I also started out with a DX-20 in 1961. For me the most memorable thing
about it was the meter on the front panel - completely undamped. It would
rattle against the stops when keying. But it never failed.
73 Craig AC0DS
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As long as we are in dream mode, here's mine:
160 thru 10 meters
CW only
200 W output
Multi-color display
Built in power supply
Built in P3 processing functionality but only VGA connector for external
display
Internal and remote external tuner options
73 Craig AC0DS
The K1 has been sold.
73 Craig AC0DS
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Doing some shack simplification, and have decided to sell my K1. This rig
has been a joy to use on my infrequent portable operations, but I'm loosing
interest in the portable scene since working out an effective antenna setup
here in spite of the HOA restrictions.
The K1 is in mint condition
Greetings Ian ...
Yes, your proposed idea would be an acceptable approach for me. As you
point out, the two main things are to have the tuner and antenna switching
at a remote location and to have the control mechanism for all the switching
tightly integrated into the K3/KAT500 or
As a general answer, I think 4 ports per band would be sufficient for most
of us.
But by that I mean 4 antenna selections per band. Some of these would be
multiband antennas that are used on more than one band and only need one
connector to the switching network. Balanced output connections
Question for those who have the printed book and/or pdf: I was in the
process of ordering the printed version and first looked at the samples on
the website. It appears that this document is in black and white rather
than color. Is that the actual case with the final product? The many
graphs,
I'm a novice in this area, so I just offer this up as a possibility.
Haven't tried downloading any of the Elecraft manuals into my IPad, but have
loaded public domain books from Gutenberg. In reading about how to do this
I found that the EBF (electronic book format) strips all graphics and only
AMEN, Ron. Since I got the P3 I don't think I've ever looked at the S meter
on the K3.
73 Craig AC0DS
Those who have a P3 already have that antenna input signal strength
reading,
in dBm or S-units right on the display - independent of gain controls,
attn,
preamp, etc.
I also raised an eyebrow at the NIMH choice. I have abandoned them here
because of their inferior self-discharge characteristics. Unless you use
them often, they are usually dead when you need them. One of the key
parameters I look at when purchasing battery powered electronics or tools is
the
Good Morning Thomas ...
The variable BW filter concept was pitched early on - before the K3 was
first produced. But nothing has come of it, so don't hold your breath.
Even if it does materialize, it probably wouldn't cover an extremely broad
range, such as 10 KHz to CW widths.
So go ahead and
An external relay (or FET) switch box controlled by the K3 is certainly the
way to go, and is the simplest project imaginable. The builder can
configure it for their choice of DC connectors. I built one here several
months ago when I first got my P3. In addition to providing as much current
for
For a homebrew rig, I would recommend looking at the recent QST articles by
W7JI describing his 40 meter receiver and transmitter. I believe they were
in the Feb and April 2011 issues.
Just finished building the receiver, and it works quite well. Fairly easy
build with all parts inexpensive and
I've also discovered local noise sources from the P3 display - much more
useful than the single frequency response of the K3 alone - a VERY useful
diagnostic tool.
But it gets even better. I had one switching supply type noise that I
couldn't isolate to anywhere in the shack. I wanted a
Another great walking tour starting in mid-town is to go South mainly along
Broadway through Soho and down to the City Hall area. Lots of good
shopping, snacking, browsing and people-watching opportunities along the
way. Then walk across the Brooklyn Bridge and back. Return via Little
Italy for
They should be workable, Don. I struck out the entire first week with my
100 W and vertical in Colorado. But now the crowd is thinning out nicely.
Worked them on 17, 20, 30 and 40 within the past 5 days. The 30 and 40
contacts were within an hour yesterday. The new Cameroon DXpedition should
A couple more tips:
They have been running very big splits at times, and tend to move around a
lot rather than sitting on one frequency. I had the most luck by calling a
couple hundred Hz above or below their last contact. If you have a P3, you
will find it to be quite beneficial in this
WOW, P3 version 1.00 is great - vast improvement!
A big THANK YOU to Alan and all others who were involved.
73 Craig AC0DS
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I'd like to follow up on K2AV's excellent recent post.
