Re: [Elecraft] K3 not recieving
Mike, you're right, the posting has been hijacked ! I'd be interested to know from the originator of the query whether an answer has been found to the K3 reception issue. John G4ZTR -Original Message- From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net [mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Mike Fatchett W0MU Sent: 10 March 2011 21:43 To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 not recieving I'm unclear what this has to do with Elecraft anymore. On 3/10/2011 2:40 PM, Samuel Strongin wrote: Thank you for trying to educate hams who stick to old wives tales Sam kf4yox Sent from my iPhone On Mar 10, 2011, at 3:59 PM, Tony Estepestept...@gmail.com wrote: On Thu, Mar 10, 2011 at 2:03 PM, Amateur Radio Operator N5GE ...how many amateurs believe that a non-resonant antenna can be as efficient as a resonant one Resonance does mean that there will be no reactive component at the source, which makes feeding it easier, but does not change the ability of the antenna to radiate. 15 minutes spent with any antenna modeling software will show that whether or not an antenna is resonant won't change its radiation pattern or efficiency, whatever that may mean. Old-time hams well remember the legendary DX feats of W6AM with his huge farm of non-resonant rhombics, sprawling out across what is now probably the most expensive residential land in the country. 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 __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto: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 __ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 5943 (20110310) __ The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. http://www.eset.com __ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 5943 (20110310) __ The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. http://www.eset.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 not recieving
How do you think a ham stick or ISTRON both resonant antennas compare to a 43 foot vertical on 40 meters. It is not resonance but efficiency The question is how an Isotron or Hamstick over the same ground system would compare to an unmatched/untuned 43 foot vertical on 80 and 160 meters. It is not the efficiency of the radiator, but the efficiency of the entire system that matters. Even the most efficient radiator will be a dud if the system has 20 dB of loss due to high SWR on the feed line. 73, ... Joe, W4TV On 3/10/2011 5:05 PM, george fritkin wrote: Let's make it simple. How do you think a ham stick or ISTRON both resonant antennas compare to a 43 foot vertical on 40 meters. It is not resonance but efficiency George, W6GF From: Tony Estepestept...@gmail.com To:Sent: Thu, March 10, 2011 12:59:23 PM Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 not recieving On Thu, Mar 10, 2011 at 2:03 PM, Amateur Radio Operator N5GE ...how many amateurs believe that a non-resonant antenna can be as efficient as a resonant one Resonance does mean that there will be no reactive component at the source, which makes feeding it easier, but does not change the ability of the antenna to radiate. 15 minutes spent with any antenna modeling software will show that whether or not an antenna is resonant won't change its radiation pattern or efficiency, whatever that may mean. Old-time hams well remember the legendary DX feats of W6AM with his huge farm of non-resonant rhombics, sprawling out across what is now probably the most expensive residential land in the country. 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 __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto: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 not recieving [ End of Thread]
Let's end this thread. It is way off track. If the original poster replies regarding his query, that is OK. Eric Elecraft List Moderator, from time to time.. (Sorry for the delay moderating this thread, I am on the road.) www.elecraft.com _..._ On Mar 11, 2011, at 9:41 AM, John Lemay j...@carltonhouse.eclipse.co.uk wrote: Mike, you're right, the posting has been hijacked ! I'd be interested to know from the originator of the query whether an answer has been found to the K3 reception issue. John G4ZTR __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto: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 not recieving
Just thinking the same thing!.. HEY VERNON! Did you ever get your receive problem solved? Terry, W0FM -Original Message- From: John Lemay [mailto:j...@carltonhouse.eclipse.co.uk] Sent: Friday, March 11, 2011 2:42 AM To: 'Mike Fatchett W0MU'; elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 not recieving Mike, you're right, the posting has been hijacked ! I'd be interested to know from the originator of the query whether an answer has been found to the K3 reception issue. John G4ZTR __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto: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 not recieving [ End of Thread]
Yes, the original instigator did find the solution: PEBKAC - problem exists between keyboard and chair. Anyway, thank you for all your help. For whatever reason, as far as I can tell, my radio has the same settings as it did before, but it works. I think I just didn't know when or where to look for a decent signal. Remember that this IS my first HF radio and I have zero experience on HF. So, thanks for all your help and being my remote elmers. Vernon N7OH On Fri, Mar 11, 2011 at 2:49 AM, Eric Swartz WA6HHQ - Elecraft e...@elecraft.com wrote: Let's end this thread. It is way off track. If the original poster replies regarding his query, that is OK. Eric Elecraft List Moderator, from time to time.. (Sorry for the delay moderating this thread, I am on the road.) www.elecraft.com _..._ On Mar 11, 2011, at 9:41 AM, John Lemay j...@carltonhouse.eclipse.co.uk wrote: Mike, you're right, the posting has been hijacked ! I'd be interested to know from the originator of the query whether an answer has been found to the K3 reception issue. John G4ZTR __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto: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 not recieving
Sorry, but your opinion is just that. I said without base matching - that's what the AD5X modifications are - base matching. Base matching eliminates the easy use anywhere without and external tuner capability that is one of the selling points of the 43 foot vertical. My comments are not my opinion ... they are supported by several well researched and documented studies of the 43 foot vertical - all of which can be found on-line. Studies show more than 15 dB feedline loss on 160 meters and more than 6 dB on 80 meters when the antenna is unmatched. Similarly, basic modeling (also documented in the on-line studies) shows take off angles of 40 degrees on 15 meters and 55 degrees on 10 meters - both of which are far too high to generally be useful. Of course, facts and science have never been able to stand in the way of marketing hype. 73, ... Joe, W4TV On 3/9/2011 5:07 PM, w...@w5ov.com wrote: Joe, My 43' antenna works very well on 160 and 80 as I have reported. In fact, it works so well that those DX stations that I work with it are amazed - quite frankly so am I. Sorry, but your opinion is just that. 73, Bob W5OV The 43' length is a convenient non-resonant length - nothing else. No, 43' is 5/8 wave on 20 meters (984/14.3*0.625 == 43). That is the point (well, 0.64 wave if you want to be precise) that the first lobe has maximum radiation in a vertical. That the 43' or or 44' vertical happens to be generally non-resonant in all of the HF bands is fortuitous but not necessarily by design. I have a 43' vertical with one of AD5X's 160 and 80 matching systems at the base fed with an UN-UN and it works great. Without base matching and a decent ground system, the 43' vertical is terribly inefficient on 160 and 80 meters (substantially less than 1/4 wave and extremely reactive) due to very high SWR losses in any practical feedline (using coax) length. One would be much better served to use two radiators, one longer than 43' (perhaps 85 feet) for improved efficiency on 160/80 and one shorter (perhaps 25 feet) to reduce the substantial amount of RF that is lost at take-off angles above the critical angle on 15/12/10 meters, along with an automatic tuner at the base of the antenna. An untuned (un-un fed) 43' vertical is the 21st century equivalent of an Isoloop or Gotham vertical ... nothing but snake oil designed to fool the unwary, those who don't understand electromagnetics, and those who believe in something for nothing. 73, ... Joe, W4TV On 3/8/2011 6:47 PM, w...@w5ov.com wrote: None of these old wive's tales are true. The 43' length is a convenient non-resonant length - nothing else. The balun was chosen originally because the 43' vertical was originally planned to have one or two elevated radials only (making it balanced), and it would load fine with a balun. The problems came to be when full-blown radial systems were attached and station grounds were connected to the radials, which again, were originally intended to be elevated - i.e.; not grounded. What this did was to short one side of the output of the balun to ground. So, when you ground the radials, an UN-UN is preferable and works very well. I have a 43' vertical with one of AD5X's 160 and 80 matching systems at the base fed with an UN-UN and it works great. I use it on all bands - 160 through 10m. Check out the ZL8X online log with my call to see how well it works. 73, Bob W5OV I've heard quite a few people use balun, when they meant impedence transformer or unun. I heard somewhere (and the tapes have been erased) that the 43' length came about because it was the most economical length for a manufacturer to cut stock with the least waste to meet shipping limitations. 73, Mike NF4L On 3/8/2011 5:29 PM, David Herring wrote: Here's a follow-on question to the reflector... Vernon's set-up brings a question to mind. He says he's using a 4:1 balun on his vertical. At first brush that seems counterintuitive, doesn't it? Isn't a vertical unbalanced? Certainly the coax is unbalanced. When you're mating an unbalanced feedline with an unbalanced antenna, wouldn't one be better off using an unun rather than a 4:1 balun? In further support of my line of questioning, I've read numerous, albeit anecdotal, reports of people being displeased with the performance of their vertical, particularly the untuned ones like Zero-Five for example. But when they add an unun they are then amazed at how the antenna allegedly sprung to life. 73, Dave AH6TD On Mar 8, 2011, at 6:20 AM, Vernon Mauery wrote: Yes. I can see the S-meter go from 3-4 down with static down to nothing with quieter static. My best guess is that I am not trying the right times at the right places. Thanks to everyone for the help. --Vernon N7OH On Tue, Mar 8, 2011 at 8:12 AM, Ross Primrose N4RPn...@aiko.com wrote: Does the received noise decrease when you
Re: [Elecraft] K3 not recieving
First a comment regarding the thread: It's interesting how a request for help with a receiver not receiving can turn into a discussion of 43 foot verticals and antennas. After 35 years in the hobby it amazes me how many amateurs believe that a non-resonant antenna can be as efficient as a resonant one. If you want to use a vertical antenna on 80m due to space restrictions, go to the nearest Metal Supermarket and buy the tubing required to make a resonant 80m vertical (about 65 feet) mount it on a 8 or ten foot wooden post from Home Depot with 4 radials to guy the post and antenna and play radio with it. It won't be as good as ON4UN's vertical, but you will be amazed at what it will do. If you want to work 160m, there aren't many ways to make GOOD antennas for that band without enough property. I liked Joe's previous post mentioning snake oil, and certainly agree with his last paragraph in his latest post. On Wed, 09 Mar 2011 17:53:29 -0500, you wrote: I said without base matching - that's what the AD5X modifications are - base matching. Base matching eliminates the easy use anywhere without and external tuner capability that is one of the selling points of the 43 foot vertical. My comments are not my opinion ... they are supported by several well researched and documented studies of the 43 foot vertical - all of which can be found on-line. Studies show more than 15 dB feedline loss on 160 meters and more than 6 dB on 80 meters when the antenna is unmatched. Similarly, basic modeling (also documented in the on-line studies) shows take off angles of 40 degrees on 15 meters and 55 degrees on 10 meters - both of which are far too high to generally be useful. Of course, facts and science have never been able to stand in the way of marketing hype. 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 not recieving
