Re: [Elecraft] Future KX3/KX2 accessories

[Brian D. Comer]

As some additional insight into the care needed when working with some of
the most popular USB interfaces.

I have recently been  working on understanding the lack of sensitivity in a
900 MHz ISM device. This device is controlled by an FTDI245RQ USB interface.
The clock for this device can be an internal 12 MHz oscillator or a 24 MHz
external oscillator. The internal oscillator has very poor phase noise and
its 76th harmonic, present on the USB data lines, is strong enough to
de-sense a 900 MHz RX over a 7 MHz wide band. The DE0-Nano FPGA development
board which has a similar USB controller but with an external 24 MHz clock
also radiates significant energy on the 38th harmonic of its clock. 




Message: 5
Date: Thu, 30 Mar 2017 10:12:21 -0700
From: Walter Underwood 
To: Elecraft Reflector 
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Future KX3/KX2 accessories?
Message-ID: <3fc92c0e-0d09-4b18-803d-dd475b108...@wunderwood.org>
Content-Type: text/plain;   charset=utf-8

Thanks for confirming my guess.

I remain amazed that serial connections are used so much in amateur radio.
Outside of amateur radio, I?ve used RS-232 connections once since the early
1990?s. In 2002, I connected a console to an HP-UX to rebuild the kernel and
get it on our net. I threw away all my RS-232 connector building stuff a
decade ago. Then I got into amateur radio.

wunder
K6WRU
Walter Underwood
CM87wj
http://observer.wunderwood.org/ (my blog)

> On Mar 30, 2017, at 8:32 AM, Matt Zilmer  wrote:
> 
> Hi Walter,
> 
> In the K3S, we could move the KIO3B digital electronics to the upper
section of the main board, far away from the RF board.  The main board is
also a multi-layer type, so we could sandwich most of the noisy digital
signals between signal ground planes, shielding them pretty effectively.
This solved the problem of digital noise getting into the K3S rx.  In the KX
radios, digital noise would be in close proximity RF boards, so that
opportunity is not available to us.
> 
> 73,
> 
> matt W6NIA
> 
> 
> On 3/30/2017 7:58 AM, Walter Underwood wrote:
>> That was my single complaint with the KX3, even before I bought mine. My
current setup is a rats nest of wires.
>> 
>> On this list, five years ago, Elecraft said that the USB chips were too
noisy to be inside the radio. I presume they found a way to deal with that
for the K3S, but they have more room to work with there.
>> 
>> wunder
>> Walter Underwood
>> wun...@wunderwood.org
>> http://observer.wunderwood.org/  (my blog)
>> 
>> 
>>> On Mar 30, 2017, at 4:03 AM, Peter Pauly  wrote:
>>> 
>>> USB Audio. Should have been in the radio from the beginning, 
>>> especially the
>>> KX2 since it's new.
>>> 
>>> On Thu, Mar 30, 2017 at 2:42 AM, Karl DK5LP  wrote:
>>> 
 My greatest wish:
 A schematic for the KXPA100/KXKAT100.
 
 
 vy 73 de
 Karl-Heinz, DK5LP /  AK5LP
 
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> --
> Matt Zilmer, W6NIA
> www.elecraft.com
> Office: 831-763-4211 x125
> Mobile: 909-730-6552
> [Shiraz]
> 
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[Elecraft] For Sale RemoteRig 1258 MkII

[Brian D. Comer]

For Sale: RemoteRig  1258 MkII set with wifi added + Cables and RRC Micro
Client.  Like new condition  used very little  total cost was $909.75  from
Elecraft and HRO Asking $720. Will break out parts if there is interest.

If interested please contact me directly, off the reflector. 

73 

Brian 

KF6C

 

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Re: [Elecraft] KAT500 ant control (Brian D. Comer)

[Brian D. Comer]

Bill

 

The station has a bank of 4 marine batteries and a 1 kw inverter backing up
the K3s, kat500, Steppir controller, Green heron rotor and the computer.
Power outages are a regular occurrence at this remote location in Upstate
New York, However; the first thing that would happen in this case would have
been the K3s would have powered down and not restarted. 

 

Thanks for the info though I appreciate your reply

 

Brian

KF6C. 

 

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Re: [Elecraft] KAT500 ant control (Brian D. Comer)

[Brian D. Comer]

Expanding my problem a little more. I have a remote that uses a KAT500 that
is now 3000 miles away. The KAT500 was calibrated to use the correct antenna
over all bands 160 to 6 meters at the specified increments (10 KHz 160 etc
and 20 KHz for the higher bands) For an unknown reason the KAT 500 has
switched to antenna 2 (160 and 80) for all frequencies. Unfortunately  I did
not connect the USB cable because I could not see recalibrating the kAT500
remotely . The remote is now shut down until I can persuade my daughter who
lives 60 miles from the station to add a USB cable I will have to have
shipped to her.

