[Elecraft] RE: IC-7800
Hi All, The IC-7800 is a beautiful radio--no question. I saw one at Dayton this year, and it will charm your socks off! I saw the new Yaesu there also, but no touchee--they had it in a glass case! It's beautiful too, but costs even more. To me, there are (at least) two words that apply here--afford and justify. In other words, can you afford an IC-7800, and if you can, can you justify it? Some of us can do one or the other, a few can do both, but many of us can do neither. So we just marvel at it I guess. Personally, I really am at a loss to see how this radio can be 10 or 11 thousand dollars better than what we are already using. I sure hope, when the reviews on these radios come out, they focus on that aspect. But we are a nation of conspicuous consumption. And that isn't all bad! I'm as guilty as most in buying things I don't need. I won't tell you what my XYL calls me!! And don't get me wrong, if you can afford an IC-7800, and get a bunch of utils (a word from my college economic class which means a measurement of utility) from owning one, go for it! But I really look forward to the debate around the campfire about how much better a radio like this can be. In addition to my K2, which I love dearly, I also have a fairly new FT-1000MP Mark V. I'm not even sure I can justify that radio, but I do get a fair amount of utils out of it. It has buttons I haven't even used yet! The big deal, I guess, is that it runs 200 watts, so I don't need an amp when I want to just QRO it. But it sure doesn't hear as well as my K2. My K2 really needs to be upgraded--it's an early model, and I haven't even put DSP in it yet. But even in its present state, it runs like a swiss watch. I work DX like crazy with it, even with my puny little R7 vertical--the best I can do with CCR's around here--it isn't even legal. If I can't work them on the K2, I can switch to the FT-1000. If that doesn't do it, well tomorrow is another day. Nope, even a gadget freak like me is going to be hard pressed to spend that much money! But I hope some of you get past the guilt barrier and buy one. I'm really looking forward to hearing how glad you are that you did it--and why! Dave W7AQK ___ 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/elecraftHelp: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] Wild QRP at Midnight
Like Paul, I found 20 meters last night to be absolutely fabulous. Actually, it's been very good at night off and on for the last several weeks. With my K2 at 5 watts, and just an R7 vertical, I worked one European after another, usually on the first call and with no repeats. If you haven't been checking 20 meters after the sun goes down lately, you are really missing it. Of course, contests always bring DX out of the woodwork, but they way things have been lately I think you could almost work DX with a wet piece of string! Check it out! Dave W7AQK ___ 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/elecraftHelp: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] Re: recommended switching supply
Like others, I have been using the Alinco 330 switching supply for a couple of years now, and no detectible RF interference. Dave W7AQK ___ 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] wireless headfones?
Fred and All, I do it all the time! I use an RCA wireless headphone system that cost about $50 on sale. Works great. I can go through most of the house and still hear fine. It can get spotty in places. Be careful though. Not all of these systems work that well. Some time back I had a system that only worked across the room, but not from other rooms. The system I have now is RCA model WHP150. I have a second RCA system (WHP140) which I use in the bedroom for watching TV without disturbing my wife if she wants to sleep. By connecting to one of the audio output jacks on the back of the TV set, I can mute the TV sound without affecting the output to the headphone system. Both systems seem to work equally well. In fact, by slightly changing the frequency setting on the headphone I can hear the other system. These are 900 mhz systems. Guess what--you can also use a 2 meter HT with wideband receive to monitor if you like. Dave W7AQK ___ 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] Roger Daltry
In a message dated 3/6/2005 10:07:15 AM US Mountain Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: I was stopped in my tracks momentarily when I was told I sounded like Roger Daltry! Is this good? Apparently it was meant as a compliment and I therefore took it as one. Well, its very positive as far as my daughters are concerned! Roger Daltry is one of the lead members of The Who, a mega rock group from the 70's. He was (is) quite a heart throb with the ladies! Perhaps you are more familiar with the other leading personality from that group, Pete Townsend. Anyway, I'm sure it was meant to be very complimentary. Now, if he had said you sounded like Tiny Tim, or Clarence (Frogman) Henry, I would have been offended! Dave W7AQK ___ 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] T1 Arrives--Good News and Bad NewsQ
First the good news! My T1 arrived today! Now the bad news! I have a new Bullmastiff puppy--3 months old--his name is Linus, but I may rename him T1--I had the bags out of the box to inventory parts--got a phone call--puppy (he's 30 lbs. already), stretches up to table and grabs bag of parts--takes them out on the patio--proceeds to chew the bag to bits! Parts all over the patio! I recovered most of the parts (I think), but now an inventory is crucial! I wonder what the calorie count is for radio parts! Any bets on whether I found ALL the parts Dave W7AQK ___ 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] Linus (The T1 Eating Maching) Update
Hi All, Seems like I'm giving folks a good laugh, and I don't blame you. Unbelievable, isn't it? Anyway, the parts inventory fortunately yielded good news. The only part that seems to be missing is the stereo jack, which I assume will show up later I even found all the little LED spacers! When I caught Linus in the act, he was chewing on the foam padding with the processor on it, but doesn't look like he did anything to the processor itself---hopefully!!! If he wasn't so darn cute and innocent looking I'd be mad. Maybe I should add his picture to my QSL card equipment list! Thanks for all the suggestions! Dave W7AQK ___ 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] The Linus Special
Hi All, Notwithstanding my dog Linus's efforts to the contrary (trying to eat my parts), the T1 is up and running. Still running tests though, but it tunes fine. My firmware is v 1.07--looks like there has been an update since the manual was prepared. The only construction question I have is why we are instructed to wait until the board is full of parts before we do the parts on the bottom side of the board. Seems like it would have been easier to mount these first, still solder them from the bottom side, but then clip the leads flush on the top side. But I'm sure there's a good reason for doing it otherwise. The T1 is going to be a very handy piece of gear. Thanks to Wayne and Eric for another winner. Happy Easter to all who celebrate the day. Dave W7AQK ___ 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] The Linus Special
In a message dated 3/27/2005 1:53:27 PM US Mountain Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: My prototype T1 has v 1.07. I think that was the last revision before shipments begun. What in the operating manual makes you suspect something different? Only that the owner's manual refers to V 1.06 when discussing the Info Report on page 7. I assumed that perhaps they would use the latest firmware version in the instructions, but that may be a stretch! Anyway, no big deal--just speculation on my part. Very nice job on the manual Ron. It certainly contained lots of very appropriate warnings where errors could commonly occur. It was also obvious that someone very carefully documented potential problems in the building process, like not soldering certain leads before an adjoining lead was also ready to be soldered. I particularly liked the thrice stated get the right LED lead in the right hole warning! You must have had me in mind when you did that! Anyway, it's a very thorough and well thought out construction guide indeed. Thanks for making it a heck of a lot easier for us klutzes! Dave W7AQK ___ 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] Case For The New T1
Hi All, One of the first things I did after building the T1 was to look for something in which to store it. Amazingly, I had something already that seems to work very well. It's a case originally intended for one of my earlier Pocket PC's. My wife keeps that unit on her bedstand now, so it isn't being used. This case (I am pretty sure it was after-market, and not included originally) is for the Compaq 3800 series, which are a bit larger than most of the ones now being sold. Anyway, the T1 fits inside very nicely. This case gives the T1 a nice protective cover for transporting, although you will probably want to remove the battery first since those little buttons are easy to push when closely covered. I don't remember what I paid for it, but it was probably only around $10 or so. Cases intended for that size of Pocket PC are probably a slow moving item now, and may well be discounted. I'll keep my eyes open when I'm out and about, but thought I would mention the nice fit in case anyone else was wondering what to look for. Dave W7AQK ___ 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] (OT) Threat to 30 meters
In a message dated 4/4/2005 8:19:17 PM US Mountain Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: If you use 30 meters for CW there may be an unpleasent surprize on the horizon. I've posted information about it at www.zerobeat.net If you operate CW at low poer levels, you really should read the material. Could you be a little more specific please? Dave W7AQK ___ 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] T1 Mod
I got one of the first T1's that went out the door at Elecraft, but that meant I also had to do the mod that was deemed necessary so early on. As it turned out, the hardest part was getting the glued together toroids unstuck from my fingers! I know, smooth move dummy! It only took a minute or two though--thankfully! I have found the Radio Shack solder sucker tool to be a handy device--probably not considered the best unsoldering method by master builders, but it seems to work well for me. You squeeze the air out of the bulb, apply the heated tip to the joint, let go of the bulb as soon as solder starts to flow, and whoosh! It generally opens the connection nicely. Just remember to blow out the solder that has been collected in the air line before trying the next task. Anyway, I made the changes, put the thing back together, and pushed the button--still lights up like an outhouse in a fog! Hooked it up to my Argo V (which has no tuner like my K2 does), tapped the buttons again, and the pleasant sound of relays chattering came forth. It's working FB. I haven't put the T1 to any real torture tests, like pieces of wet string or anything, but so far it seems to work great on just about every antenna I have around here. I've tried it on portable antennas, like the PAC-12, without paying too much attention to dimension precision, and it zeros right in on 1 to 1. Works great with my NorCal 40 and Sierra too. I think this is going to be an extremely handy piece of gear. Anybody with an Argo, an 817, or any of the single band kit transceivers we've been building over the last several years, should invest in one of these. It makes things so simple! I wouldn't opt for it in lieu of, say the internal tuner in the KX1 (that rig is fabulous!), but it's perfect for any tunerless QRP rig. So, I'm ready for the next mod! Dave W7AQK ___ 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] Bad fist
In a message dated 4/6/2005 12:57:46 PM US Mountain Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Then I found my current CW mentor (I am not sure if he wants to get mentioned here But Thank you SB!!) He worked with me, and is still working with me. Got me faster and faster. He weaned me from Farnsworth at about 15 wpm. He modified the style so the words were at full speed with larger spaces between. Then he went faster. Eventually I never noticed when the extra spacing went away. Some place in there I got confidence enough (foolish me!) to start the Elecraft CW Net. I thought since the SSB net was getting started maybe we should use these fine rigs for what they are best at doing: CW. So fools (me) rushed in where most angels would be scared silly. Too dumb to know any better I got a CW net going. Wayne still thinks I am a bit nuts but then he may be right ;) Hi All, Well, I think you had a good mentor! The critical thing I think you learned was about spacing, which in my view is the ultimate sin of most poor CW ops! I can deal with most CW, so long as there is some recognizable spacing between characters. But when I run across these folks who simply run their dits and dahs together from one letter to the next, I'm outta here! Some ops insist on having a swing to their sending, and though I don't care for it much, I can usually copy that stuff O.K. too. Personally, I like to make sure there is just a slight bit of extra spacing between words as well. You would be amazed at how much easier it is to copy when words are readily identifiable by their spacing. When I run across someone else who uses that technique, it is a dream to copy. Of course, the characters of each letter in a word need proper spacing too, but there is something very positive about word separation--especially if you are copying in your head. At 20 wpm or less it isn't that critical, but when you get going at 25 or 30 wpm, you really appreciate it. The best advice I can give any op, particularly new ops, is to tape your own sending and try copying it back. I would suggest taping the W1AW code practice sessions, tape your own sending of the same text, and compare. The next best advice I can give is to drop all that rock and roll stuff and just try sending well formed characters and words. You probably won't get many compliments about your fist unless you do. And last, but not least, don't send faster than you are really capable of doing with proper spacing and character formation. You can bet the op at the other end won't be having much fun if you violate that rule. Dave W7AQK ___ 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:Antenna analyzers
In a message dated 4/16/2005 5:20:48 AM US Mountain Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: are both junk... It's really unfortunate that with the ham marketplace so small, that folks feel the need to slam the few suppliers we have. I don't think you should be so hard on folks, even if they do get carried away perhaps. Obviously there is some frustration there, and they need to vent. All too often we get products that have maddening quirks, and generally they could have been avoided with just a little more thought, engineering, and/or better components. So, just weed out the excesses in their comments, and look for whatever might be valid. If you find nothing helpful, just chalk it up to someone having a bad day and forget it. More often than not, well reasoned responses will temper their frustration and maybe even help them see the error in their ways. I have a MFJ 259, and I like it. As far as I know, the MFJ-269 is just a 259 with UHF added. I think these antenna analyzers are just about the best products MFJ has ever made. But there's lots not to like as well. It's too big for one thing. I think it eats batteries too, but someone seemed to think it didn't. But, without question, this gadget does a lot of things, and does them pretty well. But I've given up changing batteries in it, since it's so hard to get at the batteries. I just use an outboard 12V pack instead. I have a very small 12V pack that I can just slip on my belt, and use that to power it. Besides, leaving out all those heavy batteries inside the 259 makes it a lot easier to handle. Speaking of handles, this thing ought to have one. But I keep hoping MFJ will update this thing to a smaller and less power hungry version. Maybe someday. I also have an RF-1. I like it too. Now this thing is nice and small, and very easy to handle. It's not easy to tune however. A little jiggle of the knob, and you are several hundred khz away from your desired frequency. But I guess that's the price you pay for something so compact. I don't like the on/off switch either. It's too easy to trip if you pack this in a case or something, and then your battery goes south on you. So you need to disconnect the battery when not in use--probably a good practice anyway. The RF-1 goes with me usually when I go portable. It tells me just about everything I need to know when I set up my antenna. When not in use, you can just stick it in your pocket. All in all, I would vote for the RF-1. It's portability is really its strong suit as far as I am concerned. Now, the MFJ 259 displays a lot of info at one time, and that is a very helpful thing--you can see frequency, SWR, and impedence all at one time. But 9 times out of 10 I'm just trying to get my antenna tuned to a particular frequency, and the RF-1 tells me that just about as well as any of the other units would. A couple of switch flips, and you see the other info too. AND...(drum roll)--it's cheaper! It sure beats the Kuranishi and the Palstar in that category. An MFJ-269 is 100 bucks more than the MFJ-259, but you get UHF coverage. But even the MFJ-259 is more expensive than the RF-1, so let your pocket book be your guide. Dave W7AQK ___ 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] KW Amp Prices
In a message dated 4/25/2005 9:15:57 PM US Mountain Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: The least expensive of the lot is the new Tokyo Hypower HL2KFX at around $2600 plus $330 shipping. Its a bare bones KW amp at 54 lbs with its built in switching power supply. If you add a KW autotuner to the combination, the price starts to get up near the $4000 range. Very few in the hobby can afford it. So there is a very limited prospect for sales unless the price could be kept below 3K. Here is the web link for a very interesting amp. Although I can afford it, they will play H E double toothpick selling me one at anything close to that price--probably at any price. Amps are, in my view, the most overpriced pieces of gear in the hamshack. If you spend one tenth of that amount sprucing up your antenna system you will get more benefit. The worst thing that ever happened to ham radio was when they allowed amplifiers that run more power than the local commercial radio station. The U.K. allows, I think, a maximum of 400 watts---or is that Australia? Anyway, that's plenty! From that level, the most you can improve your signal is about 1 S unit--unless you cheat! Anything more than a couple hundred watts just creates QRM--it becomes brute force rather than technique! Obviously I'm spitting in the wind, but I just don't see the fun of running that much power. In truth, I'm just a tad disappointed that a company, which has such strong roots in lower power equipment and innovation, finds it necessary to jump into the QRO market. I realize that everyone has to make a living somehow, but the incredible talent in that company could seemingly be much better utilized in a thousand other ways than amps. I can only conclude that the markup must be phenominal! Dave W7AQK ___ 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] Favorite K2 Remote Program?