After 45 years in the hobby it amazes me how many amateurs still make scientifically incorrect generalizations like that. Dave AB7E On 3/10/2011 1:03 PM, Amateur Radio Operator N5GE wrote: After 35 years in the hobby it amazes me how many amateurs believe that a non-resonant antenna can be as efficient as a resonant one. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto: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 not recieving
On Thu, Mar 10, 2011 at 2:03 PM, Amateur Radio Operator N5GE ...how many amateurs believe that a non-resonant antenna can be as efficient as a resonant one Resonance does mean that there will be no reactive component at the source, which makes feeding it easier, but does not change the ability of the antenna to radiate. 15 minutes spent with any antenna modeling software will show that whether or not an antenna is resonant won't change its radiation pattern or efficiency, whatever that may mean. Old-time hams well remember the legendary DX feats of W6AM with his huge farm of non-resonant rhombics, sprawling out across what is now probably the most expensive residential land in the country. 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] K3 not recieving
Thank you for trying to educate hams who stick to old wives tales Sam kf4yox Sent from my iPhone On Mar 10, 2011, at 3:59 PM, Tony Estep estept...@gmail.com wrote: On Thu, Mar 10, 2011 at 2:03 PM, Amateur Radio Operator N5GE ...how many amateurs believe that a non-resonant antenna can be as efficient as a resonant one Resonance does mean that there will be no reactive component at the source, which makes feeding it easier, but does not change the ability of the antenna to radiate. 15 minutes spent with any antenna modeling software will show that whether or not an antenna is resonant won't change its radiation pattern or efficiency, whatever that may mean. Old-time hams well remember the legendary DX feats of W6AM with his huge farm of non-resonant rhombics, sprawling out across what is now probably the most expensive residential land in the country. 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 __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto: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 not recieving
I'm unclear what this has to do with Elecraft anymore. On 3/10/2011 2:40 PM, Samuel Strongin wrote: Thank you for trying to educate hams who stick to old wives tales Sam kf4yox Sent from my iPhone On Mar 10, 2011, at 3:59 PM, Tony Estepestept...@gmail.com wrote: On Thu, Mar 10, 2011 at 2:03 PM, Amateur Radio Operator N5GE ...how many amateurs believe that a non-resonant antenna can be as efficient as a resonant one Resonance does mean that there will be no reactive component at the source, which makes feeding it easier, but does not change the ability of the antenna to radiate. 15 minutes spent with any antenna modeling software will show that whether or not an antenna is resonant won't change its radiation pattern or efficiency, whatever that may mean. Old-time hams well remember the legendary DX feats of W6AM with his huge farm of non-resonant rhombics, sprawling out across what is now probably the most expensive residential land in the country. 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 __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto: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 not recieving
Let's make it simple. How do you think a ham stick or ISTRON both resonant antennas compare to a 43 foot vertical on 40 meters. It is not resonance but efficiency George, W6GF From: Tony Estep estept...@gmail.com To:Sent: Thu, March 10, 2011 12:59:23 PM Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 not recieving On Thu, Mar 10, 2011 at 2:03 PM, Amateur Radio Operator N5GE ...how many amateurs believe that a non-resonant antenna can be as efficient as a resonant one Resonance does mean that there will be no reactive component at the source, which makes feeding it easier, but does not change the ability of the antenna to radiate. 15 minutes spent with any antenna modeling software will show that whether or not an antenna is resonant won't change its radiation pattern or efficiency, whatever that may mean. Old-time hams well remember the legendary DX feats of W6AM with his huge farm of non-resonant rhombics, sprawling out across what is now probably the most expensive residential land in the country. 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 __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto: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 not recieving
On Thu, Mar 10, 2011 at 4:05 PM, george fritkin georgefrit...@yahoo.comwrote: ...How do you think a ham stick or ISTRON both resonant antennas compare to a 43 foot vertical on 40 meters Especially if the vertical is properly fed and has radials. One might also mention the double-extended Zepps, log-periodics, V-beams, W8JK, and many other popular non-resonant antennas. As to the relevance to Elecraft, let's recall that the early of history of our beloved manufacturer was heavily involved in catering to the needs of QRP operators with non-resonant antennas. The Elecraft auto-tuners have awesome range and in fact are all capable of tuning a piece of wire connected directly to the antenna socket at the back. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto: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 not recieving
Look at it this way Mike, antenna(s) their feeders and their matching networks are among the most important parts of any station IMHO, and their performance will reflect on the on-air performance of any rig including those produced by Elecraft. Any discussion about antennas, feeders and matching networks on this Reflector could well help many owners of Elecraft rigs, and in a round about way result in an enhancement of the reputation of Elecraft itself, again IMHO. FWIW. 73, Geoff GM4ESD On March 10, 2011, at 21:43Z, Mike Fatchett W0MU wrote: I'm unclear what this has to do with Elecraft anymore. On 3/10/2011 2:40 PM, Samuel Strongin wrote: Thank you for trying to educate hams who stick to old wives tales Sam kf4yox __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto: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 not recieving
The 43' length is a convenient non-resonant length - nothing else. No, 43' is 5/8 wave on 20 meters (984/14.3*0.625 == 43). That is the point (well, 0.64 wave if you want to be precise) that the first lobe has maximum radiation in a vertical. That the 43' or or 44' vertical happens to be generally non-resonant in all of the HF bands is fortuitous but not necessarily by design. I have a 43' vertical with one of AD5X's 160 and 80 matching systems at the base fed with an UN-UN and it works great. Without base matching and a decent ground system, the 43' vertical is terribly inefficient on 160 and 80 meters (substantially less than 1/4 wave and extremely reactive) due to very high SWR losses in any practical feedline (using coax) length. One would be much better served to use two radiators, one longer than 43' (perhaps 85 feet) for improved efficiency on 160/80 and one shorter (perhaps 25 feet) to reduce the substantial amount of RF that is lost at take-off angles above the critical angle on 15/12/10 meters, along with an automatic tuner at the base of the antenna. An untuned (un-un fed) 43' vertical is the 21st century equivalent of an Isoloop or Gotham vertical ... nothing but snake oil designed to fool the unwary, those who don't understand electromagnetics, and those who believe in something for nothing. 73, ... Joe, W4TV On 3/8/2011 6:47 PM, w...@w5ov.com wrote: None of these old wive's tales are true. The 43' length is a convenient non-resonant length - nothing else. The balun was chosen originally because the 43' vertical was originally planned to have one or two elevated radials only (making it balanced), and it would load fine with a balun. The problems came to be when full-blown radial systems were attached and station grounds were connected to the radials, which again, were originally intended to be elevated - i.e.; not grounded. What this did was to short one side of the output of the balun to ground. So, when you ground the radials, an UN-UN is preferable and works very well. I have a 43' vertical with one of AD5X's 160 and 80 matching systems at the base fed with an UN-UN and it works great. I use it on all bands - 160 through 10m. Check out the ZL8X online log with my call to see how well it works. 73, Bob W5OV I've heard quite a few people use balun, when they meant impedence transformer or unun. I heard somewhere (and the tapes have been erased) that the 43' length came about because it was the most economical length for a manufacturer to cut stock with the least waste to meet shipping limitations. 73, Mike NF4L On 3/8/2011 5:29 PM, David Herring wrote: Here's a follow-on question to the reflector... Vernon's set-up brings a question to mind. He says he's using a 4:1 balun on his vertical. At first brush that seems counterintuitive, doesn't it? Isn't a vertical unbalanced? Certainly the coax is unbalanced. When you're mating an unbalanced feedline with an unbalanced antenna, wouldn't one be better off using an unun rather than a 4:1 balun? In further support of my line of questioning, I've read numerous, albeit anecdotal, reports of people being displeased with the performance of their vertical, particularly the untuned ones like Zero-Five for example. But when they add an unun they are then amazed at how the antenna allegedly sprung to life. 73, Dave AH6TD On Mar 8, 2011, at 6:20 AM, Vernon Mauery wrote: Yes. I can see the S-meter go from 3-4 down with static down to nothing with quieter static. My best guess is that I am not trying the right times at the right places. Thanks to everyone for the help. --Vernon N7OH On Tue, Mar 8, 2011 at 8:12 AM, Ross Primrose N4RPn...@aiko.com wrote: Does the received noise decrease when you disconnect the antenna? 73, Ross N4RP On 3/8/2011 1:06 AM, Vernon Mauery wrote: At the risk of exposing what a n00b I am when it comes to HF, I really need some help. I recently (last month) purchased a K3. First HF radio I have owned. I got my license 2 years ago and have spent most of the time since playing with VHF. I have been trying to teach myself CW and decided that it was time to step into the HF waters. I studied, ogled, and dreamed of my ideal HF transceiver. I finally found the K3 and having looked (at least a cursory glance) at all the others, I was sold. I saved my pennies and purchased. I also got myself a 43' untuned vertical antenna, balun, and radial wires. My setup: K3/100 has 100 feet of low loss 400 coax out to the 43 foot vertical on the hill in my back yard. It has 8 25 foot radials and a 4:1 balun. The K3 has the KATU3, KPA3, KTCXO3-1, KFL3A-400, and default 2.8KHz filters. I assembled it and did followed the calibration instructions as well as I could. I think I got everything, but obviously I missed something. Or maybe I just need an elmer to tell me what to do. I cannot seem to find any signals that make the S
Re: [Elecraft] K3 not recieving