 

73 Brian KF6C

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[Elecraft] KAT500 ant control

[Brian D. Comer]

Can I change the KAT500 ant selection from the K3s

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[Elecraft] RE Bonding KX3/PX3/KXPA100 - any examples?

[Brian D. Comer]

I am not close to my set up now so I cannot send a picture.

 

>That first picture reflects one thing I hate about my KX3 and PX3 - when
you have

>everything hooked up, it is one mass of wires everywhere.

>The KX3 and PX3 is a fantastic pair in every other way, but dang, I can?t
handle

>the crows nest that it creates. 

 

I have laced all the cables that I use in my KX3, PX3 and remote KPA100
(mounted in rear of RV)into a single cable form.  It is now much easier to
setup without a bundle of disorganized cables. 

 

If there is interest I can take some pictures of the bundle and even the
fairly complex overall setup in the RV that includes a built in SDR that
also uses the kPA100.

 

This setup has no special bonding has no issues.

 

73 Brian KF6C.  

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[Elecraft] P3 Kit Pricing

[Brian D. Comer]

I am sure the extra cost for building and testing any of the Elecraft
products is worth the money if that is the way someone wants to go.  All the
Elecraft products I have,  or have had, were built by my son Andrew KK6EME
that includes 2 K3s, P3, KX3, KPA500, KXPA100 and a K2 /100(sold). The only
problem experienced was a mistake he made in the assembly of, if I remember
correctly, diodes to a heat sink in the KPA500. Elecraft replaced  the
needed parts to fix the problem at no cost.  Andrew is now 15 years old he
built the K2 at age 8. Unfortunately he has lost his interest  ham radio
now, but is still enjoying building another KPA500 for me. 

 

73 Brian KF6C.

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Re: [Elecraft] K30-Mini link stoped working.

[Brian D. Comer]

I had not changed the IP addresses, or the Sip Contact, I was able to
communicate with the RRCs on their correct address. However I just reset the
IP in the Sip Contact and it is now working. I am a little curious as the
status of the remote indicates the radio is off but its connections is oK.

Thanks

Brian KF6C

-Original Message-
From: Nr4c [mailto:n...@widomaker.com] 
Sent: Saturday, December 12, 2015 5:50 PM
To: Brian D. Comer
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K30-Mini link stoped working.

IP addresses?

Sent from my iPhone
...nr4c. bill


> On Dec 12, 2015, at 8:26 PM, Brian D. Comer <br...@kf6c.com> wrote:
> 
> I am in the process of setting up a remote station. I have the 
> K30-mini and the two RRC1258 units with a K3S as the remote.
> 
> 
> 
> Currently I am on using my LAN, which worked fine on initial setup. In 
> trying to set up the remote using HRD and the control RRC, I have 
> broken the system. In returning the settings  to use K30 control the 
> only thing I see wrong is that the remote RRC settings indicate the 
> K3S is off. I had not taken a note of this setting when the  system 
> was working but the K3S is on and I cannot see why the RRC indicating 
> it is off. I have checked all cables on the K3S and remote RRC. Should the
remote RRC1258 be reporting radio ON?
> 
> 
> 
> 73 Brian KF6C.
> 
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[Elecraft] K30-Mini link stoped working.

[Brian D. Comer]

I am in the process of setting up a remote station. I have the K30-mini and
the two RRC1258 units with a K3S as the remote.

 

Currently I am on using my LAN, which worked fine on initial setup. In
trying to set up the remote using HRD and the control RRC, I have broken the
system. In returning the settings  to use K30 control the only thing I see
wrong is that the remote RRC settings indicate the K3S is off. I had not
taken a note of this setting when the  system was working but the K3S is on
and I cannot see why the RRC indicating it is off. I have checked all cables
on the K3S and remote RRC. Should the remote RRC1258 be reporting radio ON?

 

73 Brian KF6C.

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[Elecraft] Antennas with resistor and OCFD.

[Brian D. Comer]

I think stating any particular antenna configuration is unacceptable is
ignoring what could be an ideal antenna for a given situation.  As I
understand  it  a rhombic  uses a resistor, and sometimes works quite well.
On 160 I have an OCFD 1/2 wavelength that is goes from one side of the end
of a very small canyon  to the other.  The net result is that the center of
the antenna is about 80 feet above ground, the ends are only 50 ft above
ground. On flat ground this would be a NVIS antenna being so low; however,
with the ground 100 feet to the west at the same height as the antenna and
the ground 100 feet to the east being 300 feet below the antenna  I suspect
the pattern looks more like a beam pointing east. Considering I have broken
two important rules, the antenna is OCFD, and is on average it is well under
1/2 wavelength above ground it is amazing I can work the east so well.

