K3 Calibration
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A few days ago, someone posted a several paragraph procedure to
calibrate the K3 using the beat between the MON tone and the signal while doing CONFIG:REF CAL. Whoever you were, thanks! I copied the meat of your procedure to Notepad and printed it, and now don't have the email header. It worked, just like you said, and yes, I really could detect the small variations due to propagation, especially on 15.000.000 MHz. I've figured my K3 [642] has been about 25-50 Hz off for quite awhile. Exactitude doesn't really matter for anything I do with my radio, as long as it is close, but being an ex-engineer [OK, wife says "there's no such thing as an EX-engineer"], knowing it bugs me. We'll see now if the cluster spots put me on frequency when I'm running SO Assisted. Generally speaking, I run a constant XIT of 100 Hz in contests where I expect to encounter pileups ... that wasn't the ARRL 160 this weakend :-) That puts the station in my hearing sweet spot, and hopefully puts me somewhere different from the rest of the crowd but still in his passband and "sweet spot." Never heard Kevin on 20m ECN, or anyone else for that matter, so didn't get to check out the "AGC Off Scenario." I checked, my tower and tribander did not fall down. Things are usually pretty strong on 40, we'll see. 73, Fred K6DGW - Northern California Contest Club - CU in the 2011 Cal QSO Party 1-2 Oct 2011 - www.cqp.org ______________________________________________________________ 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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Fred,
I agree with your wife: "there's no such thing as an EX-engineer"! I R 1 2!! And my girl friend say's the very same thing. But being an ex-engineer, I know you really just wanted to get your K3 'spot-on' - EXACTLY spot-on! The 'excuse' of 'cluster spots putting you on frequency' is typical of what we use to substantiate some of the silly things we do with our ham gear. I know you are aware that the accuracy of YOUR radio has nothing to do with you getting you right on a cluster spot frequency, as you and I can not correct for the error in the cluster spotters radio! But it sounds like a fun exercise for us ex-engineers! 73, Tom - W4BQF -----Original Message----- From: [hidden email] [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Fred Jensen Sent: Sunday, December 05, 2010 7:49 PM To: Elecraft Reflector Subject: [Elecraft] K3 Calibration A few days ago, someone posted a several paragraph procedure to calibrate the K3 using the beat between the MON tone and the signal while doing CONFIG:REF CAL. Whoever you were, thanks! I copied the meat of your procedure to Notepad and printed it, and now don't have the email header. It worked, just like you said, and yes, I really could detect the small variations due to propagation, especially on 15.000.000 MHz. I've figured my K3 [642] has been about 25-50 Hz off for quite awhile. Exactitude doesn't really matter for anything I do with my radio, as long as it is close, but being an ex-engineer [OK, wife says "there's no such thing as an EX-engineer"], knowing it bugs me. We'll see now if the cluster spots put me on frequency when I'm running SO Assisted. Generally speaking, I run a constant XIT of 100 Hz in contests where I expect to encounter pileups ... that wasn't the ARRL 160 this weakend :-) That puts the station in my hearing sweet spot, and hopefully puts me somewhere different from the rest of the crowd but still in his passband and "sweet spot." Never heard Kevin on 20m ECN, or anyone else for that matter, so didn't get to check out the "AGC Off Scenario." I checked, my tower and tribander did not fall down. Things are usually pretty strong on 40, we'll see. 73, Fred K6DGW - Northern California Contest Club - CU in the 2011 Cal QSO Party 1-2 Oct 2011 - www.cqp.org ______________________________________________________________ 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 ______________________________________________________________ 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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In reply to this post by k6dgw
OK Folks,
Last year, during a snowstorm when the static was unbearable on the radio, I decided to "tidy up the computer." The result was I formed a "New Rule," don't save stuff you print. I pasted this down into my engineering notebook, but I no longer have it on this computer. Sometimes, "tidy" sucks. The best thing would be for whomever posted this wisdom step up and repost it, no doubt he has not done the "tidy job" on his machine. The abridged version [from my notebook] is: 1. Go to CW, 200Hz BW 2. Tune in WWV or your favorite frequency standard. In the 60's in SE Asia, that was JJY. Tune it as close to your PITCH frequency as you can. At 200Hz BW, you won't hear a whole lot of the modulation, just the carrier which, at any rate will stand out. 3. Go to CONFIG: REF CAL. You'll see a number in the 49.mumble range, I have no idea what that means, but just forge ahead. 