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[K3] Ameritron RCS-12

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Mike Reublin

[K3] Ameritron RCS-12

Is anyone using an Ameritron RCS-12 antenna switch controller? If so, would you share
the details? FWIW, my switch is a WX0B RatPack.

73, Mike NF4L
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Joe Subich, W4TV-4

Re: [K3] Ameritron RCS-12

Easy enough to get the Ameritron controller working with the K3,
just use the Yaesu FT-1000MP settings in the Ameritron manual
(page 5 and 7) but substitute the equivalent outputs from the K3
ACC jack for those of the Yaesu "Band Data" (Linear) jack.

Unfortunately, I do not believe that the RCS-12 supports the serial
data control of the Rat Pack. RCS-12 is designed to support three
line BCD (e.g., RCS-10) or 1 of 10 (e.g., RCS-8, microHAM 10 Switch,
etc.) but no serial data (see page 4 & 5 of the RCS-12 manual).

73,

... Joe, W4TV

On 12/9/2010 4:26 PM, Mike wrote:

> Is anyone using an Ameritron RCS-12 antenna switch controller? If so, would you share
> the details? FWIW, my switch is a WX0B RatPack.
>
> 73, Mike NF4L
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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
>

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Mike Reublin

Re: [K3] Ameritron RCS-12

Thanks for the info, Joe.

I got a note from Bob, W50V at Array Solutions that it will work by setting the 1 of
8 option.

Trying to put together my wish list :-)

73, Mike

On 12/9/2010 4:55 PM, Joe Subich, W4TV wrote:

>
> Easy enough to get the Ameritron controller working with the K3,
> just use the Yaesu FT-1000MP settings in the Ameritron manual
> (page 5 and 7) but substitute the equivalent outputs from the K3
> ACC jack for those of the Yaesu "Band Data" (Linear) jack.
>
> Unfortunately, I do not believe that the RCS-12 supports the serial
> data control of the Rat Pack. RCS-12 is designed to support three
> line BCD (e.g., RCS-10) or 1 of 10 (e.g., RCS-8, microHAM 10 Switch,
> etc.) but no serial data (see page 4 & 5 of the RCS-12 manual).
>
> 73,
>
> ... Joe, W4TV
>
>
> On 12/9/2010 4:26 PM, Mike wrote:
>> Is anyone using an Ameritron RCS-12 antenna switch controller? If so, would you share
>> the details? FWIW, my switch is a WX0B RatPack.
>>
>> 73, Mike NF4L
>> ______________________________________________________________
>> 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
>>
>

Mike Reublin

Re: [K3] Ameritron RCS-12

In reply to this post by Mike Reublin

A suggestion was made that a KRC2 would be a better choice than the RCS-12, and that
it would drive the RatPack directly.

I see several advantages here, not the least of which would be the joy of building
another Elecraft product!

I downloaded the manual, and read thru it. Am I correct in my understanding that
connecting the KRC2 to the K3 via the 15 pin connector requires only 2 wires?

I don't know how the KRC2 would then connect to the switch. Could someone supply some
details? Wire 1 from ? to ? etc.

If I got the RCS-12, I would set it to 1 of 8.

73, Mike NF4L

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Don Wilhelm-4

Re: [K3] Ameritron RCS-12

Mike,

Yes, the KRC2 uses only the AUXBUS signal to obtain the band data.

The output of the KRC2 is that a single band is selected. Actually
there are 2 outputs for each band - one is referred to as the "low side"
and the other as "high side"
The low side drivers ground the selected band while the high side
drivers can source voltage to the external relays.

If the relays operate by shorting the wire back to the operating
position to ground, then you would use the low side outputs.
If your relays require that you supply the operating voltage from the
operating position, then you would use the high side outputs. The
voltage can be up to 50 volts, but must be positive.

The KRC2 is quite a versatile little box.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 12/15/2010 3:51 PM, Mike wrote:

> A suggestion was made that a KRC2 would be a better choice than the RCS-12, and that
> it would drive the RatPack directly.
>
> I see several advantages here, not the least of which would be the joy of building
> another Elecraft product!
>
> I downloaded the manual, and read thru it. Am I correct in my understanding that
> connecting the KRC2 to the K3 via the 15 pin connector requires only 2 wires?
>
> I don't know how the KRC2 would then connect to the switch. Could someone supply some
> details? Wire 1 from ? to ? etc.
>
> If I got the RCS-12, I would set it to 1 of 8.
>
> 73, Mike NF4L
>

Dave Anderson, K4SV

Audio Nulling in my K3 in Diversity

In reply to this post by Mike Reublin

Hi All,

For the last few weeks I have used the Diversity on the low bands with good
success.

Tonight I came into the shack and found my K3 acting strange. While in
diversity, 4SQ hooked to main RX antenna port and Beverages hook to AUX port,
the same configuration I had for weeks. As I tune the band, the audio nulls out

about every 0.5KHz where the audio gets very low. The S meter seems unchanged,
only the audio is affected. I switched back to Normal receive and sounds fine.
Then back into Diversity and I get this nulling of the audio again. Sounds as
if a
Auto notch was enabled, buts its OFF.

The radio has been left for three weeks continuously. I recycled power without
change. I am running the latest MCU 4.22 / DSP 2.70 / FPF 1.14, 11-15-2010

I could speculate what it might but I bet this has been seen before. Maybe a
operator thing but nothing was changed in the radio from the last time I used it

and it worked fine.

Suggestions?

Thanks in advance,

Dave Anderson, K4SV
Tryon, NC

www.K4SV.com
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Dave Anderson, K4SV

Audio Nulling in my K3 in Diversity Update = Solved

Hi Guy et All,

Sure enough this only happens using an external speaker, the headphones work
fine. Sorry for not seeing this earlier.

I do have SPKRS set to 1. So it appears that when using diversity one must
use Stereo speaker output and or Headphones.

Mystery solved, Thanks for the quick answers

73

Dave Anderson, K4SV
Tryon, NC
828 777-5088

www.K4SV.com

----- Original Message ----
From: Guy Olinger K2AV <[hidden email]>
To: "Dave Anderson, K4SV" <[hidden email]>
Sent: Wed, December 15, 2010 9:08:41 PM
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Audio Nulling in my K3 in Diversity

The main ways of getting audio nulling on diversity are setting
CONFIG:SPKRS to 1, or having the left and right speakers actually
shorted out somehow, or getting one speaker cable to one speaker
flipped, and the other not.

Any of those?

73, Guy

On Wed, Dec 15, 2010 at 8:55 PM, Dave Anderson, K4SV <[hidden email]> wrote:

> Hi All,
>
> For the last few weeks I have used the Diversity on the low bands with good
> success.
>
> Tonight I came into the shack and found my K3 acting strange. While in
> diversity, 4SQ hooked to main RX antenna port and Beverages hook to AUX port,
> the same configuration I had for weeks. As I tune the band, the audio nulls
>out
>
> about every 0.5KHz where the audio gets very low. The S meter seems

unchanged,
> only the audio is affected. I switched back to Normal receive and sounds
fine.
> Then back into Diversity and I get this nulling of the audio again. Sounds
as
> if a
> Auto notch was enabled, buts its OFF.
>
> The radio has been left for three weeks continuously. I recycled power
without

> change. I am running the latest MCU 4.22 / DSP 2.70 / FPF 1.14, 11-15-2010
>
> I could speculate what it might but I bet this has been seen before. Maybe a
> operator thing but nothing was changed in the radio from the last time I used
>it
>
> and it worked fine.
>
> Suggestions?
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> Dave Anderson, K4SV
> Tryon, NC
>
>
> www.K4SV.com
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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
>