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ALC adjustment on K3S

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Sid Frissell

ALC adjustment on K3S

Howdy
Been using my K3s (S/N 10462) for JT-65/JT-9 and am struggling with setting the ALC. I am using the Mic Gain control for fine tuning---unbelievably fine. You really can't actually touch the knob, you just breath on it or think hard about moving it! It is the most sensitive control I have ever had to deal with in my 60 years as a ham! Am I missing something? Is there a better way to get old bar No. 5 jumping? KE7K says that's what you do. I can do it but hoping there's a easier way. Any help?

Sid, NZ7M

Sent From Sid Frissell's iPad
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Don Wilhelm-4

Re: ALC adjustment on K3S

Sid,

What mode? SSB or a soundcard data mode?
For SSB, did you first set Compression to zero? If not, you should do
that (Data modes do that automatically for you).
For SSB, you want 5 to 7 bars, but for DATA modes, you want 4 bars solid
with the 5th bar flashing.
Set the soundcard output sliders to about 2/3 of max and adjust the rest
with the MIC Gain control (controlling LINE IN).

A few checks - do you have MIC + LINE set in the menu? If so, turn it off.
Is there a possibility of RF feedback? Even if you think NO, please
check it - set the K3S into TX TEST and no RF will be produced but all
the other TX controls will work as normal.

If it turns out to be RF feedback, you have a different problem to
solve. That is usually most effectively controlled first by having good
common mode chokes at your antenna feedpoint and possibly another at the
shack entry point. See the RFI documents of Jim Brown K9YC for
information on effective common mode chokes. Yes, some "baluns" claim
to be good common mode chokes, but others are woefully lacking.

Keeping the RF out of the shack is always the best approach, but if you
have a difficult situation such as an antenna close to the shack, you
will receive direct RF in the shack area, and then the best cure is
ferrite material on your connecting cables.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 2/27/2016 5:17 PM, Sid Frissell wrote:
> Howdy
> Been using my K3s (S/N 10462) for JT-65/JT-9 and am struggling with setting the ALC. I am using the Mic Gain control for fine tuning---unbelievably fine. You really can't actually touch the knob, you just breath on it or think hard about moving it! It is the most sensitive control I have ever had to deal with in my 60 years as a ham! Am I missing something? Is there a better way to get old bar No. 5 jumping? KE7K says that's what you do. I can do it but hoping there's a easier way. Any help?
>
>

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Nr4c

Re: ALC adjustment on K3S

In reply to this post by Sid Frissell

Reduce the signal level on the computer output. Somewhere. Near 30% will often give you nice control with Lin In control (Mic gain).

Sent from my iPhone
...nr4c. bill

> On Feb 27, 2016, at 5:17 PM, Sid Frissell <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
> Howdy
> Been using my K3s (S/N 10462) for JT-65/JT-9 and am struggling with setting the ALC. I am using the Mic Gain control for fine tuning---unbelievably fine. You really can't actually touch the knob, you just breath on it or think hard about moving it! It is the most sensitive control I have ever had to deal with in my 60 years as a ham! Am I missing something? Is there a better way to get old bar No. 5 jumping? KE7K says that's what you do. I can do it but hoping there's a easier way. Any help?
>
> Sid, NZ7M
>
> Sent From Sid Frissell's iPad
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>
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> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
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Wes (N7WS)

Re: ALC adjustment on K3S

In reply to this post by Sid Frissell

I don't use JT modes, but on RTTY and PSK I've found a similar issue with my
K3S. I've mentioned it here in the past more in reference to the built-in sound
card super sensitivity affecting VOX setup. The best I've done is to go into
the Windows Sound setup and reduce the output (speaker) gain to about -30 dB.
This will reduce the touchiness of the Mic (Line Level). Still I find it near
impossible to set up for "flickering" bars, however.

This isn't an issue with my old K3 using the computer sound card and analog
audio in and out of the K3. Progress?

On 2/27/2016 3:17 PM, Sid Frissell wrote:

> Howdy
> Been using my K3s (S/N 10462) for JT-65/JT-9 and am struggling with setting the ALC. I am using the Mic Gain control for fine tuning---unbelievably fine. You really can't actually touch the knob, you just breath on it or think hard about moving it! It is the most sensitive control I have ever had to deal with in my 60 years as a ham! Am I missing something? Is there a better way to get old bar No. 5 jumping? KE7K says that's what you do. I can do it but hoping there's a easier way. Any help?
>
> Sid, NZ7M
>
> Sent From Sid Frissell's iPad
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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
> Message delivered to [hidden email]
>