In a message dated 4/28/2005 3:05:48 AM US Mountain Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: My own program K2Net provides a remote K2 front panel that can be used across the Internet. However it is not, and is never likely to, do all the things TRX Manager can, especially as I have somewhat lost interest in writing software for radio hams following the abuse I received trying to stick up for commercial software developers (see the blog on my website if you're interested.) Julian, Please don't consider differing opinions to equate to abuse. You write great software, run an excellent website, and generally are a great contributor to the hobby. But, unfortunately, not everything strong contributors like you say or do will be viewed as gospel. Nobody is right all the time. I read, and enjoyed, the discussion on your website. Nothing I saw there seemed like abuse, only honest debate (maybe I missed some comments that were a bit too critical). It's really a complex issue, and bound to have conflicting opinions. Dave W7AQK ___ 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
Something occurred to me about this race. The text message folks got to punch their message in, which was then printed out on the receiving end right on the receiver's phone. I'm not sure if they were also trying to transcribe by hand. Seems to me the CW guys could have shown that capability as well, and to the audience, with a code reader. That could have been hooked up to a big screen viewable by the audience. Might have been a bit risky though, since code readers don't always show exactly what has been sent, or may group some letters funny, if the sender isn't just about perfect. But, they could also quickly demonstrate an ability to send that message at an even faster rate. Oh well, the way it was done was certainly effective, and at least we are all getting a big bang out of it. I know I did! KNOW CODE! Dave W7AQK ___ 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] T1 ATU CUSTOMER NOTICE: Removing protective film from the label
In a message dated 6/1/2005 11:05:49 AM US Mountain Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: IF YOU HAVE THE KIT VERSION: The label supplied with the kit version of the T1 has the protective film in place. You must removed it as described below. Done! Didn't even know it was there. Dave W7AQK ___ 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 prices
In a message dated 9/6/2005 2:04:35 PM US Mountain Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: How many of you have bought a spare k2 and inventoried it than put it back in the box and have it on a shelve waiting for the price to go up like heath kits have done? see ya 73's N1IB David Schornak Hmmm! Hedging the market for K2's! Wonder if the boys at Merrill Lynch have focused on this ploy yet??? Dave W7AQK ___ 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 ALS 600
You can hook up the ALC if you want, but don't need to. Just connect the amp to the keying line on the K3, and the antenna, and you are good to go. It only takes about 40 watts of drive from the K3 to get 400 plus out of the ALS-600. Dave W7AQK - Original Message - From: Bob Wehking rwehk...@cinci.rr.com To: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net Sent: Tuesday, November 24, 2009 8:50 AM Subject: [Elecraft] K3 ALS 600 I have a K3, S/N 225 an ALS 600, S/N 12911 that I would like to interface. Do I need to connect the ALC to the amp. Anything else needed to get the two to play together? Bob WB8DDI __ 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] Yamaha CM500 Headset is a WINNER (and a BARGAIN)
I checked on the internet, and was pointed to the Sam Ash link. The link said free shipping, but when I got to the Sam Ash website, it wanted to charge about 10 bucks shipping, which put their price about the same as what Amazon sells it for. I have another suggestion some might want to try. My biggest concern with most of these headsets is finding one that has really good earphones--they vary a lot. If you find one you really like, and don't think the microphone is good enough, you might try just replacing the cartridge with one from Radio Shack. I've made several electret microphones, all of which got very good reports as to audio, using the Radio Shack cartridge. There was unanimous agreement that they sounded better than the Heil Pro Set I have. You could even modify a regular set of headphones you have, just attaching a boom mike to it. I don't think it would be very hard to do. I have a couple of pairs of inexpensive (but comfortable) Labtec headphones I really like, and I've been contemplating converting them to a combo headset. The headphones were only about $10, and a Radio Shack electret cartridge is only about $3. At least it would be an interesting project. Dave W7AQK - Original Message - From: Gary W. Marklund g...@marklund.com To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Sent: Tuesday, November 24, 2009 10:35 AM Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Yamaha CM500 Headset is a WINNER (and a BARGAIN) Most prices I found on the Internet were in the $59 range. BH Photovideo in NYC lists it at $38.95 but they are currently out of stock. I'll try my local Sam Ash. 73 Gary -- KJ7RT Sun City, AZ U.S.A. Life Member ARRL - FISTS #14460 - NAQCC # 3709 Elecraft K1 #2760 Elecraft K2 #6815 __ 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] Special offer
Hi All, It's a really good deal, particularly when you see that ARRL is selling them for $20 more, and that is supposedly $10 off the regular price. I already ordered (and received) one from Bill Kelsey (Kanga US). It cost a bit more, but the shipping was less, so around the same price--and I got the hardbound version at that price. As soon as I saw the Elecraft offer, I passed in on to a friend (who will soon be a K3 owner). He had seen my copy, and wanted one. I was a little disappointed when he told me what the postage was, but maybe Bill Kelsey ate the processing part. Anyway, it's a really good buy, and the 2010 Handbook is loaded with good stuff. I don't know what's going on with all the deals this year from ARRL on this new version, but clearly this is the year to buy a new edition if you haven't updated recently. Even Dayton prices on new editions haven't been this good! Don't forget that you also get a CD with the entire book contained therein, so you can also have the whole thing at your fingertips when you travel, etc. Dave W7AQK - Original Message - From: r miles greenacres...@charter.net To: elecraft elecraft@mailman.qth.net Sent: Tuesday, November 24, 2009 9:27 PM Subject: [Elecraft] Special offer Just ordered a handbook. Couldn't beat the price! Make great presents. Got one last yr for my son in law when he passed his extra. Not sure if I'll keep this one or make it a gift. k9il K3 #2626 Tnx Elecraft __ 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 in the CQWW contest
That's an excellent point Jim! I don't think most folks realize how close you can get to another station with a K3 and not even know they are there! I used to have big problems with a fellow who lives about a quarter of a mile from me--not his fault, but he was just LOUD! Now, I don't even know he is on the band unless I stumble right on top of him! Let me just say that narrow roofing filters in the K3 are for real! It's a whole different world than with previous transceivers--even the Orion! Dave W7AQK - Original Message - From: Jim Brown j...@audiosystemsgroup.com To: Elecraft Reflector elecraft@mailman.qth.net Sent: Monday, November 30, 2009 2:49 PM Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 in the CQWW contest On Mon, 30 Nov 2009 12:37:46 -0500, DOUGLAS ZWIEBEL wrote: What a great radio Yes. Several times I got complaints from guys who came on my new run frequency to complain when I landed too close to theirfrequency on 40M. Thanks to my K3, I didn't even know they were there, and couldn't hear them with my IF opened up to 400 Hz. Can't blame it on my TX -- on CW, I can run 500 Hz away from my close-in neighbors who also use K3s. 73, Jim K9YC __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] Using K3's Pre-amp
Hi Adam, As Wayne pointed out, and as I suspected, I was kind of beating a dead horse due to the noise level I have. I have done something similar to what you did--turning off various circuits in the house to see if much of the noise disappeared. It didn't seem to make much difference here, but I need to check this out more effectively. I suspect some of my problem could be due to using a vertical antenna, which tends to pick up noise more easily than a horizontal antenna might. I hope to try some comparative testing using some sort of dipole to see if things improve. Power lines are always a suspect! I have some too that aren't all that far away. Our neighborhood had underground utilities, but I live near the periphery, and there are poles that run along the edge of the development. I'll be doing some RF sniffing around there! Your noise level does seem quite high, so I feel certain you will find some culprits if you can do some additional checking around your location. You might want to give your local power company a call as well, if you suspect any of your noise is coming from those poles. Dave W7AQK - Original Message - From: Adam Koczarski ka7...@ka7ark.com To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Sent: Monday, January 12, 2009 8:47 AM Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Using K3's Pre-amp -Original Message- From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net [mailto:elecraft- boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of wayne burdick Sent: Friday, January 09, 2009 8:53 PM To: Dave Yarnes Cc: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Using K3's Pre-amp The noise floor is your entire problem :) It's a fact that the preamp improves the MDS of the K3 by at least several dB. But if your noise floor is S4, it will do not good at all, because all lower signals are already masked by the noise. I just ran a noise experiment at my QTH yesterday. My typical noise is s7.0 S6.5 s7.5 on 80m, 40m 20m respectively. With every circuit in the house off, except the one the radio is on, and with only the power supply and the radio on that one circuit the noise is s4.0 S4.75 s5.0. I turned on circuits one at a time and recorded to S level jump for each. The 'home entertainment center' seems to be the biggest contributor so I'll start there. Now I just need to figure out how the switch off the neighborhood transformers and silence my neighbors! :) I have some fairly large power lines across the street. Are they usually strong contributors to noise? You can see the resulting data here: http://www.ka7ark.com/20080111QTHnoise/pics.html Adam - ka7ark ___ 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] ELECRAFT KEY FOR SALE SAVE $ 100.00!!!
James, I am so sorry to hear about you hand problem. I'm sure this has been a terrible thing to deal with. I don't know your full situation, but may I be so bold as to suggest that perhaps you try learning to send with your other hand? I've often thought about doing that myself, but never followed through--at least not yet. I'm a leftie, and in a right handed world there are often things that just don't work very well using your left hand. For example, in my work I had a need to run an adding machine, and those don't lend themselves to a left handed user. So, I learned, and fairly quickly, to do it with my right hand. I suspect, in your situation, you will be forced to learn some things with your other hand, and using a paddle might be a good therapy to develop coordination in that opposite hand. If you are being forced to use your left hand now (I'm assuming you were right-handed), I can assure you that sending with the left hand--even without changing the paddle configuration--is very doable. It would certainly seem frustrating at first, but I bet you could do it, and very succesfully. There might even be very significant side benefits in helping you deal with other tasks. I hope this doesn't sound insensitive to your situation. I only mean to make this suggestion with the best of intentions. Dave W7AQK - Original Message - From: james scott To: AK3 Sent: Sunday, February 01, 2009 8:08 PM Subject: [Elecraft] ELECRAFT KEY FOR SALE SAVE $ 100.00!!! Due to problems with a partial hand amputation, I must sell my keys. I am now forced to use a keyboard. I have Elecraft Hex Key # E 0355 for sale. I am including a first class, heavy duty cord and plug. NONE is supplied when sold new. Condition is excellent with original box. Price is $ 135.00 and I'll pay the shipping in the USA . Outside US, additional funds required. Payment via U.S. Postal Money order or Paypal is preferred. Save close to $ 100.00 over new! Contact w...@hotmail.com for details. WK3N NEVER SLEEPS ! Quote from Martti Lane, OH2BH. ( Proof available for SASE to WK3N) -- Windows Live™: E-mail. Chat. Share. Get more ways to connect. See how it works. -- __ 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] DXpedition computer for K3
Dave and All, I have an Acer Aspire One (I'm using it now), and it works fine with the K3. I can download K3 updates, etc. with no problem. Mine has a 120 GB hard drive, 1 MB RAM, and uses Windows XP. I'm really enjoying the computer. By the way, I got an email from buy.com the other day that they were selling the larger version (160 GB hard drive) for $329--that's a good price, and less than I paid for mine. I think it has the larger battery also. Dave W7AQK - Original Message - From: dbellw...@aol.com To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Sent: Thursday, February 05, 2009 1:16 PM Subject: [Elecraft] DXpedition computer for K3 Does anyone use an ACER Netbook Aspire One with a K3? I need something really light for my one-man DXpeditions. Thanks in advance, Dave, W6AQ -- Great Deals on Dell Laptops. Starting at $499. -- __ 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] KX1 SOS
Ron and All, This story made the rounds last fall right after it happened. Probably wasn't picked up on this reflector, although that surprises me. However, this is a much more detailed version of the event than what I saw previously. Anyway, this guy must be made of stout stuff to have done all he did with a broken leg! Dave W7AQK - Original Message - From: Ron D'Eau Claire To: Elecraft e-mail list Sent: Tuesday, February 17, 2009 8:17 PM Subject: [Elecraft] KX1 SOS Even though this happened in my back yard, so to speak (the individual involved lives about 50 miles from me), I was made aware of it by Wayne. I don't recall its appearing here so here's a promote for how a KX1 came through in a real emergency: http://www.gtconnect.com/articles/2009/02/15/news/top_story/1aaa01_sos.txt 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__ 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] K1 ANTENNA
Chuck and All, The Par End Feds work fine with a K-1, but you need to get one end up in the air as much as possible. You might be better off with one of the portable vertical systems at the beach. Dave W7AQK - Original Message - From: Chuck Pridgen cprid...@embarqmail.com To: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net Sent: Sunday, March 01, 2009 9:49 PM Subject: [Elecraft] K1 ANTENNA HOW MANY OF YOU ARE USING PAR ELECTRONICS END FEDS WITH YOU K1 OR OTHER ELECRAFTS. I WOULD LIKE INPUT ON HOW THEY HAVE WORKED FOR YOU, AND HOW YOU HAVE MOUNTED THEM. I AM INTERESTED IN USING THEM AT THE BEACH THIS SUMMER. THANKS, CHUCK N4UED __ 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] Where is it in the MANUAL???
Jim, Steve, and All, Well, Steve is being a little hard on Jim, but the point is that most questions are answerable in the manual---somewhere! The problem is that the contents page at the front isn't all that helpful with regard to many specific questions. A lot of things you want to find out more about aren't going to be specifically identified there. The manual really needs a good index. Maybe one day that will happen. In the meantime, one of the best ways to track down stuff is to use the online version of the manual, and do a search. Choosing the right key word is always tricky, but that seems to be a good option. Speaking of the manual! I just received my 2nd RX. Included in the packet is an installation guide, which had several sheets of errata. In this case, 2 full pages are completely replaced. Since the manuals are all spiral bound, it isn't that easy to insert updates. However, it can be done if you have a little patience, and carefully unbind the manual, then re-insert the binding after inserting the updates. Problem is, the update pages are not pre-punched. I sure wish Elecraft would do that (most of us don't have the little gadget that punches holes for spiral binding), especially when there are complete pages that need to be replaced. Alternatively, I would just as soon Elecraft not bind their manuals at all! It's not too difficult (or costly) for us to buy our own 3 hole punch (or whatever system you want to use), and then updating would be considerably easier. Yes, I know we can make our own copies and do that, but printer ink cartridges are very expensive, and mass duplication is fairly inexpensive on a per copy basis. Spiral binding is a very inexpensive process comparatively, but it wasn't meant for documents requiring frequent updates. It was designed for reports, etc. that are in final form. Just about every updatable manual system you find in business employs some sort of ring binding system to facilitate easy updating. It also makes it much easier to insert your own notes, etc. Also, once a manual has been punched for spiral binding, it can't be repunched for ring binding very effectively because the old punching process weakens the new holes. Lastly, a ring binder system would enable you to put all your accessory manuals in a tabbed section with the main manual, and in a single binder. I know I'm spitting into the wind, but I hope Elecraft will re-evaluate their manual process in the future. We are fortunate to have a radio that keeps evolving. I think the manual system for it should be improved to better support it. Dave W7AQK - Original Message - From: S Sacco nn4x.st...@gmail.com To: JIM DAVIS nn...@astound.net Cc: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Sent: Saturday, March 07, 2009 5:32 PM Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Where is it in the MANUAL??? Whatever you do: 1) Do NOT look at the K3 Owner's Manual 2) ESPECIALLY, do NOT look at the Contents 3) Really, do NOT look under the Configuration section in Contents 4) If it's the last thing you do, DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES look at the Miscellaneous Setup line, which would indicate Page 47. 5) If, my some horrible mistake, you actually go to page 47, DO NOT READ the section where it says: Time and Date CONFIG:TIME sets the 24-hour real-time-clock (RTC). Tap 1 / 2 / 3 to adjust HH/MM/SS using VFO A. This URL shows UTC as well as all U.S. time zones: tycho.usno.navy.mil/cgi-bin/timer.pl CONFIG:DATE MD selects US (MM.DD.YY). or EU (DD.MM.YY) date format using VFO A. CONFIG:DATE is used to set the date. Tap 1 / 2 / 3 to adjust MM/DD/YY or DD/MM/YY. In my older version of the manual, it was found on page 44. ;-) 73, Steve NN4X -- in UPPERCASE, 'cause I'm proud of my callsign. Saint Cloud, Florida On Sat, Mar 7, 2009 at 7:11 PM, JIM DAVIS nn...@astound.net wrote: I'd like to SET the internal clock of the K3 to be somewhere near accurate, but where is that EXPLAINED IN THE K3 manual? Jim/nn6ee PS, Even Elecraft needs to EXPLAIN more in the manuals because not ALL OF US ARE IT GENIUSES!!! Jim/nn6ee __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] 43' Vertical and the K2 tuner
Paul and All, This is very interesting! Thanks for bringing that article by VK1OD to our attention. I think I agree with you about trap losses. I have used a Cushcraft R7, and now an R8, for years with surprisingly good results. What appealed to me about both of these models is that they emulate a 1/2 wave antenna, thus making radials more or less unnecessary. These antennas only cover 40 and up however. What now intrigues me about the 43 ft. antenna is connected to some comments made to me by Jim Duffey, KK6MC (Dr. Megacycle) when he visited here some time ago. I think most of you are familiar with Jim, and respect (as I do) his technical expertise. Anyway, Jim suggested that I might be even better off with a 22 ft. vertical on my roof, with as many radials as I could reasonably lay out. He said I should also use a remote tuner and balanced feedline. Jim felt it would perform adequately on 40 meters, and better as you go up. I believe he said the magic about 22 feet was to try and keep the radiation angle from getting too high on the higher bands. So, now I'm wondering if a 43 ft. antenna would bring 80 meters, and apparently 160 meters, into play under more or less the same concept that Jim was espousing. He didn't really mention that the 22 ft. version might get you on 80, so maybe not, but the mathematical relationship sure has me wondering. Probably I'm extrapolating his comments incorrectly. I think Jim does monitor this reflector, so maybe he will jump in and make some comments. I will probably pass that article to him though, and see if I can prod him for some insight. By the way, I'm guessing that if you could roof mount, or otherwise elevate the 43 foot version, you might not have to worry quite so much about having so many radials. Anyway, this motivates me to do a little digging! Dave W7AQK - Original Message - From: Paul Christensen w...@arrl.net To: Steve Ellington n...@carolina.rr.com; Elecraft@mailman.qth.net Sent: Sunday, March 15, 2009 7:07 AM Subject: Re: [Elecraft] 43' Vertical and the K2 tuner The 43' vertical is recent fad and it makes no sense at all. Virtually any trapped multiband vertical should easily outperform it. Steve, I thought the same until I read this: http://vk1od.net/antenna/multibandunloadedvertical/ According to the author, the so-called magic of the 43-foot length is that radiation resistance remains quite high across the HF spectrum and thus, system losses are minimized. Compared to a 33-foot vertical, system losses are much lower across the spectrum. But to your point, a trapped multi-band vertical can offer similar performance. Personally, I think the negativity associated with trap loss in multi-band antennas is grossly overblown. Other systematic losses mask what little loss exists in most trapped antenna designs. Anyway, not sure how valid all this data really is, but the data presented is interesting Paul, W9AC __ 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] 43' Vertical and the K2 tuner
Mike and All, I'm not all that surprised that W5OV was able to get a match using his K3, although I'm not sure exactly how severe the mismatch is. It has to be pretty far off though. Using my K3, with its built-in ATU, I am able to get a 1:1 match on 80 meters using my R8 vertical, which isn't supposed to go lower than 40 meters. I can also get a match that is better than 2:1 on 160. Obviously though, the efficiency of this antenna on those bands is pretty lousy. I really don't operate on 160, except I did work VP6DX on both SSB and CW with this arrangement. Their beverages did all the work though I'm sure. Nevertheless, the K3's ATU is very good! I haven't tried the same test with my K2 and it's built-in ATU, but that tuner is very good also. I just don't know if it's quite as good as the K3's. The ATU in my Orion II will also match the R8 on 80 meters, but just about every other rig I own, or have owned, with a built in ATU, would not come close to doing this. I have a Kenwood TS-480 and a Yaesu FT-1000 Mark V, neither of which could do that. The Mark V won't even allow me to cover all of 40 meters, but the K3 does it with ease. Having said all of this, I'd be very cautious about big excursions with the K3 or K2 built-in ATU's. I'd sure turn the power down a lot before even trying. Clearly though, not all built-in ATU's are equal! Dave W7AQK - Original Message - From: W0MU Mike Fatchett w...@w0mu.com To: 'James Apple' wb1...@gmail.com; Elecraft@mailman.qth.net Sent: Sunday, March 15, 2009 9:16 AM Subject: Re: [Elecraft] 43' Vertical and the K2 tuner We just had a heated exchange about these antennas on another reflector. Keep in mind that it is a compromise antenna. 43 feet is really not magical to any band that I know of. You still need a good radial system etc. From what I have read the tuner at the base would be much more efficient and use a good quality coax. I would be curious to see how a BigIR or even a Hy-tower compared to the 43 ft verticals. I was surprised to read that W5OV was able to match it with the K3 tuner. I think that speaks volumes for the tuner in the K3. I will have to play with my tuner a bit more. Most of my antennas have good swr except for the 40m beam in the extreme lower cw sections and the K3 tunes this fine but we are talking about 2 to 2.5 to 1 max, not 100:1 A slip of the foot you may soon recover, but a slip of the tongue you may never get over. Ben Franklin -Original Message- From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net [mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of James Apple Sent: Sunday, March 15, 2009 7:27 AM To: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: [Elecraft] 43' Vertical and the K2 tuner After the ice storm of 2009, I'm looking for an new antenna. I've been considering the 43' verticals by DXE,HyGain and MFJ. But I'm not sure if my K2 tuner will have the range needed. The DXE site has a warning about internal tuners. Anyone using a K2 and a 43' vertical ? how's it play ? Thanks in Advance - Jim (WB1DOG) __ 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] K2 resetting itself
Chris and All, I had a power on--power off problem some time back. I think several others had a similar issue. My problem was traced to the I/O board. I believe this has been fixed, and later units don't have the problem. Not sure what your number is though. I suggest you contact Gary or Rene at Elecraft. They are pretty sharp, and I bet they can get you fixed up quickly. Dave W7AQK - Original Message - From: Chris Kantarjiev c...@dimebank.com To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Sent: Monday, March 23, 2009 8:27 PM Subject: [Elecraft] K2 resetting itself I was happily monitoring 14.058 this afternoon when my K2 turned itself off. I cycled the power button and it came on enough to say ELECrAFT and to hear a little audio, and then shut down. Then cycling the switch didn't do anything. Or would do a little. I figured it was causing F1 to reset. Put it on the bench and sure enough, it's drawing about 5.6A ... the manual is not terribly helpful about diagnosing. I opened it up and started removing boards. Can't really find anything. It would have been too easy if something in the battery charging circuitry had shorted ... With the switch ON, +12V shows 105 ohms to ground. That can't be good. I'm not really sure how to diagnose this. The PA transistors seem like a place to start: the emitters are grounded, when the switch is OFF, the collectors have about 100 ohms to ground (can that be right?) , the base about 134 ohms. Suggestions would be quite welcome. 73 de chris K6DBG __ 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] K2: The Dog Ate My Part
Jon, It's that pit mix that is your problem. A purebred lab (or better yet, a bullmastiff like I have) would have whipped out a soldering iron and installed it for you! Hi. Dave W7AQK - Original Message - From: Jon Perelstein jpere...@yahoo.com To: elecraft reflector elecraft@mailman.qth.net Sent: Tuesday, March 24, 2009 4:10 AM Subject: [Elecraft] K2: The Dog Ate My Part How embarrassing is this? As I was working on the KPA100 last night, the EL5146CN op-amp (a small 8-pin IC) slipped out of my fingers and fell to the floor - right in front of the idiot lab/pit mix who promptly decided to taste it. She didn't swallow it (fortunately), but it's well chewed and I have to order a replacement from Elecraft. Why me? Jon KB1QBZ __ 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] [KX1]External Speaker ?
