[Elecraft] K2 Toroids Latest?
Hi Vic and all. I have kept my K2 (1188) up to date with all the A/B mods, however at times I see references such as the one below about T7 where a toroid may have been changed from the original windings to a revised spec. Are these documented anywhere, which toroids are now different and why? Thanks, 73, Deni F5VJC / GM3SKN K21188 = It looks fine, although I would move the two wider filters a bit to the right. There looks like about 6-8 db difference in attenuation between the widest and narrowest filters, which is probably on the high side of normal (although this tends to vary). I see about 4 db on mine, which is #709 but has had the crystals replaced and T7 rewound to current spec. I would be interested in knowing how much difference in attenuation others are seeing. I know that K1JD has an ANCIENT K2 (field test vintage) which has zero db difference! -- 73, Vic, K2VCO Fresno CA http://www.qsl.net/k2vco ___ 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] Antenna problem / phenomenon
Hi all, I have a new set of mobile antennas, pro am series with magnet mount. Most works just fine but I have one thing I don't understand. I have a K1 and a K2 and while the K2 (without tuner enabled) shows an SWR of 2:1 on the 30m antenna the K1 immediately reduces power to 0.1w and shows SWR 9.9. And what's most stunning, the KAT1 can't even reduce this 9.9... Any idea why and most important: what can I do? Thanks! Gerhard Schwanz DH3FAW http://www.gs-personal.de ___ 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] Antenna problem / phenomenon
You know, Gerhard I have had the same problem at times. Paul Gates Elecraft K1 #231 XG1 [EMAIL PROTECTED] - Original Message - From: Gerhard Schwanz [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Sent: Monday, May 16, 2005 5:07 AM Subject: [Elecraft] Antenna problem / phenomenon Hi all, I have a new set of mobile antennas, pro am series with magnet mount. Most works just fine but I have one thing I don't understand. I have a K1 and a K2 and while the K2 (without tuner enabled) shows an SWR of 2:1 on the 30m antenna the K1 immediately reduces power to 0.1w and shows SWR 9.9. And what's most stunning, the KAT1 can't even reduce this 9.9... Any idea why and most important: what can I do? Thanks! Gerhard Schwanz DH3FAW http://www.gs-personal.de ___ 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 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] Re: Morse cell phones
Hello elecrafters, my wifeŽs cell phone calls cq cq cq when a call comes in, mine calls qrz? I composed the ringtones myself on the computer and transferred them to the phones using a programming-cable . Too bad you cannot have different a ringtone for every entry in the phones phonebook, because i have a lot of hamcalls stored. That would be fun! Thanks for providing the link to the jay leno video. -- Best regards, Martin K2 #2706 mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ 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] K2 #4896 on the air!
Gang, My K2 s/n 4896 is alive and kicking! The assembly went flawless and the alignment was a piece of cake (yes, indeed), MUCH easier than aligning the K1! I finished the rig as a evening-project while I´m at work in Sweden (and QRV as SM/LA2MOA), and the first CW QSO was with LA9M/P on EU056 on 30 meters. The transmitter gives 15 watts as stated in the specs and the receiver is AWESOME! It´s just s quiet! No white noise what so ever, and the filters are knife sharp! I have no options ordered for this one yet, but will use it for a while and then decide what options I need. Right now, the plain K2 is running in cirkles (or more like figure eight´s) around anything I have been using before, including a number of Kenwoods, Icom´s and Yaesu´s. Even my Argonaut II is outperformed by this beauty! This is really exciting! What a wonderful rig, thank´s Elecraft! Hans / LA2MOA (currently QRV as SM/LA2MOA) KX1 #975 K1 #1992 K2 #4896 ___ 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
FW: [Elecraft] 7182 buzz appears after K69XV installed
Pictures, please? Dan / WG4S / K2 #2456 Just curious, but I don't have the buzz (I guess - I'm never more than 125KHz above the lower band edge.) snip An SMT inductor was chosen with a value of 18uh and SRF of 27Mhz. Its foot print is a 1210 size (120mils x 100 mils) and fit perfectly between the VCC pin of the PLL chip and the VCC buss. /snip ___ 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] Re: Rosin