Joe, My 43' antenna works very well on 160 and 80 as I have reported. In fact, it works so well that those DX stations that I work with it are amazed - quite frankly so am I. Sorry, but your opinion is just that. 73, Bob W5OV The 43' length is a convenient non-resonant length - nothing else. No, 43' is 5/8 wave on 20 meters (984/14.3*0.625 == 43). That is the point (well, 0.64 wave if you want to be precise) that the first lobe has maximum radiation in a vertical. That the 43' or or 44' vertical happens to be generally non-resonant in all of the HF bands is fortuitous but not necessarily by design. I have a 43' vertical with one of AD5X's 160 and 80 matching systems at the base fed with an UN-UN and it works great. Without base matching and a decent ground system, the 43' vertical is terribly inefficient on 160 and 80 meters (substantially less than 1/4 wave and extremely reactive) due to very high SWR losses in any practical feedline (using coax) length. One would be much better served to use two radiators, one longer than 43' (perhaps 85 feet) for improved efficiency on 160/80 and one shorter (perhaps 25 feet) to reduce the substantial amount of RF that is lost at take-off angles above the critical angle on 15/12/10 meters, along with an automatic tuner at the base of the antenna. An untuned (un-un fed) 43' vertical is the 21st century equivalent of an Isoloop or Gotham vertical ... nothing but snake oil designed to fool the unwary, those who don't understand electromagnetics, and those who believe in something for nothing. 73, ... Joe, W4TV On 3/8/2011 6:47 PM, w...@w5ov.com wrote: None of these old wive's tales are true. The 43' length is a convenient non-resonant length - nothing else. The balun was chosen originally because the 43' vertical was originally planned to have one or two elevated radials only (making it balanced), and it would load fine with a balun. The problems came to be when full-blown radial systems were attached and station grounds were connected to the radials, which again, were originally intended to be elevated - i.e.; not grounded. What this did was to short one side of the output of the balun to ground. So, when you ground the radials, an UN-UN is preferable and works very well. I have a 43' vertical with one of AD5X's 160 and 80 matching systems at the base fed with an UN-UN and it works great. I use it on all bands - 160 through 10m. Check out the ZL8X online log with my call to see how well it works. 73, Bob W5OV I've heard quite a few people use balun, when they meant impedence transformer or unun. I heard somewhere (and the tapes have been erased) that the 43' length came about because it was the most economical length for a manufacturer to cut stock with the least waste to meet shipping limitations. 73, Mike NF4L On 3/8/2011 5:29 PM, David Herring wrote: Here's a follow-on question to the reflector... Vernon's set-up brings a question to mind. He says he's using a 4:1 balun on his vertical. At first brush that seems counterintuitive, doesn't it? Isn't a vertical unbalanced? Certainly the coax is unbalanced. When you're mating an unbalanced feedline with an unbalanced antenna, wouldn't one be better off using an unun rather than a 4:1 balun? In further support of my line of questioning, I've read numerous, albeit anecdotal, reports of people being displeased with the performance of their vertical, particularly the untuned ones like Zero-Five for example. But when they add an unun they are then amazed at how the antenna allegedly sprung to life. 73, Dave AH6TD On Mar 8, 2011, at 6:20 AM, Vernon Mauery wrote: Yes. I can see the S-meter go from 3-4 down with static down to nothing with quieter static. My best guess is that I am not trying the right times at the right places. Thanks to everyone for the help. --Vernon N7OH On Tue, Mar 8, 2011 at 8:12 AM, Ross Primrose N4RPn...@aiko.com wrote: Does the received noise decrease when you disconnect the antenna? 73, Ross N4RP On 3/8/2011 1:06 AM, Vernon Mauery wrote: At the risk of exposing what a n00b I am when it comes to HF, I really need some help. I recently (last month) purchased a K3. First HF radio I have owned. I got my license 2 years ago and have spent most of the time since playing with VHF. I have been trying to teach myself CW and decided that it was time to step into the HF waters. I studied, ogled, and dreamed of my ideal HF transceiver. I finally found the K3 and having looked (at least a cursory glance) at all the others, I was sold. I saved my pennies and purchased. I also got myself a 43' untuned vertical antenna, balun, and radial wires. My setup: K3/100 has 100 feet of low loss 400 coax out to the 43 foot vertical on the hill in my back yard. It has 8 25 foot radials and a 4:1 balun. The K3 has the KATU3, KPA3, KTCXO3-1, KFL3A-400, and default 2.8KHz
Re: [Elecraft] K3 not recieving
Vernon, If your K3 is receiving static, I would tend to blame your problem on the antenna rather than the K3. However, there is a way to check the K3. Beg, borrow or purchase an Elecraft XG2 signal generator. That will give you a tool to produce a 50 uV signal (S-9) and also a tool to do MDS measurements on your K3. I do suspect your antenna. Verticals do not work well in all locations - good performance depends on your soil conditions, and 25 foot radials are likely not long enough. For a good ground screen with the 43 foot radial, you need at least 32 43 foot radial wires for it to be effective. A vertical works great right on the edge of salt water, but inland locations vary depending on the soil conditions. I have always been disappointed with verticals. Actually, I suggest a more simplistic approach - use horizontal dipoles. Use the 43 foot vertical as a mast to hold up the center of a dipole. Get a 1:1 balun and construct a dipole for 40 and 20 meters. 2 radiator wires 33 feet long and two 16 foot long these two antennas can run on a single feedline.. Run the center up to the top of your 43 foot mast and hang the ends of the dipole wires as high as you can using whatever supports are available. You want an angle between the wires to be at an angle greater than 45 degrees. The two wires for 40 meters (the 33 ft long ones) should be in the same vertical plane, and the two wires for 20 meters should be at right angles to the 40 meter wires to keep interaction to a minimum. You mentioned 10 meters. Propagation conditions may be a problem too. The higher HF bands do not have many signals during the hours of darkness, and 10 meters may not have many signals during the day. 20 meters during the daylight hours is usually reliable and 40 meters at night will typically have good signals. During periods of greater sunspot activity, the higher frequency bands will show more activity, but during the recent sunspot minimum, there were times when 20 meters was barely usable, but conditions are improving. 73, Don W3FPR On 3/8/2011 1:06 AM, Vernon Mauery wrote: At the risk of exposing what a n00b I am when it comes to HF, I really need some help. I recently (last month) purchased a K3. First HF radio I have owned. I got my license 2 years ago and have spent most of the time since playing with VHF. I have been trying to teach myself CW and decided that it was time to step into the HF waters. I studied, ogled, and dreamed of my ideal HF transceiver. I finally found the K3 and having looked (at least a cursory glance) at all the others, I was sold. I saved my pennies and purchased. I also got myself a 43' untuned vertical antenna, balun, and radial wires. My setup: K3/100 has 100 feet of low loss 400 coax out to the 43 foot vertical on the hill in my back yard. It has 8 25 foot radials and a 4:1 balun. The K3 has the KATU3, KPA3, KTCXO3-1, KFL3A-400, and default 2.8KHz filters. I assembled it and did followed the calibration instructions as well as I could. I think I got everything, but obviously I missed something. Or maybe I just need an elmer to tell me what to do. I cannot seem to find any signals that make the S meter go above a 3 or 4. I have the RF gain turned up a fair ways (mostly to the top), and I can hear static. As I tune up some of the bands on SSB, I can hear a tone that changes higher in pitch as I tune up in frequency. I have tried listening for CW, but I am hearing nothing as I scan through the bands. I had a 10m horizontal dipole taped to my wall for a while until I found time to run the coax out to the back yard. I had hoped that since it was resonant on the 10m band, maybe it would be able to pick up something, but it was no better (or worse) than my vertical. As far as I can tell, the radio seems to transmit. I can see the power meter moving and the SWR meter moving. The ATU seems to be able to find acceptable settings on most of the bands with the vertical. But I can't hear them. You can't work them if you can't hear them, right? This is a desperate plea for help. Is it the radio or me? Please have pity on the n00b and walk me through my first HF contact. --Vernon N7OH __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto: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 not recieving
You don't need a fancy antenna to receive lots of signals on HF. A random length of wire should yield plenty that are above S3. My main antenna is a simple 100 ft length of wire 30' high which can often work DX stations in a pileup, let alone receive them well; and this with only 10 watts output. As a simple test attach a length of wire to the other K3 antenna jack and tune in WWV 10 MHz or W1AW. At one time or another during the day you should definitely get some S9 or better signals. You can compare the reception of the simple wire to that of your vertical. Also, try tuning across some of the DX pileups such as for the CY0 DXpedition or 4A4A. (Google these or look for them on dxwatch.com) There will typically be many, many signals to hear in the pileup and some of them should be quite strong at your location, even with the simplest receiving antenna. 73, Drew AF2Z On Mon, 07 Mar 2011 22:06:19 -0800, you wrote: At the risk of exposing what a n00b I am when it comes to HF, I really need some help. I recently (last month) purchased a K3. First HF radio I have owned. I got my license 2 years ago and have spent most of the time since playing with VHF. I have been trying to teach myself CW and decided that it was time to step into the HF waters. I studied, ogled, and dreamed of my ideal HF transceiver. I finally found the K3 and having looked (at least a cursory glance) at all the others, I was sold. I saved my pennies and purchased. I also got myself a 43' untuned vertical antenna, balun, and radial wires. My setup: K3/100 has 100 feet of low loss 400 coax out to the 43 foot vertical on the hill in my back yard. It has 8 25 foot radials and a 4:1 balun. The K3 has the KATU3, KPA3, KTCXO3-1, KFL3A-400, and default 2.8KHz filters. I assembled it and did followed the calibration instructions as well as I could. I think I got everything, but obviously I missed something. Or maybe I just need an elmer to tell me what to do. I cannot seem to find any signals that make the S meter go above a 3 or 4. I have the RF gain turned up a fair ways (mostly to the top), and I can hear static. As I tune up some of the bands on SSB, I can hear a tone that changes higher in pitch as I tune up in frequency. I have tried listening for CW, but I am hearing nothing as I scan through the bands. I had a 10m horizontal dipole taped to my wall for a while until I found time to run the coax out to the back yard. I had hoped that since it was resonant on the 10m band, maybe it would be able to pick up something, but it was no better (or worse) than my vertical. As far as I can tell, the radio seems to transmit. I can see the power meter moving and the SWR meter moving. The ATU seems to be able to find acceptable settings on most of the bands with the vertical. But I can't hear them. You can't work them if you can't hear them, right? This is a desperate plea for help. Is it the radio or me? Please have pity on the n00b and walk me through my first HF contact. --Vernon N7OH __ __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto: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 not recieving
Vernon. Try the recommended dipole to test your rig. A dipole for 20 M band is short (about 36 ft long) and easy to make, you will quickly hear whether there is an issue with your K3 hardware or setup. The 20 M band is reliable most daylight hours and shortly after sunset. You also mentioned that you are still new to HF although you have had your rig for two years. Have you considered trying digital modes such as RTTY and PSK31? Digital modes are able to communicate DX on barefoot and QRP rigs almost as effectively as CW without CW's learning curve. It is a lot easier for me to get through to DX using digital mode than when operating barefoot SSB. Although challenging to learn, no other mode gets DX QSOs through bad conditions as well as CW. I have logged approximately 10,000 mostly digital QSOs since becoming licensed in 2002. Most QSOs were made on a K2/100 transmitting into a dipole up about 30 feet. You may require a balun on the dipole feedline to keep RF off the coax shield and ferrites on audio cables between your rig and computer to keep RF out of the computer. There are usually lots of PSK31 signals around 14.070 MHz and 7.035 MHz (40M band). The 20M band is crowded with RTTY signals around 14.080 during every RTTY contest. Try listening for WWV signals and scheduled signals from the ARRL's W1AW. 73 de KB1IKD __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto: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 not recieving