I would try a small amplified speaker, perhaps like the one radio shack sells or similar. The audio output from the KX-1 is a little puny in my view. I also often use a headphone amplifier, similar to the Boostaroo, to beef up the output. The KX-1 works fair without that, but on weaker signals, it can get a little difficult to hear. Dave W7AQK - Original Message - From: Leigh L. Klotz, Jr WA5ZNU le...@wa5znu.org To: a...@verizon.net Cc: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Sent: Friday, March 27, 2009 10:48 PM Subject: Re: [Elecraft] [KX1]External Speaker ? Try your local drugstore in the MP3 accessory section. You'll probably find an external speaker with a stereo plug on it, like this one: http://wa5znu.org/log/2007/05/kx1-speaker.html They're $5 or so and run on one AA. Leigh/WA5ZNU __ 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] Switching PS with the K3 - thoughts?
The Radio Shack 25 amp supply, which someone else mentioned and recommended is available on the website, but the local store nearby told me they will order it for you (at that sale price--$59), and no shipping cost. Most Radio Shack stores have stopped stocking those power supplies locally. I already had one, and the Samlex 1223 also, and both work pretty well. By the way, I did pull the cover off both, and they are not the same--they just looked very similar. Actually, the Radio Shack supply looks like it might be a tad more substantial. Anyway, for under $60, it's possibly worth a look. Dave W7AQK - Original Message - From: David Little dalit...@bellsouth.net To: 'Fern' c...@cyberlink.bc.ca; 'Ed Steeble' estee...@sc.rr.com; 'K3_Discussion_Group' elecraft@mailman.qth.net; 'k3-groups' elecraft...@yahoogroups.com Cc: 'Ed K3IXD' estee...@sc.rr.com Sent: Monday, May 25, 2009 7:57 AM Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Switching PS with the K3 - thoughts? Another one that may be worth looking into (other than the suggestions presented already) is the Alinco DM-330MV Switching supply. It is metered, adjustable voltage, remotely accessible, small, quiet, well laid out, and it has a feature similar to Yaesu's Clock Shift, whereby you can shift any noise it might make to another frequency; on the fly. However, I haven't found any noise from it yet, and the Radio Shack 25 Amp (I believe is a Samlex model) has made some noise when used in my transportable setup : http://www.se-hams.com/html/emcomm1.html I am in the process of replacing all of my power supplies with this Alinco model. Take a Look: http://www.alinco.com/Products/DM330MVE/ David KD4NUE -Original Message- From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net [mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Fern Sent: Monday, May 25, 2009 10:33 AM To: Ed Steeble; K3_Discussion_Group; k3-groups Cc: Ed K3IXD Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Switching PS with the K3 - thoughts? Ed: I would recommend a switching power supply from Samlex either their 23 amps unit or better yet their 35 amp metered power supply as they are very quiet. Fern - Original Message - From: Ed Steeble estee...@sc.rr.com To: K3_Discussion_Group elecraft@mailman.qth.net; k3-groups elecraft...@yahoogroups.com Cc: Ed K3IXD estee...@sc.rr.com Sent: Sunday, May 24, 2009 8:43 PM Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Switching PS with the K3 - thoughts? Anyone have experiences with the new MFJ-4235MV power supply? We have been following this discussion because we are always looking for a good reliable, lighter weight power supplies for our two K3 that we use on our C6APR DXpeditions. BTW the K3s are excellent for DXpeditions, light weight, reliable, and hear/transmit well. We had tried four other rigs. 73, Ed K3IXD __ 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] CW Filter FT817 ??
In a message dated 10/1/2005 3:32:39 AM US Mountain Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Wondering if anyone has a CW filter or perhaps the obf filter kit for the FT 817 to sell, if not where to buy? I'd also like to know your opinion on how the 817 performs on CW , I'm a K2 user normally, :-) Filters are available either from Yaesu or from International Radio. Most seem to prefer the Inrad version. I like the narrower filter myself, but you can get one that is 500 hz if you prefer. As to the rig itself, It's a great radio for many reasons, but it's no K2! It's small and portable, which can be very handy. It has wideband receive, which is another good feature, but degrades the ham band performance accordingly. It doesn't have a built in ATU, but I understand some are pondering putting an Elecraft T1 inside--the T1, by the way, is an excellent accessory item for the 817--external or otherwise. And, Elecraft makes a cable specifically for the 817/T1 combination that allows you to have an autotune feature. You also get VHF band operation with the 817, which makes it a very good all in one radio. QSK is marginal however, but acceptable. The 817 is strictly a 5 watt radio. The K2 allows you to squeeze another S unit if absolutely necessary, since it will go up to about 15 watts. Some even think the 817 is too small, in that the controls are hard for big fingers to manipulate. Personally, I don't consider the 817 to be an alternative to the K2. The K2 is just so much more radio on the HF bands. The RX is superb. I don't even have DSP built into mine yet, but still it performs beautifully. But my 817 is my all in one radio when I need that particular group of features. So, if you only want to spring for one radio, and all in one is important, you probably would prefer the 817. But for real HF performance in a reasonably small package, the K2 is THE one to have. Dave W7AQK ___ 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: [Re: [Elecraft] Which logging software]
In a message dated 10/2/2005 7:08:21 PM US Mountain Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: I've been using N3FJP software for both general logging and contesting. I originally got it because it was the only software I could find that supported the Fists Sprint, and now I'm quite used to it. It has some quirks, but what software doesn't? I support the nomination of this software, although I don't find too many quirks of any consequence. Scott, the author of this software, also puts out a bunch of specialized software for different contests, etc. He has quite a nice library of stuff. His logging software will track DXCC, WAS, WAC, etc. It can also be coupled with the FCC call database, so you get info on your U.S. contacts as soon as you enter their call. Once you pay for the software (a very modest fee) you are done--no charges for upgrades. You can try it free for a period, so nothing to lose. Dave W7AQK ___ 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:K7C
In a message dated 10/2/2005 8:12:53 AM US Mountain Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: I have wasted many hours trying to work them. The pileups are horrendous. The lids are out in tremendous force. I agree with you. I get mad as hell at ops who will continue to send their callsign, even when the DX station has acknowledged a different station. And they will do it right on top of the station acknowledged! Or, when the DX station acknowledges part of a call, like W5?, but some klutz W9 keeps sending his call! But most of these pile-ups are pure chaos. I don't have much hope that they will every be run in an orderly and courteous manner. There are just too many folks out there who are at least completely oblivious to the process, if not so arrogant they ignore common courtesy. I must say though, that I haven't been all that impressed with at least one or two of the K7C ops. A couple of times on 40 meters I heard K7C working stations, and obviously listening up, but not saying so! This really created a mess! Some stations kept calling on his sending frequency, then others would chime in with up, but a minute later it was chaos again on the sending frequency. On top of that, there were stations calling K7C as much as 10 khz up, and he was acknowledging them! That chews up a bunch of bandwidth. It took me forever to figure out where he was listening. Maybe the op at K7C was doing this on purpose to spread callers out, but I don't agree with the process. He should say up at least, and give the amount, like up 1, or up 4. Callers will naturally spread out around this figure, usually between the sending frequency and the listening figure given, but not all over the band! Personally, I think up 4 is plenty of bandwidth for any DX operation. If you can't pick stations out in that range, you have a receiving problem--or an operator problem! And I think the DX stations should give his call at least every 3rd or 4th qso. Some don't give it for really long periods of time, and that creates all kinds of confusion on the sending frequency with inquiries about who the heck it is, etc. So, yes there are a bunch of lids out there. But you can't call some guy a lid if he doesn't have a reasonable amount of information to ignore! It's too bad these operations don't follow a more organized and standardized procedure. Probably never happen, but it sure would eliminate as least some of the confusion that seems to occur every time. One last thought. If somebody keeps calling on the sending frequency when the DX station is actually listening up, it's o.k. to tell him up, and if you know how many, tell him that too. But don't call him a lid, even if he is acting like one--most of these occurrances are accidental (maybe he forgot to hit the split button--I've done that more than once), but the real lid will only be encouraged to continue in retribution. After all, lids don't get that way by being responsive to strong direction! Dave W7AQK ___ 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] Iambic Paddles -- Show-n-Tell
In a message dated 10/8/2005 1:03:32 PM US Mountain Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: http://tinyurl.com/cbwta Looks like a first class set of paddles to me! Wish I could wrap my fingers around it and give it a test drive! Dave W7AQK ___ 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] settle a distpute with the KX1
In a message dated 10/8/2005 12:49:46 PM US Mountain Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: On Saturday 08 October 2005 19:07, mc wrote: Need some help in settling dispute, please bring some cold beer on this one. Using our KX1 with a 2 watt output with a antenna with an advertised gain of 2.6 db. Will a 2.6 db gain give us an output be an effectively 3.8 watts. 2.6 dB = 0.26 B 10 ^ 0.26 = 1.82 1.82 * 2 = 3.64 W Ian, G4ICV, AB2GR, K2 #4962 -- ___ Well, I'm too lazy to do the math, but 3 db is a double in power--the scale is logrithmic, so 2.6 db should be damn close to 3.64 watts--certainly close enough to not make a hoot of difference between that and what 3 db would do. I'm probably not going to win anything here, but Brit beer is so good, I just had to chime in Dave W7AQK ___ 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: Terminology
Ron and All, I dunno Ron! 40 is still a great CW band. I just wish we could work out a peace treaty with the digital folks! Another great CW hangout of old was the top 50 khz of 20 meters. I used to work a lot of DX up there. Dave W7AQK __ 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] KX3 Power Supply
Several posts were recently made regarding the small Radio Shack switcher power supply (RS 22-507). Most comments seemed pretty favorable about it. Anyway, one of those came available in a local estate sale for one of my ham friends who recently passed away. I decided to give it a try, and it does seem to work well. I scanned all my commonly used ham bands for noise and found none. It seems to be pretty clean to me. I also hooked up my K1 to it, and it ran that rig just fine. Next I'll have to try the K2, but I suspect it will work fine with that rig also. I don't much care for the list price Radio Shack is asking, but if you find one of these at a decent discount I think it's a good buy. I have another similar supply, a Jetstream, but it's a tad bit bigger. This RS model will be somewhat handier to tote around. It's really quite small. The Jetstream does work equally well, though, and has voltage and current metering. I can't remember exactly, but that one is rated quite a bit higher as to current draw--maybe even 8 or 10 amps or a bit more. Still, it's just enough bigger to make the RS model seem more convenient for specific use with the KX3. By the way, no detectable noise on the Jetstream either. I think several of their models have been given favorable reviews. Dave W7AQK __ 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] New KX3 Owners
Hi All, I'm getting a really big kick out of all the excitement from those lucky enough to already have a KX3 in hand. It's like a bunch of kids in a candy store! Can't blame you! I know how you feel, since all my other Elecraft rigs have pretty low serial numbers, except for back-up K2, which is a much later model. Even though I'm fairly high up on the KX3 order time line, it looks like my KX3 is going to have a pretty high serial number. That's O.K. though, providing you early owners are diligent enough to report any early production glitches! I'm not sure there will be that many, but be diligent nevertheless! I'm kind of curious as to how many KX3 owners are also first time Elecraft owners. Seems like, based on some of the conversation, it's a fairly high number. I don't know exactly what to attribute that to, but I suspect more than a little of it is due to the success of the K3. Seems like a lot of folks are viewing the KX3 as a poor man's K3, and perhaps rightfully so. The unique versatility of the KX3 has also drawn a lot of attention from those who previously thought rigs like the FT-817 and IC-703 best suited their preferences. It isn't going to take them long to realize they got a whole bunch more than just a new and improved portable radio! I honestly think this radio is going to mark the beginning of a whole new way of thinking about size versus capability. There are already rumors about a KX3 look-alike from China. Ten-Tec has a new QRP radio in the works, and a small amp as well. I've even worked someone with a prototype. Isn't it interesting how many manufacturers are following the lead from Elecraft! Look what happened with the down conversion architecture. Ten-Tec may have actually initiated it with the Orion, but Elecraft really went a lot further in trying to perfect it, and made it truly successful--mainly because they support their radios better! I don't minimize the fact that some other manufacturers are rolling out some very nice products, but I know I'm having a bunch more fun just watching the Elecraft line progress. This is where most of the real innovation seems to be occurring. Stated differently, other manufacturers seem to be in a mode of mainly upscaling their products--adding features to make their next model somewhat more attractive. Elecraft, on the other hand, seems more innovative. I think I know why that is, at least to some extent. The designer/engineers and Yaecomwood sit around and think about how to add fins, or a bigger engine, like Chrysler--maybe throw in a new twist or two, like a bandscope, and more button versatility. That's good! However, Elecraft folks think about how can we make the radio perform better--even at the top of the scale! That's what led to down conversion, incorporating powerful versatility and upgradeability through firmware enhancement, enhanced DSP capability, etc. It's not about adding more buttons, but instead, adding more technology. That may sound like an overstatement, but I defend it by pointing to the fact that other manufacturers are seemingly adopting the Elecraft approach in many instances--but after the fact! The other big innovation is in SDR stuff, and the comparison is most intriguing. The KX3 is a perfect example of this. It's a total departure from where a lot of folks thought Elecraft was going. There was all this talk about a K4! Surprise! Elecraft looks for niche's in the market, and then fills a perceived void with avengeance. The KPA500 is another example of that. There are a plethora of 1 KW+ amps out there--and darned good ones--but few in the 500-700 watt range. For many, that's more than enough extra oomph, and technically, it covers the best part of the cost/benefit curve. Plus, it opened up new opportunities like offering the KAT500 as a matching accessory. I just think the whole thing is fascinating! Clearly not everyone will agree, not even with my premise, but I think it has merit. Dave W7AQK __ 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] Preliminary Estate Sale Info-K7SVV (SK)
I've been asked by the widow of a ham friend, John McClain, K7SVV, to assist her in disposing of several Elecraft rigs. The information I have at the moment is a bit sketchy, but I will be going over to determine more precise info on all these radios in the next couple of days. In any event, I thought it might be appropriate to give advanced notice in case anyone wanted to get his/her oar in on the sale. What is/will be available is the following: A K1--something in the area of a 13XX serial number. I don't know for sure if it is a 4 bander, but I think it is. A K2--this has the ATU, SSB option, and 160 meter option. It's a QRP version. A K3--this is an early serial number, 100 watt model, with ATU. I need to confirm what filters are included. I'm pretty sure there is no 2nd RX. You can pretty much assume that all of these rigs are near immaculate. John was a retired IBM tech, and an excellent builder. He was also fastidious about taking care of his equipment. All of these items are lightly used, as John was somewhat distracted by other interests, and didn't really operate all that often. In fact, I'd be surprised if any of these rigs have more than 50-100 hours of operation--maybe even less! He loved putting them together, and owning them, but his airtime was pretty minimal. You don't need to contact me yet, unless you are particularly interested, but anyone seriously contemplating any of these radios might want to watch for my follow-up info. I'm pretty certain these would all qualify as a very good find for anyone genuinely interested. Dave W7AQK __ 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] K7SVV Estate Sale
Hi All, First rig to sell is a K2. This is a relatively late model (serial # 5K+). It is the QRP version, and has the SSB option and 160 meter option. I also have the ATU option, but it is not installed--it does come with the rig, however. NOT a difficult add-on. I checked the radio out today, and it works super FB. Neat, clean, and assembled by a guy who was fastidious! He was an IBM tech, so that might give you some comfort. I looked hard, but found no issues. Not surprising, though, since this guy loved to build stuff, but didn't use them much. Anyway, I think it's a good buy, and if I didn't already have two K2's, I'd buy it myself! List for what he had in it is around $1100+. I think a more than fair price for this rig is $675 plus shipping. Let me know if you are interested. Dave W7AQK __ 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] K7SVV Estate Sale--K2
Hi all, The K2 I listed on behalf of the estate has been sold, pending receipt of funds. Thanks for the interest and inquiry. I will have more stuff soon. Dave W7AQK __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] [KX3] Amazing opening on 20 meters right now
U are right Wayne! I’m haunting the CW portion, but Europe is very strong here too. Hope you grab a bunch of them—know U are using that KX3! Have a great weekend! Dave W7AQK From: Wayne Burdick Sent: Friday, May 04, 2012 9:52 PM To: Elecraft Reflector Cc: k...@yahoogroups.com Subject: [KX3] Amazing opening on 20 meters right now In northern California I'm hearing dozens of very strong EU stations on 20 meter SSB. Wow. Wayne N6KR __._,_.___ Reply to sender | Reply to group | Reply via web post | Start a New Topic Messages in this topic (1) Recent Activity: a.. New Members 37 a.. New Photos 8 a.. New Files 1 Visit Your Group Switch to: Text-Only, Daily Digest • Unsubscribe • Terms of Use. __,_._,___ __ 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] Estate of John McClain, K7SVV