The easiest to get and a very excellent solvent for rosin on PCB is Everclear (ethanol 95%) which is available at any liquor store. A pint will last a long time (unless you quench your thirst with it). It has the advantage of dissolving old rosin as well as that from newly soldered joints. While most parts are not damaged by it, it should be used by applying only to the solder joints with an acid brush with shorten (1/4-3/8 length) scrubbing, rinsing and wiping with a paper towel. Done correctly you get shiny joints with NO rosin. Most of the time, except for looks, rosin from good solders does no harm. You can do more harm than good if your cleaning isn't done properly. Allen KA5N ___ 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] Antenna problem / phenomenon
The answer to the problem is an old one in that it is difficult to get an HF antenna to work with a mag mount due to the low capacitance between the magnetic base and the vehicle body. VHF/UHF antenna mounted on a mag mount is OK as the effective low capacitance does not present a problem. I even tried a 3 magnet type of mount on HF with the same dismal results. Am told that if you can install a very short wide grounding strap from the mag mount to the vehicle body this can be the answer to the problem, but admit that I was never entirely successful with this either. There seems nothing better than getting a good metallic contact with the vehicle body to get an HF mobile whip to tune and correctly which is what I had to do in the end with a bolted on mount. Bob, G3VVT ___ 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] K2 Toroids Latest?
Deni, T7 is the only transformer that will make any difference. If it is wound with a 13:3 turns ratio it can be rewound with a 20:5 ratio for a better impedance match to the IF filter. The number of turns on bifilar wound T3 has been reduced in later K2s, but I have not noticed any difference (including the RF levels on my 'scope) after changing it on several K2s. 73, Don W3FPR -Original Message- I have kept my K2 (1188) up to date with all the A/B mods, however at times I see references such as the one below about T7 where a toroid may have been changed from the original windings to a revised spec. Are these documented anywhere, which toroids are now different and why? -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.308 / Virus Database: 266.11.10 - Release Date: 5/13/2005 ___ 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] Quote
He that uses many words for explaining any subject, doth, like the cuttlefish, hide himself for the most part in his own ink. -John Ray, naturalist (1627-1705) -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.308 / Virus Database: 266.11.10 - Release Date: 5/13/2005 ___ 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] Antenna problem / phenomenon
Have you tuned the length of the 30m antenna? Out of the box it might be wrong. You also need a ground strap, if you don't want a permanent installation. I hopr your car is metal, not fiberglass. You may need some straps to hook other parts of the car together, such as roof to body, or hood to body, to get more metal in the ground plane. If you plan to operate while the car is running and use car 12v, you wuill have much more to do, but if you operate when the car is off, this is enough. I operate 40, 30, 20, 17, and 15 with similar antennas (Hamstick or Pro Am) and a tri-mag mount and a short piece of #14 zip cord (both) to a screw on the car. For feeding the antenna, I use coax to a balun and then twinlead through the sunroof. I use the WB6ZQZ step-down balun and usually use it on the 25 ohm setting, depending on what makes the tuner happiest. 73, WA5ZNU / Leigh. On Mon, 16 May 2005 2:05 am, Gerhard Schwanz wrote: Hi all, I have a new set of mobile antennas, pro am series with magnet mount. Most works just fine but I have one thing I don't understand. I have a K1 and a K2 and while the K2 (without tuner enabled) shows an SWR of 2:1 on the 30m antenna the K1 immediately reduces power to 0.1w and shows SWR 9.9. And what's most stunning, the KAT1 can't even reduce this 9.9... ___ 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] K2 Filter attenuation?
