In Search of Better

[K7TV]

In Search of Better

 

The following is a rambling tale of situations, real and imagined, where my
Elecraft equipment leaves something to be desired.

Written mostly during my time confined to home while recovering from back
surgery, it reflects a tendency to focus on operating

from other locations.

 

When I will be able to go operate outdoors again, how can I make a trip go
as smoothly as possible, without spending a lot of time on

packing and setup, etc? What went right and what went wrong on my last
outing?

 

Field Day was my latest portable operation. I brought my dual 100W K-lines
in SO2R configuration. This was practical because the

Elecraft equipment is light enough to be used in the field, works well on
12V deep cycle batteries without too much worry about

minimum acceptable voltage, and compact enough that both radios are easy to
reach by one operator. Operations were successful,

so that is what went right. Each K3 has its own Pelican Stormcase iM2400
(with foam), which is perfect for protecting one K3.

For the latest one I got a great price at Nalpak. The radio is placed into a
foam cavity bottom up, with a shelf of foam under the

knobs covering the display. The case has room for two more small cavities,
suitable for small items such as a power cord and a

hand microphone. What is not to like about this? Well, it takes a *lot* of
time to set up and tear down the two K-lines with all the

items and wiring needed for SO2R. That is what went wrong. Our club
president suggested for next year I have all the equipment

installed in something like a "go-box", ready to use. Although I was offered
help to lift such a monster, I had to reject the idea as

cumbersome and inflexible in view of my habit to experiment with diffrerent
configurations at home. So, what is the solution?

The best I can think of right now is to combine the boxes into a number of
modules that are small enough to lift, but where the

wiring within a module would not need to be disturbed for transportation.
Maybe one module for each K-line, plus one module

for SO2R controller, sound card, and headphone amplifier. These modules
would remain intact for home use. Each module would

be held together by a slab of thin plywood onto which the radios etc would
be bolted down. Having the Elecraft boxes so spaced

would bring an extra benefit in that I would not have to handle the
individual boxes with care, and the boxes would not be able to

scratch each other. Each module could be wrapped in cloth and transported
sitting on a car seat. The beautiful Storm Cases would

no longer be used. The main issue then is how to bolt the boxes to the
board. Some radios have threaded mounting holes on the sides,

intended for mobile mounting brackets. I could add brackets to the module
boards, but that would be extra work and weight.

Ideally, the K3 would have threaded mounting holes on the bottom. Perhaps
that could be achieved by changing some 2D connectors

(normally used to hold together the panels of the K3 case) to bigger
versions incorporating the mounting holes, and adding

corresponding holes to the K3 bottom panels. I might even be able to do this
myself, but being lazy I would much prefer to be able

to buy the parts ready to use. Even modestly priced cameras come with a
threaded tripod mounting hole. Why doesn't the K3

come with several? Having such mounting holes on all the K-line boxes would
not just help with my board mounting scheme, but

would be just as important for those building "go-boxes", and would also
open an approach to mobile mounting. Another approach:

add some kind of hardware to the sides of K-line boxes that allows them to
be joined together like lego's. This would make the

boards unnecessary.

 

During these musings, my XYL walked in: "The amount of dust in the house is
unhealthy, and I have scheduled the cleaning lady to

come next Wednesday. You have cluttered up the tables with equipment
everywhere. How can one dust properly when there is so

much stuff?" I meakly answered that all pieces of equipment will have
assigned locations when the remaining shelves are in place,

but the number of items cannot be avoided. It occurs to me that K-line boxes
mounted on a board would allow me to lift the whole

assembly away to allow the shelf itself to be dusted by the cleaning lady. I
would have to take on the task of dusting the board as

well as the boxes, maybe using pre-chosen special brushes and/or vac
attachments. If the K-line boxes were mechanically

connected without the board, I wouldn't have to deal with dust on the board
in the narrow space between boxes and board. Perhaps

the hardware interconnecting the boxes could be accompanied by special foam
pieces that prevent dust settling in the space

between boxes (assuming the K3 side panel heatsink function would still be
adequate). When cleaning, I would just have to pull off

the foam and wash it. What about traditional dust covers? I have never tried
them on my Elecraft equipment, but when I had them

for other equipment, I was too lazy to use them. If I had them on my
Elecraft boxes today, the necessity to removie them to operate

would surely discourage me from getting on the air when I don't have a lot
of time available. OTOH, a single big cover over a whole

K-line might be helpful as it would save me from having to dust the
equipment as removed from the shelf. In that scenario, the foam

would not be needed.