Thanks to K9AY's previous work, I also was turned on to the type 31 material
for RF suppression at HF. I have found it to be substantially better than
type 43, especially on the lower bands and for broadband use.
A hint for those of you who
I upgraded today also, Stan - LOVE IT!
The magenta pointer tells you which side of the display screen the VFO B
cursor is on. Makes it easier to move it onto the display screen. Very
nicely implemented, in my opinion.
73 Craig AC0DS
I just upgraded to the 1.0 P3 firmware. I notice a
Good Morning Ralph .
I certainly owe you an apology - I was familiar with this meter:
http://cableorganizer.com/electricity-power-meter/
and not familiar with the DC version with the same name that you are using.
I'm very sorry for jumping to an incorrect conclusion without looking into
it
I believe the meter you are trying to use is intended for AC powerline
measurements. No telling what it will do with DC. I expect that if you
repeat the measurement using a DVM in a DC current mode you will get a more
meaningful result.
73 Craig AC0DS
Assuming you've checked the obvious
To avoid confusion, please note that this posting is not about the recent
0.50 firmware upgrade, but rather behavior with the previous release-level
version.
I'm experiencing some curious behavior from the P3 on CW that perhaps some
of you can help explain. Certainly not a show-stopper, but
DX Eng makes good stuff, Adriano, and I would think this to be a good
vertical active whip. You might want to also check out the active whip from
Clifton Labs. It is also a high quality unit with good overload
characteristics and ability to automatically turn off during Xmit periods.
Available
Hi Fred ...
Yes, my experience is that 200 Hz is MUCH too narrow when running. I
normally use 350 or 400 Hz DSP with the 400 Hz roofer. Always 10 Hz
resolution in contests, either run or SP. And, I'm always ready to use the
up/dwn arrows on the keyboard with N1MM to tune in the way off freq
Correction/addition to my previous post:
When running, use split. XMIT on VFO B on your running freq. Fine tune
callers, if required, using keyboard up/dwn arrows on VFO A. Then {CLRRIT}
to recenter VFO A after QSO.
73 Craig AC0DS
Good decision on buying the K3, John - you will love it!
For your intended usage, your option selections will be fairly
straight-forward. Good choice on the internal tuner - it is great.
You will save lots of $$ by not needing to buy many roofing filters. The
stock 2.7 KHz should meet 90% of
NR4C's advice on an additional filter if you plan on doing much SW or MW
listening is good, and something I overlooked in my first response. While
you can achieve quite good results using USB or LSB in conjunction with the
2.7 KHz roofing filter, a wider filter for use with AM RX will be more
A few days ago AC0LP suggested a mini-module kit for the purpose of sharing
the coax with 12V control line(s) - an enhanced bias T, essentially. N1AL
followed up with a nifty design he had used for selecting up to four remote
antennas without running additional conductors - Thanks Alan!
It seems
Lew, I've had considerable experience here with a 43 ft wire vertical. The
bottom line is that your proposed layout will work, and will be
SIGNIFICANTLY better on 20, 30, 40 and 80 than your loop if your interest is
in working DX. I use a remote tuner at the base of mine (CG-3000), but the
Since all your antennas are horizontally polarized, I would suggest a
vertical for your diversity antenna. Since it will be RX only, no need for
a tuner. A small active whip will work nicely. I'm using the Clifton
Laboratories active whip. It is well made, reasonably priced, and takes up
very
In preparation for being away from the net for a couple weeks, I tried to
switch this Email list from individual emails to digest. Did so on Sunday
morning via my Yahoo groups control panel, and as of now (Monday evening)
I'm still receiving individual emails. Does anyone have experience as to
Oops - got my mailing lists mixed up. Of course I can't deal with this one
via Yahoo. Realized that right after I hit enter on the last email ;)
Sorry for the bandwidth
73 Craig AC0DS
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I read and enjoyed the review. It looks like a very good product, and will
no doubt sell well - as it should.
For me the only advantage it would have over my K3/P3 is the integrated 200
W capability and integrated power supply with 12V power - both nice
features. But I wouldn't consider buying
I hear it here (Colorado) at about -125 dbm on a vertical.