Deni F5VJC wrote: I have kept my K2 (1188) up to date with all the A/B mods, however at times I see references such the one below about T7 where a toroid may have been changed from the original windings to a revised spec. Are these documented anywhere, which toroids are now different and why? I haven't seen anything specifically on toroids, other than what's in the A-to-B modification documents http://www.elecraft.com/manual/k2a2binstr.pdf and http://www.elecraft.com/manual/k2%20rev%20B%20comp%20kit%20rev-1.pdf, which you have probably seen. -- 73, Vic, K2VCO Fresno CA http://www.qsl.net/k2vco ___ 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] Organic Solder Fluxes
I think electronics people and bullet casters will have to have a special permit or license to possess lead before long! (If the environmental whackos have their way! The anti-gun folks will jump on this bandwagon too, be assured!) We have tons of lead we'd love to dump in your back yard in Oak Ridge, (along with mercury and other highly toxic metals.) A lot of of fishermen would enjoy sending you all the lead shotgun shot that sits at the bottom of our lakes making the fish inedible from them. Kester provides data sheets free of charge (including MSDS documents) on their website. These explain what (if anything) is necessary to clean up after soldering. If in doubt, check your materials out before using them. Read and follow the instructions, if in doubt, don't use the product. Most of the QRP construction sites and Elecraft recommend solders that are safe to use, based on experience, use the expertise easily available. Cheers, Julius n2wn ___ 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] Santa Cruz Sentinel article on Elecraft
Hi John, That was more of a general statement and not meant to be specific :-) . It did not refer to any specific developments. No new radios in the near term for sure. 73, Eric WA6HHQ Elecraft --- John [K7SVV] wrote: The paragraph that caught my eye said: The company hopes to continue its growth and perhaps expand its headquarters in the near future, and it has a lot of stuff in development, according to Swartz, who said new radios and accessories are in the pipeline. I am very curious what the new stuff is so , Eric, if you will whisper it in my ear, I promise not to tell anyone. John [K7SVV] On 5/15/05, Ward Willats [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Well, look what was in the morning paper... http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/archive/2005/May/15/biz/stories/01biz.htm ___ 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] K2 SSB Question
Mike, I don't have an answer for you, but wanted to say I *think* I am experiencing the same thing. I have an old Bird model 43 watt meter hooked up - not at all the thing to be testing phone output with - and see one unexpected thing. SSB sounds fine on my test rcvr on 40m and 80m, 100 W into dummy load, where I see peaks of maybe 20 to 25 W when speaking into the mic. But on other bands I see about 2 W! However, whistling into the mic gives me about 80 W or so on all bands, and a quick tune at 100 W gives about 100 W. At least the amp is ok, so maybe I'm seeing the greater emphasis on lower frequencies in LSB popping the meter up a bit more than USB? That's quite a difference though. I hope to get a scope hooked up to better test it. I just finished my 100 W amp over the weekend and am trying to make sure all is well. I did have a short 20m psk31 qso and was putting out 30 W, same as the power setting. But I still wonder at that 20W/2W difference... The bands were awful this weekend and prevented better testing. In any case, I'll be interested to see what you learn. I'm using the MD2 mic, by the way. Mike AB3AP K2 4834 Mike Stricker wrote on 05/13/05 21:00 ET: Hi, I was trying to get my K2 on the air and am running into a bit of difficulty. The K2 transmits fine on CW. The K2 receives fine on SSB (and CW), both USB and LSB and the filters have been set up per the kit instructions. When I depress the MH2 transmit button and speak into it, the signal sounds fine on my test receiver. I noticed, however, that there is virtually no RF output. I have tried a couple of different audio settings in SSBA and SSBC to no avail. Any ideas will be appreciated. Thanks Mike, WA1SEO K2 4788 ___ 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] K2/100W running QRP: does fan run?
