[Elecraft] [K3] Power control sensitivity with KPA500
I've only had my KPA500 for a couple of weeks. It seems to have so much gain that adjusting the K3's power control takes a very fine touch to drive the amplifier to the desired 500W without overshooting. It's too easy for me to add 50W of KPA500 output when I really want, say, 10w or 20W, but maybe I'm being too finicky. I normally use the per-band tune menu option so it's only a problem when adjusting the drive, of course. I'd appreciate having a K3 menu item to adjust the sensitivity of the power control. 73, Jim N7US __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto: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] Power control sensitivity with KPA500
Jim, If you want more precise power control at levels below 100 watts, why not put the KPA500 into standby? The KPA500 has approximately 15 dB of gain, so the resolution in power output is 15 dB (31.62 times) worse than the power resolution on the 100 watt K3. With the KPA500 in standby, the sensitivity of the power knob will be 31.62 times better than with the KPA500 active. 73, Don W3FPR On 4/27/2013 10:03 PM, Jim McDonald wrote: I've only had my KPA500 for a couple of weeks. It seems to have so much gain that adjusting the K3's power control takes a very fine touch to drive the amplifier to the desired 500W without overshooting. It's too easy for me to add 50W of KPA500 output when I really want, say, 10w or 20W, but maybe I'm being too finicky. I normally use the per-band tune menu option so it's only a problem when adjusting the drive, of course. I'd appreciate having a K3 menu item to adjust the sensitivity of the power control. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto: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] Power control sensitivity with KPA500
H ... strange. Mine isn't at all sensitive and once set, I never really touch it. One thing ... like most Elecraft rigs, the instantaneous power out of the K3 will adjust on the first couple of dots or dashes [or syllables] to a new setting. If I change the K3 drive setting, even by one watt, the KPA500 usually hits 700W on the first dot or dash. After that, it settles back immediately. The amp is a bit conservatively designed :-), I've run mine on RTTY at 550W for a whole contest. I think it's just the internal ALC working. One thing I would like is instead of the K3 telling me the amp is in standby or operate, it tells me the power the K3 is going to deliver when I first tap the key after changing the amp status. The per-band tune function has not worked for me on very rare occasions. I'm sure it's pilot error, just don't know what I've done when it happens. 73, Fred K6DGW - Northern California Contest Club - CU in the 2013 Cal QSO Party 5-6 Oct 2013 - www.cqp.org On 4/27/2013 7:03 PM, Jim McDonald wrote: I've only had my KPA500 for a couple of weeks. It seems to have so much gain that adjusting the K3's power control takes a very fine touch to drive the amplifier to the desired 500W without overshooting. It's too easy for me to add 50W of KPA500 output when I really want, say, 10w or 20W, but maybe I'm being too finicky. I normally use the per-band tune menu option so it's only a problem when adjusting the drive, of course. I'd appreciate having a K3 menu item to adjust the sensitivity of the power control. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto: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 Power Control
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Re: [Elecraft] K3 Power Control Setting Steps
On 3/12/2011 12:28 PM, Lee Buller wrote: Maybe a new feature A way to step through or set power out putsay at 5 - 25 - 50 - 75 - 100. I do like to run barefoot as much as possible, but when the dx shows up and I have to tune the amp (into a dummy load) I like to be able to switch quickly to 25 watts without cranking the knob several times to get to 25 watts. A button that could be programed for full or low power or steps in power. I hope I am getting the idea across here. I added K3 to the subject line for those of us who sort our mail. Hmmm ... I must be missing something in this discussion. There's a TUNE PWR setting in the menu, mine is set to 15 watts. I think you can set it to anything you want. That becomes the output power when I hold TUNE, and results in about 150W or so from the amp [pair of GG 3-500Z's] as I tune it. As soon as I tap XMIT and tune-mode stops, power setting goes back to where I had it set. These days, it's about 45W for 500W out of amp ... I'm practicing for my KPA500 :-) 73, Fred K6DGW - Northern California Contest Club - CU in the 2011 Cal QSO Party 1-2 Oct 2011 - www.cqp.org Now I knowseveral guys have made T-Pads to run the full 100 watts out from the K3 reduce the power to the amp, but that does not work for me in my set up with my AL-82. I was just thinking if the programming could be changed or a macro could be made to step through different power levels. Just an idea Lee - K0WA In our day and age it seems that Common Sense is in short supply. If you don't have any Common Sense - get some Common Sense and use it. If you can't find any Common Sense, ask for help from somebody who has some Common Sense. Is Common Sense divine? Common Sense is the image of the Creator expressing revealed truth in my mind. - John W. (Kansas) __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html - No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 10.0.1204 / Virus Database: 1498/3502 - Release Date: 03/12/11 __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
[Elecraft] K3 power control
Power control issues were unexpected, because we had 70+ K3 owners running this exact power control firmware for a few weeks. That's why we did a beta release of 3.04. But I have now confirmed some of the observations from the weekend, using specific settings some of you sent me. So I guess you need a thousand radios running the same code before everything comes to light :) I'm working on it. 73, Wayne N6KR --- http://www.elecraft.com __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] K3 power control
