Elecraft K3 interferes with IC-2820???

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Elecraft K3 interferes with IC-2820???

John Freed
When I operate on SSB, any frequency at 100 + watts the display of my IC-2820 signal strength meters almost peg out on both sides of the display. When i operate QRP (5 w on cw, 7097Khz there is no indication.   When I use my IC-746 PRO at 100 Watts on the same antenna there is no indication on the IC-2820 signal strength indicators.  All of the Elecraft equipment is factory assembled.

I have checked my coax cabling from the K3 to the KAT200 to the KPA500.  I use a single point station ground for everything (both rigs).  Any ideas??

73,

John, KX6F
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Re: Elecraft K3 interferes with IC-2820???

george allen
RF is getting into your equipment.  RF split cores on all leads into your 2820 should solve the problem.

 from my iPad

> On Mar 21, 2016, at 9:55 PM, John Freed <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
> When I operate on SSB, any frequency at 100 + watts the display of my IC-2820 signal strength meters almost peg out on both sides of the display. When i operate QRP (5 w on cw, 7097Khz there is no indication.   When I use my IC-746 PRO at 100 Watts on the same antenna there is no indication on the IC-2820 signal strength indicators.  All of the Elecraft equipment is factory assembled.
>
> I have checked my coax cabling from the K3 to the KAT200 to the KPA500.  I use a single point station ground for everything (both rigs).  Any ideas??
>
> 73,
>
> John, KX6F
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Re: Elecraft K3 interferes with IC-2820???

Jim Brown-10
On Tue,3/22/2016 4:50 AM, george allen wrote:
> RF is getting into your equipment.

While this is not the only possible cause, it's likely. Other possible
causes include a bad piece of coax or bad DC wiring.

>   RF split cores on all leads into your 2820 should solve the problem.

If the problem is simple overload of the 2820, what is needed is NOT
simply slipping a split core over the coax from the 2820, but rather
multiple turns of the coax through a #31 or #43 Fair-Rite core. That
could be a split core or a toroid. If it's a split core, five turns is a
good start for 40-10M, one or two more if the problem is from 75M. If
it's a toroid, I would start with 5 turns for 20-10, 7 turns for 40-15,
10 turns for 80-20.

Also, think about antenna locations. Are the HF antennas and 2M antennas
close together? Separating them a bit could help.  And the HF antennas
should all have a multi-turn coax choke at their feedpoint (that is, up
in the air).

RF interference is NOT solved by a connection to earth. RF interference
CAN be solved or reduced by bonding together every piece of gear in the
shack with short, fat copper. That combination of chassis DOES need a
bond to all other grounds in the building, both for safety and for
reduction of hum, buzz, and RFI.

And even though John said he had "checked" all the coax, a bad piece of
coax (either the cable or the shield connections) should be suspected as
a possible cause.

Study http://k9yc.com/GroundingAndAudio.pdf for lots of detail on this.
And study k9yc.com/RFI-Ham.pdf for a tutorial on how RF gets into
equipment, how ferrite chokes work, and how many turns on which ferrite
cores to use for different situations.

73, Jim K9YC


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Re: Elecraft K3 interferes with IC-2820???

John Freed
In reply to this post by John Freed
Thanks all for your helpfull sugestions!!

Problem solved:  I moved the IC-2820 to a separate power supply.  I can operate the k3 and k3/kpa500 on any band and the interference is gone.

78, KX6F
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