If I remember correctly, as you increase the power level on a K2 with 100W option installed, a relay kicks in at roughly 12 watts and the QRO section is activated. Does the fan ever operate at QRP levels or is it entirely disabled until you go beyond that threshold? --Andrew ___ 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] Santa Cruz Sentinel article on Elecraft
You have to be very careful what the media writes. Just ask the editors at Newsweek. ;-) Cheers, Rod K5BGB Eric Swartz - WA6HHQ, Elecraft [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hi John, That was more of a general statement and not meant to be specific :-) . It did not refer to any specific developments. No new radios in the near term for sure. 73, Eric WA6HHQ Elecraft --- John [K7SVV] wrote: The paragraph that caught my eye said: The company hopes to continue its growth and perhaps expand its headquarters in the near future, and it has a lot of stuff in development, according to Swartz, who said new radios and accessories are in the pipeline. ___ 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] Santa Cruz Sentinel article on Elecraft
This has to be market speak for we are going to announce something really, really big at Dayton ;) Probably something that will put Hallicrafters, Hammerlund, and Heathkit all to shame! Kevin. KD5ONS On Mon, 16 May 2005 08:47:43 -0700, Eric Swartz - WA6HHQ, Elecraft [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hi John, That was more of a general statement and not meant to be specific :-) . It did not refer to any specific developments. No new radios in the near term for sure. 73, Eric WA6HHQ Elecraft --- John [K7SVV] wrote: The paragraph that caught my eye said: The company hopes to continue its growth and perhaps expand its headquarters in the near future, and it has a lot of stuff in development, according to Swartz, who said new radios and accessories are in the pipeline. I am very curious what the new stuff is so , Eric, if you will whisper it in my ear, I promise not to tell anyone. John [K7SVV] -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.308 / Virus Database: 266.11.10 - Release Date: 5/13/2005 ___ 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] Re: Rosin
Allen KA5N wrote: Most of the time, except for looks, rosin from good solders does no harm. You can do more harm than good if your cleaning isn't done properly. --- Allen makes an good point and he identifies a misconception that comes up regularly - that rosin harms the board over time. The argument is that since it's capable of removing the oxidation from metals to promote soldering, it will continue to attack the metals as long as it's left on the board. That is not true. Elecraft recommends solder such as Kester #44. Here's what the data sheet from Kester says: ...Throughout its many years of wide usage, 44 Rosin Flux has produced many billions of soldered connections. In all these billions of solder joints, involving the most delicate and critical of electrical and electronic components, there has never been an authentic instance of corrosion by the flux residue under normal conditions of use The full data sheet is available on line (http://tinyurl.com/agzxs) Still, many builders do not like the appearance of an obvious amount of rosin on the finished joints. The easiest, safest (in terms of avoiding damage to your circuit board) way to avoid excess rosin is to use a the right diameter solder, certainly nothing bigger than 0.031 for circuit board work. I prefer smaller sizes such as 0.02 or 0.025. That helps avoid getting too much solder on the joints too. Too much solder on the pads is an on-going problem for many builders. Remember, the Elecraft boards do NOT require fillets of solder standing above the solder pad. Indeed, they can be a problem. On some kits (KX1 and T1 tuner, for example) the clearance between boards is so small that fillets can cause shorts or prevent the boards seating correctly. On rigs like the K2 where clearances are not so critical solder fillets have caused grief by allowing shorts to occur on the component side of the board when solder flows through the hole. One common place this causes trouble is under the crystals. Excess solder can flow through and collect around the pin under the crystal where it can't be seen. A little too much solder and the fillet under the crystal will touch the case, shorting out the signal path. It's really tough to find those! Bottom line Use the solder recommended by Elecraft. Use small diameters (0.031 or less) for pcb work to avoid excess flux or solder. Avoid producing fillets or bumps above the solder pad. In most cases this won't hurt, but the right amount of solder fills the hole in the pad without making a fillet. Flux won't hurt the board. And ALWAYS WASH YOUR HANDS after handling solder to remove minute lead residue from your skin. The residue can migrate through your skin over time or be transferred to food when you eat. Ron AC7AC ___ 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] K2 Toroids Latest?
-Original Message- I have kept my K2 (1188) up to date with all the A/B mods, however at times I see references such as the one below about T7 where a toroid may have been changed from the original windings to a revised spec. Are these documented anywhere, which toroids are now different and why? -- I have updated the mods list on http://www.qslnet.de/member/la3za/K2/mod.html and the section on pre-3000 series mods (press section 3) on status of T3 and T7. My search of the mail list gave as a result that they both were changed to their current turns numbers in K2 manual rev C (19 April 2000). If anybody has more accurate info on which serial number the changes first applied to, I will update with that info. My guess is somewhere in the 1000-1500 range. Note also that the mods list on www.qsl.net has now been removed and it is only to be found on the www.qslnet.de 73 Sverre LA3ZA http://www.qslnet.de/la3za/ ___ 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] Bozo gets his...