73 Craig AC0DS
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I have the Clifton active whip as well as a K9AY, and use both with
diversity RX. The Clifton is a fine choice as an alternative RX and
diversity antenna. Note that both the Clifton and K9AY are vertically
polarized. Ideally your diversity antennas should have opposite
polarization and adequate
I connect the K9AY to the K3 RX in and the Clifton to the SUB RX AUX in.
This will give you K9AY in left ear and active whip in right when you select
RX ANT.
I also have a switch to select either the K9AY or the Clifton for the SUB RX
AUX in when I'm listening on the Xmit antenna. The K9AY is fed
I'm considering installing the 0.36 P3 firmware, but am not in the habit of
using beta versions of the K3 firmware, which is required for total support
of 0.36. I do not use HRD or have any other known response/latency issues.
Also no immediate plans to use the function key implementation of QSY
Thanks, Ken, for an interesting application of the P3. Congratulations on
the new lower noise environment - a VERY good thing!
I also just today used the P3 for an antenna analysis application and saved
lots of time. Just put up a Clifton Labs active whip as a second RX
antenna, and was
Hi Bill. Yes, the K3 works wonderfully for MW AM listening - performance
pretty much limited by your antenna. You will want to use the RX antenna
input, which has better sensitivity than the other inputs at these
frequencies. You already have the needed KBPF3 bandpass filters. I would
One quick thing to check Terry is the data rate on both the K3/P3 and your
logging program. They must be the same, and installation of the P3 may have
changed one of them.
73 Craig AC0DS
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Thanks, Mike, for the idea on getting a fixed freq span display on the P3
while using VFO B with the sub RX for Xmit/RX using split. That is a useful
technique as a workaround until the fixed span firmware is available. I like
it for casual tuning around the band - hadn't thought of it before.
Thanks, Mike, for the idea on getting a fixed freq span display on the P3
while using VFO B with the sub RX for Xmit/RX using split. That is a useful
technique as a workaround until the fixed span firmware is available. I like
it for casual tuning around the band - hadn't thought of it before.
I've obtained both relatively recently, and my vote would be for the P3.
The P3 is quite useful for seeing the calling freq of stations in DX
pileups, so in that regard it satisfies one of the functions of the sub-RX.
Unless you really need to use diversity or to monitor the audio on another
I got some goofy results with loggers when I first hooked up mine too. Then
I thought to check the RS-232 data rate settings. When you install the P3,
it defaults to 38 K, and if your loggers are set to some other rate you will
get garbage. Setting them to the same rate cleared things up here.
Make sure you pay attention to any sound system you may have hooked up to
it. I was causing RFI to my wife's Imac with 100 W with the antennas about
40-50 ft away from it. No RFI at all on my Dell machine right next to the
rig and 10 ft from the antennas. Spent considerable time with ferrites,
I Love the P3, Bob. And, it will only get much better as the firmware
development continues and new hardware options are introduced. If you are
getting a K3, go for the P3 for sure.
As far as K3 options, it would help a lot in terms of recommendations if you
can be a little more specific about
Mine is also on top of the K3, and I like it in that position for casual
operating. I built a glass shelf unit that will accommodate 3 tiers of K3
sized units with a little room to spare both horizontally and vertically
plus a smaller space underneath for paddle, RX antenna controller, etc. On
Thanks, Wayne, for the CW hints. Just tried your suggested NR setting and
like it in conjunction with the narrow BW.
I'm also finding the P3 a BIG help with CW DX operating, especially for
finding the new ones before they get posted to the clusters. One thing you
didn't mention in your posting
I don't feel that you are being quite fair (or accurate) in regard to the
Gamma power supply. It is indeed a unique design that trades off continuous
power rating vs. size and weight. I have one, and think it is an excellent
tradeoff for its intended applications.
You definitely cannot run a
Here's a simple (hopefully) question that I'm sure one or more of you RF
gurus can easily handle. But I'm having difficulty with it, at least today.
