reach Elecraft, I would appreciate any suggestions, or perhaps something that I may have missed that I did not describe above. 73 de Sebastian, W4AS __ 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] Synchronized and stable GPS phase lock for KX3, K3 and XV transverters
It does look as though KL7UW’s page has been hijacked. Please make sure if you reply to this thread, that the links are NOT included. 73 de Sebastian, W4AS On Aug 27, 2014, at 10:23 AM, Matt Zilmer mzil...@roadrunner.com wrote: John, I take it all back. There's a script running on the KL7UW page that simulates some type of ransomware. It's not very pretty. The script takes a few second to kick in. 73, matt W6NIA __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] K3 With SDR-IQ
The point is there are alternatives to purchasing a P3, the VGA option, a second monitor, and a second receiver for the K3. Only the KX3 has an I/Q output which can be used without external hardware. 73 de Sebastian, W4AS On May 07, 2014, at 12:32 PM, Jim Brown j...@audiosystemsgroup.com wrote: On 5/6/2014 9:02 AM, Sebastian, W4AS wrote: With the SDR-IQ you can use your mouse to click on a signal, and you can listen on a different frequency on the same band (within the 192 KHz range). You can do that with a K3 -- either using the 2nd VFO or the second RX. Remember that the K3 and KX3 are really SDRs with knobs. You can also feed the IF to both a P3 and to a computer running SDR software. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] K3 With SDR-IQ
While the P3 fits in nicely with the rest of the Elecraft gear, you can’t compare it to the SDR-IQ. With the SDR-IQ you can use your mouse to click on a signal, and you can listen on a different frequency on the same band (within the 192 KHz range). You can also select from the many different software applications with options such as recording, etc. It can also be used standalone as an excellent HF receiver. 73 de Sebastian, W4AS On May 06, 2014, at 11:39 AM, Fred Smith m...@totalhighspeed.com wrote: I had problems frequently with the one I had when I tried it on one of my K3's, spent more time fooling with it than using. When I used it with other gear FTDX-5000MP worked fine but nothing like the P3 when I used with the 5000. IMHO sell the SDR-IQ and use the money toward a P3. 73 Good DX, Fred N0AZZ __ 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] 2 meter EME considerations with the K3
I don’t believe the external transverter’s frequency stability is any better if the K3 has the TCXO option. I owned an XV144 without the optional TCXO option which I attempted to use with meteor scatter, and was very frustrated by its constant frequency drift. After I installed the TCXO in the transverter, the frequency was slightly more stable, but still not useful enough for my purpose. Elecraft told me their external transverters are an older design which they admit do not maintain the frequency stability necessary for the JT modes. 73 de Sebastian, W4AS On Mar 27, 2014, at 12:30 AM, John Lawrence j123...@aol.com wrote: The K3 with it's internal transverter and new external 10 MHz reference option make staying within 2 or 3 Hz possible. The external reference stabilizes both the K3 and the K3's internal transverter LO. Where as, the separate XV144 with it's own TCXO option for the LO make it possible to stay within 10 Hz or so if the K3 has its own TCXO option. With the XV144, temperature change during continuous 10 watt output on J65 it will cause some drift with dissipation heat __ 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] PayPal fees
I think the question was what does this have to do with Elecraft? These posts (along with seemingly endless off topic posts on this mailing list) have a tendency to draw additional responses and other posts which also have nothing to do with Elecraft, and just serve to cause many of us to constantly hit the delete key and perhaps miss information about actual Elecraft issues. 73 de Sebastian, W4AS On Feb 18, 2014, at 4:03 PM, KENT TRIMBLE k9...@socket.net wrote: Wes is referring to a common misuse of language, probably no longer taught in schools . . . Pictures are hung. People are hanged. Good show, Wes. Kent K9ZTV On 2/18/2014 2:55 PM, Wes (N7WS) wrote: Or hanged for that matter. On 2/18/2014 1:40 PM, someone wrote: Don't let it bother you. Some guys would complain if they were hung with a new rope !! __ 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] KPA500 Clicks
Please post here if Elecraft confirms they have a fix for this. 73 de Sebastian, W4AS On Jan 27, 2014, at 3:54 PM, Steve AI9T st...@ai9t.com wrote: Hi Dave I didn't know that Elecraft had a fix for this. I will send Tech Support an email and ask them about it. My Amp is fairly new. I built the kit last May. The serial number is 1469. -- 73 Steve AI9T http://www.ai9t.com AI9T DX Cluster Version 4 AI9T Telnet: dxc.ai9t.com port 7300 Version 6 AI9T-2 Telnet: dxc.ai9t.com port 7373 (CW + Skimmer) On 1/27/2014 3:27 PM, Dave Perry wrote: Steve, My KPA500 also has the clicks and pops as it heats up and expands. As I recall, Elecraft offers a fix for this. The fix involves replacing the metal screws that fasten the heat sink to the chassis. They had to go with a larger screw to obtain a tighter hold on the bracket for the heat sink. I assume this has been fixed in newer models. My serial number is in the low 200s. I have never bothered to install this fix, but the clicks do get annoying at times. Is this fix still available? I would think that you can search the archives for a discussion on this topic right after the amp came out. 73, Dave, N4QS -Original Message- From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net [mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Steve AI9T Sent: Monday, January 27, 2014 1:05 PM To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KPA500 Clicks Thanks for all the comments on the KPA500 Clicks. Looks like I'm not the only one that has noticed it. I guess I won't worry about it. I have had the AMP for a few months now and have been very satisfied with it so far. Thanks again! -- 73 Steve AI9T http://www.ai9t.com AI9T DX Cluster Version 4 AI9T Telnet: dxc.ai9t.com port 7300 Version 6 AI9T-2 Telnet: dxc.ai9t.com port 7373 (CW + Skimmer) On 1/26/2014 3:03 PM, Steve AI9T wrote: During a couple recent RTTY contest I have noticed that my KPA500 is making a noise. It kind of sounds like a relay clicking in and out. When I first noticed it I thought it was a fan relay or something to do with the fan. But after hearing this longer it seems to be related to the temp. It clicks in an out around the temps of 62C and 56C. It kind or reminds me of an old radiator warming up and cooling off. I took the cover off yesterday and checked the nut that holds the transformer in place. I thought maybe that spring washer might be a little loose but it wasn't. Anyone else ever notice this? Hopefully it is not a serious problem. Thanks __ 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] KPA500 Clicks
