Re: [Elecraft] AX1 Loaded Whip Antenna - Elevation and
Dave And All, Hmmm! I don't quite understand that statement. Why would you worry about every dB at your home station but not necessarily be concerned on a portable setup??? I guess maybe you are saying that, when operating portable, just get the best antenna possible as opposed to a lesser one. Well, that's ideally true, but "you do with what you got"! Whatever antenna you might have for portable use, you want to squeeze every dB you can out of it! I tend to think it could be even more important when operating portable since you already apt to be weaker, and that last dB may be the one that gets you heard! Home station operators might actually ignore such issues since they may already be more than loud enough to be heard. QRP/portable operators tend to not have that luxury. Dave W7AQK - From: David Gilbert mailto:xda...@cis-broadband.com> > Doesn't much matter.? You're still talking a 3 dB difference at most (50 feet vs 30 feet), and while I will be the first to argue the benefit of every single dB for normal station operation (see http://www.ab7e.com/weak_signal/mdd.html), I don't understand the angxt over that 3 dB for portable operation.? If that's actually a concern, bring a better antenna. 73, Dave?? AB7E __ 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] Handedness
Hi All, Hmmm! Even if it were true (that the K4 favored right handers), that wouldn't be a disadvantage to me, and I am very left handed!! I've almost always favored setting up my radios on my right side, and operating the controls with my right hand. My left hand is then free to either write, send on my paddle, or whatever! Now, I do have the ability to do certain things right handed, but not the kind of things that require great precision. I even play golf right handed, and bat right handed in baseball, but that is more a matter of how I was taught and the equipment available. I've often thought I should learn to send CW right handed, but never have done it. I can run an adding machine right handed, but again that was almost forced on me by the design. In short, I don't know why people want to rely so heavily on their dominant hand. It really is inconvenient to do so. Controlling a radio with your "opposite" hand can't be that difficult a task, and the benefits of doing so are many. You want your dominate hand to be free and available for the kinds of tasks that really require the most dexterity. Spinning a dial isn't one of them!!!! 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] K4
Wes and all, No, a 2nd RX is certainly not mandatory. If you have one it is still no guarantee that you will do great things (I haven't--not like Wes has!!). Nonetheless, it is a tool, and a very good one if used properly. Some may question the cost benefit, and that is a very valid point. However, cost/benefit doesn't seem to enter into the equation much of the time, since if it did, we wouldn't see so many exotic rigs on people's desks!!! My K3 has two receivers, as did the Orion II that preceded it. However, I didn't get the 2nd RX straight away on my K3. It didn't take long, though, as I had gotten spoiled by the Orion II's 2nd RX and what I could do with it. Actually I had a "taste" of what a 2nd RX could do with some of my older Ten-Tec gear (Omni A, series B, and a Corsair). Both had outboard 2nd VFO accessories, and with either you could monitor a 2nd frequency while transmitting on another. Not quite the same as having a 2nd RX, but close enough, particularly at that stage of rig development. Maybe I misread things, but with the K4 it looks like a 2nd RX is standard, not an accessory. The "P3" is built in as well. The only accessory I noted that would be mandatory in my case is the ATU, the KAT4. So, all together it seems that a K4 can actually be cheaper than a well accessorized K3S! Now, that is an interesting fact. I say that because, in the past, Elecraft has announced new rigs, but then taken several (many!) months to actually get production going. Since the K4 is supposedly a big advancement, and a well equipped one is actually cheaper than the predecessor K3S, it would seem that orders for the K3S are about to dry up--big time!!! I don't see Elecraft sitting on their hands for several months with no rig orders (can the KPA1500 orders sustain things in Watsonville?), so my guess is that the time frame between announcement and production is going to be much shorter than usual. Well, that's my guess anyway. Well, this is strictly a spectator sport for me. I have no plans to replace my K3 anytime soon. Not that I'm not impressed with new developments, but I'm just too far down the road to jump all over new stuff like I used to. I am looking forward to seeing a K4 in action though! Hi. Somebody nearby please buy one!!!! Cheers, Dave W7AQK -- From: Wes My K3S has only one receiver. The K3 before that had only one receiver.? The TS-870 before that had only one receiver.? The Drake TR-7 before that had only one receiver.? The Henry Tempo-One before that had only one receiver. The Collins KWM-1 before that had only one receiver and everything before that was a separate RX/TX. And yet, I'm on the DXCC Honor Roll, have CW, Phone, RTTY and? 9-band DXCCs all from within a 10 mile circle in Tucson running no more than 500W to wires or a triband Yagi at 50 feet.? Everybody knows you can't do this without two receivers. Wes? N7WS __ 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 (maybe): Bouvet expedition safely back
Hi All, I read the Captain's letter with great interest. It certainly appears the group was subjected to some extremely severe conditions. I get the impression the Captain is almost apologizing, and I have to wonder why, unless they were possibly a bit too aggressive about certain things. In any event, this seems to have been "the DXpedition from hell"! Lots of problems, several delays, and an enormous amount of energy being expended just to operate from an island that apparently isn't fit for inhabitation! Apparently the stars have to line up just right for them to even go ashore!!! I really enjoy chasing DX, and working a lot of these DXpeditions to exotic places, but some places seem to be TOO exotic (as in dangerous!) in my view! I still shake my head a bit when I look at pictures from that last Kingman Reef DXpedition, where they operated from a pile of rocks!! I've been amazed at how involved this operation has been. As an example, take a look below at a posting the group made back in January: "Update Jan,2: WE’RE AWARE WE START TO FACE A SITUATION THE MOST SUITABLE AND SAFE WEATHER PERMITTING SEASON TO REACH BOUVET ISLAND IS ABOUT TO SLIP AWAY. NEVERTHELESS, WE’RE IN SOUTH AFRICA SINCE THE LAST DAYS OF OCTOBER, TRYING SO HARD, SACRIFICING OUR FAMILY TIME, JOBS, MONEY AND OTHER RESOURCES TO MAKE IT ALL HAPPEN FOR YOU, DXERS." Apparently some, or all, of them have been down in South Africa for nearly 6 months!! That's incredible! All that "sacrificing" they refer to above seems like a hell of a lot to pay for us to get some contacts with Bouvet. Is is really worth it?? They are actually putting themselves at great risk, and I have to question the justification for doing so. They have even had to take "cold water rescue training", which sounds terribly dangerous. I'm no meteorologist, but I'm assuming the time has passed for any further attempt this year. It's spring here, so it's fall there, and the WX can only get worse I assume. They have said it is postponed, and not cancelled, but they haven't indicated if that means postponed until next season. I think I hope so. 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-Junk Mail
Hi All, In this day and age it is almost impossible to keep your lines of communication "pure"! By that, I mean absent of any junk mail, anonymous callers, etc. For eons my mail box has been a repository for all sorts of unsolicited junk. Now my email addresses are being overrun as well, and even my phone keeps ringing with calls for all sorts of unwelcome sources. It's just about out of control Well, I couldn't help saying some thing here because now I am getting emails from an outfit that identifies itself as "Elycraft"!!! Fortunately, my spam filter seems to catch most of it, and separate it, but some of it sneaks directly into my regular mail. Is anyone else getting some of this from that source? The hardest to ignore are the phone calls. And, there are a bunch of them!!! They are also getting clever by usurping local numbers and area codes to make it look like they are not what they really are--trash vendors! Getting rid of them is also impossible. If you block one, they just switch to a different number!! I think this is a crisis! Anyone else agree? 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] kxpd3 question
Hey Don, If you want ultimatic, check out the little QCX kits that Hans Summers (QRPLabs) has been putting out. It has ultimatic mode as well as Iambic A and B. Pretty cool for a $49 kit! I've never been a fan of ultimatic mode, but it was a really big deal some years back. I probably never gave it a fair test. 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] [Elecraft_K3] Eclipse logistics and em-comm nets?
That’s for sure! The horror stories I’m hearing about the fiasco that’s about to engulf Oregon almost make me glad I’m not up there this summer, as we usually are. Doctor’s appointments have kept us close to home. Bend, Oregon isn’t exactly a “small” town these days. It used to be! When I lived there, many years ago, it had less than 12K people. Redmond had 3K. Then it got “discovered”—and developed! Now there are closer to 200K people in Bend’s metro area! It is the fastest growing town in Oregon! Those going to Oregon to watch the eclipse better bring their wallet. I’ve heard that motels/hotels are charging upwards of $2500 a night around eclipse time! That’s insane. I-5 will be gridlocked with an estimated additional 1 million visitors. I’m having great difficulty seeing the justification for going through all of the hassle, and expense, just to watch an eclipse. Maybe for the scientists among us it makes sense, but for the rest of us, it’s just a “gee whiz” moment! Probably the most extravagant thing I’ve ever done was to pay upwards of $400 a ticket a few years ago for ‘’decent” seats to see The Rolling Stones, which I thought I had to do at least once! It’s probably even more now! If he were still alive, I would probably pay that much to see Luciano Pavarotti (again!), but I can’t swear to it! Hi. Dave W7AQK From: Rick WA6NHC wa6...@gmail.com [Elecraft_K3] Sent: Thursday, August 17, 2017 11:19 AM To: elecraft...@yahoogroups.com ; Elecraft Reflector Cc: k...@yahoogroups.com Subject: Re: [Elecraft_K3] Eclipse logistics and em-comm nets? Car-mageddin... On 8/17/2017 9:17 AM, Wayne Burdick n...@elecraft.com [Elecraft_K3] wrote: Many of us are headed into the solar eclipse zone in the next few days, my family included. We’re leaving today for Ashland, Oregon. Early on Saturday (possibly *very* early), we’ll be driving to a campground in Corvallis, right in the Path of Totality. There are widespread predictions of epic gridlock for many of Oregon’s roadways. I’m guessing this will be true in other states as well. Authorities are suggesting that travelers have several days worth of food and water, as they could be stranded on freeways that become parking lots. Many gas stations in small towns like Bend are already out of fuel. The cellphone network could be affected as well. Imaging 1 million people camping, in effect, on I-5, state route 97, etc., trying to call home or reach emergency services. Under the circumstances, amateur radio may very we called upon to provide emergency communications. Fortunately many of us will be using mobile or portable stations that are immune to loss of power or cell service. If you know of any specific networks that are planning to activate for this event, please post that info here (and elsewhere). Lacking any defined plan, I’ll be monitoring 7283.5 kHz, home of the daily west-coast “Noontime Net”. 40 meters is ideal for this sort of regional coordination and emergency traffic, especially in areas not well served by VHF/UHF repeaters. I’ll have a KX2, some wire, and a couple of Li-ion internal battery packs. 73, Wayne N6KR __._,_.___ Posted by: Rick WA6NHC <wa6...@gmail.com> Reply via web post • Reply to sender • Reply to group • Start a New Topic • Messages in this topic (2) Have you tried the highest rated email app? With 4.5 stars in iTunes, the Yahoo Mail app is the highest rated email app on the market. What are you waiting for? Now you can access all your inboxes (Gmail, Outlook, AOL and more) in one place. Never delete an email again with 1000GB of free cloud storage. Visit Your Group a.. New Members 4 • Privacy • 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] OT: About Grid Squares
Jim and All, Back in the late 50's, a few of us living in Albuquerque drove up to the 4 corners monument northwest of Farmington, NM. It's the only place in the U.S. where four states come to one common point. We set our antenna right on top of the monument, so we were in 4 states at the same time--NM, AZ, UT, and CO, and 3 call areas--5, 7, and 0! Well, that's what we thought we were doing! Not long ago I read a piece that said the monument may be in the wrong place!!! Apparently it was miscalculated by some amount, but not nearly as much as originally claimed. Also, once the marker was placed, and accepted by relevant parties as being official, it was official, regardless of any computational error. Therefore, I guess we were O.K. Back then the marker wasn't much to look at--just a small pedestal. Now I think it is a bit more elaborate. I also think the Park Service frowns on doing what we did!! Hi. Dave W7AQK I know of one ham who has a tower in one grid square and another tower in a different grid square, both in his back yard. Be careful out there! 73 Jim Allen W6OGC __ 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] OT: Inverter type generators used for FD?