AVA From Berry But the question is, will Berry bash the great and wonderful Bozo ??? Bozo, a grad of the Mike Jackson Daycare School... Keep the gloves on boys and girl... ___ 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] Dayton/Four Days in May
Just a short note for all you Elecrafters who are not on other QRP lists--- it's not too late to get in on the fun at the Holiday Inn - Fairborn. It's the 10th anniversary of our popular FDIM event. Rather than take up space here, go to: http://www.eham.net/articles/10977 for a recent post. At this time, you may still reserve a seat in the seminar using PayPal or at the door on Thursday morning - space permitting. Banquet reservations must be made using PayPal before Monday night. CU there! And while you're looking at the website (www.qrparci.org), why not join the club?? -- Jim Stafford W4QORoswell, GA USAFDIM 2005 chairman The internet never ceases to amaze me, and neither does QRP for that matter! de W4QO/QRP ___ 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] Simple Method for Measuring Tuner loss with reactiveloads
Tony, To save you and others some work, Frank Witt did an extensive measurement series on many tuners; and published it in QST and I think, QEX magazines with additional studies. If you are an ARRL member, you can likely find the info from the pieces on the ARRL web site. It may be in the open Technical topics section. He measured the Johnson Matchbox, and found although a good balanced tuner, it did not match all impedances and work on all of today's bands. -Stuart K5KVH ___ 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] Power Supply Ferrite Beads.
I would like some advice on the correct Ferrite beads to use in the P/S line to minimize noise from a switching P/S. Though slightly off topic, with the exception you must get power to the Elecraft rig somehow and quite often it is a switching power supply due to their small size this is going to be used for my K2. I have read many recommendations on their use here but can't find the answers to my questions. I have spent several hours on the internet and the only conclusive information is Don't get one of those split beads from Radio Shack as they are for frequencies above 30 MHZ. There was discussion on using type 75 or 77 as this has a higher impedance at lower frequency but that does not help me. My question is What Ferrite Bead, Core, etc.? Can someone give me a part number. How big does it need to be so that 10 amps, 25 amps, etc will not hurt it? How many turns through the core? Should the wire (wires) be bi-filar wound or separated and wound on opposite sides? Thanks, Rich, KE0X ___ 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
FW: [Elecraft] Power Supply Ferrite Beads.
I just gave up on the whole thing, bought a car battery and a $20 trickle charger. Two (both sides) 30A fuse holders and it even works after the power goes out. A bit heavy, but a great addition to the bench! Pretty clean powerg! Dan / WG4S / K2 #2456 snip I would like some advice on the correct Ferrite beads /snip ___ 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: FW: [Elecraft] Power Supply Ferrite Beads.
A Word of caution Charging Car Batteries give off HYDROGEN GAS don't charge them indoors in a closed room Dan Barker wrote: I just gave up on the whole thing, bought a car battery and a $20 trickle charger. Two (both sides) 30A fuse holders and it even works after the power goes out. A bit heavy, but a great addition to the bench! Pretty clean powerg! Dan / WG4S / K2 #2456 snip I would like some advice on the correct Ferrite beads /snip ___ 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 -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.308 / Virus Database: 266.11.10 - Release Date: 5/13/2005 ___ 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] Dayton Elecraft Party
Hey, Where is the Elecraft Party at Dayton? Lee - K0WA Common sense is in short supply - get some and use it. If you can't find any common sense, ask somebody who owns some. - Lee Buller ___ 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] Power Supply Ferrite Beads.