Vernon At risk of pointing out the obvious, with a short(ish) vertical you'll probably need to receive with the pre-amp switched on, and the attenuator switched off, on most bands. Even with, (quite literally) a screwdriver poked into the antenna socket, you should hear a good number of signals - and probably a lot of hash and qrm from local sources such as computers. Given the paucity of received signals, I don't think transmitting is a particularly good idea ! Regards John G4ZTR -Original Message- From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net [mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Vernon Mauery Sent: 08 March 2011 06:06 To: elecraft Subject: [Elecraft] K3 not recieving At the risk of exposing what a n00b I am when it comes to HF, I really need some help. I recently (last month) purchased a K3. First HF radio I have owned. I got my license 2 years ago and have spent most of the time since playing with VHF. I have been trying to teach myself CW and decided that it was time to step into the HF waters. I studied, ogled, and dreamed of my ideal HF transceiver. I finally found the K3 and having looked (at least a cursory glance) at all the others, I was sold. I saved my pennies and purchased. I also got myself a 43' untuned vertical antenna, balun, and radial wires. My setup: K3/100 has 100 feet of low loss 400 coax out to the 43 foot vertical on the hill in my back yard. It has 8 25 foot radials and a 4:1 balun. The K3 has the KATU3, KPA3, KTCXO3-1, KFL3A-400, and default 2.8KHz filters. I assembled it and did followed the calibration instructions as well as I could. I think I got everything, but obviously I missed something. Or maybe I just need an elmer to tell me what to do. I cannot seem to find any signals that make the S meter go above a 3 or 4. I have the RF gain turned up a fair ways (mostly to the top), and I can hear static. As I tune up some of the bands on SSB, I can hear a tone that changes higher in pitch as I tune up in frequency. I have tried listening for CW, but I am hearing nothing as I scan through the bands. I had a 10m horizontal dipole taped to my wall for a while until I found time to run the coax out to the back yard. I had hoped that since it was resonant on the 10m band, maybe it would be able to pick up something, but it was no better (or worse) than my vertical. As far as I can tell, the radio seems to transmit. I can see the power meter moving and the SWR meter moving. The ATU seems to be able to find acceptable settings on most of the bands with the vertical. But I can't hear them. You can't work them if you can't hear them, right? This is a desperate plea for help. Is it the radio or me? Please have pity on the n00b and walk me through my first HF contact. --Vernon N7OH __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html __ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 5934 (20110307) __ The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. http://www.eset.com __ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 5936 (20110308) __ The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. http://www.eset.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 not recieving
Don, It looks like you and at least one other person have said that I need more radials. I will have to look into that. Thank you for your suggestion. --Vernon N7OH On Tue, Mar 8, 2011 at 4:59 AM, Don Wilhelm w3...@embarqmail.com wrote: Vernon, If your K3 is receiving static, I would tend to blame your problem on the antenna rather than the K3. However, there is a way to check the K3. Beg, borrow or purchase an Elecraft XG2 signal generator. That will give you a tool to produce a 50 uV signal (S-9) and also a tool to do MDS measurements on your K3. I do suspect your antenna. Verticals do not work well in all locations - good performance depends on your soil conditions, and 25 foot radials are likely not long enough. For a good ground screen with the 43 foot radial, you need at least 32 43 foot radial wires for it to be effective. A vertical works great right on the edge of salt water, but inland locations vary depending on the soil conditions. I have always been disappointed with verticals. Actually, I suggest a more simplistic approach - use horizontal dipoles. Use the 43 foot vertical as a mast to hold up the center of a dipole. Get a 1:1 balun and construct a dipole for 40 and 20 meters. 2 radiator wires 33 feet long and two 16 foot long these two antennas can run on a single feedline.. Run the center up to the top of your 43 foot mast and hang the ends of the dipole wires as high as you can using whatever supports are available. You want an angle between the wires to be at an angle greater than 45 degrees. The two wires for 40 meters (the 33 ft long ones) should be in the same vertical plane, and the two wires for 20 meters should be at right angles to the 40 meter wires to keep interaction to a minimum. You mentioned 10 meters. Propagation conditions may be a problem too. The higher HF bands do not have many signals during the hours of darkness, and 10 meters may not have many signals during the day. 20 meters during the daylight hours is usually reliable and 40 meters at night will typically have good signals. During periods of greater sunspot activity, the higher frequency bands will show more activity, but during the recent sunspot minimum, there were times when 20 meters was barely usable, but conditions are improving. 73, Don W3FPR On 3/8/2011 1:06 AM, Vernon Mauery wrote: At the risk of exposing what a n00b I am when it comes to HF, I really need some help. I recently (last month) purchased a K3. First HF radio I have owned. I got my license 2 years ago and have spent most of the time since playing with VHF. I have been trying to teach myself CW and decided that it was time to step into the HF waters. I studied, ogled, and dreamed of my ideal HF transceiver. I finally found the K3 and having looked (at least a cursory glance) at all the others, I was sold. I saved my pennies and purchased. I also got myself a 43' untuned vertical antenna, balun, and radial wires. My setup: K3/100 has 100 feet of low loss 400 coax out to the 43 foot vertical on the hill in my back yard. It has 8 25 foot radials and a 4:1 balun. The K3 has the KATU3, KPA3, KTCXO3-1, KFL3A-400, and default 2.8KHz filters. I assembled it and did followed the calibration instructions as well as I could. I think I got everything, but obviously I missed something. Or maybe I just need an elmer to tell me what to do. I cannot seem to find any signals that make the S meter go above a 3 or 4. I have the RF gain turned up a fair ways (mostly to the top), and I can hear static. As I tune up some of the bands on SSB, I can hear a tone that changes higher in pitch as I tune up in frequency. I have tried listening for CW, but I am hearing nothing as I scan through the bands. I had a 10m horizontal dipole taped to my wall for a while until I found time to run the coax out to the back yard. I had hoped that since it was resonant on the 10m band, maybe it would be able to pick up something, but it was no better (or worse) than my vertical. As far as I can tell, the radio seems to transmit. I can see the power meter moving and the SWR meter moving. The ATU seems to be able to find acceptable settings on most of the bands with the vertical. But I can't hear them. You can't work them if you can't hear them, right? This is a desperate plea for help. Is it the radio or me? Please have pity on the n00b and walk me through my first HF contact. --Vernon N7OH __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto: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:
Re: [Elecraft] K3 not recieving
Turn up the RF gain as well. Check your receive with it turned up all the way to the right. Reduce the audio before hand. Bill K9YEQ -Original Message- . I have the RF gain turned up a fair ways (mostly to the top), and I can hear static __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto: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 not recieving
This is getting out of hand. Vernon can't receive anything and someone suggest more radials! Come on guys.He has 8 radials and another hundred might make a few DB difference but certainly not enough to overcome a dead receiver. A 10 ft. hank of hookup wire should yield plenty of good signals on 40 meters especially at night. Vernon needs something in his shack that he knows (works). The suggestion to buy the XG2 was a good one. Hooking up with another ham in the area would really help though. If someone lives close to Vernon they could probably be a big help. Steve N4LQ - Original Message - From: Vernon Mauery vmau...@gmail.com To: d...@w3fpr.com Cc: elecraft elecraft@mailman.qth.net Sent: Tuesday, March 08, 2011 10:33 AM Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 not recieving Don, It looks like you and at least one other person have said that I need more radials. I will have to look into that. Thank you for your suggestion. --Vernon N7OH On Tue, Mar 8, 2011 at 4:59 AM, Don Wilhelm w3...@embarqmail.com wrote: Vernon, If your K3 is receiving static, I would tend to blame your problem on the antenna rather than the K3. However, there is a way to check the K3. Beg, borrow or purchase an Elecraft XG2 signal generator. That will give you a tool to produce a 50 uV signal (S-9) and also a tool to do MDS measurements on your K3. I do suspect your antenna. Verticals do not work well in all locations - good performance depends on your soil conditions, and 25 foot radials are likely not long enough. For a good ground screen with the 43 foot radial, you need at least 32 43 foot radial wires for it to be effective. A vertical works great right on the edge of salt water, but inland locations vary depending on the soil conditions. I have always been disappointed with verticals. Actually, I suggest a more simplistic approach - use horizontal dipoles. Use the 43 foot vertical as a mast to hold up the center of a dipole. Get a 1:1 balun and construct a dipole for 40 and 20 meters. 2 radiator wires 33 feet long and two 16 foot long these two antennas can run on a single feedline.. Run the center up to the top of your 43 foot mast and hang the ends of the dipole wires as high as you can using whatever supports are available. You want an angle between the wires to be at an angle greater than 45 degrees. The two wires for 40 meters (the 33 ft long ones) should be in the same vertical plane, and the two wires for 20 meters should be at right angles to the 40 meter wires to keep interaction to a minimum. You mentioned 10 meters. Propagation conditions may be a problem too. The higher HF bands do not have many signals during the hours of darkness, and 10 meters may not have many signals during the day. 20 meters during the daylight hours is usually reliable and 40 meters at night will typically have good signals. During periods of greater sunspot activity, the higher frequency bands will show more activity, but during the recent sunspot minimum, there were times when 20 meters was barely usable, but conditions are improving. 73, Don W3FPR On 3/8/2011 1:06 AM, Vernon Mauery wrote: At the risk of exposing what a n00b I am when it comes to HF, I really need some help. I recently (last month) purchased a K3. First HF radio I have owned. I got my license 2 years ago and have spent most of the time since playing with VHF. I have been trying to teach myself CW and decided that it was time to step into the HF waters. I studied, ogled, and dreamed of my ideal HF transceiver. I finally found the K3 and having looked (at least a cursory glance) at all the others, I was sold. I saved my pennies and purchased. I also got myself a 43' untuned vertical antenna, balun, and radial wires. My setup: K3/100 has 100 feet of low loss 400 coax out to the 43 foot vertical on the hill in my back yard. It has 8 25 foot radials and a 4:1 balun. The K3 has the KATU3, KPA3, KTCXO3-1, KFL3A-400, and default 2.8KHz filters. I assembled it and did followed the calibration instructions as well as I could. I think I got everything, but obviously I missed something. Or maybe I just need an elmer to tell me what to do. I cannot seem to find any signals that make the S meter go above a 3 or 4. I have the RF gain turned up a fair ways (mostly to the top), and I can hear static. As I tune up some of the bands on SSB, I can hear a tone that changes higher in pitch as I tune up in frequency. I have tried listening for CW, but I am hearing nothing as I scan through the bands. I had a 10m horizontal dipole taped to my wall for a while until I found time to run the coax out to the back yard. I had hoped that since it was resonant on the 10m band, maybe it would be able to pick up something, but it was no better (or worse) than my vertical. As far as I can tell, the radio seems to transmit. I can see the power meter moving and the SWR meter moving. The ATU seems to be able to find
Re: [Elecraft] K3 not recieving