Hi All, Here in Tucson, I have often "played" Field Day many times with several other local hams. We have done this at various times during the year besides just the official Field Day time. Each of us has a small travel trailer (20 to 22 ft. types), so a generator of some sort is pretty important as we typically just "boondock" somewhere. A couple of these hams have Honda 1000 watt models, and a couple others have the 2000 watt model. Now, both of those types work well, are relatively quiet as to ambient noise, and only generate moderate hash. A filter, such as the type suggested by Jim Brown, K9YC, will typically solve that problem. When I was making my decision about buying a generator, I initially leaned toward the Honda 2000 watt model. There was one "gotcha", however, about the Honda. It seemed to be just barely adequate, if not actually inadequate, to run my trailer's A/C unit. Apparently the Honda 2000 will do "O.K." on a 13,500 btu unit, but struggles mightily with one that is 15,000 btu's. One member of our group had a Yamaha generator that is rated at 2.4 KW, slightly higher than the Honda 2000. That Yamaha will handle a 15,000 btu A/C unit. It is, however, a bit worse as to hash, but one of Jim Brown's filters will resolve that as well. On my little trailer, I had purchased and paid for a 13,500 btu unit. However, when I went to pick it up after the install, I was informed that they had instead put in a 15,000 btu unit since they didn't have the smaller sized unit in stock. No extra charge! Well, good for me, I guess, but when I went to evaluating generators, it complicated the decision. If I wanted a Honda, I either had to go for the 3000 watt model, or go with the Yamaha 2.4 KW unit. Ultimately I went with the Yamaha. It was sufficiently more powerful and somewhat cheaper than the Honda 2 KW unit, has good regulation, is nearly as quiet as to ambient noise, and I could still lift it without too much effort. It's gets good ratings from users. I think most Honda aficionados might be equally happy with the Yamaha, and maybe more so if they push the limit of the Honda. Of course, I can't run the A/C and a ham rig of any size simultaneously, but I do have considerably more flexibility. A 3000 watt Honda might do both, but the cost is substantially higher. I'm simply suggesting that you consider all possible needs when buying a generator. If all you want is just something for ham rigs, a smaller unit might suffice. However, even just running an electric coffee often requires more than what a 1000 watt Honda will provide! A travel trailer with A/C may seem excessive, but there are many potential uses that you might not be considering. For example, if you happen to have a power outage, you might want a generator big enough to keep your refrigerator, and maybe a couple of other critical items, running. My Yamaha will do that (and has!), but a 1 KW Honda might not! The moral of the story is to not scrimp on the unit size if at all possible. A 1 KW unit is really pretty marginal in my view. 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
[Elecraft] Using Heil Pro Set Elite boom mic on K3.. what
Hi All, I am a little surprised there continues to be so much conversation about using the Heil Pro Set with Elecraft rigs. Of course, much of it probably is from those who already have a "Pro Set", and maybe others are just super loyal to Heil stuff. Heil does make good equipment, but I think K9YC has pretty well convinced (and documented) most of us that the Yamaha CM-500 is just as good, if not better, and far cheaper. I find no difference comfort wise, and I think the RX audio is better. I had a Pro Set long before I got my Yamaha CM-500. I also bought an "IC" version (the one Heil makes for Elecraft) before I was made aware of the Yamaha. On both the standard Pro Set version and the IC version, I found the headphone section to be problematic--weak audio. A lot of other folks agreed, but some disagreed, with that assessment. Otherwise, the Heils are fine. Personally, I don't know why Elecraft doesn't offer the Yamaha, either in addition to or in lieu of, the Heil. Maybe they just can't make any money off of it! The Yamaha CM-500 is an electret, and that seems to work far better with a lot of radios. Heil's IC version was produced, as I understand it, primarily to benefit Icom rigs (thus the "IC" designation?), which seemed to work far better using electrets. Perhaps this doesn't comport with those interested in "high fidelity audio", but everyone seems to like how I sound using an electret. Using the audio equalizer on most newer Elecraft rigs you can sound almost any way you want! The Yamaha works equally well with all my Elecraft rigs, including the KX3 and KX2. The Yamahas hold up well too, but if you have one that doesn't, you can almost treat it like a throw-a-way BIC pen, and get two more for probably less than you would pay for a Heil Pro. You will pay almost as much just to get an adaptor, if you are using your Pro Set on something other than a Kenwood rig, as a Yamaha would cost. With a Yamaha, you don't need a complicated adapter. Just plug it into the back! If you want to plug it into the front, you only need a standard, inexpensive, 1/4 inch adapter. Now, Heil has introduced newer (improved?) versions of it's Pro Set, but I have yet to hear anything about better RX audio. Perhaps its better, but the price has gone way up! Maybe someone more familiar with these newer versions can clarify this. Anyway, if you haven't read K9YC's commentary, you might want to do so. It's all on his website. Cheers! 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] Dayton Dropoff
Scott, Are you serious??? How do you expect them to get your rig back to Watsonville without incurring some added cost? It certainly costs them something to bring all that they bring in the first place!!! Bite the bullet, and put it in the mail! Dave W7AQK -- From: Scott Manthe <scott.man...@gmail.com> Hello to the list, I'm getting ready to send my K3 off to Elecraft for some updates. Does anyone know if it would be possible for me to drop the radio off to them at Dayton, saving $50 shipping? The better question might be has anyone actually done this? 73, Scott N9AA __ 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
[Elecraft] OT: What's The Best Way To Shp
Every so often someone asks what the best way is to ship equipment. I question whether UPS is the right answer! Some day maybe I'll better understand UPS's delivery system! I recently received a package that came from Virginia via UPS. Its 3rd stop was in Louisville, KY, where it then sat for 49 hours! Its 5th stop was in Phoenix, AZ (120 miles north of me), where it sat for 29 hours! Somewhere in between it apparently sat in the rain, as much of the "popcorn" packing was compressed and hard as a rock, and the documentation inside was stained, when I opened the package. Fortunately, the contents were well wrapped with waterproof material, so no apparent damage. It's as if UPS wanted to make absolutely sure I didn't get my package quickly, or heaven forbid, early! Being somewhat cynical, I wonder if the extra delay in Phoenix was so they could let the box sit in the Arizona sun and dry out!!! I may be overlooking something, but my best experiences, by far, have been with USPS, and particularly Priority Mail. Unless a Sunday intervenes, I've never had anything take more than 3 days when shipped Priority Mail! If you can fit it into one of their flat rate boxes, you probably are way better off. Also, I've never had a Priority Mail package arrive with crushed corners as this one did! Anyway, shipping these days is expensive and risky! It still galls me that we have to pay premium charges for insurance against THEIR incompetence! 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] KPA 500 vs New 1500 watt amp
Terry and All, Your view is shared by a lot of us, but not everyone. The hard core QRO folks are having a euphoric experience right now. Christmas in April ! Well, I think it is great that their wishes seem to have been granted. I suppose if all the stars lined up just right I could be one of them! However, like you, I have some difficulty justifying the cost/benefit. Also, I'd be hard pressed to make something like that work at this location. So, I don't need to spend a lot of time lamenting not having a bigger amp, and it really wouldn't help me "hear" any better. It is not insignificant that it will cost almost 3 times as much to gain only slightly more than 1 S unit. Then, when you factor in the question of "how often do I really need that?", the justification becomes even more obscure to me. One thing is for sure, a lot of electricians just got more work! I strongly suspect not everyone is 220 V ready! I think it is rather interesting how Elecraft has come to this point. Many years ago, I saw first hand (at Pacificon) the two amps they had as prototypes, one of which was "legal limit". Then they went silent for a good while before coming out with just the 500 watt model. I thought that was a very astute decision, but probably because it suited me perfectly. I can only guess at how this strategy evolved. I actually expected this bigger amp to come out earlier, but I do not second guess Elecraft on their decision making. They seem to be pretty capable of making very good decisions without my advice!!! The groundswell of interest in a bigger amp has been hard to ignore, and obviously they didn't ignore it! Then Eric tickles everyone's chain recently by asking "what would you want to see in a big amp?"! That doesn't even meet the definition of "foreshadowing"! It was more like "check your bank accounts folks!" Elecraft has nearly mastered the art of stimulating expectations. Have you noticed that, when something clearly doesn't fit their plans, they will quash the conversation, but when it isn't so far fetched the silence is deafening? I think they have as much fun doing this as they do designing the stuff! I can almost hear them giggling as they put together that cropped photo of the new amp! Anyway, put on your crash helmets and protective gear at their booths in Visalia and Dayton. It's going to be crowded! O.K. Now what do we talk about??? Dave W7AQK - From: Terry Brown <n...@comcast.net> If the new Elecraft amp is indeed 1500 watts it might be worth considering that going from 500 to 1500 watts is only about 4.5 Db or less than 1 S-unit in signal strength. If I owned the KPA 500 it would be a hard sell to get me to move to ANY 1500 watt amp. Respectfully, Terry, N7TB __ 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] KX2 ATU question
Dave and All, A while back, some enterprising person had posted a rather nice summary of all the Elecraft ATU's showing numbers of tuning combinations, etc. I can't find it now, but maybe someone can post it again. It may have been here on this reflector, or otherwise, on the KX3 reflector. As I recall, the KX2 ATU had slightly fewer combinations, but only because 160 and 6 meters were not included on the rig. Thus it was deemed to perform nearly identically to the K3 and KX3 ATU's, and seems to do that based on my usage. The T1 also had fewer combinations than the K3, but I think shows very similar to the KX2. My guess is that you would find the KX2 ATU to do a competent job in comparison to the T1. It is a very worthy addition to the rig. Dave W7AQK From: Dave Fugleberg <dave.w...@gmail.com> How does the optional internal ATU for the KX2 compare to the Elecraft T1 ATU in terms of tuning range? In other words, if a given length of wire works well with the T1, can one expect it to work with the KX2 internal tuner? I have a T1, but not a KX2 (at least not yet). Is it a similar design? __ 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
[Elecraft] Bad Habit
I sure wish people who receive the "digest", and not individual posts, would quit copying the entire digest when they reply! Do some cutting and pasting folks! Please!!! Dave W7AQK --- Message: 8 Date: Sat, 18 Mar 2017 09:28:07 -0400 From: Philip Alley <pjal...@me.com> To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Linear Thoughts Message-ID: <0b27bfd8-721a-45bf-bc21-3bee1b2ef...@me.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii __ 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] KX3 update utility download removed (i.e.
Hi All, What Jim and Tony said about Norton agrees with what my "IT Guru" suggested. Just use Windows Defender. I've used Norton in the past with very mixed results and frustrations. I'm sure it is a well intended product, but it seemed to create a lot of problems for me. I've had similar problems with McAfee. That said, I recently had a very strange issue with Skype, which I use frequently. I have Windows 10, and for whatever reason, the microphone setting kept being reset to "zero" no matter what I did--reloaded software, drivers, etc., no resolution. The microphone works fine on all other programs--just not on Skype. Anyway, on a Skype help blog someone (actually a lot of people) said they had the very same issue, downloaded Malwarebytes, ran that, and it identified some "critters", which when isolated, solved the problem. I decided to do the same, and got a positive result. The problem appears to be solved. Apparently Windows Defender didn't pick up on the problem. So far I've had no problems with Malwarebytes. It scans at night, but is not overly invasive. I know this is "OT", but since we deal with so much software along with our radios, maybe this is helpful--maybe not. I'm not very knowledgeable about all of this software stuff. All I know is that my computer is being bombarded more and more, and it is a full time job to keep it running!!! 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] Linear thoughts
Hi All, I don't really have an oar in this debate, since I am 99.99% sure I won't be buying one--a 1500 watt linear, that is. However, it seems to me that all this advice to Eric should include some reasonable estimate of what one would be willing to pay for it!!! So far, I think I've only seen one such estimate--3 times the cost of a KPA500, which is probably a fair guess! If you throw in the upgraded tuner, you are talking $7500 or so! Wow! $5000 more just to gain slightly less than 1 S unit! I like to think in terms of $/S unit, rather than $/watt. The latter seems meaningless at this level! Well, some folks will probably spend that in a heartbeat! I guess that's about what the new Flex amp everyone is talking about will cost. If Elecraft could do it for much less, they may be on to something! Still, at this price level, a few hundred bucks one way or another may not mean that much. Nonetheless, I think we do need some feel for a price point to keep appetites in check. For what it is worth, I think keeping the ATU external gives people an opportunity to control cost somewhat. A big plus would be access to Elecraft support! Even sitting on the sidelines this is rather 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] Linear thoughts
This debate seems to get resurrected a lot. I think the reason for that is more philosophical than technical. Clearly 1 KW is better than 500 watts, at least in many cases. The question really is, do you actually need it, and can you make that leap practically. Answers to those questions will be all over the board. I run 500 watts because it is practical. I don't have a 1 ton brick to deal with, I didn't have to re-wire my shack, the lights don't dim when I go key down, and I don't apparently have RFI problems. I also only had to give up one arm and one leg (not both) to accomplish that financially--the cost/watt seems to go up significantly above that. If all those factors were neutralized, I might run 1 KW too! 500 watts is a lot of power! It gives me 60% of the maximum gain I can achieve legally (1 S unit down). 1 S unit is nothing to sneeze at, but I find that, usually, if I can hear them I can work them. More often than not, if I have a problem, It is hearing them. A bigger amp won't solve that. I could probably gain 2 S units or more, both on RX and TX, with somewhat better antennas. Well, that's a problem here too, but not for a lot of others. Invariably the "weak signal" argument is raised, and it's hard to refute. However, I really wonder how often that is really solved by a bigger amp. They may be weak on your RX, but the reverse might not be true. I'm just asking, not refuting. It does seem to me, though, that it is more a matter of out shouting other stations. On the other hand, it may be a matter of defeating the other person's noise level. Score 1 for more power. In fact, that may be one of the best arguments for more power. Anyway, I don't think there is an answer here--just options and consequences. A bigger amp is not a panacea--just an option. What I think I do know, however, is that we tend to run more power than we need, not less. Still, that depends on your philosophy. A lot of folks have V8's, when a V6 is plenty. Actually, I have a V8, but it just drinks more gas, and doesn't get me there any quicker. 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
[Elecraft] RTTY
I know this is "old hat" now, especially for serious RTTY buffs (which I am not!), but every time I work one of these DXpeditions on RTTY, just using the K3 and CW input, I get a big kick out of it. I just did that on 40 meters with TU7C in the Ivory Coast. I crank out CW at about 25-30 WPM and the K3 does the rest! Cool! I could do this with my KX3 or KX2 if my antennas were better! That's about the only time I venture into the RTTY segment, and I would generally rather just rag chew on CW, but snagging another DXpedition band slot this way is fun. It sure beats the heck out of the way I had to do it in the Army eons ago, with those model 21's, or whatever the nomenclature was--I've forgotten now. That was in an AN/GRC-26 van, with a BC-610, an R390, and a rack panel filled with other stuff. It sure got hot inside those vans With the K3, I can do it all on a TV tray! 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] KX2 and Sherwood Eng. RX Performance Ranking?