 

73 Brian KF6C

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[Elecraft] FW: K3/0-MINI and windows 10

[Brian D. Comer]

Please ignore this message, at some time windows 10 did install the drivers.

 

73 Brian KF6C.

 

From: Brian D. Comer [mailto:br...@kf6c.com] 
Sent: Thursday, December 10, 2015 9:21 AM
To: 'elecraft@mailman.qth.net'
Subject: K3/0-MINI and windows 10

 

Does anyone have any experience installing the FTDI  drivers on windows 10
for the K3/0 mini. Windows 10 does not appear to install them automatically.
I cannot find instructions on the web site.

 

Thanks 73

 

Brian KF6C. 

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[Elecraft] K3/0-MINI and windows 10

[Brian D. Comer]

Does anyone have any experience installing the FTDI  drivers on windows 10
for the K3/0 mini. Windows 10 does not appear to install them automatically.
I cannot find instructions on the web site.

 

Thanks 73

 

Brian KF6C. 

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Re: [Elecraft] Crackling in Headphones

[Brian D. Comer]

I did not calibrate my K3s smeter on initial assembly, nor have I done it
since, so the following is as per factory setup with no atten or preamp,
AGC-F, RFgain Max.  The radio has KFL3B-FM, KFL3A-6K, KFL3A-2.8K,
KFL3A-400, and KBPF3A  installed. 

 Injection of  a 50uV signal (50 ohms) (-73dBm) at 7.05 MHz produces an S9
reading and the P3 indicates about -76 dBm. It falls to about S8 with 50 Hz
bandwidth setting. (I have not performed any filter calibration)

Injection of a 50uV signal at 1.4 MHz produces an S8 reading and the P3
indicates about -83 dBm..

A local broadcast station on 1450 kHz produces -10dBm into 50 ohms from my
antenna, as measured with a calibrated Anritsu MS2034A spectrum analyzer.
Applying this signal to the K3s thru an attenuator indicates the signal is
about 70 dB over S9. Removing all attenuation results in good audio but with
some crackling. The carrier display on the P3 is not stable under these
conditions. Tuning down to 640 KHz KFI produces a -20dBm signal into the K3.
Listening to KFI under these conditions produces clicks at times but the
audio is generally very good.  

This may not be anything to do with crackling noticed by others but better
documents the problem I had.

73

Brian KF6C.

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[Elecraft] Re Elecraft] Crackling in Headphones

[Brian D. Comer]

 

I have noted a similar Cracking in the speaker when listing to AM broadcast
station KFI (640 KHz). At first I assumed it was just overload as I was
using a 160 meter dipole and the signal strength meter was maxed: however
moving to steppir antenna tuned to 40 meters gave the same result with and
smeter reading of only S9. 

I have a local AM station on 1450 KHz that produces a -10 dBm into a
spectrum analyzer and -30 dBm on the P3. I had assumed from this, without
making any further checks, that the receiver was just overloaded.  

The cracking sound does not sound like any dynamic range problem I have
heard before but I have not taken the time to make any serious tests. 

I make these comments because I am not convinced this is any form of
overload and wonder if it could be related to your problem.

 

73 Brian KF6C.  

 

On 30 Nov 2015 14:02, j...@kk9a.com wrote:

> There are times that I have noticed a crackling sound in my headphones 

> with my K3S. This is not the normal band noise static that has depth, 

> this crackle sound seems very close to my ears.  I first noticed it 

> with my Heil headset and I tried wiggling the connection, changing the 

> RX EQ settings and turning on noise reduction but nothing had any 

> effect. It randomly comes and goes and I think I have also heard it on 

> TX. I thought perhaps it was related to the Heil brand headphones. 

> Last night I plugged in a new Sony professional headphone and the 

> crackling sound was very strong for a few minutes and then eventually 

> went away. I have never experience this with any other radio and I 

> have no idea what is causing it or how to make it go away.

> 

> John KK9A

 

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Re: [Elecraft] Sherwood Receiver Test Data - K3S Added Today (Don Wilhelm)

[Brian D. Comer]

I think if I chucked the power supply for my TCS12 TX and RX, the K3 and the
KX3 in the lake they would all end up at the bottom maybe take different
times to get there but I can't see any of them floating!

73
Brian KF6C.

-Original Message
Ohhh, and they need to include a power transformer which gives them 
enough weight to allow them to sink to the bottom of the lake.

*

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