4. Tap SPOT. You will now hear the WWV [or whatever] carrier and your spot tone. You may have to go back and adjust the MON level to correspond to the level you hear your freq std station at. 5. Adjust VFO A knob slowly and you'll get a slow beat note, and you can, if you're patient, find a point where the beat frequency goes up on either side of the minimum. Mine has about a 3 sec beat on WWV at 10 MHz at the minimum. 6. The "Original Poster Who So Far Can't Be Named," said there are propagation disturbances which will make the very slow hetrodyne vary ever so slightly. If you are so inclined [as most engineers are], listen long enough and you can really hear the ionosphere in action. I got to see it, in N. Alaska, right overhead, and hear it on the radio. Whale songs, from intergalactic whales. It doesn't matter what your sidetone pitch is set to, the K3 adjusts for that. On CW, sync with your sidetone, and you're on exactly the same frequency as the other guy. Sorry, this is the best I can do with a very tidy computer and as an ex-engineer. 73, Fred K6DGW - Northern California Contest Club - CU in the 2011 Cal QSO Party 1-2 Oct 2011 - www.cqp.org On 12/5/2010 2:23 PM, Jim Miller KG0KP wrote: > Fred, I guess I missed the original post and searching my last 2 months > of messages in this folder, I cannot locate it. I am asking if you could > forward your cut up version to me. Note the original author if possible > so he gets credit for it. > > Thanks es 73, de Jim KG0KP ______________________________________________________________ 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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I think you're referring to the thread a couple days ago entitled
"determining zero-beat" started by Pete, N4ZR on December 3rd. Guy, K2AV supplied the instructions in a reply later that same day. Gary N6LRV -----Original Message----- From: [hidden email] [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Fred Jensen Sent: Sunday, December 05, 2010 7:34 PM To: Elecraft Reflector Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 Calibration OK Folks, Last year, during a snowstorm when the static was unbearable on the radio, I decided to "tidy up the computer." The result was I formed a "New Rule," don't save stuff you print. I pasted this down into my engineering notebook, but I no longer have it on this computer. Sometimes, "tidy" sucks. The best thing would be for whomever posted this wisdom step up and repost it, no doubt he has not done the "tidy job" on his machine. ______________________________________________________________ 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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With a caveat supplied by another to remember to TURN OFF CWT. 73, Guy.
On Sun, Dec 5, 2010 at 11:27 PM, Gary <[hidden email]> wrote: > I think you're referring to the thread a couple days ago entitled > "determining zero-beat" started by Pete, N4ZR on December 3rd. Guy, K2AV > supplied the instructions in a reply later that same day. > Gary > N6LRV > > -----Original Message----- > From: [hidden email] > [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Fred Jensen > Sent: Sunday, December 05, 2010 7:34 PM > To: Elecraft Reflector > Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 Calibration > > OK Folks, > > Last year, during a snowstorm when the static was unbearable on the > radio, I decided to "tidy up the computer." The result was I formed a > "New Rule," don't save stuff you print. I pasted this down into my > engineering notebook, but I no longer have it on this computer. > Sometimes, "tidy" sucks. > > The best thing would be for whomever posted this wisdom step up and > repost it, no doubt he has not done the "tidy job" on his machine. > > > ______________________________________________________________ > 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 > 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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In reply to this post by k6dgw
There is another way to calibrate (though I have not tried it yet):
Transmit a carrier and measure the frequency on an accurate freq. counter. My counter is good to 26-GHz with resolution to one Hz. With it I found my K3 is off -6Hz on 20m and -16Hz on 6m. The counter is referenced to a Rubidium standard. Adjust the TCXO3 to zero the error at the highest freq. 73, Ed - KL7UW, WD2XSH/45 ====================================== BP40IQ 500 KHz - 10-GHz www.kl7uw.com EME: 144-800*w, 432-100w, 1296-testing*, 3400-winter? DUBUS Magazine USA Rep [hidden email] ====================================== *temp not in service ______________________________________________________________ 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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In reply to this post by k6dgw
That's it! Thanks. Really works good.
