A few Questions on the K3

[Jobst Vandrey]

I built a K2 a number of years ago while sailing (S/N #1442) and it served me well as my only route for email to my family using Winlink and a pactor modem.  That K2 sits on the shelf at the moment (and may get sold shortly) while I am using an Icom 703 Plus.

I operate Digital modes (mainly PSK) and stick to QRP so Elecraft equipment has always been on the short list.  I am now in the process of working on the antenna side of the equation and plan on a vertical Moxon (reversible) in addition to my 120 foot long wire (with an Icom AH-4 tuner) and a 33 foot vertical doublet fed with 450 ohm window line using a 4:1 Balun.  Once the antenna issue is complete, I am seriously considering the upgrade to a K3

So - On to the questions:

1) With a 4:1 Balun and the K3 tuner, will I have any issues (6 meters to 20 meters only) matching the vertical doublet (the Icom handles it OK)?

2) How could I continue to use the Icom Tuner with the K3 on the random wire (80 to 6 meters)?  How do I initiate a tuning cycle that would send 10 watts to the AH4 in CW and then revert back to SSB for the PSK

3) Can the K3 initiate a tuning cycle on the AH4 without using the internal tuner

4) I plan to use the MFJ 4116 Bias injector to introduce 12 volts on the coax leg that feeds the reversible Moxon (needed to run the relay that reverses the antenna pattern)- will this create an issue with the K3

Any thoughts or experience is welcome

Thanks in advance

Jobst Vandrey
AC0LP

______________________________________________________________
Elecraft mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:[hidden email]

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html

[Lou Kolb]

Jobst,

I have to say I've been amazed by the performance of the K3 internal tuner.
Since it's relay based, I expected it to be inferior to the tuner in my
TS-440 which is motor-driven.  In fact, the inverse is true.  It even tunes
half of the G5rV as a very short inverted-L on 160 which I couldn't even get
the Dentron super tuner to do.  Lou WA3MIX
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jobst Vandrey" <[hidden email]>
To: <[hidden email]>
Sent: Saturday, December 04, 2010 1:19 PM
Subject: [Elecraft] A few Questions on the K3

>I built a K2 a number of years ago while sailing (S/N #1442) and it served
>me well as my only route for email to my family using Winlink and a pactor
>modem.  That K2 sits on the shelf at the moment (and may get sold shortly)
>while I am using an Icom 703 Plus.
>
> I operate Digital modes (mainly PSK) and stick to QRP so Elecraft
> equipment has always been on the short list.  I am now in the process of
> working on the antenna side of the equation and plan on a vertical Moxon
> (reversible) in addition to my 120 foot long wire (with an Icom AH-4
> tuner) and a 33 foot vertical doublet fed with 450 ohm window line using a
> 4:1 Balun.  Once the antenna issue is complete, I am seriously considering
> the upgrade to a K3
>
> So - On to the questions:
>
> 1) With a 4:1 Balun and the K3 tuner, will I have any issues (6 meters to
> 20 meters only) matching the vertical doublet (the Icom handles it OK)?
>
> 2) How could I continue to use the Icom Tuner with the K3 on the random
> wire (80 to 6 meters)?  How do I initiate a tuning cycle that would send
> 10 watts to the AH4 in CW and then revert back to SSB for the PSK
>
> 3) Can the K3 initiate a tuning cycle on the AH4 without using the
> internal tuner
>
> 4) I plan to use the MFJ 4116 Bias injector to introduce 12 volts on the
> coax leg that feeds the reversible Moxon (needed to run the relay that
> reverses the antenna pattern)- will this create an issue with the K3
>
> Any thoughts or experience is welcome
>
> Thanks in advance
>
> Jobst Vandrey
> AC0LP
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html 

______________________________________________________________
Elecraft mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:[hidden email]

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html

[N5GE]

Hello Jobst,

Comments in line...

On Sat, 4 Dec 2010 10:19:46 -0800 (PST), Jobst Vandrey <[hidden email]>
wrote:

[snip]
>I operate Digital modes (mainly PSK) and stick to QRP so Elecraft equipment has always been on the short list.  I am now in the process of working on the antenna side of the equation and plan on a vertical Moxon (reversible) in addition to my 120 foot long wire (with an Icom AH-4 tuner) and a 33 foot vertical doublet fed with 450 ohm window line using a 4:1 Balun.  Once the antenna issue is complete, I am seriously considering the upgrade to a K3
>
>So - On to the questions:
>
>1) With a 4:1 Balun and the K3 tuner, will I have any issues (6 meters to 20 meters only) matching the vertical doublet (the Icom handles it OK)?
>

That should work just fine.  My K3 tuner will tune an antenna that has a 10:1
SWR to 1:1 on all bands.

>2) How could I continue to use the Icom Tuner with the K3 on the random wire (80 to 6 meters)?  How do I initiate a tuning cycle that would send 10 watts to the AH4 in CW and then revert back to SSB for the PSK

You might consider that the K3 has two antenna outputs that can be assigned to
different antennas.  The internal antenna tuner will select the correct output
connector based on the connector assigned to the selected band or bands.

>
>3) Can the K3 initiate a tuning cycle on the AH4 without using the internal tuner

Not automatically.

>
>4) I plan to use the MFJ 4116 Bias injector to introduce 12 volts on the coax leg that feeds the reversible Moxon (needed to run the relay that reverses the antenna pattern)- will this create an issue with the K3
>

I don't think so but I could be wrong...

>Any thoughts or experience is welcome
>
>Thanks in advance
>
>Jobst Vandrey
>AC0LP

73,

Tom Childers
Radio Amateur N5GE
Licensed since 1976
QCWA Member 35102
ARRL Life Member

[snip]

______________________________________________________________
Elecraft mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:[hidden email]

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html