K2 Quiet cooling
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I am getting ready to build my KPA100 and am a bit concerned about the fan noise, after hearing recent comments here. There are many fans out there for PCs, and some of the newer ones are fairly quiet. Isn't there a specific alternative cheap fan that can be used, if the stock one is so noisy? Would like to hear any specific recommendations. Liquid cooling is probably a bit overkill for me! Thanks and 73, Tom KG3V _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com |
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It's a fan. You can hear it. It's insignificant. I don't understand the
complaints. Craig NZ0R K2/100 #4941 K1 #1966 KX1 #1499 -----Original Message----- From: [hidden email] [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Tom Zeltwanger Sent: Thursday, January 25, 2007 12:57 PM To: [hidden email] Subject: [Elecraft] K2 Quiet cooling I am getting ready to build my KPA100 and am a bit concerned about the fan noise, after hearing recent comments here. There are many fans out there for PCs, and some of the newer ones are fairly quiet. Isn't there a specific alternative cheap fan that can be used, if the stock one is so noisy? Would like to hear any specific recommendations. Liquid cooling is probably a bit overkill for me! Thanks and 73, Tom KG3V _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com |
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Agree. Not even near a problem here....
--Bob, W1XT Surprise, AZ ----- Original Message ----- From: "Craig Rairdin" <[hidden email]> To: <[hidden email]> Sent: Thursday, January 25, 2007 7:13 AM Subject: RE: [Elecraft] K2 Quiet cooling It's a fan. You can hear it. It's insignificant. I don't understand the complaints. Craig NZ0R K2/100 #4941 K1 #1966 KX1 #1499 _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com |
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In reply to this post by Tom Zeltwanger
Tom,
I guess everyones threshold of dislike is different. The KPA100 fan is relatively quiet to my ears. The sound from the air flowing from the heating vent overhead in my shack is noisier than the KPA100 fan (even at high speed). Your mileage may vary. If you find the fan too loud for your tastes, a slow moving muffin fan placed on the top of the KPA100 pulling air away from the heat sink can cool sufficiently that the internal fan does not come on at all. 73, Don W3FPR > -----Original Message----- > > I am getting ready to build my KPA100 and am a bit concerned > about the fan > noise, after hearing recent comments here. There are many fans > out there for > PCs, and some of the newer ones are fairly quiet. Isn't there a specific > alternative cheap fan that can be used, if the stock one is so noisy? > > Would like to hear any specific recommendations. Liquid cooling > is probably a > bit overkill for me! > > Thanks and 73, > > Tom KG3V > 1/23/2007 8:40 PM > No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.432 / Virus Database: 268.17.8/649 - Release Date: 1/23/2007 8:40 PM _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com |
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Don,
Thanks for the intelligent response. I heard a lot of complaining about the nooise, but little or no comments that it is not a problem. I don't operate many hours, but my main interest is contesting, so I will be hitting the KPA100 hard when I use it. I will use the stock fan, and the muffin fan addition if necessary. Tom Quoting Don Wilhelm <[hidden email]>: > Tom, > > I guess everyones threshold of dislike is different. The KPA100 fan is > relatively quiet to my ears. The sound from the air flowing from the > heating vent overhead in my shack is noisier than the KPA100 fan (even at > high speed). Your mileage may vary. > > If you find the fan too loud for your tastes, a slow moving muffin fan > placed on the top of the KPA100 pulling air away from the heat sink can cool > sufficiently that the internal fan does not come on at all. > > 73, > Don W3FPR > > > -----Original Message----- > > > > I am getting ready to build my KPA100 and am a bit concerned > > about the fan > > noise, after hearing recent comments here. There are many fans > > out there for > > PCs, and some of the newer ones are fairly quiet. Isn't there a specific > > alternative cheap fan that can be used, if the stock one is so noisy? > > > > Would like to hear any specific recommendations. Liquid cooling > > is probably a > > bit overkill for me! > > > > Thanks and 73, > > > > Tom KG3V > > 1/23/2007 8:40 PM > > > -- > No virus found in this outgoing message. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.5.432 / Virus Database: 268.17.8/649 - Release Date: 1/23/2007 > 8:40 PM > > _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com |
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In reply to this post by Tom Zeltwanger
Tom:
I've been using a K2/KPA100 for about a year. The fan is audible, but not distracting. My specific recommendation is simply to use the rig as originally configured by Elecraft. 73, Steve Kercel AA4AK At 01:56 PM 1/25/2007, Tom Zeltwanger wrote: >I am getting ready to build my KPA100 and am a bit concerned about the fan >noise, after hearing recent comments here. There are many fans out there for >PCs, and some of the newer ones are fairly quiet. Isn't there a specific >alternative cheap fan that can be used, if the stock one is so noisy? > >Would like to hear any specific recommendations. Liquid cooling is probably a >bit overkill for me! > >Thanks and 73, > >Tom KG3V > > > >_______________________________________________ >Elecraft mailing list >Post to: [hidden email] >You must be a subscriber to post to the list. >Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): > http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > >Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm >Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com |