I sent an email to Elecraft support; an errata to the owner’s manual now specifically mentions this issue: During heavy use, you may hear audible clicking sounds, particularly as the amplifier components cool down. This is normal. It does not indicate that the amplifier is being overly stressed.” The errata can be found here: http://www.elecraft.com/manual/E740150E KPA500 Owner's Manual Errata C4-2.pdf 73 de Sebastian, W4AS On Jan 27, 2014, at 3:54 PM, Steve AI9T st...@ai9t.com wrote: Hi Dave I didn't know that Elecraft had a fix for this. I will send Tech Support an email and ask them about it. My Amp is fairly new. I built the kit last May. The serial number is 1469. -- 73 Steve AI9T http://www.ai9t.com AI9T DX Cluster Version 4 AI9T Telnet: dxc.ai9t.com port 7300 Version 6 AI9T-2 Telnet: dxc.ai9t.com port 7373 (CW + Skimmer) On 1/27/2014 3:27 PM, Dave Perry wrote: Steve, My KPA500 also has the clicks and pops as it heats up and expands. As I recall, Elecraft offers a fix for this. The fix involves replacing the metal screws that fasten the heat sink to the chassis. They had to go with a larger screw to obtain a tighter hold on the bracket for the heat sink. I assume this has been fixed in newer models. My serial number is in the low 200s. I have never bothered to install this fix, but the clicks do get annoying at times. Is this fix still available? I would think that you can search the archives for a discussion on this topic right after the amp came out. 73, Dave, N4QS -Original Message- From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net [mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Steve AI9T Sent: Monday, January 27, 2014 1:05 PM To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KPA500 Clicks Thanks for all the comments on the KPA500 Clicks. Looks like I'm not the only one that has noticed it. I guess I won't worry about it. I have had the AMP for a few months now and have been very satisfied with it so far. Thanks again! -- 73 Steve AI9T http://www.ai9t.com AI9T DX Cluster Version 4 AI9T Telnet: dxc.ai9t.com port 7300 Version 6 AI9T-2 Telnet: dxc.ai9t.com port 7373 (CW + Skimmer) On 1/26/2014 3:03 PM, Steve AI9T wrote: During a couple recent RTTY contest I have noticed that my KPA500 is making a noise. It kind of sounds like a relay clicking in and out. When I first noticed it I thought it was a fan relay or something to do with the fan. But after hearing this longer it seems to be related to the temp. It clicks in an out around the temps of 62C and 56C. It kind or reminds me of an old radiator warming up and cooling off. I took the cover off yesterday and checked the nut that holds the transformer in place. I thought maybe that spring washer might be a little loose but it wasn't. Anyone else ever notice this? Hopefully it is not a serious problem. Thanks __ 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] KPA500 Clicks
I have noticed the same clicks with mine. I run mostly meteor scatter on 6 meters, which is somewhat similar to RTTY - long transmit times with a high average output power. After emailing Elecraft support on May 6th of last year concerning a failure of my KAT500 tuner (which apparently had nothing to do with the amp’s noise), I was told this was due to rapid expansion and contraction of the heat sink, and even though it sounded like a relay, it was not necessarily coming from a relay. What I found strange was that this noise didn’t occur until the amp was several months old. I was offered the option to ship back the KPA500 in order to track down the noise, and I did so. After a few days, I received a telephone call from Elecraft with their analysis of the noise. It was their belief that indeed the noise was coming from rapid expansion/contraction of a metal piece in the amp; specifically what is known as the Z-bracket. At the time I was told that a few other customers had experienced the same issue, although none were in the US and mine was the first they had the opportunity to look at. The Z-bracket was replaced with one of a different metal composition, and I was told that several tests were run on the amp and there were no other issues. I received the amp back and did not experience the clicking noise at first. A few weeks later, using the amp in the same manner I had before, the clicking noise came back. Once again I contacted Elecraft support. Their response was the same, the rapid expansion and contraction of the Z-bracket was what I was hearing, and there were now several KPA500s which exhibited the same clicking noise, but their conclusion was there was no damage caused by this. In addition, there were no faults in the fault log. I wonder how many others have experienced the same clicking noise, and if the issue has been solved. While I accept their analysis, I still find it strange that if the amp is on, yet I haven’t transmitted for several minutes, I will still hear an occasional click. 73 de Sebastian, W4AS On Jan 26, 2014, at 3:03 PM, Steve AI9T st...@ai9t.com wrote: During a couple recent RTTY contest I have noticed that my KPA500 is making a noise. It kind of sounds like a relay clicking in and out. When I first noticed it I thought it was a fan relay or something to do with the fan. But after hearing this longer it seems to be related to the temp. It clicks in an out around the temps of 62C and 56C. It kind or reminds me of an old radiator warming up and cooling off. I took the cover off yesterday and checked the nut that holds the transformer in place. I thought maybe that spring washer might be a little loose but it wasn't. Anyone else ever notice this? Hopefully it is not a serious problem. Thanks -- 73 Steve AI9T __ 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] KPA500 in the RTTY Contest
I run mine on 6 meter meteor scatter at full power all the time. Sometimes for up to an hour continuous (30 seconds on, 30 seconds off). I have mentioned this to Elecraft and they didn't have any concerns about it. 73 de Sebastian, W4AS On Sep 30, 2013, at 3:36 PM, Fred Jensen k6...@foothill.net wrote: FWIW: I run my KPA500 at 500W in any mode [well ... not PSK31 :-)] and it handles it just fine. I seem to remember, during the KPA500 field testing, that Jim, K9YC, was told to run his at 700W in a RTTY contest and it did it just fine there too. Difference between 400 and 500 is less than 1dB, and to each his own of course, but I think the amp is more robust than some may think. 73, Fred K6DGW - Northern California Contest Club - CU in the 2013 Cal QSO Party 5-6 Oct 2013 - www.cqp.org On 9/30/2013 8:35 AM, KD3TB wrote: I ran the KPA500 in the CQWW RTTY contest this weekend. With a drive power of 15 to 20W from the K3, I kept the KPA500 output between 350 and 400W output. Even during runs (calling CQ), the temperature never went above 65 degrees on the KAT500 meter. The cooling fan changed speeds as needed and kept the amp with its tolerances. This was enough power to break pile ups and get into Asia with no trouble. _ __ 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 SDR/IQ