Hello Rich Several suggestions. First, for the ac cord, use a large enough toroid so that you can get a number of turns through it. Try to get them to lay smoothly next to each other, rather than bunching and crossing over each other. You can remove the ac plug for the winding, then install a new one when the windings are done. This doesn't answer your question as to what material to use though. Here I have a shoebox full of orphan toroids, where I don't know their history. I use my antenna analyzer to check the impedance of a number of turns on a given toroid, and keep trying 'til I find one that gives a good impedance over the hf range. If someone can specify a particular core material that is known to be good, that is even better. Put the toroid as close to the switcher as you can, to minimize the amount of cord that can radiate hash. Second suggestion is to provide some spacing, say up to six feet or so from the radio. I'm assuming your switching supply is in a plastic case. That seems to be rather common these days. On the dc output side, place another toroid, as close to the power supply output as possible, again to minimize the amount of wire that can radiate hash. Use a heavy enough gauge of wire to minimize voltage drop though. For a K2, a heavy lamp cord would do nicely. Third suggestion is to be sure you are using either coax or a balanced feedline with balun. Either approach will have minimum pickup in the vicinity of the radio. The hash will have to go all the way out to the antenna to be picked up, and by then it should be too weak to be a problem (hopefully). Hope this helps you get started, Rich. Good luck and 73 Bob N6WG -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Rich Lentz Sent: Monday, May 16, 2005 1:25 PM To: Elecraft Reflector Subject: [Elecraft] Power Supply Ferrite Beads. I would like some advice on the correct Ferrite beads to use in the P/S line to minimize noise from a switching P/S. Though slightly off topic, with the exception you must get power to the Elecraft rig somehow and quite often it is a switching power supply due to their small size this is going to be used for my K2. I have read many recommendations on their use here but can't find the answers to my questions. I have spent several hours on the internet and the only conclusive information is Don't get one of those split beads from Radio Shack as they are for frequencies above 30 MHZ. There was discussion on using type 75 or 77 as this has a higher impedance at lower frequency but that does not help me. My question is What Ferrite Bead, Core, etc.? Can someone give me a part number. How big does it need to be so that 10 amps, 25 amps, etc will not hurt it? How many turns through the core? Should the wire (wires) be bi-filar wound or separated and wound on opposite sides? Thanks, Rich, KE0X ___ 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 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: FW: [Elecraft] Power Supply Ferrite Beads.
My solution is similar. I use a sealed 12 AH gelcell 'jumpstart' battery with a built in charger (paid $50 at AutoZone, but seen for as low as $40). Here's a link to the Mity Mite: http://www.batterychargers.com/details.cfm?prodid=PS%2D120Acatid=13 I leave it plugged into the outlet all of the time (float charge ... takes a few days to top it off if I've drained it significantly). Sometimes I'll unplug it to see if I'm getting much RFI from the charger - but it is usually very little. I went with a 12 AH because it should be more than enough for me to use for Field Day each year with my K2/QRP. Daniel AA0NI p.s. No Hydrogen problem with this set up (that I am aware of). p.p.s. I keep this in the bedroom underneath the student desk by the window I operate from. If it was a real car battery or deep cycle battery - I'd probably keep it outside, and run the power through the window/wall to avoid Hydrogen because it can be a serious danger - even with a trickle charger. --- \RC\ KC5WA [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: A Word of caution Charging Car Batteries give off HYDROGEN GAS don't charge them indoors in a closed room Dan Barker wrote: I just gave up on the whole thing, bought a car battery and a $20 trickle charger. Two (both sides) 30A fuse holders and it even works after the power goes out. A bit heavy, but a great addition to the bench! Pretty clean powerg! Dan / WG4S / K2 #2456 snip I would like some advice on the correct Ferrite beads /snip ___ 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 -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.308 / Virus Database: 266.11.10 - Release Date: 5/13/2005 ___ 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 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] Power Supply Ferrite Beads.