Hi All, I'd be inclined to think the KX2 measurements won't knock your socks off. Unlike the KX3, which was designed to be a close competitor to K3 performance (a K3 in a smaller package), the KX2 is more a pared down version of the KX3, and some of that paring down probably affected the specs somewhat. I don't think this paring down process was allowed to noticeably degrade performance. I can tell you , though, that it is very hard to notice any significant difference. It has somewhat different architecture, but is an excellent performer. This sort of proves to me that being "top tier" on Sherwood's stats is nice to talk about, but not necessarily critical. That's why so many owners of older rigs have a hard time "hearing" the benefit of what newer designs purport to offer. Wayne says he guesses the KX2 might rank somewhere in the top 20. If so, that's pretty darned good!!! I'd also be inclined to bet that Wayne already knows about where it will fall! I just hope that, when the numbers do come out, we don't go through an ad nauseam exchange about some spec being a big problem or a serious disappointment. A lot of these differences are only determinable in a lab! On the other hand, if something does seem to be a real problem, I'd also bet it can be fixed! 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] KX2 and Sherwood Eng. RX Performance Ranking?
Rick and All, The Sherwood performance chart is strictly about RX, not TX!!! If you want TX info, you need to go elsewhere. That's what reviews like the ones in QST can give you. Rob has been doing this for a lot of years now, and on a strictly volunteer, no pay, basis. It has become somewhat "iconic", as a guide, but it's just another set of data that may, or may not, be helpful to you. It's not the only thing you need, or should rely on, in evaluating a purchase. you are right to be concerned about how clean a transmitter is, but there are regulatory requirements about that. If you don't meet those standards, you supposedly can't sell it!!! Besides, every rig is a QRP rig in part. The higher power rigs start out with a low power generation section, and step it up internally. So, a K3, or a KX3, both start out at QRP levels. If that low power section isn't proper, everything after that will be crap as well. So, everything in the chain needs to be operating within design limits. whether the step up is internal, or external, it still needs to be in compliance with requirements. You can hook a KX2 up to a KXPA100 up to a KPA500, and it sounds just fine--provided you don't get greedy! Most of the bad signals I hear are, I think, because someone is running things at "maximum'! There just seems to be a thirst for squeezing out the last watt, running the audio gain too high, or too much compression, whatever. Maybe the regulatory limits aren't severe enough, but if you don't push things too hard, I don't think you hear much of a problem. These days I don't hear that many rigs that sound bad unless there is some operator error involved. You used to hear a lot more of it that was not self imposed. Then again, some folks want a level of perfection that may not be all that realistic. Dave W7AQK From: Rick WA6NHC <wa6...@gmail.com> You're correct. But in fairness, those items should be based on a standard output power (not everyone wants QRP) and we already know that you're the only company concerned about those points and you're the clear winner. ;-) As I had said, it's more than numbers. There are many other factors involved in the 'test'. Sheer numbers only tell the science side of the operation; useless if you have to go through layers of menu to make a frequent adjustment. To me, knowing how clean a transmitter is should be on the list as well, what crud does it produce at a given output, in all modes. While some don't care they spread all over the band, I'd rather put the energy into a CLEAN signal to concentrate that one extra erg to make the contact. It's also about being a good neighbor; do unto others... ;-) Rick nhc __ 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] Product Idea - 25 Watt PA for the K3
I think this issue of distortion when driving amps at near their limit was highlighted early on by a change Elecraft made on the K3. Initially the K3 could be dialed up to 110 watts. However, IMD got pretty rough at that level. So, Elecraft dropped the maximum down to just 100 watts, and the difference was quite noticeable. I tend to run my K3 (when operating barefoot) at only about 90 watts hoping I'm doing even better. I can, and have, run my KPA500 just using a KX3 or KX2 to drive it. However, that means cranking the little rigs up near maximum to get much out of the bigger amp. I suspect that is a problem as to IMD. If I put a KXPA100 in between, I also suspect I am much better off in that department. So, if I want to play with the little rigs and the big amp, I put the KXPA100 in the mix. As best as I can tell, everything stays pretty "linear". The little rigs only need a few watts to drive the KXPA100, and the KXPA100 only needs about 25 watts to drive the KPA500. Convoluted perhaps, but kind of fun to play with. It does minimize what I have directly in front of me on the desk. I love my K3, but there are times/situations when I don't need everything it gives me. 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
[Elecraft] OT: Somewhat Interesting Ebay Item--K2
I stumbled across a K2 for sale on Ebay that I thought was rather "interesting". It's one of those situations where you have no idea what you are really getting! The K2 is actually described as a "CB radio"! Wow! Makes you wonder. Also, it is later described as a "K2/100", but that has to be wrong since it has no heat sink! At least they do say "As IS for parts/repair". Now, there probably is some value here, and maybe some good value, but how can you possibly tell? Right now the bidding is up to $280, with a couple of days to go. I'm just curious how much this thing will sell for. If anyone else is curious, it is item # 162388838126. 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] Is it just me?
I think on most email programs there is a "reply" and a "reply all" option. On mine, at least, if I hit "reply all" it will go to the sender and to the reflector. So, if you want to avoid that kind of duplication, one must remove the excess addressee, which is fairly simple. There is benefit to sending it to both! If the recipient is a digest subscriber, He will get his response forthwith, which may well be preferable. That way he won't have to wait until the next digest is distributed to see the response. If the recipient gets all messages as they are sent, then it can be duplicative. However, you don't know which is the case. Since I subscribe to digest mode on some reflectors, sending to both can be helpful to me, if I am the intended beneficiary, but that won't be the case for everyone. I also think having a choice between "reply" and "reply all" is very beneficial. Sometimes you really only want to reply to the sender, and it should be your choice to do so easily. At least one reflector made an issue of this, and removed the "reply" option, forcing replies to go to the reflector--unless you go to great lengths to alter that. I strongly oppose this attempt to "control" how and to whom a response is set. Another problem, primarily involving digest subscribers, is how to properly respond. Too many just hit the "reply" button and end up copying the entire digest, rather than just copying over the pertinent parts of the single post. This is most annoying. If the digest mode is better for you, part of the "price" you pay for that convenience is to have to do a little cut and pasting on any reply you might make. Yes, it takes a little extra work, but how often do you have to do it? Copying over part of a post may be very helpful for continuity, but not the whole darned digest!!! Also, if you receive in digest mode, and someone replies by copying over the entire digest, then you have to scroll endlessly to get past that post! It is just plain inconsiderate! Digest subscribers need to be very careful about how they formulate their responses. Hopefully I practice what I preach! In this case I didn't copy over anything, since I think my comments are self explanatory. If I had needed additional context, I would have cut and pasted from the digest. It really only takes a few extra key strokes. 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] Audio Output Impedance of the KX3
Jim and All, Thanks much for the explanation. Makes a lot more sense now. Not sure how I missed your past comments that covered that. I also got several other responses which were most helpful, and I appreciate them as well. It sure is nice to ask a question and get good answers!! Hi. Cheers! 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] Audio Output Impedance of the KX3
Jim, Maybe you could expand on that somewhat as I'm still confused a bit. Perhaps I'm not understanding what I hear, or why, but it almost always seems that when speakers (or headphones) are not closely matched to the designed impedance I notice some deterioration in output. Some mismatch doesn't seem too serious, but when the difference is high, it seems much more noticeable. On the other hand, I've also experienced that using headphones with higher sensitivity ratings (like most Sony ear buds) tends to provide much higher output. Most ear buds tend to be 32 ohm (16 at lest), but I find Sony ear buds usually work best as many of them have sensitivity ratings up around -108 dbm. I could very well be fooling myself! This topic was covered somewhat similarly back when folks, including me, were complaining about poor audio output from Heil headphones. The headphone portion of my Yamaha CM500 works a lot better than my Heil, but neither works as well as some ear buds. I don't really have another good pair of headphones around here to try. Also, it was interesting to see Eric's response to this question. He indicates that the rigs are spec'd at 4 ohms, and that 8 ohm speakers would diminish output somewhat. Anyway, maybe you could make this all a bit clearer. Thanks, Dave W7AQK From: Jim Brown <j...@audiosystemsgroup.com> On Mon,1/23/2017 9:22 AM, Walter Underwood wrote: For portable operation, I use Apple EarPods. Those are 45 Ohms. Don't worry about impedance of headphones. There is no need to match impedances in audio circuits. 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] Appropriate Mic for K3 (new)
I've taken a number of old, cheap microphone housings (hamfest acquisitions), and inserted an inexpensive electret cartridge. Every one of them worked great! Truth is, I think you can probably buy most any electret cartridge and get it to do just fine. Some may be a bit more responsive than others, but I have yet to find one that doesn't do a good job. That way you can pick and choose what housing you like. All the Elecraft rigs provide the necessary bias right in the radios, so it is not a difficult bit of surgery. My favorite headset is the Yamaha CM-500, gut I've also successfully used various computer headsets that are even cheaper. You just don't need to spend a lot of money, unless you are looking for something special besides the mic element itself. When it comes to headsets, I'm more concerned about the headphone part. I've not had very good results from various Heils I have around here. 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
[Elecraft] A Word About Discounts
Hi All, No need to get too critical, or overly exuberant, about Elecraft's Black Friday Special. If you were about to pull the trigger on an order, or fence sitting perhaps, this may be just what you needed for a little boost. That is exactly what the discount is intended to do! If it works for you, take it and run! Clearly there are dollars that can be saved, and it's not necessarily just lunch money either. 2%+ isn't exactly the typical Black Friday discount, but anything is welcome. Probably anybody who isn't "moved" by the amount of it wasn't really that close to buying something anyway. It's a funny thing about discounts--when the percentage gets big it often motivates us to buy something we might not really need all that much!!! No need to "thank" Elecraft for this event--I'm certain there is a profit motive to it all. For one thing, the "cost" to them on a per item basis, after tax, is only about half of the stated discount amount. Not a biggie. However, if they encourage enough folks to get off the fence, the overall benefit to them is surely positive, not negative. No charity here--no "detached generosity". There is absolutely no benefit to them in cutting a price, even a little bit, if the overall effect isn't positive. In your eyes they may be giving you something, which is good, but they also should be getting more. Some products are priced artificially high so that frequent discounts can be offered. This makes you think you are getting a deal when you probably are not! I don't think Elecraft does that kind of pricing at all. They have made their own calculation of a price point, and pretty much stick to it. Also, they don't work through dealers, so there is no competitive pricing activity going on. You just have to assume they have set their prices astutely, balancing supply and demand, and insuring a healthy result for themselves. Much of this Black Friday thing is a hoax anyway. Many items in stores are "limited" as to available quantity, so the cost of it all is pretty determinable. The kicker is that they want to get you in the door to spend more money on other things, thus boosting profits overall. Apparently it works! A lot of psychology involved here. It puts people in a buying mood, and besides, it's the season for that. It jump starts everything. Just don't lose sight of the fact that, like Las Vegas, the advantage is always with "The House". In this case the vendors have the real advantage, but if you genuinely "save" some bucks, good for you! It's kind of like going to the grocery store without a definitive list--you often end up with more than you need. I'm susceptible to that, and to discounts too, and I bet a lot of other folks are as well. 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] Magnetic Loop Antenna Question
Stan, Well, my first question was "how about the capacitor?". I looked at the article, and it says no capacitor needed, but that it is mono band only. I would have to guess that it is "mono-frequency" as well, or just about!!! Dave W7AQK -Original Message- From: stan levandowski Sent: Sunday, November 13, 2016 7:01 AM To: w7aqk Cc: Elecraft Reflector Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Magnetic Loop Antenna Question My first loop was because of an article I read online that said, "Look no further! Here is all you need: 10 feet 3 inches of 3/4-inch hard line, 2 hose clamps, a chassis connector, a little bit of house wire, and you could be in business as shown in the photo below" The darn thing worked incredibly well! It was for 40 meters. Here's the "starter article" at http://www.antennex.com/hws/ws0902/hardline.html This inspired me to build a square loop made of two inch copper pipe with a vacuum variable and a 1 rpm 12VDC motor which I switched by reversing polarity. It was for 20 meters and worked great with QRP. I finally bought an Alexloop for true portable work. 73, Stan WB2LQF On Sun, Nov 13, 2016 at 04:41 AM, w7aqk wrote: Terry, If you have the inclination at all, why not build one! It's really not all that hard to do. Quite a few years ago I did that, and the thing worked pretty well. I got the info from a QST article from back in the 90's. The hardest part might be finding a proper capacitor for tuning, but if your junk box has much in it, you may have that problem solved. I complicated things a bit by adding a small low voltage motor to turn the capacitor. You need to use one that has a very low rpm rate for that, but they are available. Not counting the motor, the whole thing cost lest than $10 to build. I used copper tubing, but you could use coax shield. I recommend copper tubing. Even though band conditions are rather poor these days, you can still do good things with a mag loop--especially on 20 meters. You may not be able to run that amp through it, unless you get a pretty husky capacitor, but 15 watts is not usually a problem. You just might be surprised at what you can do with one of these things. They are fun to play with. 73, 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 Message delivered to sjl...@optonline.net __ 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] Magnetic Loop Antenna Question
Terry, If you have the inclination at all, why not build one! It's really not all that hard to do. Quite a few years ago I did that, and the thing worked pretty well. I got the info from a QST article from back in the 90's. The hardest part might be finding a proper capacitor for tuning, but if your junk box has much in it, you may have that problem solved. I complicated things a bit by adding a small low voltage motor to turn the capacitor. You need to use one that has a very low rpm rate for that, but they are available. Not counting the motor, the whole thing cost lest than $10 to build. I used copper tubing, but you could use coax shield. I recommend copper tubing. Even though band conditions are rather poor these days, you can still do good things with a mag loop--especially on 20 meters. You may not be able to run that amp through it, unless you get a pretty husky capacitor, but 15 watts is not usually a problem. You just might be surprised at what you can do with one of these things. They are fun to play with. 73, 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] Mag Loop