Hi All, Here are two more Elecraft radios from the estate of John McClain, K7SVV. First is a very nice 4 band K1. This one is set up for 40, 30, 20, and 17 meters. Also comes with the internal ATU, backlight option, and the wide range tilt stand. I checked it out on the air, and everything works FB. New this would be around $700, and asking $390 plus shipping. I have one of these myself, and it has been one of my favorite Field Day radios on many occasions. A very good design, and well built by John. The other radio is a KX1. This is also a 4 band version, and covers 80, 40, 30, and 20. I worked several stations on it this morning, and it seems to work well. The RX seems even better than the one I have, but the TX puts out a bit less than mine does--around 2.5 watts on this one. I know John built this, and then didn't do much with it. There are some tricks and tweaks to boost the power a bit, but apparently he didn't bother. To be honest with you, John wasn't that big on CW, but loved building these radios. Anyway, it's very clean, well built, and comes with the internal ATU and the KXPD1 paddle. That's just under $600 new, and will sell for $325 plus shipping. This is a great portable rig, particularly with the ATU option built in. It's nearly shirt pocket size, and even has some wide band RX capability. It's CW only, of course, but you can switch it on RX for either LSB or USB. Has a built in variable filter that goes from .5 to 2.0. Very cool radio! Contact me if interested. Dave W7AQK __ 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] VE7CC Cluster
Anybody besides me having trouble pulling up the VE7CC DX cluster this morning Dave W7AQK __ 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] Estate of John McClain--K1 and KX1
Hi All, Thanks for the nice response. Both rigs are sold pending receipt of funds. I've kept all inquiries in case something falls through. Dave W7AQK __ 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] Portable Antennas (near end fed)
David and All, I have a Bravo 7K, and so far, I find it to be only a fair performer. This assessment is based only on limited testing against my Sigma 40XK vertical dipole, which is another N6BT design from his time as owner of Force12. So far, I've only been able to run limited A/B tests on 40 meters, and the Bravo 7K is down about 1 S unit or more. I had hoped it would be much better than that, particularly based on the positive commentary from N6BT himself, but I do need to try more variations of location and setup. I just haven't had a chance to do much additional testing due to a number of other tasks and projects which are eating up my free time. On the positive side, I am quite impressed with the portability of the Bravo 7K. It sets up quickly and easily, and is very easy to break down and transport. It's quite possible I haven't found the right combination of settings and location for the Bravo 7K. For example, it may be adversely affected by other nearby objects. I'd also like to elevate it a bit more than what the basic system allows. As supplied, the Bravo 7K is only about 2 feet off the ground at the bottom. My Sigma 40XK is 5 or 6 feet off the ground. I will tell you that the Sigma 40XK has been a very good performer on 40 meters. At one time it was available for something similar in price to what the Bravo 7K sells for now, but the current owners of Force 12 have jacked up the price considerably. Anyway, hopefully some day soon I can get back into the experimentation process with the Bravo 7K. If I accomplish anything noteworthy, I will report it here. Dave W7AQK - David, G3UNA said: I wouldn't buy a loop. IF you only have those 3 choices, I would go for the Buddipole, but I'm sure there must be other choices out there, I don't like spending a lot of money on antennas unless it offers something really special. Have you seen the Bravo? See http://n6bt.com/n6bt-Bravo-dayton-faq-1.htm Not sure if it would fit inside your hotel bedroom. David G3UNA __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
[Elecraft] K3 For Sale--Estate of K7SVV
I've been helping K7SVV's widow dispose of much of his gear. We are now offering for sale a K3 in absolutely excellent condition. It is an early serial number, but very, very lightly used--I mean, really lightly used! Nevertheless, as a precaution, the K3 was sent to Elecraft for a thorough going over. All mods and upgrades have been added, so it is like one coming off the assembly line. It is in perfect shape! Elecraft states that it meets or exceeds all factory specifications. Here are the contents: K3/100---100 Watt model KAT3-Internal ATU KBPF3General Coverage RX module KXV3AIF Out and Xverter Interface Filters: 13 Khz Filter 6 Khz Filter 2.8 Khz Filter 1.0 Khz Filter 400 hz Filter Note that all filters are 8 pole versions. At retail, this unit would sell for just shy of $3600. The asking price is $2800, which is about a 20% savings. If interested, please contact me directly. Dave W7AQK __ 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] ZN-SLR
Hi All, At Dayton a few weeks ago I got to test drive a number of Tony's paddles. I was walking around with my friend Jay, W5JAY, who knows Tony very well. We spent a fair amount of time chatting, and while Jay and Tony were discussing various things, I spent a good bit of time trying out various models. I also dropped back by a few more times to give most of his paddles a 2nd and 3rd look. Now, the last thing I need is another paddle, but I must admit I was sorely tempted. I pretty much concluded that Tony's paddles are, for the money, about as good as you will find. I, too, was very impressed with his vertical paddle in particular. Some of you may know that I am something of a Begali paddle fan, and I own several different models--too many! However, to me, they are still the best you can buy. Two Begali paddles I own--the Sculpture and the Limited Edition Graciella--are my absolute favorites of all the paddles I have ever used. Problem is, most Begali paddles are fairly expensive. The workmanship undoubtedly justifies the price, but they are expensive nonetheless. Begali had several new paddles on display at Dayton, and all were most impressive. It's just all quality stuff! One new paddle of his was most impressive because, not only did it have great feel, but it was one of his lesser priced models. I think it was called the Expedition, and it was under $300. It wasn't quite as glamorous as most of Piero's other paddles, but a very nice looking paddle to be sure. I don't even see that model on his website yet, so it must really be that new. Picking a good paddle is a very personal thing. What feels great to one person may not feel that great to another. Accordingly, I won't dwell on what I think is mandatory for a paddle to be really considered to be a good one. I would suggest that anyone interested in buying a new paddle take a look at the series of articles in QST a while back authored by Bruce Prior, N7RR. Bruce did a great job of describing, in detail, what the pros and cons are for a number of different makes. In the end, his conclusions may not be the same as yours, but you will know a great deal about how he came to his conclusions. However, nothing beats a personal test drive! Dave W7AQK __ 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] ZN-SLR
Jim and All, Bruce Prior, N7RR, wrote several QST articles about paddles he had tested. In March 2009, there is one on High End Dual Lever Paddles. That one includes the Mercury, the Begali Sculpture, and a top end N3ZN paddle. Then in May 2009, he followed up with an article on Portable Dual Lever Paddles. Some great info there also. The articles he wrote in 2 parts, in May and June of 2010, were on a variety of other popular dual lever paddles. I think the Bencher, Kent, Begali Simplex, and several others are covered there. All in all, it is a fairly encyclopedic review of most of the paddles you see/hear about. All of these articles are available in the ARRL archives. Dave W7AQK __ 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] Where's The Propagation?
Hi all, Well, I feel like the proverbial guy who is all dressed up and nowhere to go! My KX3 is up and running, and the bands suck! I did make 3 or 4 nice QSO's, but they were cut short by erratic conditions. Right now I don't hear much of anything. Oh well, I can always spend time re-reading the manual! Dave W7AQK __ 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] KX3: use at 500-KHz
Hi All, This issue seems to come up with just about every rig that offers general coverage. I know it was a topic of discussion with the K3 when it first arrived. It has always been my understanding that offering general coverage on a ham rig meant compromise somewhere. Most of the earlier rigs that started offering general coverage tended to compromise on the ham band performance in order to accomplish the wide RX capability. That's why many didn't even try to offer it. I think Elecraft's approach has been to offer it, but without degrading the ham band performance, which means the wide band stuff may be a bit lacking, particularly at the low end. I've only checked the BC band performance on my KX3 once or twice, and just to see if I heard much of anything! Actually, I could hear things pretty well, but probably not like I would on a more specifically designed radio. I also suspect the antenna I was using wasn't a very good match. Wayne's explanation seems to at least make good sense to me, and I'm sure the technical issues involved are real. Heck--just about every radio I own drops off somewhere! I just want the least adverse effect to occur on the ham bands. Also, I wonder what the internal ATU does (or is capable of doing), if anything, when I tune down to the BC band. From a strictly intuitive standpoint, I know that a lot of tuners tend to lose capability below 80 meters, so I wonder if the KX3 ATU can/does even function at the BC band. My guess is that it doesn't! You can't activate it down there, so I don't know what's happening. Does that mean you really need an antenna that is reasonably resonant at that frequency? I suspect there have been some tricks applied to generate some sort of performance that low, but I really don't expect much. Seems like we may be chasing ghosts to expect too much. Dave W7AQK __ 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] Remote Operation
Hi all, Last weekend I had the privilege of being invited as a guest to the Northwest FOC gathering in Seattle. The invitation came from my friend Shin, JA1NUT, who was in attendance. It was wonderful to meet this fine fellow after so many years of having chatted with him on 40 and 20 CW. I also got to meet a number of other fine folks with whom I have been enjoying lots of good contacts on the air. I will tell you that this group sure knows how to put on a superb event. Lots of things to do, great food to eat, and, of course, a lot of very interesting conversation. Even the spouses have a great time. Anyway, at our hotel we had a hospitality room in which Steve, W7QC, had set up his K3. We were on the top floor, and they had temporarily installed a multi-band vertical on the roof which performed very well. If anyone had a QSO with K7FOC last weekend, that was us! One of the more interesting highlights of the operating part was provided by Tof, DJ6ZM, who was also in attendance. He has his station in Munich remoted, and we even had a contact between Tof, in one room, and K7FOC, in the adjoining room! Tof uses the Remoterig system, and only has to bring one of the two pieces of the Remoterig system, plus the remote head from his TS-480--and a paddle, of course! Tof's setup in Munich is rather elaborate, in that he can actually control several different operating positions, and several different antennas. all of which are very substantial. However, the system doesn't need to be so elaborate in order to communicate effectively. Nonetheless, his is an awesome system. This wasn't my first exposure to a remote setup, as Paul, W9AC, had also shown me his remote setup a couple of years back when we were all at FDIM in Dayton. Paul uses the TS-480 also, but with a slightly different method of remote operation, which involves having twin K1EL keyers, one at each end. That system worked very well also. In any event, I'm getting very keen on being able to set up some sort of remote system of my own. As most of you know, Elecraft now has its own remote system using the K3/0 remote module. I've not seen that one in operation, but I'm sure it works equally well. So, you have several commercial options available currently. If you are a K3 owner, the K3/0 may well be your preference since it gives you pretty much complete duplication of all the K3's capabilities from your remote location. This is particularly attractive if your remote location is some place where you can establish a somewhat semi-permanent setup, like a summer home, etc. As a portable, traveling unit it might be somewhat less attractive due to size, but perhaps not. We tend to view the K3 as a reasonably portable unit, and the K3/0 is no bigger. You still need something like the Remoterig devices, but it only adds a small additional amount to what you have to transport. Alternatively, however, you could use a rig like the TS-480, and only have to transport one side of the Remoterig setup plus the 480's remote head--a somewhat smaller, more convenient package for traveling. I'm still sorting out in my mind all the requirements for operating in this fashion, but it is most intriguing. It's also pretty impressive when you have something like W9AC's system, or DJ6Zm's system, as to what you can do and how effective it is. I'm currently up here in Oregon for the rest of the summer, and something like this would be very useful. I can set up a modest station here, but antennas are an issue. I have an extremely limited space in which to erect anything. I am getting close to deciding that remote operation may be my best option. I can still use something like my KX3 for local operation, but a remote system tends to eliminate complexities with various locations I might find myself in as we travel. Anyhow, just thought I would pass on my impressions from my recent observations. It's just another way to have fun with ham radio. Dave W7AQK __ 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] FW: TEN-TEC announces new amplifier
Hi All, Actually, I think this thread is totally relevant to this reflector given the fact that it has the capability of mating nicely to the KX3! It's not like we are discussing something that bears absolutely no relationship to an Elecraft product. In any event, I would add a few comments about the new Ten-Tec amp. I do agree it seems to be very aggressively priced--in the wrong direction--but that's Ten-Tec's call. I can't honestly say whether or not it is justified, but apparently the folks in Sevierville think it is. A good friend of mine, W5JAY, was a field tester on this amp, and he and I did some on the air testing with it while he had it. I know Jay was reasonably impressed with the product, and he doesn't give positive impressions easily. I was actually going to do some hands on testing of it after Jay was done, but I had to decline because of our pending trip up here to the northwest. Besides, I don't think I could have added much to the process since Jay is very good at putting equipment through it's paces. Anyway, what I heard sounded very good, and what Jay was seeing first hand seemed to suggest that the amp was a good product. I also saw it at Dayton, and it does, indeed, appear to have a lot of redeeming features. I have every reason to assume that the upcoming Elecraft amp will very effectively compete with Ten-Tec's product. I'm sure most of us hope it will compete effectively as to price as well. I'd be hard pressed to justify Ten-Tec's pricing in my budget, but I also have a couple of options on hand already. Heck! I even still have my old Ten-Tec 405 linear, from my days of operating with the original Argonauts. In any event, it will be up to Elecraft to make their product more desirable, and I wouldn't bet they won't do it. I'm thinking, but I just can't bring any Elecraft product to mind that didn't have, when it was introduced, some really unique and intriguing features to it. Anyway, while I know there is a very large amount of interest in an amp like this, given the incredible success of the KX3, I'd be very reluctant to jump on Ten-Tec's offering before I knew for sure just what the Elecraft is going to offer. I think we've already been given a bunch of clues about close compatibility. For just a small example, look at the instructions for the KX3 regarding antenna selection and tuner operation. We've all heard it said that patience is a virtue, and this may be a very good opportunity to learn how true that is. Dave W7AQK -- N3KHK Said: Hi all Is this the TEN-TEC reflector? Enough on this topic PLEASE, PLEASE. Will someone create a new group just for this new amp? 73 ES CUL DE N3KHK __ 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] Tucson Hamfest
Hi All, The Tucson area hams have made a concerted effort to upgrade our annual hamfest. Today was the day. This year they somehow encouraged several vendors, including Elecraft, to make an appearance, and I think it all went extremely well. Maybe a bit light yet, but if they keep working at it, I think this could become a really great event. Congrats to the local area hams who made it possible. The venue this year was the Marana Regional Airport, which is adjacent to Tucson. This was perfect for Eric Swartz, who many of you know has his own airplane. Eric simply flew in, jumped in a rental car with his goodies, and came across the runways from the FBO where he parked his plane. Probably there was a detour in there somewhere, but it was very handy nonetheless. Texas Towers was there as well, as were several other, smaller vendors. This is just a start at upgrading our event, but with continued, and hopefully increased, support, we may have something really good going here. The Elecraft display included remote operation from Eric's home station using the K3/0. Very slick! Eric even has software that allows him to control his KPA-500 at home, in addition to the K3, and it was just really fun to see. Of course the KX3 was prominently displayed, as was the new KAT-500--Eric says that will start shipping very shortly! Sure hope so, since I have one on order to complete my K-line. I'm really excited about it. I'm also pretty stoked about remote operation, since I have a perfect situation for taking advantage of it when we go to Oregon in the summer months. Eric was pretty busy, but we did have a chance to chat a bit more than we are able to at places like Dayton, which is a constant madhouse. I've always been extremely impressed with Eric's management of Elecraft, along with Wayne of course, and our brief chat only reinforced my high opinion of how well things are going. It's pretty obvious that these two guys are having a lot of fun, running a great company, and full of ideas. When I casually mentioned that it might be hard to keep coming up with new toys, Eric's eyes just lit up, and I knew there were lots of things to come. These guys really have their act together, and we should all feel pretty good about it. I also got to visit with an old friend, Gary Surrency, who I haven't seen much of (even though he lives in Phoenix) since he went to work for Elecraft. As you may know, Gary is a very big part of Elecraft's tech support team, and a crackerjack technician at that. I think he mentioned that he had been with Elecraft for 13 years now! That's amazing to think the company goes back that far, but my K2 serial number confirms that!!! Gary and I first met when we were forming the Arizona ScQRPion group. He's an original charter member, as am I, but he's also been super busy ever since. Anyway, I think a lot of Gary, and if he happens to be on the other end of a problem you are having, you are in great hands. Anyway, it was a very enjoyable day, and hopefully one we will be able to repeat many times in the future here in Tucson. 57 years of this ham radio stuff and I'm still having a blast! Dave W7AQK ts of things __ 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] A Bummer! Well, Sort Of!