I was wondering what baseline level I should be seeing on my P3 with the
input terminated in 50 ohms (no signal in). This isn't given in the
Good question, Bill. I recently added both the sub RX and the P3 to my K3
SN 608, so am in a position to offer at least an opinion on the added
utility of each. It was also my first experience with either capability.
I'm mostly a CW contester but do some DXing and MW/SW listening. In a
I had previously tried it with FN 1 and FN 2 without success. I just now
tried it with FN 7 and get the same result.
Brett N7MG who is one of the field testers has indicated that this is, or
has been, a known issue - so I am confident that it will be resolved in an
upcoming firmware revision.
I just did the reset and it fixed the problem with the waterfall
function disappearing from the FN keys. I had never done a reset
previously. Thanks Brett!
73 Craig AC0DS
You should also do a reset of the P3 after the reload of the latest
software.
Neither was shipped with SN 67.
... Craig AC0DS
No. It appears to have been added somewhere around s/n 60 along with
the IF buffer mod. Neither was present in s/n 37.
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After two days with the P3, here are some observations and questions.
Could the following be considered as part of future firmware upgrades?
Save the REF LVL, SCALE, and SPAN on a per band basis? This would reduce
the need to adjust these when changing bands.
I'm thinking that for contest work
Yep, I'm using 0.28 preloaded with the kit and it seems to work fine in all
other respects. But I'm sure a newer version will be coming out shortly
anyhow. Just thought I'd mention it to see if others may be having the same
problem.
73 Craig AC0DS
You could have a problem, I have that
Took a quick look at the rev A3 manual after using rev A2 last night to
assemble and test the P3. As far as I can tell, the only difference is the
addition of a Servicing the P3 section at the end of the rev A3 version.
Talks about removing the covers, cleaning the bezel, replacing the display,
For those waiting for their P3s, here's another data point.
SN 67 was received today. Ordered 15 April in the AM.
73 Craig AC0DS
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P3 SN 67 arrived earlier today and went together in only a couple of hours
with the usual Swiss watch Elecraft mechanical precision and excellent
instructions.
Longest single step was doing the K3 firmware upgrade to support the P3.
All worked well right away and I checked out most all of the
Craig D. Smith
PowerSmith Consulting
1009 Alder Way
Longmont, CO 80503
phone: 303-834-7712 email: cr...@powersmith.net
web: www.PowerSmithConsulting.com
-Original Message-
From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net
[mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net]
On Behalf Of Jim Brown
Trying to get set up for the IARU with my new subRX, and want to use SO2V
mode with N1MM logger.
It works fine when both VFOs are on the same band.
But when the logger tries to put K3 into split mode in a cross-band
situation, K3 says SPL N/A . There is a note in the manual saying that
this
Thanks, Don, for the suggestions.
I did have VFO IND set to Yes. I'm also using a dedicated RX antenna on
the AUX input of the subRX. So both of those seem to be set up OK.
73 Craig AC0DS
Do you have the menu set to VFO IND? If not, you cannot operate the K3
cross-band split.
Do note
Thanks, Joe, for the clear explanation.
It seems that I will be able to use the diversity mode when running and
the locked dual RX mode in SP to some advantage. And the unlocked dual RX
mode for SO2V. I'll know lots more, of course, after the contest. I'll
experiment with it some first to get
I've been following this discussion (at least the parts that aren't
super-technical) since I recently installed the sub RX and plan to use it
for CW contesting.
As a new sub RX user I may not understand all the ins and outs of it, but
here was my plan.
When running, I like to use Split with the
Hi Rich ...
Thanks for the response.
Actually, I think I didn't explain myself well enough in my posting. I
wasn't referring to a DX split situation where the xmit and rx freq are
substantially different. I was referring to contest operation where I am
running stations that are normally on my
As several have pointed out, this will be quite dependent on the specific
antennas and orientation. But don't give up hope. I have one data point
for you. Due to severe space limitations here, my K9AY RX antenna is 50 ft
from both a 43 ft vertical and a 102 ft horizontal doublet during my
The clock on my K3 isn't terribly accurate either. But I've since learned
how to deal with it. Pretty much every piece of electronics you buy these
days has a clock in it. I've found absolutely zero correlation between the
accuracy of the clocks and the overall quality or cost of the equipment.