Doug and all, Au contraire, mon ami! I think Fred lives in Nevada. The "land of Enchantment" is New Mexico. However, in the spring, when the wind tends to blow pretty hard in New Mexico, we often call it The "Sand" of Enchantment! I lived for nearly 20 years in New Mexico--loved it--but it was a bit frustrating having to dust off your window sills nearly every day in the spring! Still, I think west Texas may be worse! Hi. Dave W7AQK Date: Fri, 21 Oct 2016 20:18:38 - From: "Doug Turnbull" <turnb...@net1.ie> To: "'David Woolley'" <for...@david-woolley.me.uk>, <elecraft@mailman.qth.net> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Mag Loop Message-ID: <774B5B982D974B53B841B27E6BA2F639@DougTPC> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Dear Fred, You are watching too much of "Better Call Saul" which is filmed in your fair state, the land of enchantment. 73 Doug EI2CN __ 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] Portable Ops with KX3 along with KXPA100
Any currently available Honda generator would certainly be adequate--even the EU1000 model. I've run similar setups to what you describe from several different Hondas. My own generator is a Yamaha 2400 watt model, but it's more than I need for just that. In the past I've even used a small 600 watt Honda, and that worked O.K. too. With Honda you are probably looking at the highest "dollar per watt" cost. The Yamaha is somewhat less, but a very good generator. It's not quite as quiet (ambient noise vs. RFI) though, but only slightly less. There are lots of alternatives out there, and some that have Honda engines. The real issue may be RFI, and you just have to check that out first if you can. Personally, I'd recommend something larger than a 1KW generator if you want to use it for camping, etc. It's surprising how many small appliances can require a fairly high amount of power. A coffee pot often requires 1200 watts or more That's why I opted for the Yamaha 2400 watt model. In my case, I have a small travel trailer that I use for camping outings, and it has a 15000 BTU air conditioner. A Honda EU2000 won't quite handle that, but the Yamaha will! So, you have to think about the maximum requirement you are apt to have, and the ham rig probably won't be 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] K3S - Build or Buy
If you ever spent Christmas Eve putting toys together for your kids, you probably are qualified to go with the kit!!! Hi. It's really just an assembly process, and the instructions are pretty straight forward. More than anything, it is a matter of just being careful, reading the instructions, and not trying to go too fast. Inventory the parts carefully (that's critical!), and separate them in an organized fashion. Do that, and you have half the battle won. Some parts may be a close fit, but they do fit! Tool requirements are relatively simple, and no soldering. In the end, you know a lot more about what is inside the case, and where it is. You need a lot of room, so unless you have a particularly large, uncluttered work bench, use the dining room table with a good protective pad on top. Order in pizza--no cooking during assembly! Anyway, saving the $200 is not the wrong thing to do, unless a reasonable amount of patience is not one of your virtues. It doesn't take all that long, and it's really not all that difficult, but you do need to proceed with reasonable care. I recommend some nice soft, soothing music in the background just to keep yourself relaxed! 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] In Praise of the K2
I've had two K2's. The first one was one of the "original 100" K2's which were field test units. After several years I sold that to a ham locally who wanted a good QRP rig, but in the meantime I had picked up my 2nd K2, so I've been K2 equipped since the beginning. For years the K2 was my "go to" field radio. For a good while it was my main station radio. Both of mine were QRP versions, so it wasn't until I got a K3 that I had a 100 watt Elecraft radio. I greatly value the experience I had building my K2, and even today, the K2 is a darned good radio! No, it doesn't have some of the bells and whistles you may want, but it is most definitely a very competent radio! I thought I might sell my K2 when the KX3 came out, but it didn't happen. The K2 is just too good, and makes a perfect backup radio. Besides, it is still great fun to pull it down and just use it for awhile. I always put the K2 at the head of my list when I talk to someone looking for " a real ham radio experience"! You get a superb building opportunity, and you end up with a radio that will do just about anything you want. It is not a compromise. Just another example of Wayne's design expertise! 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] KXBC3 clock drift
Now Don, don't get testy! Hi. Actually, I think the critics may have a good point--especially the ones using digital. For me, it is no big deal, but the clock gets so far off so quickly I have stopped even looking at it. However, the digital users do need some precision in order to get their transmissions timed correctly for an exchange. I don't know why the clock doesn't work so well, but there probably is a good explanation for it. Still, in this day and age when a few bucks can get you a clock that only loses/gains a second or two a month, it's hard to understand why this clock performs so poorly. I don't have a KX2 clock, but I do have one in my KX3. At this moment it is 5 minutes fast, and I last set it to WWV about a month ago. The specs for the KX2 clock say the deviation can be minimized to about 2 seconds per day, so apparently it is a lot better! I have a wrist watch that barely loses or gains 1 second a month--it's solar powered and no GPS involved either! In any event, it is a bit of a misnomer to call the rig accessory a "real time clock"! Hi. However, the clock feature is really an "extra", and not the main reason for buying the accessory in the first place--at least I don't think anyone is doing that. So, it's hard to be too critical of the cost, since that applies mainly to the other features provided by the accessory. It would be nice to better understand the problem, though, so maybe someone from Elecraft can explain it. Then we can all get back to our regularly scheduled program, which is already in progress! Dave W7AQK -- From: Don Wilhelm <donw...@embarqmail.com> To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KXBC3 clock drift Message-ID: <4e2db433-d787-e8d4-a93f-520629edb...@embarqmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252; format=flowed I would like an icebox in my KX3 to keep my sandwiches cool while portable. Oh, and how about an automatic coffee maker for use during contest periods. :-) __ 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] Heath kit and the Lazarus Loop
Lew and All, Heath wasn't the only casualty of the tech explosion. There were dead bodies all over the place! Even Microsoft might have cratered if IBM hadn't failed to recognize the importance of DOS! It's really amazing what we have seen in just 25 years or so. I paid a small fortune in late '89 for a Zenith laptop, and since then, I haven't spent more than a fraction of that for a laptop. We've gone from big floppies to no floppies--from hard drives that only held a few MB's, to ones now that hold many TB's. RAM was only a few KB's, and now it is many GB's, and that's just what we use at home on our desks. It reminds me of the thought provoking comment I read some time back--it says something like--"You receive a birthday card--one that plays the song Happy Birthday" to you. You listen to it, admire the card a while, and then soon casually toss it into the waste basket, thereby throwing away more computing power than existed in the world in 1948!!! Dave W7AQK From: Lewis Phelps <l...@n6lew.us> To: "elecraft@mailman.qth.net" <elecraft@mailman.qth.net> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Heath kit and the Lazarus Loop Message-ID: <40076fad-3207-43b0-821c-61766d7bc...@n6lew.us> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 Heathkit was at the forefront of the personal computer revolution. Their H-8 was one of the earliest 8-bit computers, and the H-89 one of the first Z-80 machines, as well as being the first ?all in one? computer that combined the keyboard, monitor, and processor into a single enclosure. I used an H-89 as a word processor for a number of years, upgrading it with aftermarket products (which were plentiful) to the first-ever silicon drive, in lieu of a 5 inch floppy. It didn?t have ?permanent? memory, so you had to copy files a a floppy before shutting down, but it sure accelerated the word processing speed. The Z-80 (an enhanced 8080 chip made by Zilog) addressed 64K of memory, and the operating system (CP/M) used about 39K, which didn?t leave much space for the word processing app and the document file. There was a lot of swapping of chunks of instruction in and out of memory. They didn?t keep up with the advances in technology forever, but I think that was due more to a lack of capital than a lack of focus. Their 16-bit machines never caught on in the face of the IBM PC onslaught. Lew N6LEW __ 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] OT: The Heathkit clocks are back!
Ken and All, But $100? Not much of a bargain. If you want to monitor local plus UTC they suggest you buy two of them! 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] Higher Power than KPA500
Greetings all, This ongoing urging of Elecraft to build a 1.5 KW amp is, at times, sort of interesting, but often it is a bit tiresome, if not non-productive. Most of us have no clue as to the problems involved in producing something like that. I don't think there is much doubt that Elecraft has the ability to create something like that, but is it worth it? I suspect there is little appreciation out there for the headaches (and risks?) that go with it. Many of the pros and cons of a bigger amp have been mentioned, but I am sure there are a lot more. Also, although many express certainty about the existence of a "market" for a larger amp, I am not convinced that a handful, or even several handfuls, of those comments here are all that substantive or convincing. They certainly do not represent a well constructed "market survey". More importantly, they probably ignore the dozens of problems associated with such a project. Besides, if it doesn't fit their business plan right now, then that's their call! Elecraft did have a prototype high power amplifier several years ago--I saw it! What that tells me is that Elecraft has already looked into this, at least to some extent. Thus, I think we should give them credit for what they already know about such a project, and just let them come back to that, if they ever do, at their own pace. Elecraft is a well run company, but not a particularly large one. I suspect they are averse to taking big risks, so we should respect that. It is much to our advantage that Elecraft keeps putting out "winners". Putting out "losers" will probably only divert their attention, which is to our detriment. I strongly suspect that the earlier "look see" at a high power amplifier may have been Eric's idea. I also strongly suspect he may have been the one that "killed" the idea. Not that Wayne isn't good at this sort of thing, but I think Eric is particularly good at it, and that this is a big part of his job description. Anyway, suggestions from us are probably often helpful additions to their idea pool, but I doubt that "badgering" them is very helpful at all. Look at how many times they have had to squelch the comments! 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
[Elecraft] KX2 transmit CW while receiving SSB?
It's referenced in the Index, on Page 70--"CW, Sending in SSB mode, 44". Not that hard to find!!! Anyway, go to page 44 of the manual. Bring up "CW Weight" on the menu of your KX2. Then tap "1" until you get SSB + CW displayed. It should only take one tap. That's the same procedure the KX3 uses. 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] Solar Cycle
Hi All, The info I got from Space Weather today indicated that there were strong solar flares occurring, and radio blackouts were predicted. I believe it! Yesterday I put up a "not so great" antenna to tinker with, hooked up my KX3 (I'm traveling), and tried to snag a contact. Even with this antenna, and running QRP, I rarely get skunked, but I did today! Interestingly, I could hear W1AW, and a couple of 6's not all that far away, but otherwise, zilch! The nostalgia about the late 50's is still something I well remember. My rig only put out about 30 watts, and the antenna was a simple base loaded vertical, but I worked all sorts of DX back then. My favorite hangout was the top 50 khz of 20 meters, which back then was CW only. I had numerous QSO's with HZ1AB up there (I was living in Albuquerque), and I don't think I've worked Saudi Arabia since! I wasn't a 6 meter op back then, but it must have been good! One day I flipped channels on our TV and suddenly I was watching a crystal clear picture from KSTP in Minneapolis! It wasn't just a short event either, as I watched it for over an hour. Maybe this sort of thing still happens now and then, but since most of us are hooked up to cable TV, we don't know! 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] Solar Cycle
I’m currently traveling in Oregon, and watched it on the Portland area PBS station (Oregon Public Broadcasting). I assume it is the most current program in the Nova series, but I missed the actual title as I didn’t tune in until about 5 minutes after it started. Sometimes there is a slight lag between on air viewing and their website availability, but just about every Nova program ends up on the website for viewing online. Check the dates shown, and it should be the one for this week. If it’s not there yet, it will be, and they even said it would be available online. Also, most PBS stations broadcast Nova multiple times during the week, so check your own station’s schedule for the week. Looking at OPB’s schedule, I think the title may be “ Secrets OF The Sun”. Here it is being aired multiple times this week. I might just add that there are few programs on TV these days that are better than Nova. It is marvelous! My other favorite is “Frontline”, but, of course, there are still other superb programs that are pure entertainment, like “Masterpiece”. If you are not a regular PBS viewer, I think you are really missing something! My satellite TV system gives me just about anything that is available, but in truth, I could probably survive quite nicely with just two channels—PBS and Turner Classic Movies! Well, I do like to watch a little golf and football! Hi. Dave W7AQK From: a...@sbcglobal.net Sent: Thursday, July 21, 2016 2:25 PM To: Elecraft Reflector ; w7aqk Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Solar Cycle Can you check your PBS TV station schedule and give us the title of that NOVA program? Our station was running the RNC. Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android From: w7aqk <w7...@cox.net>; To: Elecraft Reflector <elecraft@mailman.qth.net>; Subject: [Elecraft] Solar Cycle Sent: Thu, Jul 21, 2016 7:05:56 PM Hi All, FWIW, there was a very interesting program I watched last night on PBS. The regular program called "Nova" had a most informative discussion about the solar cycle and how it affects us here on Earth. It won't tell you everything you want to know about propagation, etc., but it does give a lot of perspective as to why our communications can be so disrupted by solar storms. They also talked a lot about "sunspots"! We tend to think the more the better for us, but do we really understand how they form, and the effect they have? This gives you some insight about that. Anyway, you might want to check it out, and I think you can watch it online at www.pbs.org/nova. 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 Message delivered to a...@sbcglobal.net __ 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
[Elecraft] Solar Cycle
Hi All, FWIW, there was a very interesting program I watched last night on PBS. The regular program called "Nova" had a most informative discussion about the solar cycle and how it affects us here on Earth. It won't tell you everything you want to know about propagation, etc., but it does give a lot of perspective as to why our communications can be so disrupted by solar storms. They also talked a lot about "sunspots"! We tend to think the more the better for us, but do we really understand how they form, and the effect they have? This gives you some insight about that. Anyway, you might want to check it out, and I think you can watch it online at www.pbs.org/nova. 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] Encoder Noise
That worked for me! Thanks! Dave W7AQK -Original Message- From: Jessie Oberreuter Sent: Tuesday, June 28, 2016 10:57 AM To: w7aqk Cc: Elecraft Reflector Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Encoder Noise On Tue, 28 Jun 2016, w7aqk wrote: On my KX3, I seem to be getting a very loud noise anytime I move the encoder on 6 meters. I don't notice that at all on any other bands. http://www.elecraft.com/manual/KX3%20Tuning%20Noise%20Mod%20rev%20B3.pdf (Linked from: http://www.elecraft.com/KX3/kx3_app_notes.htm) I have an earlier set of boards. Even with the mods, I still had a little noise in places. Not all of the upper bands, but some of them. Setting RX SHIFT=8.0 on the 1-2 bands still affected cleared it up. There's rarely a need for the hardware filters up there, and it's easy enough to flip 'em back on when needed. Wayne, Any chance of disabling the lock protocol when RX SHIFT is assigned to a programmable function key? There are times when I'd really like to be able to toggle it on and off with the push of a button. -kb7psg __ 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
[Elecraft] Encoder Noise
Hi All, On my KX3, I seem to be getting a very loud noise anytime I move the encoder on 6 meters. I don't notice that at all on any other bands. Any thoughts? 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
[Elecraft] Field Day Fun Killers