I use SpectraVue as a panoramic adapter with my K3 and three XV transverters. Connected to the K3's IF out is an SDR-IQ, which is connected using the USB port to my PC. I don't have any issues with a 'variable frequency error' on 6 meters or any other band. I can point and click to a signal on the monitor and the K3 will follow, and vice-versa, regardless of the band or modes. 73 de Sebastian, W4AS On Jun 26, 2013, at 5:13 PM, Joe Subich, W4TV li...@subich.com wrote: Not if you connect via USB. I am (was) connecting via USB. 73, ... Joe, W4TV On 6/26/2013 4:56 PM, Wes Stewart wrote: From: Joe Subich, W4TV li...@subich.com The only issue is the constantly changing IF offset in the K3 (IS) which SpectraVue does not track. This results in a variable frequency error based on mode. Not if you connect via USB. __ 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] K3/100 For Sale
I've been hesitant to place this ad here because of all the scams lately, but here goes. I am selling one of my K3s, serial number 6067 purchased as a kit on December 6, 2011. I originally purchased this without the KPA3 internal 100 watt module, but later on upgraded it. This K3 has the following options installed: KFL3A-2.7 (2.7 kHz 5 pole filter); KFL3A-2.1 (2.1 kHz 8 pole filter); KFLA3-500 (500 kHz 5 pole filter); KXV3A RX Antenna, IF output and Transverter interface. The current price of the above is approximately $2,400. My asking price is $1973.00 plus shipping. All of the above is in 100% operating condition, the reason for selling is this was used primarily as a backup rig and has had little use. Please contact me off this list for several pictures of each side of the rig (there are a couple of minor scratches if you look very carefully on the top right cover), as well as close up pictures showing the serial number and the sales invoice #84661. 73 de Sebastian, W4AS __ 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] External Transverters Sale
I'm selling my external Elecraft transverters. XV144 with XVOVN (Crystal Oven option) - $310 XV432 with XVOVN (Crystal Oven option) - $310 For pictures, serial numbers, etc., please email direct - not to this list. 73 de Sebastian, W4AS __ 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] KPA500 question about cooling
I do a lot of meteor scatter on 6 meters, and I've tried the tuner both above and below the amp. I've found the KPA500 runs cooler with the KAT500 tuner below the amp. 73 de Sebastian, W4AS On May 26, 2013, at 6:23 PM, mcduf...@ag0n.net wrote: On Sun, 26 May 2013 15:06:25 -0700, Ron D'Eau Claire wrote: The KAT500 may be placed on TOP or under the KPA500. I wouldn't put it on top. I can hear fan and air changes if I get within a half inch of the intake slots with my hand at higher speeds. You can feel the air flow considerably at high speed with your hand an inch over the opening. That means it does affect the airflow to put something that close. I don't care if the factory or a manual says you can do it. I sure wouldn't run mine that way. Gary __ 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] 2-meter solid-state linear amplifiers with K3 2-meter option
Owning and having owned several VHF/UHF solid state brick amplifiers, I have the following to offer: I have four Mirage brick amps right now. Two for 2 meters; one is a brown 10 in 80 watt output, and the other is a black 50 in 300 watt output amp. I use those for EME and meteor scatter with my K3, and an XV144 transverter for 2 meters with a sequencer. I also have a pair of black faced amps for 222 Mhz and 432 MHz, with the XV222 and XV432 transverters. All have served me well for many years, and I wouldn't hesitate to buy them again. Lots have been said about Mirage pre-MFJ units vs after MFJ units, but I personally haven't experienced any issues with those; although I have seen the 'quality' of other MFJ equipment. I would however, say to stay clear of the TE Systems amps. They are very popular and I have owned both the 2 meter and 6 meter versions, but they can't be trusted, and I may be in the minority of this view. The TE Systems amps have no protection for the following: high SWR, excessive input power, and temperature protection. They are 'supposed' to have high temperature protection, but the ones I had failed when it was too late. In addition, you won't find a schematic for the TE amps, and as a result, repairs and parts can be an issue. There have been many times where my black faced Mirage amp has encountered a disconnected antenna, and it immediately goes into fault mode. The TE Systems amps will happily continue to provide full output, without an antenna connected, and I don't have to tell you what happens to it. The TE Systems amps are usually advertised in the used market as being 400 watt units, but the ones I had would do at best 300-350 watts into a dummy load with a Bird watt meter. Of all of those, I would say the built in preamps usually just add to the noise and don't help in most cases. 73 de Sebastian, W4AS On Jan 20, 2013, at 2:10 PM, Jim Brown j...@audiosystemsgroup.com wrote: On 1/20/2013 9:53 AM, Phil Hystad wrote: Does anyone have the K3 2-meter option and use a solid-state linear amplifier? I've not done so with the Elecraft units, but I own several 2M power brick amps, and studied the field before buying them. My understanding is that of the moderate cost, medium power units (150 W output), the original Mirage (before MFJ) and the RF Concepts units, which I had heard had a common heritage, are the best. They were built with several levels of drive requirement -- 10W, 35W, 50W, or something like that, as I recall. Most, but not all, have built-in RX preamps. And, a friend suggested building my own 2-meter solid-state amplifier. Has anyone done this and maybe I can hear a little about that too. I would STRONGLY suggest that you avoid that unless you're a REALLY good RF design engineer with experience building stuff like that. i would consider building a well engineered kit, but that's as close as i would get to it. :) 73, Jim K9YC __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] KPA500 1.23 f/w released
I had to go hunting on the ftp site in order to find this, as the KPA Utility didn't find it. Now I have a problem but only on 6 meters. I get a PA DISS message on the KPA500, the utility reads it as Power amplifiers are dissipating excessive power. I see an erratic display on my K3 when I press the XMIT button. It shows the SWR and power going up and down. Going back to 1.18 didn't solve the issue. Why did I do this just before the January VHF contest? Again, this is only on 6 meters. Any ideas? 73 de Sebastian, W4AS On Jan 17, 2013, at 1:43 PM, Eric Swartz - WA6HHQ, Elecraft e...@elecraft.com wrote: KPA500 f/w 1.23 was released earlier this month. . Its strongly recommended KPA500 users upgrade to 1.23 for best performance. For release notes etc see: http://www.elecraft.com/KPA500/kpa500_software.htm 73, -- Eric www.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
Re: [Elecraft] KPA500 output on 6 meters