 

Years ago I equipped my vehicle with an old IC-735 HF radio, an SG-500
SmartPowerCube, and a screwdriver antenna. I was able

to run 500W SSB even while driving. It functioned very well. However, I was
never much of a phone operator, and after I had a few

QSO's I almost never made use of HF-mobile. Today I may dream of a similar
setup for the fun of creating it, but I know it won't

be used. I really should sell the amp. Operating from a picnic table while
parked makes much more sense. A fiberglass pole

supported by the towing hitch would let me string up a decent wire antenna
very quickly. Of my current radios, the KX3 would be

a natural choice. However, with today's conditions, 100W would help a lot.
Maybe I made a mistake when I sold my KXPA100

with tuner for $800. But hooking up the radio with the amp takes a little
work for which I don't really have time during a brief

roadside stop. As with the K-line, I would rather have the boxes
mechanically as well as electrically connected together semi-

permanently. I love the modularity inside Elecraft radios, but I really want
a second level of modularity above the box level. The

form factors of the K-line makes this rather easy to imagine. The panadapter
for the KX3 conforms with the shape of the KX3,

but the KXPA100 certainly does not. I imagine the KX3 mounted on a piece of
plywood side by side with the KXPA100, and it

doesn't look very slick. Ditto if a full go-box were used. Either way, my
KX3 is first and foremost my rig for light portable QRP

use, QRM sniffing, and decibel-resolution field strength measurement. If it
were physically attached to other boxes, it had

better be very quick and easy to remove the KX3 for separate use. Instead of
mounting on a board I would like the lego-like

mechanical connection to be accompanied by cable-less plug-in electrical
connections that happen simultaneously with the

mechanical. As I contemplate the cost of a KXPA100, I am sorely tempted
instead to buy a new 100W HF radio, the FT-891,

which sells new for $630, and maybe a matching LDG tuner. It bothers me that
the FT-891 emits a terrible amount of phase

noise, but when it is operated from the roadside, how many hams will be in
range to experience interference? The Yaesu's

slick little package would be much more convenient to handle than a piece of
plywood with the KXPA100 and the KX3 mounted

on it.

 

Our nature-loving family friends in CA want to learn about ham radio as a
way to call for help during their nature trips. They

almost visited our FD site this year, just to find out how ham radio works.
I am sure if they got into ham radio, they would use

ssb, or possibly digital. If I show them ham radio by KX3 barefoot, with
current conditions, they will probably conclude that

ham radio doesn't work. If I show them the KX3 with KXPA, they will probably
say it is too bulky, heavy, and complicated.

The FD-891 might be a much better tool for making ham radio in the
wilderness look practical.

 

My son-in-law just bought a new house just 10 miles from ours. His family
plans to live there only part of the year. I may be

asked to house-sit a lot. That situation begs for a portable HF radio setup.
Again the compact Yaseu looks a lot more

convenient than the KX3 + KXPA100 combo.

 

When I recover enough to go hiking, what radio will I bring? My KX1 was made
for such use, but since I got spoiled by the

KX3 I haven't touched it. The output power of the KX1 is certainly not as
high as that of the KX3. A KX2 would be ideal,

but the KX3 using internal batteries is quite easy to carry for a day hike
when you don't need to carry a tent etc.

I suspect I will soon sell the KX1, then use the KX3 until when/if I can
justify a KX2.

 

73,

Erik K7TV

 

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