Hi All, I have always considered Field Day to be the most enjoyable "event" of the year. Unfortunately, this year I was unable to participate "in the field" as I am busy getting ready for a long trip. Otherwise, I would have been out there with the rest of you. Long ago I determined that there were two things that could ruin Field Day for me--excessive heat and bugs (no, not the Vibroplex kind!). If I can't avoid both, I usually don't go! When I was living in "The South", both could be a problem. Here in the desert, it's the heat issue that I mainly have to deal with. Fortunately, there is a good choice of "high ground" nearby, so that problem is solvable. Since there typically isn't a lot of water nearby, the bug problem is usually minimized as well. My hat is most definitely off to those of you who can endure either or both of my "Field Day Fun Killers". Most of you who do that are probably east of the Rockies. I remember Field Days where the seemingly most important pieces of equipment were fans! The problem is that most of the time all those did was blow hot air around! High temperatures plus high humidity is a tough combination to combat. It doesn't take long before you wish you could take a shower--but you probably can't! It even makes grabbing a little shut eye difficult. Fighting the bug problem can be a bit easier, but takes some advance planning. My Field Day kit includes a large canopy of mosquito netting that can be suspended from most anything overhead, like a tree branch. A tent-like canopy with netting works too, but isn't always as convenient to locate. Fully enclosed tents tend to trap heat, so those don't always work well either. Planning for Field Day can be a year long event, particularly for larger groups. However, even the smaller operations need to start making a list early! Your "fun killer" list may not be the same as mine, but whatever it includes, you should consider early on how to deal with it. Starting the process now, while the problems are fresh in your mind, is probably one of the best things you can do. I've been reading a lot of complaints about high heat in the reports that have been posted so far. That's always a problem, but it just seems like it was more so this year. Even Wayne Burdick commented about some very high temperatures in his area, and I think this may be a sign of the times. I'm getting too old to have that kind of dedication. Here in my area it was well into the 100's down low, but in the 70's higher up. I will always opt for "up", even if I have to drive a bit further. Besides, there are trees up there! Again, I greatly admire the dedication that many (if not most) of you gave to this year's effort. However, I have to wonder if participating in those 5A/6A or higher groups, who's location choices are perhaps much more limited, is really worth it. Have you considered a 1A, or 2A operation in a much more hospitable location? The food may not be quite as good, but the experience can be well worth it! I know, it's often a "club thing", and that may well overrule all other concerns. However, you still might want to try it at least once--you might like it! For many years now I've operated strictly QRP CW in the field, and never had more fun! 73, 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] Connections and Settings on K3s to drive an
David and All, What all are you planning on hooking up to the ALS-600? Are you going to use any kind of tuner with it??? I had an ALS-600, with the standard power supply, for a short while, driving it with my K3. The connections are pretty minimal--just interconnect the RF out on the K3 to the ALS-600, and run a keying line between both. The ALS-600 also has provision for an ALC line, but I didn't try to use it. As I recall, it took something over 30 watts out from the K3 to drive the ALS-600 to "full output." Full output seemed to be closer to 500 watts than 600 watts. I didn't try to push it too hard.I was running it on 120 Volts, by the way. The amp was pretty sensitive to SWR, and would trip off easily. My antennas were a decent match, but still, I had to "sneak" up on full output. Overall, I'd say the amp worked O.K., but it sure is a noisy devil!!! That relay really makes a lot of noise, particularly if you are a CW op. It's not a QSK amp, but I converted mine to one by installing Phil Salas' (AD5X) QSK kit. I was a bunch happier with the amp after doing that!!! Even if you are not a CW op, I highly recommend the kit because it makes it so much quieter. Anyway, shortly thereafter, I went to a KPA500, and am thrilled with that decision. I won't try to "sell" you on that other than to say it is a "night and day" comparison. I might also add, however, that the ALS-600, for whatever reason, seems to draw more current than the KPA500 does. The ALS-600 would trip the circuit breaker on my 120 volt circuit every so often, but not so with the KPA500. I was never really able to get 600 watts out of the ALS-600, but that may have been due to using 120 volts. With the KPA500, though, I can get 600 watts easily--I just don't run it that hard. 450 to 500 watts is plenty in my book, and if anyone can really tell the difference between that and 600 watts, he is a better man than I am! Hope this helps, but others may have much better info. 73, 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] The KX2
Eric and All, Boy, I don't know Eric!!! I see your point, but I don't agree at all that this is more a move from/towards the KX1/K1 than it is from the KX3. Even Elecraft seems to view this as a comparison between the KX2 and the KX3. Just look at the FAQ page: http://www.elecraft.com/manual/KX2%20FAQ%20v-1-1a.pdf They even have a chart of feature comparisons between those two rigs specifically!!! No mention of either the KX1 or K1 there! The KX2 is a reduced size look-alike to the KX3. It's just got some feature differentials, but even more feature inclusions! It's an SDR, just as the KX3 is, and it takes much the same advantage of that platform. Yes, it is a move towards smaller size, like the K1 and KX1, but the KX2 has KX3 "genes" all over it! That's my only point, and not intended to be critical either. There is a huge comparability to the KX3, but not much to either of those older rigs. In any event, I'm not sure very many people will be evaluating acquiring this new radio as opposed to a K1 or KX1, but I bet bunches of folks will be evaluating the KX2 vs. the KX3. That said, I suppose even more people will be motivated to put their K1's and KX3's on the shelf, but I think the KX3 already had the biggest impact on that. For that matter, so did a lot of other more recent offerings from other sources. The K1 or KX1 is an apples/oranges comparison to the KX2. The KX2 is an oranges/tangerines comparison to the KX3. Or, to use your comparison, how about an F-150 crew cab 4X4, vs. an F-150 standard with a short bed??? Well, you get my point even if you don't agree with it. Cheers! 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
[Elecraft] The KX2
Hi All, The ink is barely dry on the release announcement for the KX2, but it has created quite a stir. A lot of people are very curious about this rig, including me. As a KX3 owner already, I'm not chomping at the bit to get a KX2, but I am trying to discern just what the meaningful differences are. I think it is intriguing that Elecraft chose to make it's new rig a "downsized" version of the KX3. I can certainly see how this has stimulated a lot of interest. What I'm trying to figure out is whether or not it does anything better than the KX3, or is it just a smaller, and less capable, radio. At this point, I'm inclined to think the latter. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but that seems to be a better generalization. Nonetheless, what you give up with a KX2 may not outweigh what you might gain with a KX3--it depends solely on the user. The KX2 is definitely smaller (about half the volume) and lighter, although the footprint is not quite that much different. The price is lighter too! As a true portable radio, I see this as a nice advantage. SOTA ops probably will really appreciate this! You still have a very competent radio with just about all the features a portable op would want or need. The things you give up are not insignificant. There is a slight power differential, which may, or may not, be a concern. Possibly more of a concern might be not having roofing filters. I've become a huge fan of having those. Also, losing access to 160 and 6 meters may be problematic for some. I'm not all that concerned about no AM or FM, but others might be. With the emphasis on being a "hand held" radio, some may lament no VHF/UHF as well. I can only guess at the decreased capability of the optional ATU. The one for the KX2 may still be sufficient for most needs, but I just hate to see less capability. Elecraft ATU's in the K3 and KX3 are great, and I guess I just get nervous about less. The ATU's in the KX1 and K1 were only moderately useful, and it was their reduced size that caused that. Elecraft can obviously put out superb ATU's, but they need some room to do that. I was disappointed to see that the PX3 would not mate with the KX2. In their "FAQ's", Elecraft sort of deflects that by simply suggesting that capability is more appropriate for a larger rig, like the KX3 or K3, but I'm still disappointed. Personally, I think it would have been a big plus if they could have made it work, but again, just not enough room in that smaller package--or I assume that was the problem. Or, maybe it was to just hold the cost down??? I know a lot of K3 owners, who also have KX3's, and have found the KX3 to be a very effective substitute/back-up in their main station. Lately I've been tinkering with that same process, and it works pretty darned well. However, I'm not sure the KX2 is nearly as good a substitute, or back-up. The lesser capabilities described above would explain much of that. I still much prefer the K3, but I don't give up all that much with the KX3. It's a great reason to own both! So, how do you describe the difference in ten words or less? Is the KX2 a stripped down version of the KX3, or is the KX3 a deluxe KX2? In any event, there are sufficient differences to require some analysis if you are trying to pick one over the other. If I didn't already have a KX3 I could probably get a headache trying to make that decision. Either way you go you are probably a "winner!" The "easy" way may be to just conclude you want both, and apparently some have already made that decision! I'm not sure that would be my decision, but hey, I haven't had my hands on a KX2 yet either! Hi. I'll be very interested in seeing some real in-depth reviews of the KX2. 73, 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] New KX2
Hi All, Well, those hoping for a K4 have been foiled again Interesting that Elecraft chose to go with a reduced sized KX3 as their new offering, but it does make some sense. There are several new, smaller QRP rigs coming out these days, and possibly this may blunt the interest in those to some extent. It's also just a tad bit irritating that the info we are seeing, for the most part, is coming out of Japan!!! I don't quite get that. Well, we are probably only a few days away from more info here. As an owner of a KX3, I won't be moved too quickly to jump on this new offering. However, those on the fence up to now may find this to be a more appealing option. It's not yet clear what you are giving up--a couple of watts apparently, and a couple of bands at both ends of the HF spectrum (160 and 6). I assume the PX3 will mate with the KX2, but not sure. Hopefully the ATU option will be as good. One thing that intrigues me somewhat is that the KX2, combined with the KPAX100, might be a more versatile portable/mobile combination than the KX3 as a substitute. For mobile operating, the KX3 is a bit clumsy, but the reduced size of the KX2 might make it work better--not sure. Anyway, I just continue to be fascinated with what Elecraft comes up with. They are fun to watch! I had sort of expected maybe something with a larger display, and maybe a touch screen, but not yet! That may be a K4 feature, whenever that comes about. 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] OT: Decoding high speed CW
Hi All, I think all the FCC code exams were plain text, not code groups--at least to my memory going back to the 50's. The reason may be obvious, in that the examiner had to check them "on the spot", and code groups would have been too difficult to check. I took the Extra Class exam in front of an FCC examiner, and I know that was plain text. I think those guys had the test material memorized, because they were checking them off pretty fast! On my test I bracketed a big section I knew was right, and showed it to the examiner. He looked at it for about 3 seconds, and said, "Yeah, you passed"! In the Army, all we used were 5 letter code groups, and those were a bearcat to check! I had that job for a while, and hated it! Sometimes the hardest part was even deciphering what had been written down. Unfortunately, penmanship was never part of the curricula! 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] Icom 7300 is available
I'm trying to "get my arms around" the following statement by Joe, W4TV: "The observation I would make on this is that the poor performing Icoms were good enough to capture all 3 of the top positions in the recent WRTC. IIRC there was one Elecraft and 5 Icoms used by the top 3 teams." Joe seems to concede that the Icoms are "poor performing", but that somehow they took the top 3 positions in the WRTC. So what does that mean? It seems to suggest that the dirtier your signal is the better you will do!!! I would agree that a dirty signal does tend to get your attention!!! At the same time, the fact that there was only one Elecraft radio in use certainly assured the fact that Icoms would finish high. I can also see why the Elecraft may not have finished in the top 3, since it really is not designed, with all the glitz and 500 knobs, to be a contest radio. Rather, it is designed to be a modest sized, but highly competent radio! That may not dovetail with what contesters are looking for. However, when it comes to "nailing down" a difficult contact, one at a time, I'll put the K3 up against just about any radio. The obsession with contests is a concern to me. During those events I constantly hear signals that are obviously the result of over driving, etc. Some folks seem to be willing to sacrifice anything in order to just be "heard" better than the next guy. They will absolutely squeeze the very last watt possible out of their equipment even though they know (and have been warned) that running equipment that close to maximum increases the probability that signal quality will deteriorate, and very probably outside required specifications. It just seems to me that this is a subversive way of cheating! Admittedly, not all of this is the fault of the operator. Equipment manufacturers have increasingly ignored the importance of signal purity. Still, if you take a piece of equipment that is known to be deficient, and then run it at levels that accentuate the problem, I think you lose your innocence. Even the K3 had a potential problem. At one time you could run a stock K3 at more than 100 watts, thus increasing significantly the odds of transmitting a dirty signal. Elecraft dialed that capability back through firmware. I may be kidding myself, but my rule of thumb is to never run anything at more than 90% of it's rated capability. Maybe that's not dialing back enough, but it is bound to be better than what I could be doing. 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] abject buffoonery
Hi All, This is a major reason why I have almost totally abdicated usage of SSB, and stick to CW, which is my preferred mode anyway. There I can participate in relatively nonsense free and enjoyable rag chews with others. About the only time we get substantial craziness on that mode is when there is some sort of DXpedition going on. For the most part, I don't think that, for the most part, these clowns (I actually have a much stronger, more profane term for them!) can even copy CW. So, it's not much "fun" for them to jam conversations they can't even understand. I also think that alcohol has a great deal to do with what you hear on 75 meters. Sometimes it is completely obvious! I don't know about the rest of you, but I would be willing to pay a significant additional fee, and every year if necessary, if FCC could then do serious enforcement on the bands. I know right now they don't have any real staff to do it. You wouldn't even need a particularly high percentage of successful enforcement situations to generate substantially beneficial results. Just having a real threat that such actions might be successfully captured could be enough to put "the fear of God" into a significant number of perpetrators. Right now, there is little, if any, risk of being caught. So, it is like having speed limits, but no enforcement whatsoever! A lot of people say "just ignore" the incidents. I tend to agree with that, since confrontation only excites the perpetrator--particularly if alcohol is involved You can't argue or reason with a drunk! I do think recordings could be helpful, and if you have the capability, a little "DFing" might add some useful info if there was any place such info could be collected for further analysis. I think every ham radio club in the country should take this issue seriously. Not only should members "pledge" to avoid such conduct, they should also agree to be actively involved in identifying it. It's hard to believe that a number of these perpetrators aren't close enough to someone else that they couldn't be better identified. We need to take some responsibility ourselves for trying to reduce such infractions. That doesn't mean direct confrontation, but serious information could be useful to authorities. Just my thoughts. 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] Another K3 Antarctic excursion.