Hi All, Last Saturday I got a notice from Elecraft that my KAT500 was in the loop, and for me to confirm my order, which I did post haste. Monday morning I got an auto shipping notice. I thought, Boy, that's fast! The tracking info said it would be here today. Well, a package did arrive, from Elecraft, but it was the KXBC3, for my KX3, instead of the KAT500! Shucks! Of course, I'm glad to have the KXBC3, but it isn't close to what I'm most anxious to have on the operating desk. Sure wish Elecraft would put a bit more info in their shipping notices, like what it is that's coming! I suppose that's too time consuming. Anyway, guess I'll have a beer and get ready for the onslaught tonight! Halloween! We tend to get lots of kids, which I don't mind. The reason we get so many is that we live in a relatively enclosed neighborhood development, with just two ways in and out, whereas most of the other homes in the area surrounding us are scattered all over the desert. So, lots of folks bring their kids here, from Lord only knows where, and let them do their thing! A little unfair for us here in the neighborhood, perhaps, but hey! It's for the kids! I think I have about an hour and a half before the doorbell starts ringing off the wall! Happy Halloween everyone! Dave W7AQK __ 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] KAT500 Owner's Manual?
Phil, Heck, if you have something in draft form, that you are apparently willing to disseminate, why not just post it in the files section and mark it clearly as a preliminary draft??? Dave W7AQK __ 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] Remote Operating
Hi All, I've been tinkering with remote operation. It's been on my wish list since I saw my first demo by Paul, W9AC, at FDIM a few years ago. He was using his TS-480, which is a fairly easy rig to set up for remote operation. I say easy, but there is some complexity to it. However, it is very intriguing. Right now I'm using my TS-480, and I've acquired the Swedish RemoteRig system to accomplish the task. This is a very nice system! It makes the process somewhat less complex than what W9AC was using. However, what I really have my eye on is the possibility of doing remote operation with my K3. Obviously, the K3 is a far better radio than the TS-480, and to have something like that available on a remote basis would be very cool indeed. Elecraft currently has the K3/0 unit available, and I got to see it in action when Eric came down for our Tucson Hamfest a month or so ago. Eric was remote operating his K3 back in California, and it was very impressive indeed. He really has a Cadillac system set up, and some great software which allows him to control just about everything in his shack--including his antennas and amplifier! The RemoteRig accessory package is part of the system. Eventually I may opt for the K3/0, but what I'm really hoping for is that Wayne's inference that someday the KX3 might be a possibility to match remotely with a K3 at your base location. I sure hope this comes to pass, since I also have a KX3. The K3/0 is probably more capable, but it also has more bulk. However, since the architecture of the KX3 is different from the K3, I suspect there will still be something else required to hang on the end of the KX3 to enable remote operation. I further assume that the RemoteRig system (or something similar) will also be required. Remote operating opens up a lot of doors. For me, it's potentially very beneficial. We travel in the summer a good bit, and I can remote back to my home station without having to drag along a lot more equipment and antenna options. Motel stays can be a lot more enjoyable!!! Then there is the plight of folks with deed restrictions. What if you could set up something remotely somewhere, outside the restriction area, and have a reasonably competent station? I'm sort of one of those too. My antennas are definitely compromise due to deed restrictions. I can tell you, just from what I've been able to do so far, that remote operation has improved to where just about all modes are possible with reasonable efficiency. I'm primarily CW, and the keying issue is pretty effectively resolved with the RemoteRig system. I can't do QSK, and there is a very, very slight delay, but it's nominal. It's not the end all solution, but it's pretty darned good! With my TS-480 I just have to carry the remote head, the small RemoteRig control side box (another box is connected at the other end with the radio itself), a computer, and a small power supply. You only need the computer to connect you to a WiFi system. You do have to set up a virtual private network (VPN) connection on the computer, but once you do it once, you just activate it each time you begin operation. No additional software is required, although you can use some if it suits you better. It can get more complex at the base station end, depending on what controllability features you want, like turning things on and off, antenna control, etc. The control head functions just as it would if you were directly connected to the rig itself. As long as the WiFi is half way decent, you are in business! A K3 based remote system would be pretty much the same arrangement except you substitute the K3/0 for the TS-480 remote head. If this peaks anyone's interest, you might want to download the manual for the RemoteRig system. It describes how to set up a system for various rigs, including the K3. Also, I'm sure others have considerably more advanced setups than I have, so there may be a lot of additional info available from this group, including corrections of anything I may have misstated here. I'm still in the novice class on remote operation, but what I've been able to do so far is pretty fascinating. Dave W7AQK __ 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] Looking for QRP Balun
Ed and All, Here is a link to a bunch of variations on 4:1 baluns you can construct yourself. http://www.google.com/search?q=4:1+balunhl=enprmd=imvnstbm=ischtbo=usource=univsa=Xei=6PqXUNXAPM-l2AW454DoBQved=0CDUQsAQbiw=1463bih=709 As for something commercial, the Elecraft BL-1 is a good option, and it can be constructed as either a 1:1 or 4:1--your choice. The BL-2 is better yet, as it is switchable! Dave W7AQK __ 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] Small HF amp suggestions
Hi All, I have a RM Italy HLA150, but I haven't tried it yet with the KX3. I've been using another amp, the THP HL50B, which works quite well. Not QSK though. It has good RF sensing, and gives me abut 60 watts or a bit more. It isn't auto band-switching either, but otherwise it has been an excellent performer for me with all sorts of different QRP rigs. The HLA-150 I have works O.K., but it really needs to be hard wired to the rig, rather than trying to rely on RF sensing. That's a problem for some of my QRP rigs because they don't have provision for keying an amp. That's why I tend to use the HL50-B. The biggest problem I've heard about, with regard to the HLA-150, is that if you run it much over 100 watts it tends to get dirty. W8JI wrote a lengthy analysis of this amp, and seemed to think it was O.K. otherwise. It is auto band-switching, which is nice. So, I wouldn't be too concerned about that amp so long as you use it prudently. Some RM Italy products get a bad name, mainly because they don't have effective band filtering, but the HLA series does. A friend of mine field tested one of the new Ten-Tec amps and liked it. I think it's a little expensive, but it seems to have a lot of features. I have no doubt that the yet-to-be-released Elecraft amp will be a very good option. The delay in production tells me that Elecraft is probably trying to pack every feature they can into the package. Obviously it will be very easy to mate with the KX3. We don't know the price yet. Hope it's not too much. I have to wonder if Elecraft isn't re-working their offering after seeing what Ten-Tec was putting out. There are a lot of features on the Ten-Tec amp that don't seem like they would be included in Elecraft's amp, based just on the preliminary picture of it. But then again, maybe they are planning on a somewhat simpler, but effective product at a lower price?? From the picture, the Elecraft amp seems more comparable to the THP type amp. There is such a vacuum of information, I don't know what to expect, except I'm sure it will be a very good product. Other small amps you might consider include the HF Packer Amp, which has gone through a number of feature upgrades over time. It doesn't put out as much power though. Also, the old Ten-Tec 405 linear is a good choice if you can find one. The biggest problem with those is that they are annoying due to relay chatter. I bet that could be modified. Those will easily put out 50 watts or more. I'm not sure it will cover the WARC bands. So, lots of choices out there. I'd probably wait to see just what Elecraft comes out with before I made a serious acquisition. For now I'm happy with my HL50-B. If I like what I see from Elecraft, I can probably cover a good portion of the cost by selling that one. For that matter, I've probably got a few other things around here I could unload and maybe end up not being out-of-pocket much, if anything. Dave W7AQK __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] CW Decoding - Your Brain is best
Hi All, I'm not going to totally throw cold water on those trying to rely heavily on the CW decoding capability of the K3 (and KX3), but I think you will be mostly frustrated. First of all, the decoding capability of these rigs is heavily dependent on several factors, including a pretty good signal and properly sent characters (including spacing). Even if the characters are well formed, you can still think you are getting some gibberish if the spacing isn't correct--you have to focus on properly separating the characters, and some ops really make that a chore! I do appreciate the capability these rigs have, and even use it once in a while--very seldom though. One example is when I run across a handful of ops on 40 meters who like to gather nearly every day and play burn out! A couple of these guys are going 40 wpm plus, and that is a bit too fast for me--I get a lot of it, but not all. Fortunately, they tend to send pretty good code (I am suspicious that some of them may be using keyboards), so I can fill in what I miss from the code reading feature on my K3 and KX3. I'm not participating in the conversation, but use it for code practice. Probably the biggest benefit of the code reader is when I am showing off the radio to someone who doesn't know code. Not only can they see what I am hearing (at least most of it), they can see what I am sending as well. The abbreviations we use on CW will throw them a bit, but they tend to get the gist of the conversation--I can explain the shorthand later. This really is helpful! An observer's eyes can glaze over pretty quickly when all they hear is a bunch of dits and dahs that have no meaning. However, when they can see that real information is being passed back and forth, and they can interpret it, their attention span, and interest, is much greater. I applaud Wayne and Lyle's efforts to try and make the code reading capability better, but I am somewhat pessimistic that they will be able to make substantial improvements. I say that primarily because I think the deficiencies of the sender are apt to be too great, and too variant, to really overcome. Too many ops out there just don't seem to be motivated to try and emulate machine quality code. I don't know, from a technical standpoint, what adjustments Wayne and Lyle are trying to make, so I can't really say with any certainty how successful they will be. Perhaps they can get the reader to accept variations in the 1 to 3 ratio more readily. That could help I suppose. I think they inferred that was one objective. However, I don't know how you can ever overcome most of the spacing issues. That's my biggest problem in just trying to copy CW, and it seems to be where most code reading software tends to go sideways. If someone is going to insist on running characters together, only the human brain can probably figure that out--eventually! If you are dealing with weak signal problems I'm not sure what improvements can be made. I like the code reading capability on these rigs--it's clever and sometimes beneficial. However, I see very little promise of it becoming something an operator can rely on primarily. Your best chance of doing so is if keyboards are being used. However, if you do that, without being able to translate things yourself, it really does become just another digital mode, and not much different than using something like PSK31. Dave W7AQK __ 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] Small HF amp suggestions
Hi All, I just read the post by Bill Schmidt, K9HZ, who defended the RM Italy HLA series amps as not being as bad as many folks seem to think. I had posted a similar response earlier, but thought I should add some substance to my defense (and perhaps to Bill's). I think much of the confusion stems from the fact that RM Italy makes several different series amps. Some were apparently only intended to be single band amps (CB perhaps?) and did not have very effective filtering. However, the HLA series amps are intended to cover multiple bands, and do have decent filtering. I own an HLA-150 amp, and have found it to be a decent performer, although it does have lots of deficiencies. As I said in my earlier post, Tom Rausch, W8JI, made some extensive tests of that same model amp, and though he found some serious issues, he defends the amp's adequacy when operated conservatively--that mainly being to not run it much above 90 to 100 watts output. Hopefully most of you are familiar with W8JI, who has considerable credentials in the ham community regarding amplifiers (he designed many of the more popular amps being used today), and is very knowledgeable on other topics as well. Anyway, here is a link to Tom's website wherein he discusses the pros and cons of the HLA-150. You might want to take a peek at it. http://www.w8ji.com/rm_hla-150_test.htm I'm not suggesting that this amp is a great piece of gear, or the equivalent to new stuff coming out currently--just that it might be usable, and not nearly as inadequate as some would suggest. I also think there are many other choices, including the upcoming Elecraft amp, which would undoubtedly be a better choice. However, I got my HLA-150 pretty cheap (used), and I think they tend to be sold at fairly low prices on the used market, which might make them attractive--at least as an interim choice--while you wait for some of the newer ones to become available. Just a few watts will drive an HLA-150 to 100 watts plus. The amp is auto band switching, which is a very handy feature. It is moderate in size and weight. Supposedly it will work just by using RF sensing, but I have found that to be problematic. On CW the amp seems to cut off the first dit or dah, so it really needs to be used with a keying line from the transceiver. Also, it's not really a QSK amp, and that is a big deficiency in my view. You can bet the Elecraft amp will have good QSK, and I think the new Ten-Tec 418 amp does as well. The HLA-150 doesn't purport to cover 6 meters either, and that is another issue which other alternatives will solve. I doubt 60 meters is covered by the HLA-150, but the Elecraft amp will cover 60 meters, as will the new Elecraft amp. Personally, I'm a little reticent about the Ten-Tec 418 amp for various reasons. I'm not so sure they didn't overcook it a bit. First of all, it looks too big. It's twice the size of my HLA-150 (and HL50-B), and weighs twice as much. Is that necessary? All I've seen of the new Elecraft amp is a picture, but it looks more reasonable--and practical. The Ten-Tec 418 incorporates, among other things, a big LCD display, and two fans--things I wouldn't have thought were necessary in a small amp, but maybe they are. I still have an old Ten-Tec 405 linear, which will run 50 watts+, and is less than half the size and weight of the 418, no fans, but has power and SWR metering included. It still works FB too, even after 30+ years! Apparently the new Ten-Tec amp covers 60 meters, but initially I don't think it was going to. By the way, the new Ten-Tec QRP rig doesn't cover 60 meters or 12 meters, and I think their amp was originally going to skip these bands as well. I'm genuinely confused by Ten-Tec's omission of these bands, but that's another issue. So, if you are just looking for something reasonably affordable to boost your QRP rig a couple of S units, and not too concerned about bells and whistles, then the HLA-150 might be a good option--at least in the interim. I certainly wouldn't expect many of you to just take my word for it, but I think W8JI's discussion is more convincing. Sooner or later though, most of us will probably yearn for the kinds of features and capabilities that the new Elecraft amp will undoubtedly offer. For versatility I ultimately want a small amp that has good QSK, and when I want to use it with some of my simpler QRP rigs, I'd like to have good, effective RF sensing (hopefully that's a reasonable expectation). I also want it to cover ALL of the bands through 6 meters. If the new Elecraft amp does all of this, and at a reasonable price, I'll probably get one. I can unload the HLA-150, and my THP HL50-B, and probably not be out of pocket much, if anything. Well, I might have to look around for something else to unload as well, but hopefully it won't be a problem. The new Ten-Tec amp is pretty expensive in my view. 8 bucks a watt seems
[Elecraft] KAT500 Arriving Tomorrow
Hi All, According to UPS, my KAT500 should hit my doorstep sometime tomorrow. Problem is we are planning to leave tomorrow morning for a couple of weeks in Oregon! Fortunately, if it comes after we leave, my daughter will be here to accept delivery. It's almost amazing how deliveries from Elecraft come just as we are about to leave for somewhere. I just barely got my KX3 before a previous trip. The K3 was a close call too. It's not that we go somewhere all that often, but that's just the way it is. Anyway, I'm sure looking forward to the package--even if it's a couple of weeks before I really get to check it out. I wouldn't be taking it on the trip anyway, so I guess it doesn't really matter that much. This unit should really simplify my operating situation since I use at least one multi-band antenna that needs a little help to obtain an agreeable match for the KPA500. From the reports I've seen so far, the unit seems to work exceptionally well. By the way, mine is a factory built unit, and I ordered it at Dayton. I can't remember for sure, but it may have been on Saturday at Dayton before I got my order placed. At one point I had hoped to say that this might be my last acquisition for a good while, but now the K3/0 has me intrigued! Then there's the possibility I'll get infatuated with the 100 watt amp for my KX3. I'm not sure there is an end to this! The only thing saving me is that I'm faithfully adhering to my policy that, when something comes in, something has to go out! After 57 years of doing this stuff, I'm clearly over equipped. In truth, a LOT more needs to go out than comes in, and I'm about to start dedicating myself to that proposition. What makes that easier to do is the fact that a lot of the new stuff really replaces more than one item--at least in my inventory! The KX3, for example, made a lot of things on my shelf obsolete--not just one or two items, but several. Well, obsolete may not be the right word, but unnecessary is perhaps more adequate. It's about time I got serious! I need to start making a list, but I'm afraid my wife might see it, and then I'll never hear the end of it! She's really been a good soldier all these years, about all of this, but I know what would really make her happy. Dave W7AQK __ 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] Small HF amp suggestions
Hi Again All, I was just informed by private email that the Ten-Tec 418 amp will NOT do QSK! That astounds me! I just assumed it did I guess. I'm no designer, but I didn't think QSK was all that hard to incorporate--especially in an amp that seems to be priced in the full feature price range. I even added the QSK mod to an ALS-600 amp which Phil Salas, AD5X, came up with. It made a huge improvement in the amp, and wasn't all that hard to do. Shame on me for having assumed too much on the Ten-Tec amp. Heck, I even talked at length with a friend of mine, who was field testing that amp, and never even thought to ask about QSK. We pretty much got sidetracked, I guess, talking about a lot of the other aspects of the amp. Anyway, I went to the Ten-Tec website, looked at the spec's on the amp, and sure enough--not a word about QSK. My bad! Sorry if I mislead folks. Hopefully I'm not wrong about the Elecraft amp being QSK. That would really make me bite my tongue! Dave W7AQK __ 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] Small HF Amp Suggestions
Once more! Man, this is like a tennis match! O.K. The word is in--and this time it's from Paul Clinton, Service Manager at Ten-Tec. The 418 amp WILL do QSK! Whew! Now I feel better! Kind of strange, though, that they don't make that absolutely clear in their brochure. Dave W7AQK __ 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] Updated Info on the New Argonaut VI
Hi All, This info (see link below) was just passed on to me via GQRP-L. http://g3xbm-qrp.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/the-argonaut-vi-is-coming-soon.html There are still a lot of missing details, but it's hard for me to see how this rig competes effectively with the KX3. Dave W7AQK __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
[Elecraft] KAT500 Arrives
Hi All, KAT500 number 71 arrived by UPS today. We were supposed to be on the road today, but my wife was been pretty sick last week, and needed an extra day to get ready for the trip. Anyway, it works great! I'm happy. Actually, I'm very happy! The main reason is that running higher power has always been something of a dichotomy for me. I tend to need more power at times, mainly because my antennas are marginal--I don't hear better, but I can be heard a bit better. On the other hand, high power has always been something of a pain, if not unnecessary, much of the time. You have to be very careful running higher power--tune-up can't be done casually, house wiring has to be up to the task, everything is bigger and heavier, and accidents with high power tend to be much more destructive. etc. etc. RFI can be a much bigger issue too. I'd much rather put the time, effort, and money into better antennas, but that just isn't practical at my location. So, after a bunch of years (50+) at 100 watts or less, and much of that at 5 watts or less, I've succumbed to using up to 500 watts when conditions/circumstances seem to require it. I have access, on occasion, to another station with even higher power capability, but I still go at it sans amplifier if possible. Anyway, the KAT500 replaces my old Ten-Tec 229 manual tuner. That's a really good tuner, but it's manual, and takes a good bit of manipulating to get a good match. With the KAT500, once you get a few memories set, it's pretty much tap the paddle once, and you are set. That's a luxury I've been looking forward to ever since I acquiesced to using higher power. Perhaps I'm not getting a better match than I did with the old Ten-Tec, but it sure is a bunch faster and easier now. As for my serial number (71), I might have wished that it was one number higher, since that would match my original K2's serial number. However, this is sort of a birthday present to myself, and that's just a week away. Next week (11/20) I will be 71! So, even though it was accidental, Elecraft actually gave me a very fitting serial number! I guess I can find irony in almost anything! So, we are sneaking up on having 100 or so of these things in hand. I suspect the kits will start shipping shortly. This is the first time I haven't opted for a kit from Elecraft, but I figured for just $50, what the heck! Dave W7AQK __ 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] Are you satisfied with your K3?