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In reply to this post by Tom Zeltwanger
Don't forget too that the position of the KPA100 has a lot to do with the
apparent loudness of the fan. A fan facing an acoustically reflective wall will sound louder than the same fan in the middle of a room. That fact may account for some of the variation in responses to the 'fan noise' situation. 73, Don W3FPR > -----Original Message----- -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.432 / Virus Database: 268.17.10/651 - Release Date: 1/24/2007 6:48 PM _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com |
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[Gregg R. Lengling] I think the whole fan noise thing is being overplayed. I've had my KPA100 for a number of years now and really never notice it. Case in point: I did some computer changes and then I started doing some Beta Testing on a new Digital Mode Software Program (DM780 by Simon Brown HB9DRV). It seemed to work okay on decode but for some reason I wasn't happy with it. Then I tried responding to a station and noticed I had no power output. Spent a bit of time adjusting levels and playing and couldn't get it to work very well. Made a number of long winded contacts this way and the fan was running. Finally I noticed that instead of having my soundcard selected for the software it had my webcam with built-in microphone via a USB port. Anyhow the point is that I was receiving the PSK signals and acoustically coupling them from the internal speaker in the KPA100 to the microphone in the camera and was still decoding. Had fan noise been a problem I'm sure I would never have been able to decode anything. [Gregg R. Lengling] _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com |
Re: K2 Quiet cooling
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In reply to this post by Tom Zeltwanger
Tom,
My KPA100 fan's noise has never been a problem even during contests, the fan is *very* quiet. 73, Geoff GM4ESD ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tom Zeltwanger" <[hidden email]> > Don, > > Thanks for the intelligent response. I heard a lot of complaining about > the > nooise, but little or no comments that it is not a problem. I don't > operate > many hours, but my main interest is contesting, so I will be hitting the > KPA100 > hard when I use it. I will use the stock fan, and the muffin fan addition > if > necessary. > > Tom _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com |
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In reply to this post by Tom Zeltwanger
Tom, I *HATE* fan sounds, but let's keep this in perspective. Several people
have made excellent qualitative comments about the fan. I agree with them. I tend to deal in numbers. So I got out my sound level meter and plunked it on the operating desk in front of my K2/100. At high speed the K2/100 fan produces 55 db at the front of the rig. Compare that to a voice at normal speaking volume at 70 to 75 dB. My Compaq Notebook PC is sitting on a side table about 3 feet from the rig. At 57 dB, its CPU fan is produces more noise at the K2 when it comes on high-speed. Like the CPU fan, the fan in the KPA100 only runs at high speed when it's needed then shuts off (The fellow who needed to hit the key to turn his off has a problem. That's not normal behavior.) I have a small electric heater in the shack. I uses a 5-in "muffin" type fan to move air; quiet and unobtrusive. It produces a noise level of 55 dB at the operating position, exactly the same as the KPA100 fan when it's operating even though the KPA100 fan is much closer, being on the back of the K2 sitting on the desk. Ron AC7AC -----Original Message----- I am getting ready to build my KPA100 and am a bit concerned about the fan noise, after hearing recent comments here. There are many fans out there for PCs, and some of the newer ones are fairly quiet. Isn't there a specific alternative cheap fan that can be used, if the stock one is so noisy? Would like to hear any specific recommendations. Liquid cooling is probably a bit overkill for me! Thanks and 73, Tom KG3V _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com |
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In reply to this post by Tom Zeltwanger
Tom:
I have only the QRP K2 and have no experience with KPA100 fan noise. But my recommendation to you is to first build the thing stock before you start thinking about modifying it. In other words, don't try to solve a problem that might not be a problem to start with. If you build it stock and are happy with it, you've saved yourself some extra work. And remember the silent majority: those who are totally happy with their fan. I'm sure there are at least a thousand KPA100's out there and we've heard complaints from maybe 20 people. 73's, John AA0VE Tom Zeltwanger wrote: > I am getting ready to build my KPA100 and am a bit concerned about the fan > noise, after hearing recent comments here. There are many fans out there for > PCs, and some of the newer ones are fairly quiet. Isn't there a specific > alternative cheap fan that can be used, if the stock one is so noisy? > > _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com |
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