Steve is right. It ain't the antenna. I can hear plenty of signals with the previously suggested screwdriver in the antenna jack. Vernon, turn up RF gain all the way, put the mode on USB, and tune in WWV at 10 mhz, and tune down from there through the loud broadcast stations Or tune 20M phone (14.200 - 14.300) or at night 40M phone (7.15 - 7.3). If you don't hear loud signals, something other than the antenna is wrong. Tony KT0NY On Tue, Mar 8, 2011 at 9:56 AM, Steve Ellington n...@carolina.rr.comwrote: This is getting out of hand. Vernon can't receive anything and someone suggest more radials! __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto: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 not recieving
Personally, I doubt that adding radials will make any noticeable change in the number or strength of received signals. 73, Drew AF2Z On Tue, 08 Mar 2011 07:33:29 -0800, you wrote: Don, It looks like you and at least one other person have said that I need more radials. I will have to look into that. Thank you for your suggestion. --Vernon N7OH __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto: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 not recieving
Does the received noise decrease when you disconnect the antenna? 73, Ross N4RP On 3/8/2011 1:06 AM, Vernon Mauery wrote: At the risk of exposing what a n00b I am when it comes to HF, I really need some help. I recently (last month) purchased a K3. First HF radio I have owned. I got my license 2 years ago and have spent most of the time since playing with VHF. I have been trying to teach myself CW and decided that it was time to step into the HF waters. I studied, ogled, and dreamed of my ideal HF transceiver. I finally found the K3 and having looked (at least a cursory glance) at all the others, I was sold. I saved my pennies and purchased. I also got myself a 43' untuned vertical antenna, balun, and radial wires. My setup: K3/100 has 100 feet of low loss 400 coax out to the 43 foot vertical on the hill in my back yard. It has 8 25 foot radials and a 4:1 balun. The K3 has the KATU3, KPA3, KTCXO3-1, KFL3A-400, and default 2.8KHz filters. I assembled it and did followed the calibration instructions as well as I could. I think I got everything, but obviously I missed something. Or maybe I just need an elmer to tell me what to do. I cannot seem to find any signals that make the S meter go above a 3 or 4. I have the RF gain turned up a fair ways (mostly to the top), and I can hear static. As I tune up some of the bands on SSB, I can hear a tone that changes higher in pitch as I tune up in frequency. I have tried listening for CW, but I am hearing nothing as I scan through the bands. I had a 10m horizontal dipole taped to my wall for a while until I found time to run the coax out to the back yard. I had hoped that since it was resonant on the 10m band, maybe it would be able to pick up something, but it was no better (or worse) than my vertical. As far as I can tell, the radio seems to transmit. I can see the power meter moving and the SWR meter moving. The ATU seems to be able to find acceptable settings on most of the bands with the vertical. But I can't hear them. You can't work them if you can't hear them, right? This is a desperate plea for help. Is it the radio or me? Please have pity on the n00b and walk me through my first HF contact. --Vernon N7OH __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html -- FCC Section 97.313(a) “At all times, an amateur station must use the minimum transmitter power necessary to carry out the desired communications.” __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto: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 not recieving
Yes. I can see the S-meter go from 3-4 down with static down to nothing with quieter static. My best guess is that I am not trying the right times at the right places. Thanks to everyone for the help. --Vernon N7OH On Tue, Mar 8, 2011 at 8:12 AM, Ross Primrose N4RP n...@aiko.com wrote: Does the received noise decrease when you disconnect the antenna? 73, Ross N4RP On 3/8/2011 1:06 AM, Vernon Mauery wrote: At the risk of exposing what a n00b I am when it comes to HF, I really need some help. I recently (last month) purchased a K3. First HF radio I have owned. I got my license 2 years ago and have spent most of the time since playing with VHF. I have been trying to teach myself CW and decided that it was time to step into the HF waters. I studied, ogled, and dreamed of my ideal HF transceiver. I finally found the K3 and having looked (at least a cursory glance) at all the others, I was sold. I saved my pennies and purchased. I also got myself a 43' untuned vertical antenna, balun, and radial wires. My setup: K3/100 has 100 feet of low loss 400 coax out to the 43 foot vertical on the hill in my back yard. It has 8 25 foot radials and a 4:1 balun. The K3 has the KATU3, KPA3, KTCXO3-1, KFL3A-400, and default 2.8KHz filters. I assembled it and did followed the calibration instructions as well as I could. I think I got everything, but obviously I missed something. Or maybe I just need an elmer to tell me what to do. I cannot seem to find any signals that make the S meter go above a 3 or 4. I have the RF gain turned up a fair ways (mostly to the top), and I can hear static. As I tune up some of the bands on SSB, I can hear a tone that changes higher in pitch as I tune up in frequency. I have tried listening for CW, but I am hearing nothing as I scan through the bands. I had a 10m horizontal dipole taped to my wall for a while until I found time to run the coax out to the back yard. I had hoped that since it was resonant on the 10m band, maybe it would be able to pick up something, but it was no better (or worse) than my vertical. As far as I can tell, the radio seems to transmit. I can see the power meter moving and the SWR meter moving. The ATU seems to be able to find acceptable settings on most of the bands with the vertical. But I can't hear them. You can't work them if you can't hear them, right? This is a desperate plea for help. Is it the radio or me? Please have pity on the n00b and walk me through my first HF contact. --Vernon N7OH __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html -- FCC Section 97.313(a) “At all times, an amateur station must use the minimum transmitter power necessary to carry out the desired communications.” __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto: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 not recieving
Vernon, Have you checked your coax , maybe open. Try hooking up just the center conductor of the coax to your rig , leave the shield unhooked. 73 Ken K5DNL - --- On Tue, 3/8/11, Vernon Mauery vmau...@gmail.com wrote: From: Vernon Mauery vmau...@gmail.com Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 not recieving To: d...@w3fpr.com Cc: elecraft elecraft@mailman.qth.net Date: Tuesday, March 8, 2011, 9:33 AM Don, It looks like you and at least one other person have said that I need more radials. I will have to look into that. Thank you for your suggestion. --Vernon N7OH On Tue, Mar 8, 2011 at 4:59 AM, Don Wilhelm w3...@embarqmail.com wrote: Vernon, If your K3 is receiving static, I would tend to blame your problem on the antenna rather than the K3. However, there is a way to check the K3. Beg, borrow or purchase an Elecraft XG2 signal generator. That will give you a tool to produce a 50 uV signal (S-9) and also a tool to do MDS measurements on your K3. I do suspect your antenna. Verticals do not work well in all locations - good performance depends on your soil conditions, and 25 foot radials are likely not long enough. For a good ground screen with the 43 foot radial, you need at least 32 43 foot radial wires for it to be effective. A vertical works great right on the edge of salt water, but inland locations vary depending on the soil conditions. I have always been disappointed with verticals. Actually, I suggest a more simplistic approach - use horizontal dipoles. Use the 43 foot vertical as a mast to hold up the center of a dipole. Get a 1:1 balun and construct a dipole for 40 and 20 meters. 2 radiator wires 33 feet long and two 16 foot long these two antennas can run on a single feedline.. Run the center up to the top of your 43 foot mast and hang the ends of the dipole wires as high as you can using whatever supports are available. You want an angle between the wires to be at an angle greater than 45 degrees. The two wires for 40 meters (the 33 ft long ones) should be in the same vertical plane, and the two wires for 20 meters should be at right angles to the 40 meter wires to keep interaction to a minimum. You mentioned 10 meters. Propagation conditions may be a problem too. The higher HF bands do not have many signals during the hours of darkness, and 10 meters may not have many signals during the day. 20 meters during the daylight hours is usually reliable and 40 meters at night will typically have good signals. During periods of greater sunspot activity, the higher frequency bands will show more activity, but during the recent sunspot minimum, there were times when 20 meters was barely usable, but conditions are improving. 73, Don W3FPR On 3/8/2011 1:06 AM, Vernon Mauery wrote: At the risk of exposing what a n00b I am when it comes to HF, I really need some help. I recently (last month) purchased a K3. First HF radio I have owned. I got my license 2 years ago and have spent most of the time since playing with VHF. I have been trying to teach myself CW and decided that it was time to step into the HF waters. I studied, ogled, and dreamed of my ideal HF transceiver. I finally found the K3 and having looked (at least a cursory glance) at all the others, I was sold. I saved my pennies and purchased. I also got myself a 43' untuned vertical antenna, balun, and radial wires. My setup: K3/100 has 100 feet of low loss 400 coax out to the 43 foot vertical on the hill in my back yard. It has 8 25 foot radials and a 4:1 balun. The K3 has the KATU3, KPA3, KTCXO3-1, KFL3A-400, and default 2.8KHz filters. I assembled it and did followed the calibration instructions as well as I could. I think I got everything, but obviously I missed something. Or maybe I just need an elmer to tell me what to do. I cannot seem to find any signals that make the S meter go above a 3 or 4. I have the RF gain turned up a fair ways (mostly to the top), and I can hear static. As I tune up some of the bands on SSB, I can hear a tone that changes higher in pitch as I tune up in frequency. I have tried listening for CW, but I am hearing nothing as I scan through the bands. I had a 10m horizontal dipole taped to my wall for a while until I found time to run the coax out to the back yard. I had hoped that since it was resonant on the 10m band, maybe it would be able to pick up something, but it was no better (or worse) than my vertical. As far as I can tell, the radio seems to transmit. I can see the power meter moving and the SWR meter moving. The ATU seems to be able to find acceptable settings on most of the bands with the vertical. But I can't hear them. You can't work them if you can't hear them, right
Re: [Elecraft] K3 not recieving
Forget radials for receiving. You don't need them to hear many, many signals. The suggestion to throw out a hank of wire (or just tie the center and shield of the coax to your vertical together and connect them both to the center pin of the antenna connector - assuming your coax isn't buried) for an impromptu receive antenna is a good one. That should bring in a lot of HF signals. One thing about your SWR readings -- If your antenna system is very lossy for some reason often the SWR will look excellent. All the SWR says is that there's little reflected power and even a short or open circuit at the end of a very long piece of coax will show a fairly low SWR while preventing reception (or transmission!). Do you have the correct antenna selected? You have ANT1 and ANT2 selectable from the front panel. There's enough leakage between the two that a tiny amount of signal will be audible if you have the wrong antenna. And if you are so equipped, you have the option of the RX antenna on a separate connector at the rear that is completely independent of the KAT2 an it's two antenna selections. Choosing that one will produce your symptoms too. Ron AC7AC __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto: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 not recieving
