K3 Diversity antenna settings - wish

[Stewart Baker]

I want to set my K3/100 up for diversity reception using my main
antenna (doublet) and a receive loop with with pre-amp.
The K3 is fitted with a  KAT3, KXV3 and KRX3.

As I wish to keep maximum flexibility of antenna switching I do
not want to use the AUX BNC  for the Sub RX as it stops me from
easily using either the main antenna or  loop as Sub RX input. I
don't want to be reconfiguring the K3 hardware as my needs change.

The setup I have arrived at is

Main RX - Ant 1 - Doublet
Sub RX - Ant 2 - Loop pre-amp (with output switchable to RX ant
input)

This works, but obviously has the potential to damage the loop  
pre-amp if I accidentally transmit to Ant 2 connector.

It would be nice if a Ant 2 TX inhibit per band were available.
Is this possible ?
Maybe there is a more elegant solution that I have missed.

73
Stewart G3RXQ

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[Bill W4ZV]

Stewart Baker wrote

As I wish to keep maximum flexibility of antenna switching I do
not want to use the AUX BNC  for the Sub RX as it stops me from
easily using either the main antenna or  loop as Sub RX input. I
don't want to be reconfiguring the K3 hardware as my needs change.

I may not fully understand what you're doing but it sounds like you only transmit through the doublet.  If you feed the loop into AUX RF, and doublet to ANT1, you can set Sub RX to receive on either the doublet (MAIN in the BSET menu) or loop (AUX in the BSET menu).  This will ensure that you never transmit through the loop.  When in Diversity, it's very easy to switch between Sub RX antennas by HOLDing RX ANT which toggles the two choices.

73,  Bill

[Stewart Baker]

On Wed, 23 Dec 2009 03:30:27 -0800 (PST), Bill W4ZV wrote:

>
>
> Stewart Baker wrote:
>>
>>
>> As I wish to keep maximum flexibility of antenna switching I do
>> not want to use the AUX BNC  for the Sub RX as it stops me from
>> easily using either the main antenna or  loop as Sub RX input. I
>> don't want to be reconfiguring the K3 hardware as my needs change.
>>
>

Thanks for your reply Bill.

> I may not fully understand what you're doing but it sounds like you only
> transmit through the doublet.  If you feed the loop into AUX RF, and doublet
> to ANT1, you can set Sub RX to receive on either the doublet (MAIN in the
> BSET menu) or loop (AUX in the BSET menu).

When BSET is selected I can switch between MAIN (Ant 1) and AUX (Ant 2) by
pressing the ANT switch.  AUX is allocated to Ant 2. This means I am still able to
TX thru the loop pre-amp if I am not careful.
Also I cannot select RX Ant input to the Sub RX when in BSET.
That switching path must not exist.

73
Stewart G3RXQ

 This will ensure that you never
> transmit through the loop.  When in Diversity, it's very easy to switch
> between Sub RX antennas by HOLDing RX ANT which toggles the two choices.
>
> 73,  Bill


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[Barry N1EU]

Why do you have AUX allocated to ANT2 instead of AUX BNC?  Use AUX BNC and if you need to route your loop to RX ANT in addition to AUX BNC, use an external switch or splitter.

73,
Barry N1EU

Stewart Baker wrote

On Wed, 23 Dec 2009 03:30:27 -0800 (PST), Bill W4ZV wrote:
>
>
> Stewart Baker wrote:
>>
>>
>> As I wish to keep maximum flexibility of antenna switching I do
>> not want to use the AUX BNC  for the Sub RX as it stops me from
>> easily using either the main antenna or  loop as Sub RX input. I
>> don't want to be reconfiguring the K3 hardware as my needs change.
>>
>
Thanks for your reply Bill.

> I may not fully understand what you're doing but it sounds like you only
> transmit through the doublet.  If you feed the loop into AUX RF, and doublet
> to ANT1, you can set Sub RX to receive on either the doublet (MAIN in the
> BSET menu) or loop (AUX in the BSET menu).

When BSET is selected I can switch between MAIN (Ant 1) and AUX (Ant 2) by
pressing the ANT switch.  AUX is allocated to Ant 2. This means I am still able to
TX thru the loop pre-amp if I am not careful.
Also I cannot select RX Ant input to the Sub RX when in BSET.
That switching path must not exist.