Beta means beta. It is great to hear that as usual you take the user comments seriously. K3 is the best investment I ever made, sure better than my 401K. Dan Power control issues were unexpected, because we had 70+ K3 owners running this exact power control firmware for a few weeks. That's why we did a beta release of 3.04. But I have now confirmed some of the observations from the weekend, using specific settings some of you sent me. So I guess you need a thousand radios running the same code before everything comes to light :) I'm working on it. 73, Wayne N6KR --- http://www.elecraft.com __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html - Dan AB3EN -- View this message in context: http://n2.nabble.com/K3-power-control-tp2559153p2559807.html Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
[Elecraft] [Elecraft} K3 power control in ssb
Others have already mentioned this as a problem and I have just tested my K3 #1198 driving an Acom 1000 amp into a dummy load with the following results. Condx:- 3.7MHz, 25w drive to get 392w o/p on cw. I have TXG VCE set to -1.5dB, mic 15, cmp 24. In lsb and then key down I adjust to just under 400W o/p. Then lsb gives 200-300w initially. After speaking and then pausing a few times for a minute or so I get 400-600w out!! The K3 system has turned up the gain - if I then go to rx and then key down I get an initial o/p of about 540w which then rapidly scales back to 400. Then speaking on lsb I'm back at the 200-300w o/p which gradually increases again. So there's a gain change going on which seems to be reset by a key down. Hope this helps Elecraft or others in analysing the problem. Graham__ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] [Elecraft} K3 power control in ssb
I noticed that too. Not a big concern here as my linear is 2 x 3-500Z but would be a concern with high gain tubes. Ignacy Graham Kimbell (G3TCT) wrote: Others have already mentioned this as a problem and I have just tested my K3 #1198 driving an Acom 1000 amp into a dummy load with the following results. Condx:- 3.7MHz, 25w drive to get 392w o/p on cw. I have TXG VCE set to -1.5dB, mic 15, cmp 24. In lsb and then key down I adjust to just under 400W o/p. Then lsb gives 200-300w initially. After speaking and then pausing a few times for a minute or so I get 400-600w out!! The K3 system has turned up the gain - if I then go to rx and then key down I get an initial o/p of about 540w which then rapidly scales back to 400. Then speaking on lsb I'm back at the 200-300w o/p which gradually increases again. So there's a gain change going on which seems to be reset by a key down. Hope this helps Elecraft or others in analysing the problem. Graham __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html -- View this message in context: http://n2.nabble.com/-Elecraft%7D-K3-power-control-in-ssb-tp2352869p2353927.html Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] [Elecraft} K3 power control in ssb
Hello Something similar (V 2.82 and previous). K3 set to max power (12W here) Change power to 6W (or any power but not max power) First key down (CW SSB Tune) power = 9W (about) Second key down power = 6W In fact any change of power is not taken properly for the first key down. I can repeat this behavior easily by setting up the power to maximum, keying down and then reducing the power to any value... This is a problem with a linear amplifier. 73, Laurent -- View this message in context: http://n2.nabble.com/-Elecraft%7D-K3-power-control-in-ssb-tp2352869p2354345.html Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] K3 power control
Yes, I'd be interested in the recommended Data mode settings as well please. I'm seeing the same symptoms as outlined by Julian, G4ILO and first reported it to Elecraft Support on 15 September, just after 2.38/1.90 was released. There was no problem with the production release prior to that - 2.02/1.70. Trevor G0KTN ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
[Elecraft] K3 power control
I'm reviewing the discussion on this topic and will be working on a near-term beta firmware release to improve SSB ALC behavior, etc. I might have field-test firmware available with some changes as early as tomorrow, and I'd be happy to send it directly to anyone in the mood to experiment. Please e-mail me directly if you're interested (n6kr at elecraft dot com). Meanwhile: Please be sure you have done the transmit gain calibration at both 5 and 50 W. In SSB mode, adjust the MIC control such that the ALC meter scale peaks at 5 to 7 bars on normal speech, and set the PWR control such that voice peaks don't go beyond the target level. 73, Wayne N6KR --- http://www.elecraft.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] K3 power control
wayne burdick wrote: I'm reviewing the discussion on this topic and will be working on a near-term beta firmware release to improve SSB ALC behavior, etc. I might have field-test firmware available with some changes as early as tomorrow, and I'd be happy to send it directly to anyone in the mood to experiment. Please e-mail me directly if you're interested (n6kr at elecraft dot com). Meanwhile: Please be sure you have done the transmit gain calibration at both 5 and 50 W. In SSB mode, adjust the MIC control such that the ALC meter scale peaks at 5 to 7 bars on normal speech, and set the PWR control such that voice peaks don't go beyond the target level. What is the advice for setting the level for data modes? At the moment I have to set the input so that the first bar of ALC barely flickers on if I am to limit the output to what I have set with the power control. Following the previous advice by Lyle of setting it so that 4 or 5 bars are showing steady, I get nearly double the requested output on a pure tone. The calibration is perfect on CW. - Julian, G4ILO. K2 #392 K3 #222. http://www.g4ilo.com/ G4ILO's Shack http://www.ham-directory.com/ Ham Directoryhttp://www.g4ilo.com/kcomm.html KComm for Elecraft K2 and K3 -- View this message in context: http://n2.nabble.com/K3-power-control-tp1369809p1370027.html Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com. ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