In a message dated 16/05/05 23:08:10 GMT Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: First, for the ac cord, use a large enough toroid so that you can get a number of turns through it. Try to get them to lay smoothly next to each other, rather than bunching and crossing over each other. You can remove the ac plug for the winding, then install a new one when the windings are done. Reply: --- Like Bob, N6WG I used a large ferrite ring that was sold at a hamfest for use to construct a filter for hi-fi interference and TVI suppression at HF at about US$1.00 each. Through this wound as many turns of 3 conductor AC power cord that would fit laid flat with it's outer sheath removed. Ended up with about 12 turns secured with plastic cable ties. In my case was using this to suppress a noisy PC switched mode supply at HF so added an IEC free socket on the end of the short cable tail. The incoming power was taken through one of the shielded IEC chassis mounting filter with male connector that are available in the market. Mounted the whole lot in a plastic box with an added MOV suppresser to remove spikes mounted at the terminals of the IEC filter. This is only added for the benefit of the PC to prevent spikes causing system crashes. Mounted the box next to the power socket on the PC switch mode PSU to keep any leads short. Works well allowing me to have the PC running at the same time as working HF which was just about impossible before. Purposely suppressed all three conductors including ground which decoupled the PSU case and by default the PC to contain the interference sources. Noted that a commercial power filter for telephone switch use was found to be similar, with all three conductors including the ground lead decoupled with an inductors. Bob, G3VVT ___ 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] K2 SSB Question
Ok, gang, please ignore my previous post and rack it up to simple paranoia. I finished my 100 W stage Saturday, tried to make a few QSOs Sunday and failed during the abysmal band condx. I felt fairly sure I must've have messed up something while installing the amp. *BUT* today after work I had a solid phone QSO on 20m between here (Pennsylvania) and Texas with a fellow K2 owner, though he was on a Collins at 900 W today. We had 30 minutes with no fading and a great chat. It's likely coincidence, but he said I was the first QSO all afternoon he'd been able to maintain for more than a few minutes. I followed this up with a psk31 qso just to be sure all is well. Paranoia cured! Now...do I sell my other rig which is getting very little use since the K2 showed up?? :-/ Mike WA1SEO, maybe your experience is the same as mine - just a misinterpretation? If you have access to a scope, that would let you know for sure what's happening. Short of that, the good ol' whistle test to a dummy load will be helpful as well. 73, Mike AB3AP Avondale, PA On Mon 16-May-05 at 1149 EDT, Mike Markowski wrote: [...] SSB sounds fine on my test rcvr on 40m and 80m, 100 W into dummy load, where I see peaks of maybe 20 to 25 W when speaking into the mic. But on other bands I see about 2 W! [...] ___ 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] Fuel for the Morse interface fire
I posted this last Friday when it was fresh but it got rejected due to size and I just got the bounce message today. Here it is again for those who care: I spend a lot of time tapping out text on my cell phone using T9 or multitap input methods (the latter being where you press 2 once to get A, twice for B, three times for C, etc. for each key on the phone). And I write software for cellphones and PDAs for a living. The mention of Morse as a phone/PDA user interface (UI) got me thinking about using the * # keys as dit and dah (or dah and dit if you prefer). The question is, which input method requires fewer keystrokes? A quick look at the key assignments shows that it takes no more than 3 keystrokes for most letters using multitap, except S and Z. Numbers take 4 strokes except 7 and 9 which take 5. Morse requires 4 strokes for many letters and 5 for numbers. Only two letters can be represented with one stroke (E and T) whereas multitap can do 8 letters with one stroke (A, D, G, J, M, P, T, and W). If we wire the Morse UI like a keyer so that the keys repeat if held down, then seven letters and two numbers can be sent with one keystroke (E, I, S, H, 5, T, M, O, and 0), most of the rest can be done with two or three, and only the letter C requires 4. The PDA software I work on is for Bible study. For fun I ran the text of the Bible through a program that counted keystrokes using each of these methods. The Bible text I used was the New International Version. The file was in HTML so I ignored characters in tags. Here are the results: Total characters processed: 3,215,866 Multitap keystrokes: 6,939,643 Morse keystrokes: 8,349,063 Morse with autorepeat: 5,454,858 Then for even more fun I ran a 50MB collection of Bible reference books through the process (less than 30 seconds... ain't computers grand?): Total characters processed: 52,414,671 Multitap keystrokes: 114,462,190 Morse keystrokes: 136,308,478 Morse with autorepeat: 89,415,736 There are some other interesting advantages to a CW interface: 1. CW combines the use of two buttons and *time* as a third parameter (the length of time you hold down the key changes the meaning of the keystroke). So you're getting three pieces of info from two keys. Multitap reduces keystrokes by increasing the number of keys. CW reduces keystrokes by using the duration of the keystroke to supply additional information. 2. One of the frustrations of multitap comes when you need two characters in a row from the same key. You either need to tap the right-arrow key to move to the next character or wait for it to time out. With CW there's a natural break between characters that is dependant on your sending speed. There's some obvious disadvantages of coures. For one thing, nobody knows Morse Code so it's not very practical for the general public. (Compare the popularity of Esperanto as an international UI for example.) Anyway it's an interesting thought. It doesn't seem like it would be that hard for the right person (i.e. total nutcase with more time than brains) to rig this up on a couple of popular phones so we can all play with it. Come on, I know there are at least a couple of you on the list. :-) Craig NZ0R K1 #1966 ___ 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] K2 Audio Hum Problem (60c)
I noticed a severe hum (60cycle) hum in the K2 after testing a Heath hw101 . it appeared that i had damaged the front end of the K2 ,and after some alarm and checking all things i discovered that i had moved a Small Alarm Clock 120vac near the K2 and it was causing all the problem . I have heard about similar problems with Power Supplies near the rig but this is a new one ! It sure caused me some grief for awhile (hi) So keep all ac coils , Xmfrs, clocks ,etc away from the K2 ! 72,73, Jerry K9UT #1273 ___ 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] K2 Filter attenuation?