I do a lot of meteor scatter on 6 meters, where there is 30 seconds on and 30 seconds off. I've never had a problem with my KPA500 using that mode, although to be safe I do turn up the fans to number 5 (probably don't need to but makes me feel better), and I monitor the temperature. I do get a little more than 500 watts output on the other bands, but on 6 meters it is exactly 500 watts on my Bird. 73 de Sebastian, W4AS On Dec 11, 2012, at 1:11 PM, Pete Lascell plasc...@verizon.net wrote: Operating my K3 on 6 meters with the KPA500 ( S/N 1009 ) is new ground for me. Specs seem to indicate the RF output should not degrade on 50 MHz and is rated for 500 watts PEP CW / SSB / DATA. Can I assume I should be able to get 500 watts RTTY carrier for 15 seconds ? I get a fault within half a second if driving it for power out levels higher than 250 watts. My TEMP has never gone above 60 C. What should I expect to be normal operation on 6 meters? Pete W4WWQ __ 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 and transverters
With a K3 I use the XV144, XV222 and XV432 external transverters. At first I was very disappointed with their frequency drift. It was difficult to stay on frequency from a cold start, and it would continue to drift the more I transmitted. Installing the $100 TCXOs helped but didn't really solve the issue. To minimize frequency drift, the manual suggests to always have the local oscillator powered, easily accomplished by changing a jumper inside; note that requires 12 volts to always be present. I checked the voltage on the 25 amp power supply I was using (a bit overkill on the current, yet it was what I had that wasn't being used) and made sure that it didn't deviate over time or while transmitting. Frequency stability is very important to me as I often run meteor scatter contacts which are quite dependent on accurate frequency control, and demands a key down time of 30 seconds on and 30 seconds off. I thought that perhaps by placing one transverter on top of each other as I had done, wasn't helping the cooling, so I made a little cabinet which offers approximately 3 inches of separation on all sides from the trio. Again, that didn't help very much. Frankly I was ready to go back to a TS-2000 for VHF/UHF as I hadn't been able to solve the drift issue, and it was embarrassing to talk to the locals on 2 meter SSB when I was drifting for the first few minutes. Finally, the problem was solved rather easily. After reading through similar stories from other hams, I found an old cooling fan for a 486 CPU processor which has almost the same dimensions as the small cooling holes on top of each transverter. I applied double-sided tape to each corner of the fan, and placed it on top of the cooling holes. As long as the little fan is on, the transverters will drift only a small amount, which is acceptable for the modes I use. Note that my XV144 is the one I use the most often, and is setup to output only about 4 watts, which is enough to generate 50 watts from one amp (Mirage B108 capable of 80 watts), which is enough to fully drive my 300 watt amp (Mirage B5030G). These amps and the XV144 are keyed using an external sequencer. I'm not sure if the little fan would help if you were to use the full 25 watts output of the transverters. I should also note that the K3 is driving them with very little power (I forget exactly how many milliwatts). Don't use a large computer power supply fan, as the fan motor will be similar in size to the cooling holes, which means you would actually be covering them up and making the problem worse. Finally, I haven't come up with a neat way of daisy chaining them. Typically you would use BNC T connectors, but having three transverters close to each other, with six coaxial cables connected with six BNC T connectors creates quite a mess; in addition to the control cables, but that's just a minor issue. 73 de Sebastian, W4AS On Sep 15, 2012, at 6:05 AM, Gary Gregory garyvk...@gmail.com wrote: *Has anyone got a K3 with the 2M and 70cm transverters got any comments plus or minus as to performance. I don't have them myself but a VK is about to order his K3 and will be adding these transverters. His interest is HF, 2 and 70cm and not 6M. I thought I would ask here as I don't know what to tell him due to lack of experience in the higher bands. Off list or On is OK as long as it doesn't flood the reflector with QRM.:-) 73 * -- *Gary* __ 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] [XV] K3 locks up when XV connected
I've had the same problem before, but it was always one or more of the following: Broken or not properly soldered wire inside one of the connectors to/from the K3/transverter; K3's XV1/XV2 address doesn't match the dip switches inside the transverter(s); Transverter didn't have power available to them prior to turning on the K3. Check those, and you'll probably find the problem. 73 de Sebastian, W4AS On Aug 16, 2012, at 3:52 AM, eric norris gliderboy1...@yahoo.com wrote: I have had my XV-144 and XV-432 disconnected for some time while working some issues with Elecraft Support. I am now hooking everything back up again, but when I attach the control cable from the XV to the K3 the K3 locks up and will not respond to any control inputs, including the PWR button. When I disconnect the control line, the K3 comes back. I have a PR6, Top Ten Band Decoder, P3, and the XVs all sharing the ACC line. This worked fine before, but I remember having this problem also in the past but I cannot remember what I did to fix it. TX INH setting? Does anyone know? Thanks es 73, Eric WD6DBM __ 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] email response from Elecraft
An automated response to an initial email should be standard practice in business. This lets the sender know they at least have the correct email address, and should list the times the business is open, etc. Not all email applications have the read receipt function. I disagree with you. This should be an avenue for both positive and negative comments. I don't want to read only about the positive, and Elecraft would lose out on constructive criticism and ideas to continue to enhance the company. 73 de Sebastian, W4AS On Aug 7, 2012, at 10:14 AM, nr4c n...@widomaker.com wrote: OK, so you have an automated response from some computer that such and such email was received. It still hasn't gotten to the person it needs to go to, so maybe if you send your email with a request for a Read Receipt, you'd at least know that a PERSON had looked at it, and checked the BOX. I personnaly don't think this is the forum for complaints about the company or it's policies. If you have a problem with customer service, orders, or support, you need to email Wayne, Eric or Lisa. They will help you solve your problem. Sharing their/your dirty laundry with current, past and potential customers is not in good taste. It there were a systemic problem with support or service, the company would not be doing business this long with the vast array of products available that Elecraft offers. ...bilkl nr4c On Tue, 7 Aug 2012 07:17:41 -0400, Robert Emory wrote: As a suggestion perhaps Elecraft could set up their email server to automatically generate a response to every email that it has been received (and maybe a thank you) and a reply will be forth coming. Then the sender would know their email had been received. Just a thought, Bob (KD1CT) __ 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] Unhappy With Your KX3?