Hi All, Obviously most of the responders here are either K3 owners, or K3 potential owners, who have experienced the quality of this radio. So, am I totally satisfied? No! Am I reasonably satisfied? Absolutely! The K3 is a wonderful radio, and something all of us who own one can be very proud of having. However, it is not the perfect radio, nor will it ever be such. But then, again, I never expected it to be the perfect radio! I don't care how much money you spend, you will never own the perfect radio. No radio will ever have the complete (or even nearly complete) compliment of features and performance that we seek. If that were possible, then most, or all, companies would go out of business! More importantly, it just isn't achievable. I don't care how many features you put in the K3, or any other radio, someone will have an issue--or ten issues! What Elecraft achieved with the K3 is a top quality radio at a greatly reduced cost. That's extremely significant! The K3 is NOT the perfect radio for everyone, but it is the perfect radio for most of us. There are too many variables, and personal preferences, to satisfy the entire ham community. Many of the shortcomings are well founded, but not necessarily reasonable, for all that many users. I see all this Sturm und Drang about this feature or that feature, and I have to wonder whether or not it really matters! Performance wise the K3 is near the absolute top end. Ergonomically, it also is near the top. Nonetheless, some folks are not happy, and never would be, with something specifically designed along the line of the K3. To those folks I simply say go ahead and buy whatever better meets your wants and desires. However, you won't achieve much, if any, improvement in performance. If you can detect a significantly better performing radio, then your ear is much better than mine. Elecraft has an incredible advantage over other manufacturers because they have a support team that is second to none. If you have a problem, they will fix it--one way or another!!! Other manufacturers will somewhat similarly fix your radio, but not necessarily to the extent of making it better than it was when you bought it. Elecraft will fix it, and it all probability make it even better! Some features are lacking in the K3, and some are very significant. However, just about everything that could be crammed into the K3 has been. If it isn't there now, it very well may be with software upgrades. No other manufacturer is so dedicated to keeping their top line radio so forward capable. Even though other manufacturers have adopted the firmware upgrade capability, nobody is doing more with that capability than Elecraft! Pure fact! If the K3 doesn't meet your expectations, sell it! I seriously doubt you will replace it without spending a great deal more. You won't gain much, if anything, in performance, but you might get something that fits you more appropriately. If your problem with the K3 was a specific performance attribute, then possibly you will solve that, but somewhere there will be some compromise! Right now I don't anticipate ever needing more than what the K3 provides me. That feeling may change, but I would bet large amounts of money that it will take a very serious up scaling cost wise to achieve that. In the meantime, so many of the deficiencies in the K3 are being addressed by software upgrades, I can't imagine why I would become less convinced that I now have the right radio. Who else is doing so much to achieve perfection than Elecraft? They won't get there, but they keep trying All you need to do, to truly see the value of a K3, is to compare features and cost. If another manufacturer gets closer to your wants and needs, by all means go for it! Somehow, though, I think you would be part of a very small minority. The K3 was too well planned, and too well designed to be easily outdone. Yes, something will come along that exceeds it, but not anytime soon. When that happens, will it be enough better to justify my switching? I doubt it. Either the cost, or the marginal improvement will probably make that be unnecessary. Unless I do something stupid, and blow up my K3, I'm probably set for a very long time! Dave W7AQK __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] OT: IDIOM PRESS
Hi All, What a lot of folks don't realize is that a great many of the amateur radio suppliers, and especially the QRP type suppliers, are one man operations! As such, they don't have a particularly organized and sophisticated ordering and shipping process. Accordingly, if you are in a particular hurry, or need something quickly from one of these very small companies, you should talk to them personally and make sure you are going to receive your order in the timeframe you are expecting. There are a thousand reasons why it might take longer than you expect to fill your order. Most of these little companies are operating out of their garages, or similarly small space, and parts coming in versus things going out can be an issue. I'm not making excuses for bad service, but so many of these operations are reliant on their receiving the necessary parts, which they really can't control. They can't afford to maintain large inventories of parts, so a sudden rush of orders probably means a lag time that would normally be considered unacceptable. By all means, you should talk to the supplier personally and find out if there is going to be a delay of any significance. Most of them will tell you whether or not they have everything you want in stock. Some of these folks are doing this on the side, in addition to their regular job, so don't be surprised if it takes a little time to fill an order. It may involve a good bit of personal effort to make sure what they send you is correct. It's entirely different from being a full blown manufacturing operation where they have employees specifically responsible for making sure that everything needed is on the shelf and ready for shipment. Some QRP suppliers, like Dave Benson and Steve Weber, are good examples of this. Both of those guys usually geared up for a production run of X number of kits. However, if more orders than that came in, they typically had a hiatus of time in order to re-stock the necessary parts. The NorCal kits were the same way. They could handle the number of orders they announced, but if interest exceeded that, well, it was probably going to be a wait of some time before they could handle the orders received. I don't know that much about Idiom press (they have been around for a long time), but I suspect they are in the same category. I'm not sure what they sell is sufficient to qualify for being a full blown manufacturing operation with a staff sufficiently large to make sure everything necessary is on the shelf and ready for shipment. Bottom line, if you are in a big hurry, call them and talk to them personally to find out what delay might be in the offing! I know, some of these operations promise more than they can handle, but most of them, I think, try to be reasonably forthright in their advertising. In any event, if time is of the essence, I'd be verifying things them personally. Most of these small operations are incredibly innovative in what they offer, so don't expect too much too soon! Even Elecraft started out to be a somewhat laggard operation, but the quality of their offerings soon made it possible for them to rise to big company reliability. Not every QRP supplier will achieve that level of success, so you have to be a little patient. Usually that will be greatly rewarded, but it is a bit frustrating. If you can't stand to wait a bit, then maybe you should be looking elsewhere. I have no clue as to whether Idiom Press meets the criteria I describe above, but I'd be almost willing to bet that it does. Over the years I've seen dozens of companies like this with the same lag time issue. On top of that, much of the delay can be because various personal issues arose which complicated their ability to devote the necessary attention to this sideline business. Hey! That's just part of the mix! I will tell you , though, that rarely have I been unhappy in the end. It's just that the timeframe has been disappointing. Your expectations are not unreasonable, but the basic fact of life is that you should verify the validity of your expectations when dealing with any small company. There is just too much that can interfere with achieving a satisfactory result when you are patronizing small suppliers. Too many things can go wrong for them to not hit a bump here or there. Just think about it! Dave W7AQK __ 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] Selling my K2.
Fred and All, I think Fred's comment is a bit excessive. It's a shame he had a bad experience, but the same thing could have happened if he had used almost any other venue for selling gear, like Eham, or QTH, or whatever. You can't just blame Ebay for your own mistakes. His comments about being more careful about just how you effect the transaction are more appropriate. Truth is, you can make a bad deal anywhere! I don't use Ebay a lot, but I have made a few acquisitions through it. Fortunately, they all turned out O.K. I guess I was just lucky. Like Fred, I'm somewhat cautious about some things I see there, but that's mainly because it is so wide open. Half the time you really don't know who you are really dealing with. Usually, though, you do have the option to contact the seller first, so it doesn't have to be totally blind faith. In any event, if you have any significant concerns, you should probably follow Fred's suggestion and get some sort of assurance that you have recourse. You should probably do that with any 2nd hand acquisition, regardless of where you get it. I think Ebay has some sort of problem resolution process, but I don't know how effective it is since I've never had to use it. If it has any value at all, it may be better to buy there than on some other venues. However, I think the first rule of any such transaction should be to have at least some idea as to who you are dealing with. If it's some phantom, hiding behind some obtuse ID, you don't have much upon which to place your faith. I also have another rule--When in doubt, pass! If you can't get the assurances that make you reasonably comfortable, I'd let the deal go. Except in rare instances, there is almost surely going to be another equally reasonable deal, if not better, coming down the pike. Personally, I have to keep reminding myself of this last rule. It's hard not to get somewhat excited (and possibly foolish) when you see a good deal come along. Dave W7AQK --- Fred Smith Said: I make it a point of never buying any radios on eBay usually there is a problem with them or they wouldn't be there. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] OT- Radials for Vertical Antenna
Hi Randy and All, A lot of answers to your questions, but I think what you really need to do is read the extensive coverage of this topic by Rudy Severns, N6LF. Go to this website: http://www.antennasbyn6lf.com/ There are at least two groups of QEX articles you probably would be most interested in reading. One is his general series on ground system experimentation, and his later articles on elevated radials. All these were published in QEX, and Rudy did a great deal of study and experimentation in preparation for writing them. Few people understand this subject better, or at least the practicalities of such systems. Early on Rudy commented that as few as 4 elevated radials could probably outperform an extensively laid ground radial system. However, it turns out that this also required very rigid tuning procedures, and that probably 8 or more were really what would be necessary. The bugaboo, apparently, is getting the current distribution right in the radials themselves--otherwise they can become counter productive, or I think that was his conclusion. In any event, this is really good stuff, and well worth studying. It may not answer all your questions, but you will undoubtedly learn a lot about radial systems in the process, and you can experiment on your own as you see fit. Dave W7AQK __ 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] O.T.: End of (another) era
Hi All, Ed may be right--it's hard to say. It also depends on what the definition of disappear is, meaning I think there will always be some adventurous souls using CW regardless of where technology takes us. By rights, I would have thought AM would disappear, but it hasn't--not totally. There is even a feeding frenzy out there for old AM gear. But CW is a conundrum. It takes skill! That is what seems to be disappearing from ham radio! Look at the decline in the ability of the average ham to build his/her own gear, let alone repair it! Admittedly, the radios we buy these days don't lend themselves to DIY repair, mainly due to the advanced technology of things like SMD's, etc. These days, if you have a problem, it usually means swapping out an entire board rather than replacing a single part. But back to CW--This is the most basic (I think) form of RF communication. By that I mean it is the simplest form to create. You actually only need two wires you can touch together to send it, but a paddle or key obviously makes it much easier. It's more efficient that just about any type of voice communication, so with just a few watts (or less) you can work the world! The digital modes you mention are also very efficient, but I find them ultimately boring! The computer has made everything so mechanical! JT65 is a really slick creation, but you end up just playing a numbers game for exchanges. It's gratifying for a while, but there is not much conversation going back and forth. At least modes like PSK31 are conversational, and maybe other modes, yet to be invented, will be that way too. It's hard to say what we will see in the next 20 or 30 years. Technology moves at lightening speed! For that matter, RTTY would seem to be old hat as well, but it still seems to be hanging around in strength. The computer gave RTTY a reprieve, since we no longer have to rely on units like the old Model 26's, or whatever those things were that we used years ago. I can even operate RTTY and PSK31 with my KX3, all by itself, but using CW as the input method! Again, the simplest form of input (CW) to generate an advanced mode. A while back some Japanese company was seriously contemplating using CW as an input method for texting on cellphones! It would only require two or three keys! Interesting concept, but I guess it didn't fly--at least not now. I still think there is just possibly some merit to this however. Kids can learn anything They text! It's the old f**ts that have problems. The absence of a mandatory level of CW proficiency has clearly reduced the level of CW activity--except in contests! Interestingly, though, now that CW is no longer mandatory, a lot of newer hams (and some old ones too) seem to be having some sort of epiphany about the virtues of CW, and are voluntarily taking it up. Very interesting!!! The bottom line is that technology is apt to change everything! It might even substantially wipe away ham radio all together! It certainly has distracted newcomers who now seem to be nearly totally focused on computers. I have some serious concerns about the survival of ham radio itself, but for now, I think the biggest threat is CC R's! Hi. Dave W7AQK __ 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] 43' Vertical - mine is 31ft
Wim DeWilder posted: I have a 31 foot vertical myself (S9 V31) and since I have the KPA500 I use the 600 WATT MFJ remote auto tuner. With about 8 radials of 30 ft it works well on 40m - 10m. The MFJ can't tune it on 80m but the internal K3 tuner does. Feedline is 100ft of RG213 - Wim, Is the MFJ tuner still in line when you tune with the K3 on 80 meters? It seems to me that you are loading a 40 meter vertical on 80 meters, which means your feedpoint impedance is probably very high--maybe a few thousand ohms??? That's a pretty large order for most auto-tuners. The K3 tuner is darn good, and just might give you a match of some sort, but that's a stretch for it as well. 10:1 is kind of the spec limit, and I think you may be exceeding that. Still, I'm not sure what it might be tuning if you don't have the MFJ bypassed. Also, that 100 feet of feedline, even though it's pretty good stuff, is probably giving you a lot of loss since you apparently don't have a good match at the base. As I understand it, if you don't get pretty close to 50 ohms at the base of the antenna, then your coax will just increase your losses considerably over and above what it would normally cause due to the length of the run. I can tune my R8 vertical on 80 meters (and even 160 meters) just using the K3's ATU, and a run of about 50 feet of coax. However, I am certain that my efficiency is crap! I've only tried this a couple of times because it scares me to death to try it! Dave W7AQK __ 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] K2: maximizing RF output, upping audio output.