73, Fred K6DGW - Northern California Contest Club - CU in the 2011 Cal QSO Party 1-2 Oct 2011 - www.cqp.org On 12/5/2010 8:26 PM, Gary wrote: > Not sure but I think you're referring to the thread a couple days ago > entitled "determining zero-beat" started by Pete, N4ZR on December 3rd. Guy, > K2AV supplied the following instructions; > > "-----Original Message----- > From: Guy Olinger K2AV > Sent: Friday, December 03, 2010 5:38 AM > Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Determining zero-beat > > Set mode to CW. Set width to 200 Hz. Do a HOLD on MON. Set level to > 20-25. Tap MON to turn off beat. Tune to 10.000.000. Tap SPOT. > Should hear a beat, albeit a slow one. Advance or retard AF gain to > get the obvious beat. In CONFIG: go to REF CAL. This will have turned > off SPOT. Tap it again. Adjust VFO A to get slowest beat. > > With some patience and careful listening this is usually clearly a > specific setting, in my case 49.379.737. You will find that the beat > frequency wavers around due to changing propagation path length so you > have to listen for a while. Having accounted for the variation in > propagation it is quite clear in my case, albeit subtle, that 738 is > too high, and 736 is too low. It is also more clearly heard at some > times of day on a given frequency than others. There are also times > where there is a fast QSB on the signal that can be confusing and you > may just have to wait until the signal steadies. When you have it > spot on, there will be periods of several seconds or more where the > beat does not vary, something which does not happen nearly as much up > or down one Hz on the REF CAL frequency. > > After this adjustment it is clear that my K3 is within +/- 0.5 Hz at > 10.000000 MHz with no drift, probably within +/- 0.2 Hz though I won't > claim that. I have the KTCXO3-1 option in mine. It may be that a K3 > without it may be a bit more cranky, I would imagine so, but I'm not > pulling it out to see :>) > > 0.5 Hz at 10 will be less than 2.5 Hz at 50, though I don't know the > formula. It's not a straight multiply because of the conversion > scheme. With this adjustment in the menu, the chief contribution of > the KTCXO3-1 is no drift, not an absolute accuracy. > > My K3 is way more accurate than they spec, and accurate enough to show > up the propagational variations in the WWV frequencies. I would think > that if you have left it on for a while, and calibrate it before an > "exercise", you can count on it for spot on. > 73, Guy." > > And Bill, W5WVO offered the following supplemental help; > -----Original Message----- > From: Bill VanAlstyne W5WVO > Sent: Friday, December 03, 2010 5:49 AM > Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Determining zero-beat > > Just one caveat on this procedure (thanks Guy!) -- make sure you have CWT > turned OFF; otherwise, SPOT will not do what you want it to. (It will > attempt to retune the VFO.) > Bill W5WVO > > Gary > N6LRV > > -----Original Message----- > From: [hidden email] > [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Fred Jensen > Sent: Sunday, December 05, 2010 7:34 PM > To: Elecraft Reflector > Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 Calibration > > OK Folks, > > Last year, during a snowstorm when the static was unbearable on the > radio, I decided to "tidy up the computer." The result was I formed a > "New Rule," don't save stuff you print. I pasted this down into my > engineering notebook, but I no longer have it on this computer. > Sometimes, "tidy" sucks. > > The best thing would be for whomever posted this wisdom step up and > repost it, no doubt he has not done the "tidy job" on his machine. > > > > > > > ----- > No virus found in this message. > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > Version: 10.0.1170 / Virus Database: 426/3300 - Release Date: 12/06/10 > > ______________________________________________________________ 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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