Tony is most definitely going to be offering the SoftRock kit for the K3, now that he has expanded. While you can use the more expensive SoftRocks, the SoftRock IF kit is in the neighborhood of $20. 73 de Sebastian, W4AS On Aug 4, 2012, at 10:31 PM, Don Wilhelm w3...@embarqmail.com wrote: Unfortunately, Tony will not be offering the Softrock 62 with the crystal for the K3 IF anymore. You can get one of the frequency agile Softrocks and set it to the K3 IF frequency. HOWEVER, I need to point out that you will also need some sort of buffer between the K3 and the Softrock to keep from feeding the Softrock oscillator signal back into the IF of the K3 (and reducing its sensitivity. The Z1 buffer amplifier from Clifton Labs is the preferred solution. There is also a ready-made solution, and that is LP-Pan from Telepost.com. That unit is well supported on the LP-Pan yahoo group. LP-Bridge is also available that will allow you to connect several applications to your K3 (or KX3) at the same time. The P3 does make a nice package for a panadapter, but there are lower cost alternatives that may meet your requirements. 73, Don W3FPR On 8/4/2012 6:17 PM, Nate Bargmann wrote: * On 2012 04 Aug 14:06 -0500, Tony Estep wrote: On Sat, Aug 4, 2012 at 1:41 PM, Kevin Kleinfelter ke...@kleinfelter.comwrote: ...I've become attached to a 'waterfall' display... == The K3 has IF out, which can be used with a cheap Softrock to give you a great display via NaP3 or other SDR software. Assuming a softrock can be found. Whenever I check the Web page the status is not available. Sending an email results in a reply of no availability planned. :-( Most likely the only source is someone selling one after they've decided to move onto something else. 73, de Nate, N0NB __ 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] Unhappy With Your KX3?
FYI, recently posted in the SoftRock group by Tony Parks, no delays anymore: Just a quick note to let everyone know that my daughter and her husband are joining in the SoftRock fun. Together we hope to gradually increase capacity to allow more Hams access to these entry-level Software Defined Radio kits if desired. With the added day-to-day participants, we're creating a new corporate structure from which to run the effort. So, as of today, the SoftRock kits are available from Five Dash Inc. via www.fivedash.com. The kits and their prices remain the same. 73 de Sebastian, W4AS On Aug 4, 2012, at 6:17 PM, Nate Bargmann n...@n0nb.us wrote: * On 2012 04 Aug 14:06 -0500, Tony Estep wrote: On Sat, Aug 4, 2012 at 1:41 PM, Kevin Kleinfelter ke...@kleinfelter.comwrote: ...I've become attached to a 'waterfall' display... == The K3 has IF out, which can be used with a cheap Softrock to give you a great display via NaP3 or other SDR software. Assuming a softrock can be found. Whenever I check the Web page the status is not available. Sending an email results in a reply of no availability planned. :-( Most likely the only source is someone selling one after they've decided to move onto something else. 73, de Nate, N0NB __ 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] KPA500 assembly problem
Sorry to see that problem still persists, I ran into the same issue when I built mine last year. It's very simple to fix. Take a small sewing needle, or a small paper clip, insert it into that blocked pin, and start to pick at the 'plug' until you remove it. From what I recall it's a relatively small plug that doesn't go all the way into the connector. The other alternative is to use a computer hard drive cable, or floppy cable I don't remember which one. That's all that cable is, there's nothing special about it. However you might find the same blocked pin on a computer cable. 73 de Sebastian, W4AS On Jun 16, 2012, at 12:09 PM, WM3M wrote: This is my first post here, I received my KPA500 kit this week. I was hoping to get it running this weekend. I am about halfway through the assembly. I have found that the 10 wire ribbon cable, part # E850479, is made wrong. The connectors on both ends should be the same but they are not. Different pins are blocked on the connectors. One will go on the board connectors ok but the other will not, with the wrong pin blocked. As best I can tell the blocked part of the connector is solid and part of the connector and does not come out? Reversing the connectors or taking them apart does not help since the wrong pin on one of the connectors is blocked. I assume the connectors are made that way and there is no way to unblock the pin? I guess I have to wait till Monday and contact support. I don’t know of local source of that type of connector and I don’t have any. Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks 73 Emory WM3M __ 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] Logging/rig control software and the KX3
Speaking of HRD, before I submit yet another bug report; do the FL1, FL2 etc. buttons in the radio pane work for anyone? I'm using HRD version 5.22.0.02, if it works for anyone in an earlier version, I'd like to know as well. 73 de Sebastian, W4AS On May 31, 2012, at 3:48 PM, Terry Schieler wrote: I have been told by the proverbial trusted source that KX3 owners will be pleased with the KX3 rig support in the 6.x versions of Ham Radio Deluxe, so I am passing that along for what it´s worth. I have no further information than that, nor can I offer more specifics (my proverbial trusted source didn't trust me with them). If you are a fan of HRD and considering a KX3 purchase I thought that comment might be of interest. My point is just how quickly we see some of what I would call peripheral vendors embracing even the newest announced Elecraft products and responding quickly to them. That speaks loads for the Elecraft reputation in the market. And, that has not always been the case when the other guys released new transceiver models. I've always found it interesting to observe how our hobby's peripheral accessory vendors place their bets. Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with HRD or any other software company. And, I don´t even own a KX3 :o( YET! Terry, WØFM __ 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) 7O6T and OQRS