The best thing you can do at this point is to get an experienced local ham who knows what to expect to listen to your setup. I bet that if you posted the name of your town on the list there would be someone nearby that could help you. Or you could contact a local radio club. Yes, you need more radials for an efficient antenna, but I don't think that's the problem. It's also the case that 100' of coax is a lot for a 43' vertical which you are matching at the transceiver. The KAT3 will make the rig see a matched antenna, but the SWR along the line will be quite high on some bands, which will cause significant loss. Having said that, I still don't think that's the problem. It may just be that you are listening at the wrong times. 40 meters in the early evening should be good. On 3/8/2011 7:33 AM, Vernon Mauery wrote: Don, It looks like you and at least one other person have said that I need more radials. I will have to look into that. Thank you for your suggestion. --Vernon N7OH On Tue, Mar 8, 2011 at 4:59 AM, Don Wilhelmw3...@embarqmail.com wrote: Vernon, If your K3 is receiving static, I would tend to blame your problem on the antenna rather than the K3. However, there is a way to check the K3. Beg, borrow or purchase an Elecraft XG2 signal generator. That will give you a tool to produce a 50 uV signal (S-9) and also a tool to do MDS measurements on your K3. I do suspect your antenna. Verticals do not work well in all locations - good performance depends on your soil conditions, and 25 foot radials are likely not long enough. For a good ground screen with the 43 foot radial, you need at least 32 43 foot radial wires for it to be effective. A vertical works great right on the edge of salt water, but inland locations vary depending on the soil conditions. I have always been disappointed with verticals. Actually, I suggest a more simplistic approach - use horizontal dipoles. Use the 43 foot vertical as a mast to hold up the center of a dipole. Get a 1:1 balun and construct a dipole for 40 and 20 meters. 2 radiator wires 33 feet long and two 16 foot long these two antennas can run on a single feedline.. Run the center up to the top of your 43 foot mast and hang the ends of the dipole wires as high as you can using whatever supports are available. You want an angle between the wires to be at an angle greater than 45 degrees. The two wires for 40 meters (the 33 ft long ones) should be in the same vertical plane, and the two wires for 20 meters should be at right angles to the 40 meter wires to keep interaction to a minimum. You mentioned 10 meters. Propagation conditions may be a problem too. The higher HF bands do not have many signals during the hours of darkness, and 10 meters may not have many signals during the day. 20 meters during the daylight hours is usually reliable and 40 meters at night will typically have good signals. During periods of greater sunspot activity, the higher frequency bands will show more activity, but during the recent sunspot minimum, there were times when 20 meters was barely usable, but conditions are improving. 73, Don W3FPR On 3/8/2011 1:06 AM, Vernon Mauery wrote: At the risk of exposing what a n00b I am when it comes to HF, I really need some help. I recently (last month) purchased a K3. First HF radio I have owned. I got my license 2 years ago and have spent most of the time since playing with VHF. I have been trying to teach myself CW and decided that it was time to step into the HF waters. I studied, ogled, and dreamed of my ideal HF transceiver. I finally found the K3 and having looked (at least a cursory glance) at all the others, I was sold. I saved my pennies and purchased. I also got myself a 43' untuned vertical antenna, balun, and radial wires. My setup: K3/100 has 100 feet of low loss 400 coax out to the 43 foot vertical on the hill in my back yard. It has 8 25 foot radials and a 4:1 balun. The K3 has the KATU3, KPA3, KTCXO3-1, KFL3A-400, and default 2.8KHz filters. I assembled it and did followed the calibration instructions as well as I could. I think I got everything, but obviously I missed something. Or maybe I just need an elmer to tell me what to do. I cannot seem to find any signals that make the S meter go above a 3 or 4. I have the RF gain turned up a fair ways (mostly to the top), and I can hear static. As I tune up some of the bands on SSB, I can hear a tone that changes higher in pitch as I tune up in frequency. I have tried listening for CW, but I am hearing nothing as I scan through the bands. I had a 10m horizontal dipole taped to my wall for a while until I found time to run the coax out to the back yard. I had hoped that since it was resonant on the 10m band, maybe it would be able to pick up something, but it was no better (or worse) than my vertical. As far as I can tell, the radio seems to transmit. I can see
Re: [Elecraft] K3 not recieving
Here's a follow-on question to the reflector... Vernon's set-up brings a question to mind. He says he's using a 4:1 balun on his vertical. At first brush that seems counterintuitive, doesn't it? Isn't a vertical unbalanced? Certainly the coax is unbalanced. When you're mating an unbalanced feedline with an unbalanced antenna, wouldn't one be better off using an unun rather than a 4:1 balun? In further support of my line of questioning, I've read numerous, albeit anecdotal, reports of people being displeased with the performance of their vertical, particularly the untuned ones like Zero-Five for example. But when they add an unun they are then amazed at how the antenna allegedly sprung to life. 73, Dave AH6TD On Mar 8, 2011, at 6:20 AM, Vernon Mauery wrote: Yes. I can see the S-meter go from 3-4 down with static down to nothing with quieter static. My best guess is that I am not trying the right times at the right places. Thanks to everyone for the help. --Vernon N7OH On Tue, Mar 8, 2011 at 8:12 AM, Ross Primrose N4RP n...@aiko.com wrote: Does the received noise decrease when you disconnect the antenna? 73, Ross N4RP On 3/8/2011 1:06 AM, Vernon Mauery wrote: At the risk of exposing what a n00b I am when it comes to HF, I really need some help. I recently (last month) purchased a K3. First HF radio I have owned. I got my license 2 years ago and have spent most of the time since playing with VHF. I have been trying to teach myself CW and decided that it was time to step into the HF waters. I studied, ogled, and dreamed of my ideal HF transceiver. I finally found the K3 and having looked (at least a cursory glance) at all the others, I was sold. I saved my pennies and purchased. I also got myself a 43' untuned vertical antenna, balun, and radial wires. My setup: K3/100 has 100 feet of low loss 400 coax out to the 43 foot vertical on the hill in my back yard. It has 8 25 foot radials and a 4:1 balun. The K3 has the KATU3, KPA3, KTCXO3-1, KFL3A-400, and default 2.8KHz filters. I assembled it and did followed the calibration instructions as well as I could. I think I got everything, but obviously I missed something. Or maybe I just need an elmer to tell me what to do. I cannot seem to find any signals that make the S meter go above a 3 or 4. I have the RF gain turned up a fair ways (mostly to the top), and I can hear static. As I tune up some of the bands on SSB, I can hear a tone that changes higher in pitch as I tune up in frequency. I have tried listening for CW, but I am hearing nothing as I scan through the bands. I had a 10m horizontal dipole taped to my wall for a while until I found time to run the coax out to the back yard. I had hoped that since it was resonant on the 10m band, maybe it would be able to pick up something, but it was no better (or worse) than my vertical. As far as I can tell, the radio seems to transmit. I can see the power meter moving and the SWR meter moving. The ATU seems to be able to find acceptable settings on most of the bands with the vertical. But I can't hear them. You can't work them if you can't hear them, right? This is a desperate plea for help. Is it the radio or me? Please have pity on the n00b and walk me through my first HF contact. --Vernon N7OH __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html -- FCC Section 97.313(a) “At all times, an amateur station must use the minimum transmitter power necessary to carry out the desired communications.” __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto: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] K3 not recieving
The only possible reason I can think of for using a Unun or Balun with any end-fed (Marconi) antenna is to minimize RF on the outside of the coaxial cable shield. But that seldom works because much of that RF is induced by the field around the radiator itself, not caused by RF flowing around the end of the shield at the antenna. The only scenario that comes to mind for an antenna springing to life when a Unun is added is that it was set up according to the manufacturer's specs without an SWR check at the feed point and the coax is detuning it. In that case decoupling the outside of the coax might bring the system closer to resonance and provide a better match to the feedline. The only time I've considered a balun (or unun) is when I'm feeding a balanced radiator that is at least 1/2 wavelength above the ground and I particularly want to preserve its pattern. For example, the driven element in a Yagi antenna. If the antenna isn't close to at least 1/2 wavelength above the earth, its pattern is heavily influenced by the earth and structures within a few wavelengths, and a balun or unun won't correct for that. Ron AC7AC -Original Message- From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net [mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of David Herring Sent: Tuesday, March 08, 2011 2:30 PM To: Vernon Mauery Cc: Elecraft Mailing List Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 not recieving Here's a follow-on question to the reflector... Vernon's set-up brings a question to mind. He says he's using a 4:1 balun on his vertical. At first brush that seems counterintuitive, doesn't it? Isn't a vertical unbalanced? Certainly the coax is unbalanced. When you're mating an unbalanced feedline with an unbalanced antenna, wouldn't one be better off using an unun rather than a 4:1 balun? In further support of my line of questioning, I've read numerous, albeit anecdotal, reports of people being displeased with the performance of their vertical, particularly the untuned ones like Zero-Five for example. But when they add an unun they are then amazed at how the antenna allegedly sprung to life. 73, Dave AH6TD On Mar 8, 2011, at 6:20 AM, Vernon Mauery wrote: Yes. I can see the S-meter go from 3-4 down with static down to nothing with quieter static. My best guess is that I am not trying the right times at the right places. Thanks to everyone for the help. --Vernon N7OH On Tue, Mar 8, 2011 at 8:12 AM, Ross Primrose N4RP n...@aiko.com wrote: Does the received noise decrease when you disconnect the antenna? 73, Ross N4RP On 3/8/2011 1:06 AM, Vernon Mauery wrote: At the risk of exposing what a n00b I am when it comes to HF, I really need some help. I recently (last month) purchased a K3. First HF radio I have owned. I got my license 2 years ago and have spent most of the time since playing with VHF. I have been trying to teach myself CW and decided that it was time to step into the HF waters. I studied, ogled, and dreamed of my ideal HF transceiver. I finally found the K3 and having looked (at least a cursory glance) at all the others, I was sold. I saved my pennies and purchased. I also got myself a 43' untuned vertical antenna, balun, and radial wires. My setup: K3/100 has 100 feet of low loss 400 coax out to the 43 foot vertical on the hill in my back yard. It has 8 25 foot radials and a 4:1 balun. The K3 has the KATU3, KPA3, KTCXO3-1, KFL3A-400, and default 2.8KHz filters. I assembled it and did followed the calibration instructions as well as I could. I think I got everything, but obviously I missed something. Or maybe I just need an elmer to tell me what to do. I cannot seem to find any signals that make the S meter go above a 3 or 4. I have the RF gain turned up a fair ways (mostly to the top), and I can hear static. As I tune up some of the bands on SSB, I can hear a tone that changes higher in pitch as I tune up in frequency. I have tried listening for CW, but I am hearing nothing as I scan through the bands. I had a 10m horizontal dipole taped to my wall for a while until I found time to run the coax out to the back yard. I had hoped that since it was resonant on the 10m band, maybe it would be able to pick up something, but it was no better (or worse) than my vertical. As far as I can tell, the radio seems to transmit. I can see the power meter moving and the SWR meter moving. The ATU seems to be able to find acceptable settings on most of the bands with the vertical. But I can't hear them. You can't work them if you can't hear them, right? This is a desperate plea for help. Is it the radio or me? Please have pity on the n00b and walk me through my first HF contact. --Vernon N7OH __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http
Re: [Elecraft] K3 not recieving