Jim, Thanks for the heads up. I'll try and listen. I wonder if there is any particular band or time of operation. Otherwise, I guess I'll just have to watch the DX cluster. I didn't realize that operating from a ship, in territorial waters, didn't count for DXCC. However, I'm not surprised that I didn't know this tidbit since I'm not an avid DX chaser. I suppose that is because actual location might be a bit "fuzzy" when operating that way, but it sure seems if a ship is docked it ought to count! Hi. So, if I would be operating from a house boat in San Francisco Bay, or maybe San Diego harbor, I guess that wouldn't count as being in California either! Hi. Anyway, it will be interesting to see if I can hear them with that antenna system. A bunch of us on the PQRP reflector have been tinkering with just such an antenna system. 73, 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] Balun suggestions
Jim B. and All, I don't know what the precise definition for "balanced" will end up being (assuming we end up with a consensus), but In Jim B's critique about what was said, I think he cut and pasted so as to erroneously attribute comments made by Don, W3FPR, as being made by Wes N7WS. It's getting hard to keep track of who said what! Hi. Interesting debate, however. 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] VP8SGI
I don't know what they did today on their antennas, but they are sure LOUD tonight on 40 meters Hope that translates to better sigs on the higher bands as well. Good job guys! I'm no propagation guru, but I sure think it is amazing how their signals on 40 and 30 have been so much better here than on the higher bands, and at both islands. I suppose the MUF is in play, but it still is intriguing. 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
[Elecraft] VP8SGI
The boys on South Georgia Island have been conspicuously absent today from the DX Cluster I use (VE7CC). I did see a comment that they were "working on antennas", which may indicate a reason why it has been so hard to hear them above 30 meters. I heard them much better from Sandwich, although not really loud. 30 meters was best for some reason! Anyway, I assumed, and probably inappropriately, that South Georgia might be a somewhat more hospitable environment for them and their antennas. Hopefully their absence today means they recognize some sort of problem, and will be able to fix it. I only have them on 30 and 20 from South Georgia. The propagation Gods may be at fault here! Yesterday on both 17 and 15 I could hear just a whisper from them, but the QSB was so bad I couldn't be sure of much that they sent. The east coast, mid-west, and Europe seem to be doing a lot better than some of us here in the hinterlands of the west. Of course, since I don't have a beam I'm semi-crippled anyway, but usually I do better than 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
[Elecraft] K5P and VP8STI
It will be interesting to find out more about the antennas being used by these two DXpeditions. Both, as I understand it, are using Elecraft gear, K3's and KPA500's. K5P has been rather weak but copyable on most bands, at least here in AZ. I had expected to hear them a bit more easily, since I usually get good signals from VK/ZL on most all bands. I'm still missing K5P on 10 meters (as far as my antenna capabilities go), but that could just be timing and the usual uncertainty about 10 meters generally. VP8STI has been relatively weak on most bands as well, but they are twice as far away. Band conditions and timing could be a big part of that as well. The exception has been 30 meters! They have almost been LOUD here on 30 meters, and much stronger than on 40 or 20 meters. I've worked them on 30 (actually I thought I had worked them earlier, but that's a long story!), but am having difficulty on other bands. The biggest problem has been all the confusion caused by others, plus the fact that they are being inundated because they are such a rare location. I think they may be using directional antennas on some bands, and AZ may not be where they are pointing much of the time. This 30 meter thing may not be as much of an anomaly as one might think at first blush. 30 meters is a very good band, but not utilized all that much. It shares many of the advantages of both 40 and 20--it's open much of the time, and high enough to enhance longer distance communications. I have a friend in the U.K. who has very nice antennas on both 30 and 20 meters. More often than not, and again it may be timing, I hear him better on 30 meters The "confusion" surrounding the VP8 is as bad as I've ever heard it. DX cops and name callers, tuner-uppers, people who don't know what "up" means, etc. This is what tends to kill the fun I would have otherwise trying to work DX now and then. Sometimes I wish I could take a hammer to some folk's radios! It only takes a hand full of idiots to make life miserable, but in this case I think we have more than a hand full! The first time I thought I had worked the VP8 on 30 meters I know he came back to me because he had 90% of my call correct. I repeated it, and my report, but after that all I heard was a bunch of QRM from people calling on his freq. rather than split as requested. Anyway, there seem to be some very good ops on both operations, so I suspect they will do very well overall. Somehow I think I would rather be one of the ops on Palmyra than on Sandwich, give the difference in weather conditions! Hi. However, the VP8 guys will probably have a much more interesting story to tell. 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] 30% discount on KE7X books at Lulu 12/31 only
It took a little doing, but I got the discount. First, I didn't see it on the website. I guess it was a big secret! Fred had omitted posting the discount code at first, but I found it in a subsequent post--thank goodness Then I tried entering it on my order, but it didn't seem to work! Finally I figured out that "NEWYEAR30" had to be in all caps Personally, I think making things like this case sensitive is totally unnecessary! Then, if you don't want to waste a few extra bucks (unless you are in a big hurry), you needed to change the automatic mailing method before hitting the "purchase" button! It saves another $5. If I get it in a week or so that is soon enough. Fred's manuals are a big help, so I recommend them. I ordered the print version, but I may wish I had opted for the PDF version. Having them on your computer, or a thumb drive, can be pretty convenient. Happy New Year 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] [Elecraft_K3] Re: Heil Proset Headphones
The Elecraft Pro Set is essentially a duplicate of the Heil IC Pro Set. The IC version of the Heil was, as I understand it, introduced as a suggested model for Icom radios (thus the "IC" designation), and has an electret cartridge. Electrets apparently work quite well with Icom gear, and they work very well with Elecraft gear. As most already probably know, many of us who have Elecraft K3's and K2's have opted for the Yamaha CM500, which also has an electret cartridge, and is considerably cheaper than Heil's models. All the bias requirements for electrets are handled through menu options on the K3, so it is very simple to use them. It also plugs directly into the back of the K3, so you don't need any of the adapters. The K2 will also provide the necessary bias, but you have to change a connection internally. I personally don't find any particular benefit to either the Heil or the Elecraft models, and I have both. The Yamaha works great. Dave W7AQK -Original Message- From: Don Wilhelm w3...@embarqmail.com [Elecraft_K3] Sent: Thursday, December 31, 2015 6:49 AM To: Irwin Darack ; elecraft@mailman.qth.net ; elecraft_k3 Subject: [Elecraft_K3] Re: [Elecraft] Heil Proset Headphones Irwin, The main difference is in the microphone element. The PS-6 has the Heil HC-6 element which is a wide range dynamic element which has a relatively low output. The ProSet-K2/K3 uses an electret element which has a high output level - it needs to have bias turned on. The K3/K3S is quite capable of handling either of them. 73, Don W3FPR __ 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] Advice on First HF Antenna
Craig and all, You have received a lot of advice, and most of it was probably pretty good advice. I would want to know a few more things about your situation if I were to make any recommendations which I thought were very precise. Of the responses I read, I think the best ones (my opinion) came from Don Wilhelm and Jim Brown. Don focused on your stated preference for 40 and 20 meters, and Jim added some good advice about vertical alternatives. You didn't say exactly what flexibility you have about erecting an antenna--trees, space, etc. If you want to work DX, you need to try and get your antenna up in the air as high as possible--at least 40 ft. or more. That's particularly important if all you are able to do is run at near QRP levels with a barefoot KX3. Resonant dipoles for 40 and 20, at a decent height, should allow you to achieve some success, and they are relatively easy to construct. You don't mention if you have a tuner, or if you purchased the ATU accessory for the KX3. If you don't have either, you should probably invest in one. The KX3's internal ATU is excellent, but even a simple tuner like an MFJ, can give you several added options. One is a single dipole fed with balanced feed line, which will probably allow you to operate several other bands. When using balanced feed line and an internal ATU, a balun like the Elecraft BL-2 may be a necessary addition. That is switchable between 1:1 and 4:1, and the 1:1 setting will probably be your best option generally. This can be a very versatile arrangement, and not difficult or expensive to construct. you can erect it as a horizontal dipole or an inverted vee, depending on what you have available for supports. Several responders mentioned commercial alternatives. End Fed Half Waves, like those from PAR Electronics (now LNR) do work quite well. Some models are power limited, so choose accordingly. The Par 10/20/40 is a good choice to match the KX3, but again, you should try and get it up in the air as high as you can. Commercial multi-band verticals can be expensive, but I like Jim Brown's recommendation for something in the Cushcraft R series. I've used an R8 (and also the R7 which preceded it) for years with very good results. As Jim says, put it up off the ground if at all possible. Mine is about 15 feet above the ground, and works considerably better than when I tried it ground mounted. Some others mentioned a Gap Titan, which will give you 80 meters as well (the R8 only goes down to 40 meters), but performance on that band is very marginal! You would probably be much better off with the dipole/balanced feed line system I mention above so long as you can make the radiator part at least 100 ft. long or so. An 88 ft. version suggested by L.B. Cebik (SK), who was a highly regarded "guru" on antennas, can work very well, but will test the capabilities of your tuner on 80 meters. Also, comparing the Gap Titan to the R8 was something done quite extensively by Ward Silver, N0AX, who is well known for his expertise. Overall, the R8 was the better antenna, but it does not cover 80 meters. If you look around, you might find a good used one of either model, and save a bunch of bucks! A lot of people will tell you that nothing beats resonant dipoles. They are probably right. However, you may not be blessed with lots of space or other important aspects necessary for having such, so a single dipole and balanced line, and a good tuner, can make up for a lot of sins. The balanced feed line will help you keep your efficiency up when multi-banding so long as you have a tuner to do the matching. Using coax on such a system will introduce significant loss unless the matching is all done at the feed point. Otherwise, you might see a decent SWR, but your output will be significantly reduced. Hope you are not totally confused by all of this. Just remember that your antenna is an extremely important part of your overall system, and needs a lot of consideration and effort to really enhance your results. You have a very nice radio, but it won't do much unless you put a decent antenna on the end of 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] Which hand-held PTT switch?
Seems like you got a lot of recommendations for a foot switch, but not too many for a hand-held switch. The one from Ron, WD4AHZ, looks nice, but the price seems pretty stiff! Seems to me something like that should only cost $10-$15 at the most, but I'm probably still "living" in the 20th century! Anyway, I don't have one, but I wish I did. However, I use my CM500 headset plugged into the back, and the Elecraft microphone (MH2) is plugged into the front. So, when I just want to use PTT, I simply hold down the Elecraft microphone's PTT switch, but actually use the CM500 as my microphone/headphone. It seems to me that it would be pretty darned easy to just make one, and it shouldn't cost much either. For that matter, I could also take one of the many old smaller HT microphones with PTT switches I've collected over the years and simply change the plug. The problem with that is that you have to hold it on, and you might prefer a "click on-click off" switch. The last time this thread went around I picked up a foot switch that somebody recommended, but I haven't ever really used it. I'm not one to always have my feet in one place anyway!!! Then again, I'm on SSB so rarely that I just can't get motivated to do anything really creative! 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] When is mode A not mode A?