So much easier to use clublog.org, no need to fill in anything and it's all done automagically. 73 de Sebastian, W4AS On May 23, 2012, at 5:58 PM, N3XX wrote: Ran into the same problem here. So I just emailed the transaction number to UA3DX, email address found on qrz.com. 73, Tim - N3XX - Original Message - From: Terry Schieler terry.schie...@wirelessusa.com To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Sent: Wednesday, May 23, 2012 4:48 PM Subject: Re: [Elecraft] (OT) 7O6T and OQRS One confusing issue I found when requesting my 7O6T cards electronically was the fact that their very explicit instructions indicated that I needed to include my PayPal transaction number when submitting my card request. Unfortunately, the PayPal transaction number was not available to me until AFTER I had submitted my QSL request electronically. Bernie, W3UR, also did not know how that would be possible when I checked with him. Be sure to add your callsign in the PayPal notes if you pay via PayPal. Hoping for success here! Good DX, Terry, W0FM -Original Message- From: Scott Manthe [mailto:scott.man...@gmail.com] Sent: Wednesday, May 23, 2012 9:24 AM To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: Re: [Elecraft] (OT) 7O6T and OQRS May 15th was the last day of the operation. 73, Scott, N9AA On 5/23/12 10:19 AM, Kevin Cozens wrote: On 12-05-23 08:59 AM, KQ8M wrote: Go to: http://www.yemen2012.com/log.php. Their QSL information is rather lengthy compared to what I have seen in the past for a DXpedition. When did the 7O6T operation finish? The plans page of the website only gives the start date? I've just received two mini kits and an XG3 so I'm going to go through my K2, check if it is indeed deaf (as I suspect), fix anything that needs fixing, and get it all tuned up and ready for the next rare DXCC entity. __ 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] Dayton- new hf rigs?
So if the new Flex doesn't require a top of the line PC to operate and already has much of the processing power inside, then I would say it's no longer a software defined transceiver in the traditional sense as we've known it (as the 3000/5000), and perhaps should be called a software assisted radio. Did I just coin a new phrase? I disagree about SDRs being a danger as a business plan in general. I hope Elecraft comes out with some sort of an SDR transceiver in the near future, and if they do, it should have an open software architecture that could run on any operating system. I believe Flex promised that at some time, but never delivered. This would allow older SDRs to live on, and could entice hardware builders to produce inexpensive transceivers without software or with minimal software. Software authors could then design a logbook for example that actually controls the radio, not just connects to it. The hardware should have a built in web server and wifi with at least ad-hoc networking for connection to the outside world. The smart future Elecraft could design a contraption that would allow plug ins of additional hardware such as transmitters for VHF/UHF, or a big HF contest station could plug in additional transmitters as needed, but with just one main contraption. The receiver(s) in said contraption would receive all bands of course; you just pick where you want to transmit; and where you want to transmit from in the world. An issue that has already become a problem with older electronic equipment, is when you design hardware to use a certain CPU and/or proprietary chips. The manufacturers of these components typically 'end of life' them in just a few years, which becomes a problem in near future manufacturing and parts stocking for repairs. An example is the Kenwood TS-2000 which has been sold for well over a decade. The finals are no longer available, so Kenwood had to design a new finals board sometime ago with new transistors. While the board can be used in older TS-2000s, the price is about half (with installation), of what the radio is worth. Barring a massive failure of the chips inside, I hope my K3s are still functional in 50 years, and myself as well! 73 de Sebastian, W4AS On Mon, May 21, 2012 at 12:30 PM, wb4...@knology.net wrote: Naw, the client that displays the pan and controls the radio appears to be not too different from, say, Ham Radio Deluxe. Of course you can run lots of pans at once and increase the computing needed, but the radio part is all on the ARM chip inside. This is an interesting gambit on Flex's part. They absolutely have to get out from under PSDR, which has been a huge resource drain with no offsetting revenues. And they were facing obsolescence problems: a new version of Firewire, USB 3.0, new Windows OS, etc were making them run hard to stay in the same place with the old designs. OTOH, leaving the old designs and their installed user base in the dust kinda makes the claim that the radio can never go out of style sound a bit hollow -- their old designs are now orphans and that situation will only get worse. An HQ-110 still performs as it did 50 years ago, but a radio that depended on an Atari 400 or an Apple 1 would just be junk. That could be the eventual fate of the existing Flex radios, and this new design makes that point in a trenchant way. It's a very promising design, a huge upgrade, and a huge amount of addition by subtraction; but it illustrates the difficulties and dangers of SDR as a business plan. Tony KT0NY __ 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] Dayton- new hf rigs?
Joe, without getting into a 'my OS is better than yours' discussion, you will have to tell my Mac Mini that it only has one video output. Since last year, the Mac Mini has a standard HDMI port, as well as a ThunderBolt port (developed by Intel) where you can use an inexpensive adaptor to convert it for VGA, DVI or HDMI. Add 8 gigs of RAM, and this cheap little i5 machine works great! 73 de Sebastian, W4AS On May 21, 2012, at 5:23 PM, Joe Subich, W4TV wrote: Terry, Your second assumption brings up a valid point, but not the intended one. Yes, a Mac Mini probably won't work well. My point there was the lack of multiple monitor support - Apple is a closed system and the Mac Mini has only one video output. __ 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] KAT500 Youtube
Searching on YouTube, I happened to find this video interview with a well know Elecraft person, discussing the KAT500: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oc-7M1aPT54feature=related 73 de Sebastian, W4AS __ 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] For those at Dayton...
