Elecraft

Calibration of my K3

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Arthur Nienhouse

Calibration of my K3

*/I had a issue with my K3 and KPA500 after a couple of years where I would get error messages over power input /swr and one other fault intermittently the KPA500 would power hunt slowly building to the final power of 500 w output then fall back to 200 w or so.

I did the calibration over and over not seeing any improvement I was told to send in the K3 .
I built it from a kit it preformed as advertized as did the Amp until one day this started to happen I want to say after an up date but I can't say which one.

What I found that fixed my problem was to *not* use my old Heath Kit Cantanna dummy load and about 4 foot of coax as the dummy load to calibrate my K3

What fixed the issue

I screwed on the back of my K3 a Lucas Weinchell 50 watt DC-8 GHz dummy load after using this set up to run the calibration in the K3 Utility problem solved. Its been a year or so and the K3 is driving the KPA500 just like it is supposed to do.

Regards
Art
ka9zap

/*

He should also re-do the automated 5- and 50-watt power calibration on all bands using K3 Utility and a dummy load.

73,
Wayne
N6KR

On Dec 1, 2014, at 1:43 PM, Don Wilhelm<[hidden email]> wrote:

> Hugh,
>
> Does he have enough audio drive to illuminate 4 bars solid with the 5th bar flashing on the ALC meter?
> If he does not supply sufficient audio to the K3 it will "power hunt" with the results you stated.
> The power should be adjusted using the power knob and not by adjusting the audio drive.
>
> There is another instance where the K3 will start out at a lower power than the requested power, and that is after a bend change or a change in the setting of the power knob. The power will start out low, but quickly come up to the requested level. But then it will stay correct until another band or power level change. IMHO, that behavior is better than spiking the power as some other rigs have a tendency to do.
>
> 73,
> Don W3FPR
>
> On 12/1/2014 3:29 PM, SouthCarolinaDolphin wrote:
>> A friend is using my K3 while his is in the shop When he transmit's on the K-3 running a specific power out he notices that the power especially on RTTY will start at a lower output that what was dialed in and gradually raise its output to the maximum dialed in. This seems to be worse on 15 m. It only appears to happen once then will not repeat on same freq. So if a specific power like 100W is dialed in watching his W-2 watt meter the power may start at 60 watts then ramp up to 100 watts usually on RTTY.
>> Any ideas. Thanks
>> Hugh W4DRH
>>
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Re: Calibration of my K3

I also uses a dummy load screwed directly onto the back of the K3 When I calibrated it
The cable may have been acting like a tuning section

From: Art Nienhouse <[hidden email]>
To: [hidden email]
Sent: Monday, December 1, 2014 5:14 PM
Subject: [Elecraft] Calibration of my K3

*/I had a issue with my K3 and KPA500 after a couple of years where I would get error messages over power input /swr and one other fault intermittently the KPA500 would power hunt slowly building to the final power of 500 w output then fall back to 200 w or so.

I did the calibration over and over not seeing any improvement I was told to send in the K3 .
I built it from a kit it preformed as advertized as did the Amp until one day this started to happen I want to say after an up date but I can't say which one.

What I found that fixed my problem was to *not* use my old Heath Kit Cantanna dummy load and about 4 foot of coax as the dummy load to calibrate my K3

What fixed the issue

I screwed on the back of my K3 a Lucas Weinchell 50 watt DC-8 GHz dummy load after using this set up to run the calibration in the K3 Utility problem solved. Its been a year or so and the K3 is driving the KPA500 just like it is supposed to do.

Regards
Art
ka9zap

/*

He should also re-do the automated 5- and 50-watt power calibration on all bands using K3 Utility and a dummy load.

73,
Wayne
N6KR

On Dec 1, 2014, at 1:43 PM, Don Wilhelm<[hidden email]> wrote:

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______________________________________________________________
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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]

______________________________________________________________
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]