Just installed a sub RX in my K3, mainly for the purpose of making things
easier when working DX with split - finding the calling station's frequency
and moving my TX freq there.
Before getting the sub RX I did this by holding REV while adjusting VFO A
knob to center the calling station in the
Thanks to everyone for the suggestion (and variations thereon) of not using
split at all and listening to the DX on the SUB while tuning the callers and
transmitting on VFO A. I like this solution, and it seems obvious in
retrospect, but I was so locked into my old habits that it didn't occur to
THANK YOU
... Craig AC0DS
We are definitely planning to ship a new
high-power autotuner next year. It will be offered in both a desktop
model (P3
size) and a remote model for use at the antenna. Both will feature
latching relays to minimize operating current. It will support
Paul, the K2 internal tuner is a wide-range device and should be able to
match the 43 ft vertical from 10 thru 80 unless you happen to pick an
unfortunate length of feedline. The impedance seen by the tuner will depend
on the feedline length.
All of the available 43 ft verticals should work
Hi Vic ...
My first inclination would be to go to the Ohmite website and look at the
datasheet for the resistors and search for any application notes. One or
both of these sources should address, at least in relative terms, how much
heat is typically removed via conduction through the leads vs.
Another thought, Vic ...
If the approach I suggested earlier results in a large, cumbersome or
expensive packaging job for you, the easiest thing may be to redesign the
attenuator using a larger number of lower wattage resistors. This would
distribute the heat better and could result in a
Only room for so much stuff in a K3 sized box. I like the built-in Power
Supply and the 500 W design point. And, I'm even thankful that there isn't
a built-in tuner, as it holds out the possibility of an external 500W
Elecraft tuner! Make it remotable, capable of driving a balanced or
I had ordered the $89 DSP board mod some time ago. Got an Email from Lisa
about a week ago offering another option rather than waiting to receive a
refurbished board to swap into my K3. Offer was to send in my existing DSP
board for the mods - same price.
I took her up on it. I sent my Rev
Brett ...
So what are your thoughts after all the upgrades were in place? I've
put in all of mine as they rolled in... Was the LPF update a big one
for you or did it not seem to make a lot of change?
As you know, many of the hardware mods are just to prevent bad things from
happening under
I know that the KAT3 remembers matches by band, but does it distinguish
between the ANT1 and ANT2 positions?
Indeed it does! And, you can also have the KAT bypassed on either antenna
on a per-band basis. I use this often when contesting. Quite slick ;)
73 Craig AC0DS
Mike ...
I'm a digital novice and certainly not good with computers, but I did
succeed in getting Fldigi to recognize my K3. I first tried it using the
hamlib method but could not get it to work. Then I tried the RigCat
approach with the special downloaded file for the K3, and this did work. I
As usual, it depends. In this case it depends upon the feedline losses on
your all band dipole.
If it is something like a G5RV doublet fed with ladderline with low feedline
losses, then the internal tuner will work fine. If it is fed with coax of
any appreciable length, then the external tuner
Not overkill at all, Phil, if you are into CW contesting. Especially
something like the 160 meter events.
But I would recommend the 200 Hz 5 pole rather than the 250 Hz 8 pole. The
250 and 400 are actually pretty close in actual BW (see measured data
available elsewhere). I use the 200 and 400
There are indeed less expensive ways to display the frequency spectrum on
your PC screen, including the LP-pan which has received well-deserved praise
and acceptance. But many people prefer a self-contained solution, which
will be provided by the P3. What is an acceptable price for this is a
OK, I might as well document my personal wish list:
500W is more than enough. I want it physically small and acoustically
quiet.
Solid state. Auto tune and QSK with K3. AC powered. Kit is fine. No
internal tuner, but see options below. Target price $2K.
Option: REMOTE/WEATHERPROOF auto
The most often used signal generator here is also an AIM4170 from Array
Solutions. Indeed, it is the most useful single piece of test equipment I
have. Great for component measurements in addition to being a superb
antenna analyzer.
For more $$, their new 2 port VNA also offers higher output
I think you will find some sound advice on this forum, LS. You raise a good
question.