I've heard quite a few people use balun, when they meant impedence transformer or unun. I heard somewhere (and the tapes have been erased) that the 43' length came about because it was the most economical length for a manufacturer to cut stock with the least waste to meet shipping limitations. 73, Mike NF4L On 3/8/2011 5:29 PM, David Herring wrote: Here's a follow-on question to the reflector... Vernon's set-up brings a question to mind. He says he's using a 4:1 balun on his vertical. At first brush that seems counterintuitive, doesn't it? Isn't a vertical unbalanced? Certainly the coax is unbalanced. When you're mating an unbalanced feedline with an unbalanced antenna, wouldn't one be better off using an unun rather than a 4:1 balun? In further support of my line of questioning, I've read numerous, albeit anecdotal, reports of people being displeased with the performance of their vertical, particularly the untuned ones like Zero-Five for example. But when they add an unun they are then amazed at how the antenna allegedly sprung to life. 73, Dave AH6TD On Mar 8, 2011, at 6:20 AM, Vernon Mauery wrote: Yes. I can see the S-meter go from 3-4 down with static down to nothing with quieter static. My best guess is that I am not trying the right times at the right places. Thanks to everyone for the help. --Vernon N7OH On Tue, Mar 8, 2011 at 8:12 AM, Ross Primrose N4RPn...@aiko.com wrote: Does the received noise decrease when you disconnect the antenna? 73, Ross N4RP On 3/8/2011 1:06 AM, Vernon Mauery wrote: At the risk of exposing what a n00b I am when it comes to HF, I really need some help. I recently (last month) purchased a K3. First HF radio I have owned. I got my license 2 years ago and have spent most of the time since playing with VHF. I have been trying to teach myself CW and decided that it was time to step into the HF waters. I studied, ogled, and dreamed of my ideal HF transceiver. I finally found the K3 and having looked (at least a cursory glance) at all the others, I was sold. I saved my pennies and purchased. I also got myself a 43' untuned vertical antenna, balun, and radial wires. My setup: K3/100 has 100 feet of low loss 400 coax out to the 43 foot vertical on the hill in my back yard. It has 8 25 foot radials and a 4:1 balun. The K3 has the KATU3, KPA3, KTCXO3-1, KFL3A-400, and default 2.8KHz filters. I assembled it and did followed the calibration instructions as well as I could. I think I got everything, but obviously I missed something. Or maybe I just need an elmer to tell me what to do. I cannot seem to find any signals that make the S meter go above a 3 or 4. I have the RF gain turned up a fair ways (mostly to the top), and I can hear static. As I tune up some of the bands on SSB, I can hear a tone that changes higher in pitch as I tune up in frequency. I have tried listening for CW, but I am hearing nothing as I scan through the bands. I had a 10m horizontal dipole taped to my wall for a while until I found time to run the coax out to the back yard. I had hoped that since it was resonant on the 10m band, maybe it would be able to pick up something, but it was no better (or worse) than my vertical. As far as I can tell, the radio seems to transmit. I can see the power meter moving and the SWR meter moving. The ATU seems to be able to find acceptable settings on most of the bands with the vertical. But I can't hear them. You can't work them if you can't hear them, right? This is a desperate plea for help. Is it the radio or me? Please have pity on the n00b and walk me through my first HF contact. --Vernon N7OH __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html -- FCC Section 97.313(a) “At all times, an amateur station must use the minimum transmitter power necessary to carry out the desired communications.” __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto: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:
Re: [Elecraft] K3 not recieving
The 43 foot length is the optimum length for low angle radiation on 20 meters (5/8 wavelength). It is also not an even half wave on the other bands so will match reasonably well with a proper coupler and a 4:1 unun. It is a vertical equivalent of a G5RV. Willis 'Cookie' Cooke K5EWJ From: Mike n...@nf4l.com To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Sent: Tue, March 8, 2011 4:44:33 PM Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 not recieving I've heard quite a few people use balun, when they meant impedence transformer or unun. I heard somewhere (and the tapes have been erased) that the 43' length came about because it was the most economical length for a manufacturer to cut stock with the least waste to meet shipping limitations. 73, Mike NF4L On 3/8/2011 5:29 PM, David Herring wrote: Here's a follow-on question to the reflector... Vernon's set-up brings a question to mind. He says he's using a 4:1 balun on his vertical. At first brush that seems counterintuitive, doesn't it? Isn't a vertical unbalanced? Certainly the coax is unbalanced. When you're mating an unbalanced feedline with an unbalanced antenna, wouldn't one be better off using an unun rather than a 4:1 balun? In further support of my line of questioning, I've read numerous, albeit anecdotal, reports of people being displeased with the performance of their vertical, particularly the untuned ones like Zero-Five for example. But when they add an unun they are then amazed at how the antenna allegedly sprung to life. 73, Dave AH6TD On Mar 8, 2011, at 6:20 AM, Vernon Mauery wrote: Yes. I can see the S-meter go from 3-4 down with static down to nothing with quieter static. My best guess is that I am not trying the right times at the right places. Thanks to everyone for the help. --Vernon N7OH On Tue, Mar 8, 2011 at 8:12 AM, Ross Primrose N4RPn...@aiko.com wrote: Does the received noise decrease when you disconnect the antenna? 73, Ross N4RP On 3/8/2011 1:06 AM, Vernon Mauery wrote: At the risk of exposing what a n00b I am when it comes to HF, I really need some help. I recently (last month) purchased a K3. First HF radio I have owned. I got my license 2 years ago and have spent most of the time since playing with VHF. I have been trying to teach myself CW and decided that it was time to step into the HF waters. I studied, ogled, and dreamed of my ideal HF transceiver. I finally found the K3 and having looked (at least a cursory glance) at all the others, I was sold. I saved my pennies and purchased. I also got myself a 43' untuned vertical antenna, balun, and radial wires. My setup: K3/100 has 100 feet of low loss 400 coax out to the 43 foot vertical on the hill in my back yard. It has 8 25 foot radials and a 4:1 balun. The K3 has the KATU3, KPA3, KTCXO3-1, KFL3A-400, and default 2.8KHz filters. I assembled it and did followed the calibration instructions as well as I could. I think I got everything, but obviously I missed something. Or maybe I just need an elmer to tell me what to do. I cannot seem to find any signals that make the S meter go above a 3 or 4. I have the RF gain turned up a fair ways (mostly to the top), and I can hear static. As I tune up some of the bands on SSB, I can hear a tone that changes higher in pitch as I tune up in frequency. I have tried listening for CW, but I am hearing nothing as I scan through the bands. I had a 10m horizontal dipole taped to my wall for a while until I found time to run the coax out to the back yard. I had hoped that since it was resonant on the 10m band, maybe it would be able to pick up something, but it was no better (or worse) than my vertical. As far as I can tell, the radio seems to transmit. I can see the power meter moving and the SWR meter moving. The ATU seems to be able to find acceptable settings on most of the bands with the vertical. But I can't hear them. You can't work them if you can't hear them, right? This is a desperate plea for help. Is it the radio or me? Please have pity on the n00b and walk me through my first HF contact. --Vernon N7OH __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html -- FCC Section 97.313(a) “At all times, an amateur station must use the minimum transmitter power necessary to carry out the desired communications.” __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto: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 not recieving
That's quite possible Mike, but there's an electrical reason for the 42' 10-80 meter vertical height. 42 feet is 5/8 wavelength on 10 meters. Above that length, the pattern shifts skyward quickly which greatly reduces DX performance on 10. It's still long enough to be very efficient on either 40 or 80 with a good ground system. Ron AC7AC -Original Message- From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net [mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Mike Sent: Tuesday, March 08, 2011 2:45 PM To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 not recieving I've heard quite a few people use balun, when they meant impedence transformer or unun. I heard somewhere (and the tapes have been erased) that the 43' length came about because it was the most economical length for a manufacturer to cut stock with the least waste to meet shipping limitations. 73, Mike NF4L On 3/8/2011 5:29 PM, David Herring wrote: Here's a follow-on question to the reflector... Vernon's set-up brings a question to mind. He says he's using a 4:1 balun on his vertical. At first brush that seems counterintuitive, doesn't it? Isn't a vertical unbalanced? Certainly the coax is unbalanced. When you're mating an unbalanced feedline with an unbalanced antenna, wouldn't one be better off using an unun rather than a 4:1 balun? In further support of my line of questioning, I've read numerous, albeit anecdotal, reports of people being displeased with the performance of their vertical, particularly the untuned ones like Zero-Five for example. But when they add an unun they are then amazed at how the antenna allegedly sprung to life. 73, Dave AH6TD On Mar 8, 2011, at 6:20 AM, Vernon Mauery wrote: Yes. I can see the S-meter go from 3-4 down with static down to nothing with quieter static. My best guess is that I am not trying the right times at the right places. Thanks to everyone for the help. --Vernon N7OH On Tue, Mar 8, 2011 at 8:12 AM, Ross Primrose N4RPn...@aiko.com wrote: Does the received noise decrease when you disconnect the antenna? 73, Ross N4RP On 3/8/2011 1:06 AM, Vernon Mauery wrote: At the risk of exposing what a n00b I am when it comes to HF, I really need some help. I recently (last month) purchased a K3. First HF radio I have owned. I got my license 2 years ago and have spent most of the time since playing with VHF. I have been trying to teach myself CW and decided that it was time to step into the HF waters. I studied, ogled, and dreamed of my ideal HF transceiver. I finally found the K3 and having looked (at least a cursory glance) at all the others, I was sold. I saved my pennies and purchased. I also got myself a 43' untuned vertical antenna, balun, and radial wires. My setup: K3/100 has 100 feet of low loss 400 coax out to the 43 foot vertical on the hill in my back yard. It has 8 25 foot radials and a 4:1 balun. The K3 has the KATU3, KPA3, KTCXO3-1, KFL3A-400, and default 2.8KHz filters. I assembled it and did followed the calibration instructions as well as I could. I think I got everything, but obviously I missed something. Or maybe I just need an elmer to tell me what to do. I cannot seem to find any signals that make the S meter go above a 3 or 4. I have the RF gain turned up a fair ways (mostly to the top), and I can hear static. As I tune up some of the bands on SSB, I can hear a tone that changes higher in pitch as I tune up in frequency. I have tried listening for CW, but I am hearing nothing as I scan through the bands. I had a 10m horizontal dipole taped to my wall for a while until I found time to run the coax out to the back yard. I had hoped that since it was resonant on the 10m band, maybe it would be able to pick up something, but it was no better (or worse) than my vertical. As far as I can tell, the radio seems to transmit. I can see the power meter moving and the SWR meter moving. The ATU seems to be able to find acceptable settings on most of the bands with the vertical. But I can't hear them. You can't work them if you can't hear them, right? This is a desperate plea for help. Is it the radio or me? Please have pity on the n00b and walk me through my first HF contact. --Vernon N7OH __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html -- FCC Section 97.313(a) At all times, an amateur station must use the minimum transmitter power necessary to carry out the desired communications. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list
Re: [Elecraft] K3 not recieving