Thanks for the many replies, after spending HOURS of tweaking and reading and retweaking and listening I have a better picture of what my K2 CW filters are capable of.. There is an interesting dent in each of the curves that I can not explain.. any ideas? Worth noting, I found out by accident that I can produce a chart that shows zero attenuation between filter settings simply by turning on the AGC. So if you do this, you are not getting realistic attenuation readings. The below chart is the best I can produce with the AGC turned off. Bottom line is that I get about 6 db of attenuation when I switch to the 200 Hz filter. The manual says the filter is designed down to 250 hz so I think that I should be just a tad better than what I am.How far down in db is the filter bandwidth measured ? (I seem to recall it is 6 db?) http://www.vtc.net/~ken/filters2.jpg Ken Lotts aa7jc ___ 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] Camping trip with KX1
I'm posting this on behalf of John, AE5X, who was having trouble posting to the reflector. See URL below. --Wayne, N6KR * * * My camping trip to the Wichita Mountains was great the KX1 performed flawlessly. Details, photos, etc at: http://www.ae5x.com/charon.htm 73, John AE5X --- 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] Simple Method for Measuring Tuner loss withreactiveloads
Stuart K5KVH wrote: He (Frank Witt) measured the Johnson Matchbox, and found although a good balanced tuner, it did not match all impedances and work on all of today's bands. -Stuart K5KVH --- E.F. Johnson specified the Matchbox tuners for 3.5 to 30 MHz. Over that range, the Johnson specifications say they were capable of matching antennas showing feedpoint impedances of 50 to 1200 Ohms into balanced lines and 50 to 2000 ohms into unbalanced lines. 1200 ohms is not especially impressive when feeding the all-band doublet type of antenna with open wire line. The impedance can easily exceed this value. On the lower end, 50 ohms is no great value either. Short antennas can easily show impedances below 10 ohms. So, while the venerable Matchbox ATU's were very good, they definitely couldn't load up the bedsprings as we used to say in praise of a tuner that could load anything! Ron AC7AC ___ 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] Re: Fuel for the Morse interface fire
Wayne Burdick wrote: Morse has three other ergonomic advantages you didn't mention: 1. You can send Morse with one hand (even medium-fast text messaging requires two hands) Text messaging with my phone requires cradling the phone in one hand and pressing the digits with the thumb of that hand. What does the other hand need to do? Maybe you have a really big cell phone? :-) de - N3WZ (Jim) ___ 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] K2 Filter attenuation?
Ken Lotts wrote: The below chart is the best I can produce with the AGC turned off. Bottom line is that I get about 6 db of attenuation when I switch to the 200 Hz filter. I would say this is typical. But...your widest filter shouldn't be centered on 570 Hz, since this allows significant response on the wrong side of zero beat. You should move the passband of this filter a bit higher; you would get slightly more output at 570 Hz if you did this, too. There's no rule that says the filters must be centered. It's probably not useful to have any response below about 200 Hz. -- 73, Vic, K2VCO Fresno CA http://www.qsl.net/k2vco ___ 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