Hi All, I must be totally dense, but after 60 years of this stuff (and 40 years or so of it with a keyer and paddle), I just don't get the advantage of Mode B! I understand what Mode B does, or is supposed to do, but I don't see the benefit really. Although I use an "iambic" paddle, I don't use the iambic method, so probably that is the issue. However, how many folks really do use "iambic"? Not many based on the "survey" I've had going for a good while now. If I hear anything at all about Mode B, it is usually complaints! As for the gentleman's question about why his "Mode A" is acting like "Mode B", I'd be inclined to suspect that the rig is not actually placing itself in Mode A. Does this suggest the need to try a "reset"? Either that, or maybe it's only a paddle adjustment? Have someone else use your equipment to see if they get the same result. FWIW, both my K3 and my KX3 are in Mode A, and I have no problems with either. I do recall a time or two in the past when I was getting funny results, primarily due to RF getting into the paddle cable. However, that was usually manifested by the keyer taking off in an endless string of "dit-dahs". 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] Elecraft Hex Key Serial # 57
Hi All, I'm a bit late responding, but I haven't seen quite the answer I would have given. So, here's my suggestion. The "no skid" shelf liner stuff is good, but I've found a particular type that seems to work best. It's actually the cheaper type. At places like Walmart you will find several versions of this stuff. The more expensive versions (although none of them are all that expensive) usually has a very simple pattern with small, rounded "bubbles" on top. This liner won't move, but the top surface is too slick, and things on top may move around. Instead, go for the "cheap" stuff, which is thinner, and has an even tighter (and somewhat irregular) pattern. I don't know how else to describe it, and that doesn't give you much to go on, but I almost always see it available at Walmart, and it is the lower priced option. If I remember to I will check the stock number the next time I'm in Walmart. It's also the same type and pattern I saw supplied quite often in small squares with some of the paddles that used to be offered as kits. Anyway, this stuff won't typically slide around on whatever surface you put it on, and more importantly, things on top of it don't tend to slide around much either. I buy this stuff and cut it to shape for my dashboard to hold all sorts of things, including cell phones, etc. That said, a paddle without much mass can be problematic no matter what you place it on--unless you actually fasten it down somehow. That's one (of many) reasons I really like the Begali paddles, and other offerings as well such as the ones from Tony, N3ZN. These paddles have a lot of mass, and that, to me, is critical. To send properly with a paddle, it must be very stationary. Rubber feet rarely do the job. The surface contact just isn't sufficient. Something I've thought about, but never tried, is using some of these small "super" magnets. You could glue 4 of these down on your dashboard in the appropriate spots, and if necessary, add a small, thin steel plate to the bottom of your paddle. 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
[Elecraft] P3 Vs. 2nd RX
Hi All, I just worked V73D, but not sure how I would have done it without using the 2nd RX. I love my P3, but for DX stuff the 2nd RX always seems to be the difference. In this case, V73D was moving up slightly after just about every QSO, and not sure the P3 tells you that! The DX clusters don't really help that much. By the time you see the split indicated, it has probably changed a good bit. If I didn't have the 2nd RX, I would be dependent on "outhouse luck" or brute force, neither of which is a strong suit here! Hi. By the way, my QSO's with the TX3X gang were also quick and relatively easy thanks to the 2nd RX. Anyway, both tools are great, but I suggest adding the 2nd RX first, if only one can be added at the moment--at least if working DX is your goal. 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] TX3X K3/KPA500 DXpedition to Chesterfield Islands onthe air
I just worked them on both 12 and 15 meters with the first call at just after 0200Z. They don't seem to be inundated right now. Signal was actually better on 12 meters, but pretty decent on both bands! I don't see them spotted on 17, 20, or higher right now. 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] K3 / K3S Station setup question
Hi All, My objective has always been (but rarely achieved) to just have a well suited part of the house where my station could be housed. You would think, considering the fact that most of the houses we have owned were fairly decent in size, that there would be such a place therein. However, raising children, and keeping the XYL happy, often tend to conflict with this objective. As children grow, and eventually vacate their bedrooms, space may become available, but more often than not it is not in the most advantageous part of the house! Besides, children often come back, or at least come to visit often! So, I usually get relegated to the garage! Finding a properly designed/configured house is almost as difficult as just finding a house in a neighborhood that doesn't discriminate against ham radio all together! The bottom line is that I've yet to get to the point where I could concentrate on efficient "configuration". I'm still looking for available space Oh, and I shou ld add this. Long ago my wife bought me a plaque to display wherever I did set up my station. It reads "It takes a real expert to create a mess like 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] kpa1500?
Yes, Elecraft did have two prototypes fairly early on--a model 800, and a larger model 1600, or something close to that nomenclature wise. I saw them both at Pacificon one year, and they looked very nice. I think this was an Eric project, so you probably need to speak to him as to whether or not they might ever revive the larger amp project. I don't know exactly what stunted the further development of these amps at the time, but I can guess! Obviously, we eventually got a 500 watt amp, which is a very nice fit for a lot of us. This is probably a pared down version, but refined also, of the model 800. I have no doubt that Elecraft could successfully produce a KW, or KW+ amp. However, the problems of doing so are clearly substantial. As many voices as we always hear asking for such a model, you might think it would be a big success. However, a very big stumbling block would probably be price! Such an amp would not be cheap, and I suspect it would be well beyond the budget of a great many who would otherwise want one. As the market potential for something like this goes down due to pricing, the pricing actually goes up to make up some of the shortfall (and recover the development costs, etc.). So, the ultimate price can seem inordinately high. Then you have the plethora of issues that higher power causes. How many prospective purchasers would have to rewire their shacks for 240 volts? How do you keep these big gun amps clean spec wise? Etc. Etc. What I'm not sure of is whether or not Elecraft could sufficiently differentiate their big amp from those that are already out there. I can imagine there would be a heck of a lot of nit-picking about this or that, and it would be a real headache. This high power stuff is a whole different ballgame from what I think the focus of Elecraft has generally been so far. There are several companies out there that concentrate on nothing else. Even though they are capable of it, I'm not sure Elecraft wants to divert their attention this much to effectively do battle in that arena. Besides, I get a very strong impression that they already have more than enough ideas in their heads to keep them busy for a long time to come. They can't do everything, nor do they want to. 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] OT: Left-handed paddles
Hi All, I'm a lefty too, and I just acquiesced to the right handed setup on paddles (and bugs) from the outset. As has been pointed out, it really makes it easier if you go to another ham's station--usually a right handed person. I really don't think it makes much difference which way you do it on a paddle. One way is no more efficient than the other. Possibly it might be slightly less efficient on a bug, but I do that using a right handed setup as well, and it never seemed to be a big problem. Besides, finding left handed bugs wasn't easy. As Don points out, most newer rigs, and most newer keyers, have an option to switch sides, so it has become less complicated if you need to switch. If you run into a situation where either the rig or keyer doesn't have that option, you can just turn the paddle around--awkward, but it works! One of these days I'm going to try and learn to send right handed--I've been saying that for years! The incentive, though, is to free up my left hand for writing. Being a bean counter by profession, I found that process to be very helpful when operating a calculator. I could tick and tie (accounting jargon) with the best of them! Anyway, it might be beneficial on Field Day, etc. 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
[Elecraft] OT--QSL/Eyeball Cards
Hi All, There is a company called Vista Print that has been offering business cards for a seemingly very good price--about $10 for 500! They have a huge library of standard designs, but you can also customize yours for a relatively small additional price. You can also add printing on the back for a small added fee. So, you can use these as a QSL or just an eyeball card. They are great for passing around at hamfests, etc. I was very impressed with the quality of the ones I ordered. Even my XYL likes them! Hi. Anyway, having cards like this is very handy for a number of uses. Maybe they seem inadequate for QSL cards, but it wouldn't bother me to receive some this size instead of the more standard 3 X 5 type. A card is a card! I was breaking my bank account on printer cartridge ink making my own. 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] K3 on 40 meters
Hi All, If there is a downside to the K3's size, the problem described in this thread demonstrates that. The rig is small, and so is the display. So, some of the displayed info gets overlooked easily. Still, there is a lot of info shown on the display, but much of it is in fine print! Which antenna you are using is one of those small print items. Or, maybe it's just that the info as to the antenna in use gets lost amid all the other info being displayed!!! Since my eyesight is slowly but surely going south on me, I tend to suffer from the small print issue--at least on occasion. In any event, I've committed the same sin as Fred did, and more than once. Most recently was when I was hearing about all sorts of activity on 6 meters, but I was hearing none. That went on for days until I realized I was listening on no antenna! Ask me how dumb I felt when I finally realized my error! I think Elecraft did a pretty good job arranging the K3's display of info, but surely it could have been a lot better. After all, nobody is perfect! Actually I strongly suspect that designing a proper display (regardless of how big or little it is) is more than just good organization. It's an art as well as a science! Probably there is some very esoteric psychological set of issues that would suggest that certain things be displayed a certain way, or with bigger font size, or whatever else you can do to make each piece of info stand out as necessary. Maybe if enough people are overlooking a key indicator on the display it could be enhanced by making it blink? I don't know what the solution really is. This may be a poor metaphor, but Fred's post made me think about all the times I went to a seminar, and the presenter had flip charts covered from corner to corner with all sorts of info listed in a very mundane way. In essence, the visual aids were so busy that not much of it sunk in. Compare that to someone who approaches making charts like this with a more modest amount of info on each page, or at least does a much better job of highlighting key info. Color coding helps, as does varying the size of key items. Underlining works too! Elecraft does employ a lot of techniques, but I can't say that they have done it as effectively as it could be. The point is that communication tools, such as displays, do present some significant opportunities to EFFECTIVELY convey various pieces of info. It probably takes a real expert to do it right. I don't know if we have any of those in the ham radio business! At least I can't think of a radio that had a display that struck me as being really efficient. 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] KX3 Mic/Phone Adapter Question
Jim and All, Jim Bennett posted his results from buying a relatively inexpensive gaming headset for use with his KX3. I'm not surprised his results are good, but I do wonder if that headset is not one that uses an electret cartridge--most of the PC headsets do. Did you try it with the bias on? I'm not familiar with the AC-404, but most computer headsets are electrets, or at least I think they are. Electrets are generally excellent choices for use with the Elecraft rigs. The headset that Elecraft sells (made by Heil I think) is an electret. So are the hand microphones. Jim Brown's analysis of the Yamaha CM-500, which many of us use, is a case in point as to how many of these less expensive headsets can do a very good job, and match up with the rigs very nicely once you make all the necessary adjustments, etc. Jim apparently tested several different ones, and found the Yamaha to be the best match. Electrets can vary a good bit, but nearly all of them should work if connected correctly. I've gotten excellent reports just using a cheap Radio Shack electret cartridge which I inserted in an old microphone housing. For me, switching to the Yamaha CM-500 was as much about the improvement I realized in the headphone portion. The Heil headset I own, and the Elecraft headset I also own (made by Heil), were very disappointing to me as far as the headphone performance. I don't think I'm the only one who felt the Heils were inadequate as to headphone performance. I see that Heil has a new headset available, and for a mere $250!!! I'm sure they have some beneficial features, but it is very difficult for me to envision $200 of benefit over my Yamaha! In any event, if you have a PC headset laying around, or have access to one, give it a try. You might be pleasantly surprised at the result. Just be sure to wire it up correctly. 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] KPA500 Problem
Barry and All, Looks like you found the fix Barry. Often the only way to really reset a microprocessor when it gets stuck is to completely disconnect all power from the unit. On laptop computers I usually have to remove the battery as well. Anyway, glad you solved the problem. 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] End Fed Half Wave
Hi All, Thanks for all the helpful, and thoughtful, responses. I've gone ahead and deployed the EFHW more or less as described, and did make a few contacts last night just running 10 watts with the KX3. I even made a couple of SSB contacts, which I don't often try and do when running QRP. I did make it to the east coast (from here on the Oregon coast), so that was encouraging. Hi. Some asked (suggested) I just use a standard dipole or inverted vee, which I often do. It's just that I happen to have a PAR end fed with me, and wanted to give it a try. This one is the higher power version, so later I may hook up the KXPA100 and see how it goes. An inverted vee might have been a better choice, except I don't really have all that much space. I did hear several European stations on 40 last night, but I wasn't expecting to catch any of them, and didn't!!! Hi. The best part of all of this tinkering is that it confirms how useful my 40 ft. Wonderpole can be. It certainly gives me a lot of viable options for getting on the air in tight places. Of all the collapsible poles that I have, and I do have a bunch of them, the Wonderpole is the most versatile. I actually have two of them, but one is here with me in the motorhome, and the other is at home. Anyway, it is the easiest, and most effective, pole for RVing and portable operating. It collapses to 8 ft., so it is easy to transport--not a backpacking pole, but otherwise very manageable. I've even used one of W6MMA's YP-3 portable beams with this pole at about 30 ft., or a bit less. The top section is still 3/4 inch diameter, so I just use one of the lower sections with an even larger diameter, then Armstrong it for rotation. It's a sturdy rascal! That doesn't get me a particularly great take-off angle, but it works! 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
[Elecraft] End Fed Half Wave
Hi All, Here's a question for the antenna gurus among the group. It's about the best way to deploy an end fed half wave antenna. First of all, I assume most would say to put the entire antenna up in the air as high as possible, and in a horizontal plane. I understand the advantage of doing that. However, what about a situation where you only have one support? My first inclination would be to deploy the antenna like a sloper, with the far end at the top of the support, and the other end at, or near, the rig. I started wondering, though, about where the maximum radiation occurs. In a half wave antenna, the current max is more or less in the center of the antenna. So, would it be better to get the center of the antenna as high as possible (taking advantage of the one support you might have), and then maybe bending the other half back downwards, sort of in inverted vee fashion? That would be as opposed to just running the antenna up in a straight line to the top of the support, thus possibly only getting the center about half as high as the top of the support. Here's a more definitive description of what I am thinking about, and compares to the situation I have. I have a pole that goes up approx. 40 feet. If I deploy the EFHW in sloper fashion, with one end near the ground close to the rig, the center of the antenna would only be at approx. 20 feet. Also, On 40 meters (the band I would be using), the pole would need to be some 50+ feet from the rig. Alternatively, what if I move the center of the antenna up closer to the top of the pole, and have the rest of the antenna slope back down to another tie point? Wouldn't this be apt to work better, even though I have created something similar to an inverted vee? I know a couple of RVer's who do something similar. They have two poles in use, one of which is much taller. They deploy their antenna so that the mid point of the antenna is near the top of the tallest pole, then over to another shorter pole, and then back down that 2nd pole vertically--almost a somewhat slanted U shape. Their results seem to be decent, but I don't know if there is a better way to do it. Their method condenses the lateral space required to deploy the antenna, thus fitting within most RV sites. I don't know exactly what this does to the impedance at the feed point, but they use tuners to resolve any mismatch. The pole I have is somewhat taller than either of the ones they use. Anyway, I assume I could do the sloper approach without creating any serious issues, but I'm curious about what others think of the vee approach to get the antenna center higher. I appreciate any 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] Verticals