Somehow those ladies who answer the phone at Elecraft can read minds. When I called and said I'd like to place an order, they asked me if I wanted to order the KAT500! 73 de Sebastian, W4AS On May 18, 2012, at 4:26 PM, Fred Jensen wrote: On 5/18/2012 12:35 PM, Phil Hystad wrote: You can call Elecraft and place your order. 18 May 2012 1315 PDT. They're still trying to tie down shipping costs to put it on the web. __ 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] MCU 4.51 NB
I'm not a fan of NR, however since it's back in 4.51, I decided to try it again. I thought some of the NR settings appeared to be excessive, to the point of eliminating the signal I'm trying to listen to. But then I remembered that finding the best NR setting takes time (it's not instant). Setting NR F4-4 on CW with a relatively strong signal is amazing. At first it seems as if the audio has been turned down completely as the background noise disappears; but when the CW signal comes back, it's nice and crisp and at a good audio level. This is with AGC THR at 16 and SLP at 9. The not so good news: there is a 'thud' heard on CW mode when the AGC THR is increased starting at 15 up to 20, and then from 20 down to 15; regardless of the SLP setting. On SSB it's more of a 'swoosh' sound. This could have something to do with the receive equalizer as it doesn't occur in TX DATA mode where it is bypassed. Was it there before? 73 de Sebastian, W4AS __ 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] XV144MDKT
I noticed this today, good for those who have older XV144s: Addition of L19 to the XV144 to allow pulling of osc. frequency. 73 de Sebastian, W4AS __ 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 feature request - auto-changing tuning rate
I would like to see that function as well. User selectable of course, so no one would go crazy. 73 de Sebastian, W4AS On Mar 3, 2012, at 11:16 AM, Joe Subich, W4TV wrote: On 3/3/2012 10:51 AM, Don Wilhelm wrote: The K3 tuning rate is already selectable per mode. See the Config menu for VFO CRS. It's not the coarse rate that is an issue for me, although it would certainly be nice for it to step up to 1 KHz if I really spun the VFO. What I'd prefer is ability to into fine if I'm tuning slowly, particularly in data mode. Please -- no dynamic tuning for me, it drives me crazy. Tapping Fine every time I change modes drives me crazy. 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] K3/0 question to Elecraft
I saw the K3/0 at the Orlando hamfest last week. It looks just like the 10w and 100w versions. The 'box' is pretty much empty inside, except for the front panel which I was told was probably the most expensive part of a K3. 73 de Sebastian, W4AS On Feb 17, 2012, at 3:28 AM, Oliver Dröse wrote: Hi Jim, I would not expect that. The K3/0 shall be nothing more than the frontpanel. At least that is what people asked for. ;-)) Still using the whole enclosure of a K3 but just empty would not be what I prefer, it simply takes too much desk space. But as nobody else than the Elecraft guys have every seen the K3/0 we'll probably have to wait for Eric or Wayne to chime in here. But half the price of a basic K3 would be a bit much for just a front panel. I would expect a price closer to that of a TS-480 frontpanel which Kenwood sells as single item especially for the RemoteRig system. But then again it depends on Elecraft's realization ... so eagerly awaiting more detailed information here, too. ;-)) __ 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] K3/0 KPA-500 control?
I asked the same question at Orlando, and the answer was yes. I don't recall exactly how though. 73 de Sebastian, W4AS On Feb 17, 2012, at 12:41 PM, Craig - AE6RR wrote: Will/are there any means to control a KPA-500 with the RemoteRig setup? If not through the K3/0 then possibly with a serial port link through the RemoteRig units? __ 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] XV432 Wanted
Anyone have an XV432 transverter they would like to sell? Please contact me direct. 73 de Sebastian, W4AS __ 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] My new K3 has arrived on Saturday
Set VFO IND to Yes. 73 de Sebastian, W4AS On Feb 13, 2012, at 9:37 AM, Jack Berry wrote: Oli, Just started using HRD myself and searching for a solution to the same problem which I call bouncing band change. For me, when I change frequencies within the same band HRD works as expected. It's when using HRD Logbook and I click a DX spot in a different band that the problem occurs. I'm sure someone on this reflector has the answer we need. I'll let you know if I find the answer today. 73, Jack - WE5ST From: dl1...@t-online.de dl1...@t-online.de To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Sent: Mon, February 13, 2012 6:30:34 AM Subject: [Elecraft] My new K3 has arrived on Saturday 2nd try, first had a html e-mail Hello, my new K3/100F has arrived on Saturday. So I removed my IC-7400 from the position right to the screen and put it on the left. The IC-7400 is now my dedicated 6m an 2m SSB/CW radio. On the right sits the K3 now. Please have a look: http://files.qrz.com/i/dl1oli/dl1oli_K3_k.jpg I already had a Ftdi USB-seriell interface and now use this for control of the K3. I made all of the connections to the PC, Amp, antennas ect. I even had made cable with the right 3.5 mm connectors (stereo for speaker/line-out and mono for line/mic in). I configured Ham-Radio-Deluxe 5 for the K3. Now I have two problems: 1. If I use the DX-cluster in HRD Logbook an click on an dx-entry which is not on the same band where the K3 is, then the K3 changes to the new frequency, an directly after it goes back to the old frequency. For example. The K3 is on 14300 kHz, in the HRD-Logbook dx-cluster is an entry for 21400 kHz. Then the K3 changes shortly to 21400 and immediately goes back to 14300. ? 2. The rear line-in does not work. I connected my sound-card to the line-in with an 3.5 mm mono connector on the radio-end. I used the MAIN menu to change the source to line in. But tthen it does not modulate on TX. If I connect the same cable from the sound-card in the rear microphone instead of line-in, then the K3 modulates. I tried USB and DATA A modes. The Sound-card and cable is OK because it works in the rear-mic. ? I made some contacts in the CQ WPX-RTTY contest on the weekend. I used HRD and DM780 for casual contesting. So far it works nicely. I have a 250 Hz Filter installed and this is very good for strong nearby RTTY-stations on 40 m. I configured the 250 Hz Filter as a 300 Hz. Do you have hints or solutions for my two problems? 73 Oli DL1OLI/AJ4UR __ 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] [Elecraft_K3] KAT500 update