Ron and All, I think Ron's cautionary comments are right on! I remember a number of years back when the Kenwood TS-50 first came out. It didn't take long for the tinkerers to realize that the output transistors in that rig were very conservatively rated. It was often stated that they could probably run as much as two or three times the rating for the rig (100 watts). Sure enough, a bunch of folks started hopping up their TS-50's. Problem is, most of them forgot all about whether or not the output filters could handle that much extra power. Apparently they couldn't, because soon you started hearing a lot of sad stories. Beefing up a K2 beyond it's design capability seems like pure foolishness to me--unless you want to basically redesign the whole rig! Besides, most 12 volt rigs have significant IMD issues when run much above the design limit. It doesn't take much either. The K3 runs pretty well at 100 watts, but at 110 watts (which is would do initially) it started getting dirty. I think they subsequently capped it at 100 watts via firmware. A few more watts just isn't worth it---usually! If you want to boost your power, get an amp--even a small one. Or build one--there are a bunch of good designs around for simple and inexpensive amps . Why jeopardize a great rig like a K2 for a few more watts? Dave W7AQK __ 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] K3 frozen on power-up
Good Morning All, I can't explain the problem, and maybe I'm barking up the wrong tree. However, in recent years it has become pretty obvious to me that microprocessors are pretty finicky! All the devices we use these days that have microprocessors seem to periodically get hung up due to even a small spike in voltage, or whatever. More often than not, disconnecting everything, and probably doing a complete power down, seems to cure it. I've had to do that with routers, cell phones, satellite receivers, computers, etc., etc. Every so often I have to do it with the K3 as well. So, anymore when something quits working correctly, the first thing I do is a complete power disconnect--even removing batteries is sometimes the answer. Interconnecting cables may need to be unhooked as well because they also may have some small voltage passing through them. Anyway, if something quits working, give this a try first. It may save you from having to have a conversation with India! Dave W7AQK __ 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] QRQ KPA500 amp
Mike and All, Not sure what was so humorous exactly, about Full QRQ break-in, but my reaction would be more like are you kidding me? . Full QRQ break-in says two things--Not only does it have QSK capability (the full break-in part of that phrase), but also at really high CW speeds (QRQ), which a lot of other amps, and rigs for that matter, cannot do. That's another world as far as I'm concerned. Actually, the K3 was, at one point, a bit lacking on the QRQ aspect as far as some of the really super high speed folks were concerned. However, in just another instance of how Elecraft responds to customer requests, they resolved that issue to just about everyone's satisfaction as far as I know. I'm guessing that the KPA500 will very effectively coordinate with the increased capability of the K3. A good friend of mine, who is an excellent CW op and one of the QRQ folks who encouraged Elecraft to improve this aspect of the K3, is now apparently fully satisfied with the results. I'm not sure what the upper limit is now, but I think it is in the neighborhood of 70 to 80 wpm now--maybe faster. I'm not slow, but this is way out of my realm of operation, and I didn't even know the issue existed. In any event, if the K3 had been a product of any other manufacturer, this deficiency would probably never had been resolved, except perhaps by a new improved model. Additionally, the KPA500 probably would not have been designed as capably either by another manufacturer, or even by Elecraft, had it not been for their close attention to customer requests and requirements. I'm pretty sure that one of the objectives in the design of the KPA500 was NOT to inhibit the capabilities of the K3. As I said, I'm not a QRQ type, but I do plod along at a decent clip using QSK. It constantly amazes me how seamlessly the KPA500 follows along, and is whisper quiet! No clicks, no clacks, just green bars! Even if the fan comes on I have to strain to hear it. I've never been much of an amp user either, until now, but I have used other amps now and then. All of those other amps tended to drive me crazy with the racket they produce. As long as I used headphones, I think I could operate the K-line in church and nobody would notice! Dave W7AQK __ 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] KX3 Transverters
Hi All, I'm glad (for some of you) that a 2 meter transverter will eventually be available for the KX3. In my view, however, only having 2 meters really doesn't accomplish that much. Yes, 2 meters probably still is the most significant VHF/UHF band, but it seems to me that 440 has become nearly equal, and even more important in some areas. I don't know how much you can cram into the KX3, but unless I could get both 2 meters and 440 combined, it would still mean I have to have an alternative for those bands--it's like getting half a loaf. A dual band HT does that for me. If I need an HT for 440, I might as well use it for 2 meters as well, and skip the transverter. The trade-off, of course, is not being able to utilize all modes. More and more, both here locally and as I travel around a bit, I find that 440 has become quite preferential in many places. I'm not that much into VHF/UHF anyway, so it's easy for me to be a bit blasé' about it. Nonetheless, it just seems to me that most folks who are serious about these bands, are probably serious about both of them (if not more), and thus are apt to have some sort of all mode multi-band VHF/UHF rig for that purpose. If you are primarily just an FM'er on those bands, as I tend to be, then maybe you will see my point. I can certainly see some benefit of having 2 meters built into the KX3, at hamfests, or operating mobile, etc., but I can do all I need to do with a simple dual bander, or tri-bander, many of which are available for less than the cost of a transverter. The purpose of this post is not to be critical of the KX3 accessory plans--not at all! However, I guess I hope it might be food for thought to the folks in Watsonville about seriously considering whether or not they can expand the KX3 beyond just 2 meters. If they can, that's pretty amazing! Wayne hinted it might be something they may consider, but he was very cautious about the possibility. I'm just expressing my view as to why it might make sense, if it's possible at all. Dave W7AQK __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] KX3 vs FT817 (comparing apples+oranges)
Hi All, I read the comments by Doug, KR2Q, (and Wayne's response as well), and while I tend to agree with much of Doug's analysis, I have a serious question. Doug infers that the outstanding specs for the KX3 are superfluous when operating in the field. I honestly don't understand his point. I suspect I'm missing something or not connecting the dots right. For one thing, when I go to the field, which tends to be fairly often, I usually have better antennas there than at home. That doesn't say anything very good about my home setup, but I have antenna restrictions and I live in the desert. Setting up a decent antenna in the field isn't necessarily that difficult, unless you are in a big hurry. Trees or not, I can have a fairly decent dipole at 40 feet in about 5 minutes. Alternatively, I can use something like an end fed half wave, or a vertical arrangement of some sort. If I have trees, so much the better. I also have a Buddipole system, but I tend to use it as a Buddistick, which works very well. In any event, whether I'm at home or out camping, I find plenty of reason to appreciate a better radio. The late, but welcome, arrival of our current sunspot cycle has certainly enhanced activity on the bands. Signals are often very LOUD, and not that far apart. I agree that contests and pile-ups exacerbate things, but it seems to me that there isn't that much difference in conditions regardless of where I operate. It is certainly understandable that folks would immediately ponder the trail friendly qualities of the KX3. Anything small and light leads you to that as an option. However, I don't think Elecraft approached this design with that as their main objective. Rather I think they were trying to enhance versatility. In other words, trying to make a small version of the K3, and as close to a K3 as they could get. I'm remembering something from a number of years back, when the KX1 was fairly new. I commented that I had even operated my KX1 while sitting in bed. Wayne responded that he had done that too! So, maybe what Wayne really was trying to do was come up with a way to take his K3 to the bedroom! Hi. Anyway, I don't think the challenge was just to make a smaller radio. I think it was making a really good radio smaller. To do the former only trumps a few alternative radios. To do the latter trumps a bunch of other radios--at least in versatility. That was, in my view, the real objective--versatility. Maybe that's not exactly the word they had on the flip chart during the brain storming sessions about designing the KX3, but I tend to think it at least partially describes their objective. For a long time I've wished I could be a fly on the wall when they discuss this stuff! Dave W7AQK __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
[Elecraft] KPA500
Jim and all, At 5 watts input, I get something just north of 75 watts out of the KPA500. At 7 watts input, I get 100 watts out from the KPA500. That's not a precise measurement, but hopefully close enough. That was on 40 meters, by the way. In any event, without doing the math, that seems pretty close to the 15 DB gain figure I think they were shooting for. I know that about 28 watts input from the K3 just tickles the 500 watt output LED on the KPA500. That's about where I run it when using the amp. Looking ahead, at the KX3, 10 watts generates about 150 watts, and 12 watts gets nearly 175 watts. Dave W7AQK __ 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 synthesizer problem
NQ7R and all, Tom, that does sound like a very odd problem. I Don't remember seeing it discussed previously here. However, your suggestion that Gary Surrency may be lacking in interest to solve it doesn't sound like Gary at all! He has been around the Elecraft scene, almost from inception, and has always been very responsive, and he is very good at identifying problem resolutions! My guess is that he may simply have run out of ideas without being able to get hands on. Not every problem can be solved by email. It also appears that the two of you have exchanged several emails, and that doesn't sound like someone who is not trying to be helpful. I suppose if you have another K3 around, and could substitute one synthesizer board for another that way, you could probably determine whether or not Gary's suggestion is correct. He's probably suggesting that to avoid your having to send the rig to Elecraft for service, but that really may be your best option due to the uncertainty. Maybe you could just send them your synthesizer board and they could test it somehow. That might be even easier, from a shipping standpoint. However, maybe that's not a practical approach for whatever reason. Anyway, I know rig problems are depressing, and I sympathize with your frustration. There's a tendency to feel abused, since everyone else's rig seems to be working fine, but yours isn't! Unfortunately, bad things can happen to good people! However, I sincerely believe you are in better hands with Elecraft than you would be with just about any other manufacturer. When rig problems develop, and you can't fix them yourself, you have to bite the bullet somewhat. You just have to work with them to determine the most expeditious way of resolving the problem. By the way, if I had to guess, I'd bet Gary is probably close to right in his suggestion, but since he can't be positive, he obviously can't give you any guarantees. Unless some other option comes to mind, I'd probably just send the rig in and be done with it. Besides, there is usually the additional benefit of them possibly identifying other anomalies, which they could then deal with without necessitating another trip back and forth. Kind of like getting a 20,000 mile service on your car! Dave W7AQK __ 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] Yuma Hamfest
Hi All, I just got home from the Yuma/ARRL SW Division Hamfest. It was a nice gathering, but not huge--not as big as Pacificon, for example. Friendly folks, though, and some pretty decent weather. It was much better in Yuma than just east in Tucson, where I live. I got to see several old friends, which always makes these gatherings worth doing. I hadn't seen Ron, KU7Y, for several years. He and I are old golfing buddies, as some of you QRP Quarterly readers may remember from our cover photo some years back--we did a little DX operating from a golf cart--on an otherwise very empty golf course, I might add, so we weren't holding anyone else up while we played with the radio! My good friend Jim Duffy (Dr. Megacycle), KK6MC, made the trip from Albuquerque, which I thought was a valiant effort. He enjoyed it a lot--his words--so it was worth the long drive. Chuck Adams, K7QO also came over from Phoenix--I think to scope out the KX3, as a lot of us were doing. I get the feeling that Chuck may opt for a K2 first, but he's definitely sniffing around for something new. Doug Hendricks brought his QRP Kits Road Show along, and he had a very nice booth set up. I was a little worried as to how many QRP enthusiasts might show up, but Doug says he did pretty well selling his kits, so I guess it turned out O.K. It's really kind of impressive to see how many kits Doug has in his line-up these days--including the Red Hot kit line from a few years back, which he recently acquired the rights to from Dave Fifield. That was a superb kit, and Doug was pretty astute to bring it back. Doug also revived the DCXX mini QRP transceiver kits--these are single board, xtal controlled transceivers for various bands, and dirt cheap! I built one for 40 meters, and it works great! Chuck Carpenter added a nice little VXO mod for it, and it just so happens that my friend Tony Fishpool, G4WIF has recently been toying with a VXO circuit using ceramic resonators that might be available from GQRP. Anyway, that's a great transceiver project, especially for new hams. I have to add that I was fortunate to have a winning door prize ticket, and my prize was an Elecraft XG2, which I traded up for the new XG3, since I already have the XG2. Not bad for $5 worth of tickets. Apparently, though, I didn't win any of the grand prize stuff, which was really a lot of very nice items. Guess I can't get too greedy! I chatted briefly with Eric Swartz about the upcoming new items from Elecraft. Of course, the KX3 is uppermost in most peoples minds, and apparently they are getting pretty close to production. Nobody will say how many have been pre-ordered, but it is a bunch! I was particularly interested in hearing any news on the KAT500, and Eric said that is progressing nicely as well. It will be summer, probably, before that's ready to go. Eric is pretty excited about the KAT500's capabilities, and I am too. He says it will handle 500 watts without breaking a sweat, and mentioned that if your actual SWR is something around 3 to 1 or less, it will handle a lot more! At the design power levels it will handle a much broader range of SWR's, as it is the same basic design as what you see in the K3's ATU, etc. No commitment regarding price yet, but I think I read between the lines as to the probable range. It's speculation, though, so I won't go further as to our conversation on that matter. So, a nice weekend here in the desert. Sorry more of you couldn't make it, but there are a lot of other great events coming up in the near future. Dave W7AQK __ 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] Yamaha CM500/PPT Headset
This is not an elegant solution, but I do use my Yamaha CM500 most of the time. I have it plugged into the back of the K3. My MH2 microphone is still plugged into the front, and I just use the push to talk switch on the MH2, even when I'm using the CM500. Of course, a simple switch could be created, but this took no effort and isn't all that bad an alternative. Dave W7AQK __ 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] Review of excellent portable antenna
The Bravo 7K is, indeed, an interesting new design by Tom Schiller, N6BT. I initially home brewed a version of it, which wasn't that hard to do using the information available online. Subsequently, I was able to obtain the actual antenna itself, and I have been doing a lot of comparisons with it. What's really impressive about the antenna is that it is really something that qualifies as being portable, although it's not like an MP-1, or similar, as far as portability goes. Nevertheless, it breaks down quickly, and into something that you could easily fit in a relatively small canvas or nylon bag. It's also lightweight, but reasonably durable. I also have a Sigma 40XK (Force12), which is another Tom Schiller design from when he owned that line. Most of my comparison efforts so far have been between that antenna and the Bravo 7K. I will tell you that I have been very happy with the Sigma's performance on 40 meters. It's something of a compromise antenna, but still it does a very good job, and better than my R7 on that band. The problem with the Sigma is that, although it is advertised as being multiband capable, changing bands is no easy task. So, I tend to leave mine on 40 meters. The Sigma 40XK could also be considered to be portable, as it breaks down nicely as well, but not as quickly and easily. The Bravo 7K, on the other hand, is much easier to switch from one band to another. The matching section is easier to access, and is designed for relatively quick band changing. There is even a version of this antenna that allows you to do all this remotely, but it's considerably more expensive. Unfortunately, my comparison testing on 40 meters, so far, has demonstrated that the Bravo 7K is consistently about an S unit, or a bit more, below the performance of my Sigma. That's not terrible, but it was disappointing, particularly due to my expectations based on the hype. I do need to do more tests, however, since I may not have the antenna located quite properly, etc. As Tom Schiller is quick to point out, if you've ever heard him make a presentation, it's very easy to have nearby objects interfere with antenna performance. I think I am quoting him reasonably accurately when I say that anything within a quarter wavelength distance or so can be a culprit. I also read Ward Silver's review of this antenna, in the March 2012 issue of QST, with great interest. I believe Ward to be something of an antenna guru, so I tend to take his opinions seriously. Sometimes, though, I can't help but wonder if QST isn't a bit loathe to be overly critical of some things they review. It certainly seems that way at times. In this review, for example, Ward makes no attempt to confirm the designers claim as to antenna efficiency. I've seen other examples of antenna reviews by Ward where he goes into considerably more detail about analyzing performance. Nevertheless, Ward made a fairly strong statement in support of this antenna's merits at the end of his review. If he's right, I should be able to get even better performance from mine with a little adjusting. The portability of this antenna is not insignificant. For me, this antenna could be an excellent solution to some of my varied operating needs for travel, camping, etc. For example, we spend a good part of our summers on the Oregon coast, and I am anxious to take this thing right down on the beach (with my soon to be acquired KX3)! It also could solve a lot of problems I have putting up an antenna when operating from my motorhome. I think this antenna has certain advantages over something like a Buddipole. The disadvantage might be that you really can't (easily) use it as a horizontal antenna, but horizontal antennas at relatively low heights don't generally perform that well in my view. As a vertical antenna I suspect the Bravo 7K is apt to be more efficient. From a portability standpoint, I think they are at least equal. By the way, I have a Buddipole as well. Hopefully I'll get a chance to do some more comparison testing soon. I've been ailing a bit of late, but better now, and so is the weather! It's beautiful today in Tucson--not windy as it has been. Dave W7AQK __ 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] KAT500 vs KAT3 Matching Range
As Eric recently explained to me, the KAT500 is based on the same design as the ATU for the K3--only bigger! So, yes it should have much the same spec's, which means something like a 10:1 SWR capability. Actually, Eric noted that, provided you a somewhat closer SWR variance, like 3:1 or better, the KAT500 will handle a good bit more than it's 500 watt specificed power rating. How much more he didn't say exactly, but the KAT500 will very probably work just fine on some of those 800 watt amps that are out there, and just as well or better than various other ATU's. Mating the KAT500 with the KPA500 is the primary objective, but they are intentionally aiming at other amps as well--within a reasonable power range. If you think about it, that only makes sense not to limit yourself to just your own matching amp. I don't know how aggressive they will be about the actual spec's when those are formally released, but Eric specifically pointed out that they wanted this ATU to be fairly versatile. Dave W7AQK __ 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] Cheap Pelican case
Hi All, Wow! Everyone is going bonkers trying to get ready for their KX3! Can't blame you--me too! I may be wrong, but I don't remember this much excitement about a new product ever! Pelican cases have always seems a bit bulky, and even unhandy to me. I do have one for my KX1, but I'm not sure it isn't overkill. Of course, those things would probably survive a plane crash! I like the idea of a camera case. They come in all sorts of sizes and shapes, and many are very effectively padded, etc. They don't weigh much either. Some of the very best out there are Lowepro models, but Case Logic makes some very nice ones as well. A good camera case has to be well designed because not only the cameras are fragile, but the lenses can be particularly fragile. It doesn't take much of a shock to get a multi-element lens out of whack! I know there is a lot of serious planning going on, but I highly recommend that you consider all the accessory items you want to be able to fit into the same case. It's the accessories that make picking the right case more difficult. Some of the better, small camcorder cases are compartmentalized, which makes it nice to keep things from banging against each other. You will have a nice handle/carrying strap, so that makes it even better. Anyway, I gave up trying to identify just the right case until I have everything in hand, and can assemble all the extras I want to carry. Then I'll decide which case really does the job for me. I may already have something, but chance are I don't. I suspect that soon after the first few start shipping, some folks will have live examples of what really seems to work. Dave W7AQK __ 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] KAT500/KPA500 Positioning
I think the KAT500 may be sturdy enough for the KPA500 to sit on top of it, but I am a bit nervous about interrupting the air flow around the amp. I think, during my recent discussion with Eric, he suggested it be set on, or under, the K3. Airflow is important there too, but not as critical perhaps. If you set it on top of the K3 you block the speaker, so I'm contemplating putting it under the K3. The KAT500 has the same dimensions as either the K3 or the KPA500--it's just not as high. I'd bet there will be a lot of variations on setup, and hopefully several of them will be satisfactory. Dave W7AQK __ 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] Which ONE rig would I buy?