Bill, N2WL said: I had no trouble at all keeping in touch with my family using an early R5 vertical in 5H3 land when I was working there. My XYL had my Log Periodic on a 75 tower and I had the R5 vertical with a Metrum 500 watt amp, 12 volt battery and an Icom 735 in those days. Bill and All, And just which antenna do you think was doing all the work??? The R5 is a decent antenna, and it probably worked well for you. However, I think it may well have been the Log Periodic that was doing all the heavy lifting, don't you? I have used an R7 and an R8 with good results, but I don't get overly confident that I'm the one really making the contact possible unless, perhaps, the person at the other end has a similarly modest antenna. With my R8 I worked VP6DX on 80 and 160, both SSB and CW, but I don't for a second give the credit to my end. They just had good ears, that's all! I have a nice ARCI Miles per Watt certificate on my desk for a 40 meter contact I made with DJ6ZM while I was running 1.8 watts with an HW-8 (and the R8). However, all you have to do is take a peek at Tof's antenna setup in Munich to see how and why the contact was possible. I'm as guilty as the next person about getting a bit excited if I make a DX contact I think is somewhat rare or difficult. However, reality sets in when I hear what the other station is using. There is a fellow ham just up the street from me who works DX all the time that I can't even hear a peep out of. He has a good beam, and I don't. That obviously tells me something. Antennas are evaluated all the time by comparison to a reference antenna. Probably QSO's should be similarly evaluated by comparing the antenna systems at both ends. The old adage that if you can hear them, you can work them is probably mostly true, but it may not be your fault! 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
[Elecraft] Solar Charging Controller
Hi All, I like to haunt the bargain and close-out websites. This item showed up on Rakuten's website (formerly Buy.com). A 30 amp solar charger for about $20.00! Here's a link: http://patazon.shop.rakuten.com/p/patazon-30a-solar-panel-power-battery-charge-controller-regulator-12v/264381220.html?scid=em_Promotional_20140909DAILYadid=17653 I'm not familiar with the product, but it seems to be something that could be useful for those of us who like/want to do solar panel charging from time to time. I have a couple of different sets of solar panels--one set I keep in my motorhome, and the other is at home. Since I only have one controller, this might be a good opportunity to eliminate the need for carrying the one controller back and forth. I'm curious, though, if anyone else has ever seen/used this particular controller, or one from the same manufacturer. More and more I hear about others who have gone to solar charging, and I have lots of opportunities to do the same. Dry camping is something I do a good bit of, and keeping the rigs running on battery power usually means needing a generator along. If I'm running QRP it isn't a big deal, but if I want to run a bit higher power, then battery consumption gets to be an issue. Anyway, I thought I'd pass this on in case anyone else might find it to be of interest. 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] OT - R8 antenna evaluation
Hi All, I would like to compliment Jim Brown's analysis regarding verticals and height above ground. Based strictly on personal experience I would agree with just about everything he said, and now I know why!!! Hi. For years I used a Cushcraft R7 vertical, and I soon found that when it was mounted off the ground somewhat it performed much better. Of course, these antennas are compromise antennas, but still you can improve your results with some experimentation. Nothing produced better results for me than elevating the antenna. A number of years ago I purchased a copy of the study Jim refers to which was authored by Ward Silver and Steve Morris. This was published in about 2000, and many of the antennas they analyzed have been replaced or modified somewhat by newer offerings. However, the crux of the info is still very relevant. I think Jim is suggesting that any of these antennas will work better if elevated. Subsequently I acquired a used R8, which is similar to the R7, but an improvement in some ways. It is taller, but still uses much the same matching unit at the base. It also purportedly covers 6 meters, which the R7 does not, but my results there have been marginal. Still, the R8 does seem to perform somewhat better than the R7. In the analysyis by Silver and Morris, I think they more or less conclude that the R8 was the best of the bunch, at least if you only compare the bands each antenna is capable of--some of the tested antennas covered 80 meters, which the R8 does not. My R8, like my R7 previously, is mounted approximately 20 feet off the ground--just above the top of my roofline. The performance is much improved over a simple ground mounted system. Neither the R7 or the R8 produce very stellar results on 40 meters, but they do work, and DXing is possible in decent conditions. Since I favor CW, that helps too. SSB results are not so great, which tells me the antenna is struggling a bit on 40 meters. Not a big surprise! Since then I acquired a used Sigma 40XK, which is a vertical dipole. This is another NB6T design, while he still owned Force12. On 40 meters this antenna works better than my R8, and I have it elevated, but only about 6 feet. Based on Jim's analysis, I think it should be even a good bit higher. I actually would have expected that, but Jim makes it obvious. I also have another N6BT design, the Bravo 7. This is, according to N6BT, also a vertical dipole, but it looks more like an ordinary vertical, with adjustable loading at the base. I heard N6BT make a presentation about these newer designs of his, and he reported very good results. However, I think his results are substantially based on being mounted over salt water! Notice the dramatically improved results in Jim's analysis when mounting over salt water. My own results using this antenna are not all that good, at least not on 40 meters. It does seem to work fairly well on other bands. On a couple of occasions I've had this antenna somewhat higher, and although I don't have measurements to confirm it, the results did seem to be better. So, although my results don't prove much, they do compare favorably to what Jim says. I've tried various antennas, and with the same apparent results--higher is better! 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
[Elecraft] Logging Software
Good Morning All, Every so often someone asks about good logging software. I've used the Amateur Contest Log software, by N3FJP, for several years. I can't honestly say it is the best, but it certainly is very good software--and very well enhanced! Since Scott, N3FJP, started devoting nearly full time to his software (it was something of a sideline previously, but still good stuff!), he has made numerous enhancements to both his logging software, and to his various contest logging programs as well. It all just keeps getting better, and with lots of extra conveniences. The software isn't free, but it certainly isn't very expensive either. There is a relatively modest additional fee to get his entire package, which includes a plethora of contest specific logging programs, and it is all a lifetime deal. For you contesters and DX hounds, Scott has incorporated a very seamless process for interfacing with LOTW--something that could drive you nuts otherwise!!! Once you have linked the logging software to LOTW, which isn't all that difficult, all it takes is a couple of keystrokes to update and/or download LOTW stuff. But this is just an example. Here, for example, is what I just received as to info on the latest update: Amateur Contact Log 4.8 includes the following enhancements: - Ability to set DX spots filtering. - Ability to display a DX spots band map (press Ctrl E from the main form to display). - Printing of multiple QSL strips on one label. Note that many of the other enhancements listed in the contesting software below were already added in AC Log 4.7 and Field Day Contest Log 4.3. Amateur Contact log 4.8 has actually already been on the website a little over a week. This is the first opportunity I've had to send out the announcement because of other scheduling commitments. Anyway, I'm not hawking this software so much as I am reporting that it works, and works well. I do know a lot of folks who have gone to this software recently, and they all seem to be pleased with it. The main thing, perhaps, is that the creator of the software is pretty much devoting full time to the software's development, and that should be a big plus. Also, they are very receptive to suggestions for enhancements. If you want to take a look, go to www.n3fjp.com. 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] Logging Software
Hi All, I'm not suggesting that it is a you ask for it, and you get it process. Also, I think previously Scott was more restricted on how much time he could devote to revisions. However, now that he is more or less doing this full time, I think he spends a lot more time evaluating suggestions when making changes. After all, it is user feedback that reveals a lot of shortcomings not anticipated previously. In any event, I have seen him reply positively to various queries about features, or the lack thereof. I rather doubt that all the enhancements he has provided so far had their Genesis only from just Scott's own contemplation. Also, this is not a one size fits all software. I'm sure some folks will find it lacking in some way with respect to their hot buttons. I, for one, have little comprehension of the complexities of making various changes. For all I know some requests may necessitate substantial revision, which may well not be practical. You just have to see if it fits. There are some very respectable brands of shoes that I just can't get to feel right on my feet! Dave W7AQK AB7E Wrote: If that is true, that's a pretty significant about-face from N3FJP's previous attitude. I used AC Log for a few years myself and bought all of the contest modules, but any time I suggested areas for improvement (some of them pretty basic shortfalls) the response was always that he didn't see the point. Several other users complained about the same thing, and hardly any serious contester has used his stuff for years. __ 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
[Elecraft] Pacificon
Couldn't make it to Pacificon this year. So, was there anything new info wise on the KPA-500? Like when available, or how 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] New Kenwood TS0-590
I finally got a chance to see the new Kenwood rig at HRO in Portland last Saturday. Didn't get to play with it for very long as there were too many others who wanted to play with it too. Anyway, it seems like a nice radio--sounded good--looks good--but still missing lots of things we get with a K3. It does seem like an obvious attempt to compete somewhat with the K3, but it's NOT a true contender for a lot of reasons. The ergonomics were fairly good, and unlike Yaesu, for example, they don't bury everything deep in a menu system. But you still have to push buttons a few extra times. For example, setting power level and keyer speed takes a couple of extra pushes of buttons vs. the K3. Like I said above, I didn't really get to play with it very long, but I'm certain you would be giving up a lot if you opted for this vs. a K3. The folks at Pacificon probably got a better chance to look at the new Kenwood. At least it shows that Kenwood is still in the amateur radio business, which I think is a good thing. 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--Ten-Tec Eagle
Hi all, I downloaded the manual for the new Eagle. I've always been a Ten-Tec fan, but the fact that I sold my Orion II says something about what I think of the way they have been designing stuff for a while now. Anyway, I got only about 3 pages into the manual, and I knew I would probably hate the radio. If you just look at how you adjust power you will see one of my biggest beefs with Ten-Tec design. It's the old multi-pot thing (like on the Orion) all over again. I guess Ten-Tec wasn't impressed with anything I ever said critically about their process. To change power, you have to push a function key, then hit tune, then adjust power with a control. Compare that to the the K3 or K2, which is one control, and right on the front panel. I haven't even gotten to how you adjust CW keyer speed, but I bet it's the same laborious process. It's one thing to want to make a radio simple, with only a few controls, but burying adjustments in multi-step processes like this are not making a radio simple in my view! The new Eagle trumps the K2 in only a couple of instances, based on my cursory review--it is 100 watts without an added accessory, and it covers 6 meters out of the box. I won't even go into how the K2 trumps the Eagle. A K3 would be clearly superior, and for only a small price difference to add the 100 watt amp and a couple of filters. Well, maybe not a really small difference, but small enough, considering what you get. We'll have to actually see and hear the Eagle in action to really be able to evaluate it, but I already see lots of negatives. Ten-Tec has always been a good company, and I hope they have success with this radio--I don't want them going away! Somewhere in that brain trust there has to be a product that will get me excited again. I also hope Eric isn't too quick to squash this thread. I think it is a good thing to draw comparisons to different radios. Ten-Tec may be focusing more on the new Kenwood, as someone suggested, but I think Elecraft has a big bullseye on it's forhead, and so far, everyone is using a bow with a 15 pound pull when something much, much bigger is required. 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] Dayton and FDIM---More
one of the best things going at Dayton. I sure hope more of you will make the effort to come next year. You just can't believe how well run this whole thing is. And it's so good to actually spend some time with some of the good friends you make because of this hobby. I'm very fortunate to have a few really good friends who show up here. I can't thank the ARCI folks enough for making it possible to do all of this. Dave W7AQK Move to: Prev | Next ___ 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] Interesting Stuff At Dayton
Hi All, Something that I saw at Dayton may be of interest to Elecraft owners--particularly K3, and possibly K2 folks. Jay Bromley and I visited with Larry Phipps at his booth for a while. Larry has several very innovative items that he sells, including probably the most unique wattmeter/SWR meter you can find anywhere (the LP-100A). What caught our attention was Larry's new panadapter for the K3. He's contemplating doing one for the K2 as well. Anyway, this new gadget (I hope I don't offend Larry by calling it a gadget) is very impressive. You should really go to his website to get the full details, but believe me, it is really a slick piece of engineering. I'm not fully familiar with the Icom bandscope on it's higher end rigs, but I think this product from Larry will rival or exceed what you find there. Additionally, it really constitutes a 2nd receiver, which opens up all sorts of possibilities. For example, maybe if you get this accessory you really don't get enough more with the Elecraft 2nd RX Can't really say that for sure, but it's pretty clear that Larry has something that might give one pause as to whether or not they need something over and above that. Anyway, the demo Larry gave us was most impressive. I suggest you keep one eye on his website for more details. In any event, the panadapter is fairly reasonable, and is available in either kit form or fully assembled. Larry says building it is not very difficult or time consuming. By all means, check all of this 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/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
[Elecraft] Re: Palm Paddles
I have used the Palm paddles, and many other small sized paddles. In fact, I brought my Palm paddle with me on this weekend's trip to Ozarkcon. The Palm is well made, and fairly easy to use. But like almost all small paddles, it has issues. For one thing, like most small paddles the Palm is very hard to secure or hold firmly because it is so small. It's just hard to find a good place to hold on and stabilize it while you send. But it's easier than some because it's longer, and you can hold it without interfering with the mechanism itself. The levers feel a bit mushy to me, but again that's what you get with many smaller paddles. What I like most about the Palm is that it seems very durable. I like how it folds up for transport. I don't think you will damage a Palm unless you really abuse it. Overall, I'd say it's definitely one of the better small paddles. The small paddle that I like best for feel is the Porta-Paddle by American Morse. It's also well made and durable. It's a little harder to secure comfortably, but maybe you won't find it as difficult to do as I seem to. The mechanism is fairly simple, but effective. And I like the way it looks. My version of this is one of the older, original ones Doug Hauff made some years ago. It looks much the same as those sold currently, but not exactly. But I've handled a newer one, and it feels much the same. I'm still looking for the ideal small paddle, but until I find it, I'll take one of the above. 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