I think the key is that you have done no significant kit building to date.
There is nothing fundamentally more difficult about building a K2 vs. a K1.
Both involve soldering lots of discrete components onto a
In preparation for ordering a KRX3, I've reconfigured my roofing filters
somewhat. The net is that I now have available for sale a 5 pole 500 Hz
roofing filter. This is in fine condition after 18 months of faithful
service in my K3. The offset is -0.76. I'd like to find a new home for
it.
I want one too
... Craig AC0DS
Wondering if anyone has a suggestion of a solid state amp or pushing
the K3
PA to obtain 150 watts out on 160m?
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Well, I gave it another try. I've always been a CW type but when I got my
K3 last year and read about how great it was on SSB I had a fit of
enthusiasm and bought a new Heil Proset Plus headset. The headset worked
great, but found I still preferred CW. Made a total of about 10 QSOs on SSB
on 6
Hi Rick ...
You will love the K3, and I think you are right on target with your
selection of the ATU, KBPF3 and KXV3A. I also enjoy some contesting and DX
chasing on CW and have a no antennas restriction, so strictly low profile
stealth wires. I consider the KXV3A a Must due to the RX antenna
Hello Samir ...
I'm not familiar with the BM-10 but do have a Traveler for use with my ICOM
7000 that I sometimes use for portable excursions. So can't comment about
the audio with a K2, but I would not recommend the Traveler for contest work
because of its construction. It is very light and
This will be a mind blower! Knowing which key each of the N * 8
functions is under what key will require more brain RAM here.
There were rumors that there would be some PF keys on the upcoming
panadapter, perhaps supported with programmable legends on the screen. We
can hope. No guarantees,
It would be great if Elecraft could produce a wide range auto antenna
tuner that would work with a K3. It would even be better if it was a true
balanced
tuner. A waterproof reliable coupler from Elecraft I am sure would be a
big hit.
YES indeed! I'm currently using a remote CG-3000 on my
DIGOUT1 is an open-drain output that can be used to turn on loads by
pulling them to ground. The DIGOUT1 line is controlled from the menu
(CONFIG:DIGOUT1).
DIGOUT1 is per-band (and also per-antenna if you have a KAT3 ATU
installed).
Thanks for the idea, Wayne! I'm starting to get the
I've recently acquired a LP-100A, and no longer have an application for my
W1 wattmeter. It works just fine, is in like-new condition, and has been
modified with green, yellow and amber LEDs on the lower part of the SWR
scale similar to the upcoming W2 meter. Complete with all documentation.
Was doing some thinking during the NAQP CW contest this weekend - dangerous,
I know. I'd like to dabble with SO2R extra lite, just to pick up an
additional mult from time-to-time. Don't really want to get into the
complexity and expense of SO2R software, interconnections and 2nd
transceiver.
Could I feed my K3/100 with ATU into a BL2 right at the antenna
connector, the output of the BL2
to home made ladder line, (2 to 4 inch spacing) to a doublet approx
1/2 wavelength on the lowest
freq? Is it OK to bring ladder line into the shack?
This might work, but I think you will be
Jackite has a ground mount for the Jackite 28-foot and 31-foot poles:
These are excellent and well worth the $. Very nicely made and sturdy
enough to drive into the ground. Make sure you get the foam rings matched
to your mast. This ring surrounds the mast and makes a snug fit into the
mount
I've recently installed the 3.14 firmware. It's working just fine. But I
was expecting that the RX equalization could now be saved on a per mode
basis. Thought I had read something about this on the reflector, but now
can't find where it was. No mention in the K3 manual either. Is this still
I am trying to do a configuration save with the latest released K3
utility. I'm using a straight-thru 6 foot RS232 connection and get an error
message saying K3 Get command failed to return the expected response after
several attempts. I posted a help request on the reflector about this a
week
Thanks, everyone, for the really great and timely suggestions! I really
appreciate them.
Lyle's test results along with Dick's comments and Ian's suggestion have me
feeling much better about all this. I found and reinstalled the old
mid-2008 K3 utility, and this old version DID allow me to do
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