Hi All, This seems to come up a lot, and I always have to wonder how such a question can be effectively answered, at least convincingly. The problem is that everyone has different wants and needs. Also, just about every radio out there is significantly different in various ways, whether it's price, features, size, or whatever. In my view, the only way someone can really pick the radio that's best for them is to make a serious list of what's really important to their wants and needs. You also need to actually get your hands on whatever radio you are considering, because the ads don't tell you everything you need to know! We often tend to focus on features, while forgetting things like ergonomics, or maybe just how we really want to use it. In my case, for example, I wanted the best radio I could afford, but one that I could also use in a variety of situations. I travel, therefore, I want to be able to take my radio with me. In the past, this usually meant having two radios, but the K3 allows me to accomplish just about everything with just the one radio. Personally, I think the K3 is the best radio out there--at least compared to most anything even remotely close to it's price. I also think it has more features, and better ergonomics than just about any other radio in its class. I've not owned or used any of the higher end Yaesu's or Icoms out there, but I've seen and touched them, and I know they are definitely one location radios. I did have an Orion II, but it was huge, and I didn't like the ergonomics at all--not to mention that I believe it was somewhat inferior to the K3. I also owned a Yaesu Mark V, but you don't move that radio around much either. It's possible, even still, to make a Mark V perform exceptionally well, but it takes lots of extra filtering, etc. Some folks say the K3 is too small. I don't get it! Someone once actually measured the knob differences and spacing between the K3 and at least one of the much larger radio, and found almost no justification for the complaint. The fact that it has a smaller front panel is more than offset by the fact that Elecraft astutely incorporated multiple feature controls with a single knob or button. O.K.--no separate touchpad for selecting bands. That's about the only thing I don't have on the K3 that I had on the Orion II, but you can do a work-around with the K3's memory features. The display was bigger, but no more informative, and the bandscope was worthless! Otherwise, I found the Orion's ergonomics to be inferior, and required considerably more button pushing that the K3. The Mark V was so menu intense, I never got comfortable with it. I am impressed with a lot that the bigger Icoms and Yaesus now offer, but it comes at a much bigger price. Some of the features they have are wonderful, but I seriously question claims that they perform better than the K3--at least overall. I guess what I would recommend is that you use the K3 as a standard, and then compare the pros and cons with other radios. You may well determine that some other radio has the features you truly prefer, but at least you are basing it off a radio with truly outstanding features, support, and adaptability. If you do this, I think you will make a much more informed decision. Also, don't be inappropriately mislead by the pro and con commentary you see/hear. You need to evaluate these sources. I have a short list of folks whose comments are, I believe, fair and informed. Some folks are overly critical, and others are overly enthusiastic. I'm no expert either, so the grain of salt process starts here! I have one other suggestion, just based on my experiences. I either own, or have owned, a lot of radios over my 57 years in the hobby. The only real buyer's remorse I've had, other than from a radio that just didn't perform as advertised, was when I under-bought. If you spend a little too much, you can usually live with that after a bit of a struggle with your budget. However, when you under-buy, there is almost an immediate sense of frustration, which often leads to making another purchase and taking a loss on your original one. Sometimes, coughing up an extra couple of hundred dollars or so on the front end might save you a thousand dollars later on. I guess the old cliché' penny-wise and pound foolish fits here. I offer this commentary because I know there are a few newer rigs out there that, although seemingly quite capable, and perhaps a few hundred dollars less than a K3, really may not be sufficiently cheaper in the long run considering what you lose in features. But it's not just the K3 rivals I am thinking of--I could make the same argument as to all these Icom models that have come out, or the various models of the Yaesu 5000. Much of this seems to me to be these companies trying to hit price points as their primary objective. Also, don't be overly influenced by the base
Re: [Elecraft] KPA500 vs THP HL-550FX
Hi All, A nice comparison of the KPA500 and the THP amp. Pros and cons for either I'm sure. However, the question of weight makes me curious. As a KPA500 owner I know that there isn't much inside the KPA500 that adds a lot of weight other than that nice, husky transformer. Erroneously, perhaps, I've always thought that bigger was better when it came to transformers--more or less. So, does this suggest the transformer in the THP might be less substantial? Not necessarily inadequate, but less substantial?? Just curious. Dave W7AQK __ 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] TX5K
Hi All, I suspect lots of folks are working the Clipperton gang so my working them too is not such a big deal. However, I snagged them on, not only 40 and 30, but also 80 and 160 CW. The antenna I was using is the unique thing--an R8 vertical, which is only really supposed to go down to 40 meters! I did use the KPA500 and KAT500, but only at about 200 watts on those bands. I was afraid to try anything higher, but didn't need it! However, the KAT500 gave me a nice match--1:1 on 80, and about 1.4:1 on 160. I give all the credit to the KAT500 tuner, even though my ERP was probably pretty darn low--maybe even QRP off the antenna! Great tuner! Those folks on Clipperton probably have some pretty decent antennas too. They were LOUD! I'll probably get chided for trying 80 and 160 with my R8, but I think I kept the power low enough not to do any harm. I did the same thing for the VP6DX DXpedition--even on SSB--worked them on 20 band slots. Otherwise, I pretty much stay clear of those two bands. It's fun, though, to see what you can get away with sometimes. Anyway, I'd never be able to do that without a really FB tuner like the KAT500, even though I'm just matching 50 ohms at the rig and not really tuning the antenna to anything remotely efficient. When I worked the VP6DX DXpedition I was using a manual tuner (but a pretty good one--an old Ten-Tec), but it took several minutes to finally find an acceptable match. With the KAT500 it was only a matter of a few seconds. Kudos to the folks at Elecraft! Dave W7AQK __ 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] TX5K
Hi All, Apparently they are starting to shut things down--a bit early it seems! My DX cluster had a note that the 160/80 antennas are down now! Nothing on their blog about that. Supposedly they still have almost 2 days to go. At this moment they only have 40 SSB up and running! I guess I've worked them everywhere I can. I have them on all CW bands (except 6 meters, of course), and all SSB bands except 80 meters (and 6 meters). Also on 3 digi bands--30, 20, and 17. 19 band slots in all. It has been fun snagging them, and the Elecraft stuff here all performed just great! I'm particularly please with how much easier things are now that I have the KAT500. With my antenna situation here it really makes a big difference. Clipperton isn't so far away that it is a big deal to work them, except the competition is ferocious. The folks who worked them running QRP have much bigger bragging rights. Well done! The real kick in the pants is working them on RTTY without a computer! That feature in the K3 (and the KX3) is so cool! This time around I just loaded a couple of memories with the ID info and the report info. I've done it with direct paddle input in the past, but using the memories makes it a snap on DX stuff. I wanted to try it with the KX3, but the competition was so heavy, and my antenna so inadequate, I had to go to the K3 with a bit more power. Working them on 160 SSB, but not 80 SSB was something of a surprise. I bet I'm in just the wrong spot propagation wise for 80 meters. I could even hear some of the Europeans working them. Guess I should have started trying a lot earlier! The TX5K website is pretty slick! You can see confirmation of your QSO within just a minute or two. These DXpeditions get fancier all the time with this logging info. Anyway, I had fun. Hope a lot of other folks did too. Dave W7AQK __ 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] TX5K
Yep, I worked them on 160 SSB on the 8th, which was apparently about the last day for that band. I worked them on 160 CW a few days earlier. Not sure why the antenna for 160 and 80 came down so early--maybe it blew down??? It seems like after they crossed the 100K QSO mark, their activity started to fall off. Perhaps that was their goal, and after that they wanted to enjoy a little R R? Or, maybe the sand crabs got to them! Hi. Like you, I wasn't sure 160 SSB was on their agenda. I don't think VP6DX brought up anything on 160 SSB, so maybe that's not considered to be a particularly productive band/mode combination. In any event, the TX5K website had a neat feature that showed, at any point in time, just what bands and modes were active. At this moment they are still only operating on 40 SSB. It's odd to only see one position light on. Usually there were at least 4 or 5, and as many as 7 or 8. As I mentioned previously, my working them on 80 and 160 is still sort of amazing--to me anyway. I say that because I've tried various goofy antennas on 160 before with almost no luck whatsoever. An R8 vertical isn't supposed to work on 80, let alone 160. I had tried it, mainly as a lark, on the VP6DX DXpedition. Surprise! Surprise! They heard me! You know my ERP had to be just one step up from a dummy load. It's proof positive that just about anything will radiate something, and further provided whoever is at the other end has a decent antenna to hear you with! The R8 actually shows a half-way decent SWR even without the tuner. 160 is more problematic, but the KAT500 (or just the K3 internal ATU when running barefoot) will bring it down to close to 1:1 on both bands. That certainly substantiates some of the performance claims by Elecraft. If you just don't get greedy, and run very much power, everything behaves nicely. By the way, it was interesting to see them often on the same band with more than one mode. Not all DXpeditions do that--at least not as much. I think at least part of the credit for being able to do that is the Elecraft equipment. Dave, AA7EE posted a link to a very interesting historical summary of Clipperton Island on the QRP-L reflector. I've added the link below for those who may be interested. I found it fascinating! The other historical thing I am reminded of is that, back around the time I first got my license, there was a DXpedition to Clipperton Island by the YASME group--mainly Lloyd Colvin (W6KG?). It was all over the cover of CQ Magazine. Maybe that was the first DXpedition to Clipperton??? Do I also remember that later there was some sort of flap about YASME? Here's the link on Clipperton's history. http://www.damninteresting.com/the-tyrant-clipperton-island/ Dave W7AQK -Original Message- From: Fred Smith Sent: Saturday, March 09, 2013 3:13 AM To: 'Dyarnes' ; elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: RE: [Elecraft] TX5K Did you work them on 160m phone (they weren't going to work 160 phone according to them) I missed them on that and 12m SSB. Most all the early info shows them shutting down today, haven't looked at their web site. Good job to you! I hope we can work them as well on their next big DXpedition (deep breath) I think a lot of people need it. These guys did a great job and I liked the log as well as any I have ever seen. BTW I tried for 20 mins the other morning after I had worked them QRO on 80m SSB (1st call lucky) with my KX3 I was never heard. The noise floor was rather high but I thought with their superior equipment 8) that they might hear me but no joy it was a poor band/mode choice, but I tried you never know. Fred/N0AZZ __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] TX5K
Milt, You’re right! I had forgotten what bands/modes they were on. I did work them on both 160 SSB and CW. I checked their website just now, which is still up and running with the QSO logs. I worked them on 20 band slots—missed a couple of the digi bands they ran with only a few contacts. That was a very well run DXpedition! One of the best in my memory. Dave W7AQK From: Milt -- N5IA Sent: Saturday, March 09, 2013 8:55 AM To: Dyarnes ; Fred Smith ; elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: Re: [Elecraft] TX5K -Original Message- From: Dyarnes Sent: Saturday, March 09, 2013 6:16 AM To: Fred Smith ; elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: Re: [Elecraft] TX5K ---SNIP--- I don't think VP6DX brought up anything on 160 SSB, ---SNIP--- I had tried it, mainly as a lark, on the VP6DX DXpedition. Surprise! Surprise! They heard me! ---SNIP--- Dave W7AQK Dave, 160 SSB was alive and well at VP6DX. Please see http://www.radio-sport.net/vp6dx-n5ia-leads-single-ops-in-cq-160-ssb-cn3a-top-multi-op/ I searched my log and you are not among the 1,163 contacts during the contest period. Sorry I missed you. It was a tremendous opportunity and at the end of both nights once the terminator had crossed all of the USA except the Pacific Time Zone, there was essentially no competition for the W6-W7 crowd. I worked folks who forced a Watt or two into a 40 Meter dipole at 25’ AGL. The JA’s have no 160 M SSB allocation and I had worked all the ZL, VK and other Pacific area stations. Consequently there was a fair amount of open air time for the last hour or so before Ducie sunrise. Again, too bad you didn’t get on. There were approximately 200 Qs made on 160 SSB a couple of nights before the contest. There were another 200 Qs made on 160 SSB during the 3 nights of operation after the contest. VP6DX made a total of 6,671 Qs on 160 Meters of which 1,574 were with the SSB mode. 73 de Milt, N5IA No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 2013.0.2904 / Virus Database: 2641/6156 - Release Date: 03/08/13 __ 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] OT--RFI Issue
Hi All, I am in need of some informed counseling. Hopefully I won't start a thread of war stories. Some time back, my neighbor complained that I was getting into his TV system. He has Dish Network, by the way, which is the same thing I have. Anyway, I immediately tried to be responsive, went to his house to hear the problem for myself, with the aide of another local op who operated my rig while I listened. I was getting into his system all right, but it was an anomoly. I don't have any problem with my own systems here. Anyway, I tried a few toroidal filters, but it didn't seem to help. Fortunately, I got some assistance from the local ARRL RFI committee, and it was determined that it was his sub-woofer leads that were the culprit, and I had not filtered that particular lead previously. He has a serious rats nest wiring system running all through his house. Anyway, A filter seemed to solve the issue. Fast forward to the present--now I'm told he thinks I am getting into his phone system and his internet! I can believe the phone thing--that's not uncommon, but also not necessarily indicative of a dirty signal. On the other hand, I've never heard of a problem with someone's internet connection. We both use the same internet system also--Cox Cable internet, and I don't have any problem whatsoever here at my own house. He is not far away, but obviously farther away than my own systems! I suspect he may be a bit paranoid, and is assuming any problem is being caused by me. However, I want to be proactive! I do, however, want to try and be logical about the whole thing. Intuitively, I assume that if I was transmitting a dirty signal, it would probably affect my phone system (also wireless like he has, but probably a different brand) and internet service. Also, I have now added a low pass filter, but haven't checked to see if that made any difference, but I will. For one thing, I'm going to try and talk to the guy on the phone to see If I can hear anything when I key up. I've also been reviewing my connections. In any event, I don't want to make the mistake of assuming that, just because I don't have a problem with my systems, it must be faulty equipment at his end--or something entirely unassociated with my operating. So, any thoughts or ideas from the group? Dave W7AQK __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] OT--RFI Issue
Hi All, First, I hope this thread isn't viewed adversely by the moderator. I think it's educational, at a minimum. Of course, I have a vested interest in the topic right now, but sooner or later, just about every ham will probably face this issue--rightly or wrongly! I loved the old Jimmy Hatlo cartoon that Missouri Guy posted! Hatlo's cartoons were a mainstay years back, and I sure miss them. I very much tend to agree with both Don Wilhelm's response and with Phil Kane's comments as well. I tend to think it isn't too much wrong to try simple speaker line filters, which often do solve an issue, but as Phil points out, today's electronics are much different than what we had in the past, and it is easy to do exactly the wrong thing! For example, I think the old stand by trick of using bypass caps, which used to work very often in old stuff, isn't a good idea with today's equipment. Apparently transistorized equipment, like audio amps, won't necessarily be happy with such a fix the way older tube type gear would. I wouldn't try that! In any event, I don't want to even attempt to go inside someone else's equipment. I DO want to appear genuinely concerned and intent on trying to resolve the issue! Often the problem, is convincing the affected party that it really is a defect in their equipment, or installation thereof, and not yours. Of course, you need to be pretty darned sure that is the case! That was my situation from the outset. All my neighbor wanted to focus on was how much money he had spent on his system, equating money spent to a lessened responsibility. It's very esoteric for most people when you start talking about bad ground connections on their end, and anomalies like speaker wire runs acting as rectifiers of RF. They don't think they have done anything wrong, and they are almost right, except for the laws of physics. In any event, they tend to view it as an infringement on their rights, and don't feel any concern that we also have the right to operate a properly functioning station. I very much appreciate the responses on this issue. Apparently internet issues are not that rare, but I was assuming (wrongly I guess) that the vast disparity between my operating frequency and that used by internet devices would make this less probable. You learn something everyday! When you think about it, though, unwanted RF comes from all sorts of devices--florescent lights, dimmer switches, etc. So there doesn't always seem to be a harmonic relationship. Hopefully I will find a good answer to all of this. Dave W7AQK __ 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] OT-RFI Interference--Update
Hi All, It seems appropriate to relate today's very interesting (to me, anyway) events regarding this matter. All day I noticed a cable company truck running all around our neighborhood, checking this and that. Late this afternoon, the truck went to a fairly large control box of some sort, that is located at the front of my house. Then I saw my complaining neighbor pull up next to him in his car, get out, and engage in some conversation with the cable repairman. I thought this would be a good opportunity to try and discuss the issue and my concerns about it as well. Anyway, for some time I just listened as he related his problem to the repairman. He was very frustrated because he was experiencing continual disconnects with his internet--it had been happening, not just today, but every day, and for some time. Aha! I haven't even been on the air for days! Also, his phone problem turns out to be some VOIP service he is using--in other words, more internet issues, not necessarily his landline service. I listened patiently as he described his problems to the repairman, and at an appropriate time, I pointed out that I had similar disconnect issues with my service, also with the cable company's internet service. His phone issue is apparently something along the lines of him hearing everything well, but whoever he is talking to can't always hear him. It would cut in and out--his part of the conversation would be clipped, and sounded similar to a how an improperly set VOX system would act. In any event, I took the opportunity to make the point clearly that I had not even been on my radio for days! I think my neighbor was getting the picture somewhat, but wasn't at all apologetic. The repairman conveyed how he was noticing some strange carrier that would show up on his test equipment periodically. I asked him if he had checked carefully for loose connections, and particularly ground connections. His response was vague. Then he, for whatever reason, volunteered that there was a particular device in this control box that often gives them problems. He took a screwdriver, fiddled with the connections, and the 'strange carrier seemed to go away! The contacts looked burned (his description), and he attributed it to a voltage problem--something he apparently sees quite often. In any event, he said he would immediately schedule it for replacement. He didn't want to do it immediately because he would have to take everyone's internet down. So it is something they apparently do at night! This may not be the end of the issue, but now my neighbor knows that his problem occurs whether or not I happen to be operating. In other words, It probably ain't me! He was, more than likely, drawing an illogical conclusion. In any event, I took the opportunity to assure him of my concern, and that I hoped he would call me any time he noticed a problem so that I could confirm whether or not my operating was at all involved in the issue. He agreed to do that, so maybe we are on a better path. By the way, I'd love to send the Jimmy Hatlo cartoon that Missouri Guy posted, but now is probably not the best time to do that. Some day, if we are (hopefully) having a cordial conversation, I might offer it. I might also mention that I have had somewhat similar inconsistent problems with my internet. It just shuts off--quite often, and I have to reset my router. I've even tried three different routers, but all exhibit the same issue, and it is similar to what my neighbor describes as part of his problem. Anyway, I'm not going to get overconfident that the problem is solved/identified, but I think I'll have a beer! Again, my appreciation for all the comments and suggestions. Dave W7AQK __ 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] KX3 Amp
Hi All, To echo Jim Brown's cautionary statement about IMD with the RM Italy HLA series amps, there is some good info on Tom Rausch's (W8JI) website concerning the HLA-150. That amp will run up to 150 watts or so, but according to some testing that Rausch did, if you go much over 100 watts, the IMD gets pretty marginal! Presumably the HLA-300 have some similar optimal point below it's maximum capability. Apparently this is not at all uncommon, particularly with 12 V. amps. Even the K3 loses some of it's IMD quality if you go over 100 watts, which you can do somewhat. Dave W7AQK __ 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