Good point Cookie. I was not considering a Unun that is also an impedance transformer. They really are two different things, although in some special cases such as you describe they can be combined. Another very common one is the 4:1 Balun used to feed a folded 1/2 wave radiator. Ron AC7AC - From: WILLIS COOKE [mailto:wrco...@yahoo.com] Sent: Tuesday, March 08, 2011 3:18 PM To: Ron D'Eau Claire; David Herring; Vernon Mauery Cc: Elecraft Mailing List Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 not recieving I uses a 4:1 UnUn to feed a 105 ft. Marconi strung horizontally from the sail of a submarine to a mast on the stern because EZNEC tells me that the radiation resistance in near 200 ohms on the frequencies of interest and it allows me to ground the braid where the coax exits the sail in effort to minimize the radiation inside the metallic sail and the hull. BalUns and UnUns look a lot alike and are made from the same materials, but they are not wound the same and are not interchangable. Hopefully if you buy a 43 foot vertical and it comes with a transformer they will give you the right thing, but if you home brew an antenna system you need to know the difference. Willis 'Cookie' Cooke K5EWJ __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto: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 not recieving
None of these old wive's tales are true. The 43' length is a convenient non-resonant length - nothing else. The balun was chosen originally because the 43' vertical was originally planned to have one or two elevated radials only (making it balanced), and it would load fine with a balun. The problems came to be when full-blown radial systems were attached and station grounds were connected to the radials, which again, were originally intended to be elevated - i.e.; not grounded. What this did was to short one side of the output of the balun to ground. So, when you ground the radials, an UN-UN is preferable and works very well. I have a 43' vertical with one of AD5X's 160 and 80 matching systems at the base fed with an UN-UN and it works great. I use it on all bands - 160 through 10m. Check out the ZL8X online log with my call to see how well it works. 73, Bob W5OV I've heard quite a few people use balun, when they meant impedence transformer or unun. I heard somewhere (and the tapes have been erased) that the 43' length came about because it was the most economical length for a manufacturer to cut stock with the least waste to meet shipping limitations. 73, Mike NF4L On 3/8/2011 5:29 PM, David Herring wrote: Here's a follow-on question to the reflector... Vernon's set-up brings a question to mind. He says he's using a 4:1 balun on his vertical. At first brush that seems counterintuitive, doesn't it? Isn't a vertical unbalanced? Certainly the coax is unbalanced. When you're mating an unbalanced feedline with an unbalanced antenna, wouldn't one be better off using an unun rather than a 4:1 balun? In further support of my line of questioning, I've read numerous, albeit anecdotal, reports of people being displeased with the performance of their vertical, particularly the untuned ones like Zero-Five for example. But when they add an unun they are then amazed at how the antenna allegedly sprung to life. 73, Dave AH6TD On Mar 8, 2011, at 6:20 AM, Vernon Mauery wrote: Yes. I can see the S-meter go from 3-4 down with static down to nothing with quieter static. My best guess is that I am not trying the right times at the right places. Thanks to everyone for the help. --Vernon N7OH On Tue, Mar 8, 2011 at 8:12 AM, Ross Primrose N4RPn...@aiko.com wrote: Does the received noise decrease when you disconnect the antenna? 73, Ross N4RP On 3/8/2011 1:06 AM, Vernon Mauery wrote: At the risk of exposing what a n00b I am when it comes to HF, I really need some help. I recently (last month) purchased a K3. First HF radio I have owned. I got my license 2 years ago and have spent most of the time since playing with VHF. I have been trying to teach myself CW and decided that it was time to step into the HF waters. I studied, ogled, and dreamed of my ideal HF transceiver. I finally found the K3 and having looked (at least a cursory glance) at all the others, I was sold. I saved my pennies and purchased. I also got myself a 43' untuned vertical antenna, balun, and radial wires. My setup: K3/100 has 100 feet of low loss 400 coax out to the 43 foot vertical on the hill in my back yard. It has 8 25 foot radials and a 4:1 balun. The K3 has the KATU3, KPA3, KTCXO3-1, KFL3A-400, and default 2.8KHz filters. I assembled it and did followed the calibration instructions as well as I could. I think I got everything, but obviously I missed something. Or maybe I just need an elmer to tell me what to do. I cannot seem to find any signals that make the S meter go above a 3 or 4. I have the RF gain turned up a fair ways (mostly to the top), and I can hear static. As I tune up some of the bands on SSB, I can hear a tone that changes higher in pitch as I tune up in frequency. I have tried listening for CW, but I am hearing nothing as I scan through the bands. I had a 10m horizontal dipole taped to my wall for a while until I found time to run the coax out to the back yard. I had hoped that since it was resonant on the 10m band, maybe it would be able to pick up something, but it was no better (or worse) than my vertical. As far as I can tell, the radio seems to transmit. I can see the power meter moving and the SWR meter moving. The ATU seems to be able to find acceptable settings on most of the bands with the vertical. But I can't hear them. You can't work them if you can't hear them, right? This is a desperate plea for help. Is it the radio or me? Please have pity on the n00b and walk me through my first HF contact. --Vernon N7OH __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html -- FCC Section 97.313(a) At all times, an amateur station
[Elecraft] K3 not recieving
All this has nothing to do with his K3 but what about a Choke Balun? Is it really a balun or is it a unun? We use the same device to feed a ground mounted vertical to reduce RF on the coax and to feed a balanced dipole with coax. It's both a balun and unun depending on how it's used. Steve N4LQ - Original Message - From: Mike n...@nf4l.com To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Sent: Tuesday, March 08, 2011 5:44 PM Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 not recieving I've heard quite a few people use balun, when they meant impedence transformer or unun. I heard somewhere (and the tapes have been erased) that the 43' length came about because it was the most economical length for a manufacturer to cut stock with the least waste to meet shipping limitations. 73, Mike NF4L On 3/8/2011 5:29 PM, David Herring wrote: Here's a follow-on question to the reflector... Vernon's set-up brings a question to mind. He says he's using a 4:1 balun on his vertical. At first brush that seems counterintuitive, doesn't it? Isn't a vertical unbalanced? Certainly the coax is unbalanced. When you're mating an unbalanced feedline with an unbalanced antenna, wouldn't one be better off using an unun rather than a 4:1 balun? In further support of my line of questioning, I've read numerous, albeit anecdotal, reports of people being displeased with the performance of their vertical, particularly the untuned ones like Zero-Five for example. But when they add an unun they are then amazed at how the antenna allegedly sprung to life. 73, Dave AH6TD On Mar 8, 2011, at 6:20 AM, Vernon Mauery wrote: Yes. I can see the S-meter go from 3-4 down with static down to nothing with quieter static. My best guess is that I am not trying the right times at the right places. Thanks to everyone for the help. --Vernon N7OH On Tue, Mar 8, 2011 at 8:12 AM, Ross Primrose N4RPn...@aiko.com wrote: Does the received noise decrease when you disconnect the antenna? 73, Ross N4RP On 3/8/2011 1:06 AM, Vernon Mauery wrote: At the risk of exposing what a n00b I am when it comes to HF, I really need some help. I recently (last month) purchased a K3. First HF radio I have owned. I got my license 2 years ago and have spent most of the time since playing with VHF. I have been trying to teach myself CW and decided that it was time to step into the HF waters. I studied, ogled, and dreamed of my ideal HF transceiver. I finally found the K3 and having looked (at least a cursory glance) at all the others, I was sold. I saved my pennies and purchased. I also got myself a 43' untuned vertical antenna, balun, and radial wires. My setup: K3/100 has 100 feet of low loss 400 coax out to the 43 foot vertical on the hill in my back yard. It has 8 25 foot radials and a 4:1 balun. The K3 has the KATU3, KPA3, KTCXO3-1, KFL3A-400, and default 2.8KHz filters. I assembled it and did followed the calibration instructions as well as I could. I think I got everything, but obviously I missed something. Or maybe I just need an elmer to tell me what to do. I cannot seem to find any signals that make the S meter go above a 3 or 4. I have the RF gain turned up a fair ways (mostly to the top), and I can hear static. As I tune up some of the bands on SSB, I can hear a tone that changes higher in pitch as I tune up in frequency. I have tried listening for CW, but I am hearing nothing as I scan through the bands. I had a 10m horizontal dipole taped to my wall for a while until I found time to run the coax out to the back yard. I had hoped that since it was resonant on the 10m band, maybe it would be able to pick up something, but it was no better (or worse) than my vertical. As far as I can tell, the radio seems to transmit. I can see the power meter moving and the SWR meter moving. The ATU seems to be able to find acceptable settings on most of the bands with the vertical. But I can't hear them. You can't work them if you can't hear them, right? This is a desperate plea for help. Is it the radio or me? Please have pity on the n00b and walk me through my first HF contact. --Vernon N7OH __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html -- FCC Section 97.313(a) “At all times, an amateur station must use the minimum transmitter power necessary to carry out the desired communications.” __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http
Re: [Elecraft] K3 not recieving
Quite right, Dave! I see Cookie has the right number. I'll cc the elecraft list to prevent any confusion, Hi! Ron -Original Message- Ron, 43' is actually 5/8 on 20 meters, so the vertical is not so hot on 15 and 10. Dave Hachadorian, K6LL Yuma, AZ __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto: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 not recieving
At the risk of exposing what a n00b I am when it comes to HF, I really need some help. I recently (last month) purchased a K3. First HF radio I have owned. I got my license 2 years ago and have spent most of the time since playing with VHF. I have been trying to teach myself CW and decided that it was time to step into the HF waters. I studied, ogled, and dreamed of my ideal HF transceiver. I finally found the K3 and having looked (at least a cursory glance) at all the others, I was sold. I saved my pennies and purchased. I also got myself a 43' untuned vertical antenna, balun, and radial wires. My setup: K3/100 has 100 feet of low loss 400 coax out to the 43 foot vertical on the hill in my back yard. It has 8 25 foot radials and a 4:1 balun. The K3 has the KATU3, KPA3, KTCXO3-1, KFL3A-400, and default 2.8KHz filters. I assembled it and did followed the calibration instructions as well as I could. I think I got everything, but obviously I missed something. Or maybe I just need an elmer to tell me what to do. I cannot seem to find any signals that make the S meter go above a 3 or 4. I have the RF gain turned up a fair ways (mostly to the top), and I can hear static. As I tune up some of the bands on SSB, I can hear a tone that changes higher in pitch as I tune up in frequency. I have tried listening for CW, but I am hearing nothing as I scan through the bands. I had a 10m horizontal dipole taped to my wall for a while until I found time to run the coax out to the back yard. I had hoped that since it was resonant on the 10m band, maybe it would be able to pick up something, but it was no better (or worse) than my vertical. As far as I can tell, the radio seems to transmit. I can see the power meter moving and the SWR meter moving. The ATU seems to be able to find acceptable settings on most of the bands with the vertical. But I can't hear them. You can't work them if you can't hear them, right? This is a desperate plea for help. Is it the radio or me? Please have pity on the n00b and walk me through my first HF contact. --Vernon N7OH __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