While cleaning up old emails, I came across this. Have the illustrations been posted? Looking forward for more information. 73 de Sebastian, W4AS On Dec 7, 2011, at 8:45 PM, Wayne Burdick wrote: I have a full-color illustration showing how the reworked front/rear panels (supporting the third antenna jack) will look when they come in in a few weeks. I'll see about posting that. 73, Wayne N6KR On Dec 7, 2011, at 5:39 PM, mstang...@comcast.net wrote: Wayne, When will the KAT500 be available for purchase. Do you have any documentation? 73, Mike N2MS - Original Message - From: Wayne Burdick n...@elecraft.com To: Elecraft Reflector elecraft@mailman.qth.net Cc: Elecraft K3 elecraft...@yahoogroups.com Sent: Thu, 08 Dec 2011 01:22:16 - (UTC) Subject: [Elecraft_K3] KAT500 update We originally had two antenna jacks on the KAT500, with one of them switchable between balanced and unbalanced. Recently we decided that a third antenna jack would provide greater utility overall. (In my case, I'll be keeping a dummy load on the third jack.) All three jacks will be unbalanced (SO239). We're hoping to add a high-power, high-performance balun to our product line sometime next year that will serve the needs of those using balanced lines. 73, Wayne N6KR __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
[Elecraft] K3 Support Story
I would like to briefly mention my recent experience with Elecraft's technical support. My K3/10 kit arrived a few days ago, and I built it without any issues. But my transverter was stuck in transmit when it was connected to the KEY OUT jack. I checked and double checked the connecting cable and menu settings, and couldn't find a problem. Since it was late in the evening and Elecraft wasn't open for business, I emailed Ed (KL7UW) who is active on this list, to see if I had missed something obvious. We found the KEY OUT jack was always shorted, even with the radio off. Ed suggested I contact Elecraft the following morning. I had the pleasure of speaking to Dale at Elecraft, who offered a couple of ideas and then asked if I was good with a soldering iron. I was a bit worried, as introducing my soldering iron to my expensive new radio wasn't something I had planned, but I was willing to try. Dale carefully explained what he wanted me to do, and said to call him back with the results of the first step. That first step didn't solve the problem, so I called him again, and he explained what the next step was; to pull a leg from Q3 which is a relatively large keying transistor. Removing that leg confirmed the transistor was bad. Dale actually apologized on behalf of Elecraft for sending a bad transistor and not checking it! I didn't know what to say, other than it certainly wasn't necessary. Who knows, maybe I did something to blow it, or it may have been 'infant mortality'. During this time, I had thoughts in my head of having to ship the radio back to them and waiting for them to repair it, and then shipping it back to me. Because of the holidays, I imagined that would take several weeks. Dale said he was placing a replacement transistor in the mail for me, and offered hints on how to replace it, and to let him know if it that didn't cure the problem. Well I just finished replacing Q3 and reassembling the radio. I'm happy to say it works now. Happy Holidays to all; and thanks again Dale. 73 de Sebastian, W4AS __ 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] KPA500 questions
As a potential future buyer of the KPA500, I have a few questions, for those who actually own it: What have you found to be the actual output power, on a dummy load using a good power meter other than the internal one. Is the maximum output the same on all modes (CW/AM/FM etc.)? Is the maximum output the same on all bands (what happens on 30 meters)? In the event of a high SWR, does the output begin to drop progressively, and/or does it just stop at some point? What is the typical SWR that will keep it happy at full output (without getting into a discussion of resonance and actual power out the antenna)? Finally, I read about the duty cycle of 10 minutes on and 5 minutes off, and I still wonder how it would keep it up with modes such as WSJT, where there is typically 30 seconds on and 30 seconds off? 73 de Sebastian, W4AS __ 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] KPA500 questions
Thanks for the comments on my questions on the KPA500 amp. To expand on some of the comments: I have no reason to believe the amp's meter isn't accurate. Since I haven't seen one yet, it appears to me the meter is of the LED type, which for me is a bit difficult to read. I find it easier to read an external analog meter. With the exception of one person (who was very specific), everyone either said the output is 500 watts, or above. I asked this question because in the past I have found the rated output power of a transistorized amplifier is often higher than what is actually obtained. I imagine overdriving it to obtain more than the rated output would stress the transistors and/or power supply and/or affect the signal quality (or all of those). Naturally, a difference between 500 and 600 watts can't be discerned anyway. As far as WSJT, no that's not a lower power mode. A weak signal mode, doesn't mean a low power mode. The subset mode JT65A is becoming very popular on HF. That mode wasn't designed for HF, it was designed for 6 meter EME, where you use all the power you have. My primary interest with WSJT and the KPA500 is for meteor scatter on 6 meters, using FSK441 where you use the most power that you have. Often, it takes 30 - 45 minutes to complete a contact, so my concern was if this amp could handle the stress for such a long period of time. 73 de Sebastian, W4AS __ 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 I/Q SDR questions
What image problem do you mean? If you are seeing a ghost, or the same signal on both sides of the center, then you have a ground loop. Try removing the ground of the power cable, or the audio cable, and see if it goes away. If you have a 'hump' just in the center, then that is common of sound card based SDRs. Although some software, such as SDR-Radio, will remove some of it. 73 de Sebastian, W4AS On Nov 7, 2011, at 4:32 PM, Richard Fjeld wrote: Thanks Dave, I have been trying to run PSDR-IF on an HP with a P4 at 3 GHz. with a 96 KHz SoundBlaster card. The image problem makes it unusable. Yet WinRad displays fine. I've used both a Softrock and an LP-PAN. I have a friend, and I read about others, who are trying to make it work on other radios with the same problem. We can't find the solution. I have been told that others are successful. Perhaps it lies with the Video Card which you omitted in your cost estimates. Dick, n0ce __ 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