73
Stewart G3RXQ

 This will ensure that you never
> transmit through the loop.  When in Diversity, it's very easy to switch
> between Sub RX antennas by HOLDing RX ANT which toggles the two choices.
>
> 73,  Bill


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[Stewart Baker]

On Wed, 23 Dec 2009 05:18:57 -0800 (PST), Barry N1EU wrote:
>
> Why do you have AUX allocated to ANT2 instead of AUX BNC?  Use AUX BNC and if
> you need to route your loop to RX ANT in addition to AUX BNC, use an
> external switch or splitter.

>>>> As I wish to keep maximum flexibility of antenna switching I do
>>>> not want to use the AUX BNC  for the Sub RX as it stops me from
>>>> easily using either the main antenna or  loop as Sub RX input.

Also if I use the AUX BNC route, wanting to use my Main antenna on the Sub, and
use an external switch I have the possibility of putting RF back into the Sub RX.

73
Stewart G3RXQ

>
> 73,
> Barry N1EU
>
>
> Stewart Baker wrote:
>>
>> On Wed, 23 Dec 2009 03:30:27 -0800 (PST), Bill W4ZV wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>> Stewart Baker wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> As I wish to keep maximum flexibility of antenna switching I do
>>>> not want to use the AUX BNC  for the Sub RX as it stops me from
>>>> easily using either the main antenna or  loop as Sub RX input. I
>>>> don't want to be reconfiguring the K3 hardware as my needs change.
>>>>
>>>
>> Thanks for your reply Bill.
>>
>>> I may not fully understand what you're doing but it sounds like you only
>>> transmit through the doublet.  If you feed the loop into AUX RF, and
>>> doublet
>>> to ANT1, you can set Sub RX to receive on either the doublet (MAIN in the
>>> BSET menu) or loop (AUX in the BSET menu).
>>
>> When BSET is selected I can switch between MAIN (Ant 1) and AUX (Ant 2) by
>> pressing the ANT switch.  AUX is allocated to Ant 2. This means I am still
>> able to
>> TX thru the loop pre-amp if I am not careful.
>> Also I cannot select RX Ant input to the Sub RX when in BSET.
>> That switching path must not exist.
>>
>> 73
>> Stewart G3RXQ
>>
>> This will ensure that you never
>>> transmit through the loop.  When in Diversity, it's very easy to switch
>>> between Sub RX antennas by HOLDing RX ANT which toggles the two choices.
>>>
>>> 73,  Bill
>>
>>
>> ______________________________________________________________
>> Elecraft mailing list
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[Barry N1EU]

I don't see the necessity to connect Main ant to subrx with a different ant on mainrx.  Just use the Main ant on mainrx.  You're over-thinking the flexibility issue IMHO.

73,
Barry N1EU

Stewart Baker wrote

On Wed, 23 Dec 2009 05:18:57 -0800 (PST), Barry N1EU wrote:
>
> Why do you have AUX allocated to ANT2 instead of AUX BNC?  Use AUX BNC and if
> you need to route your loop to RX ANT in addition to AUX BNC, use an
> external switch or splitter.

>>>> As I wish to keep maximum flexibility of antenna switching I do
>>>> not want to use the AUX BNC  for the Sub RX as it stops me from
>>>> easily using either the main antenna or  loop as Sub RX input.

Also if I use the AUX BNC route, wanting to use my Main antenna on the Sub, and
use an external switch I have the possibility of putting RF back into the Sub RX.

[Bill W4ZV]

Stewart Baker wrote

Main RX - Ant 1 - Doublet
Sub RX - Ant 2 - Loop pre-amp (with output switchable to RX ant
input)

Stewart I'm still missing something in your setup.  If you only have one TX antenna (i.e. the doublet) and one RX antenna (the loop), why not connect the loop to the KRX3's AUX RF.  What is it that you believe connecting the loop to ANT2 is buying you?  Surely it's not using the tuner since that would require putting RF into the loop which you said you don't want to do.

I connect only TX antennas via PL-259 connectors and only RX antennas via BNC connectors.  I have many TX antennas and use an external switch to route them to the K3 ANT1 input (I don't have a KAT3).  I also have about 10 Beverages and an RX 4SQ.  Using both RX ANT and AUX RF allows me to use my selected TX antenna, or any of the Beverages (externally switched) into RX ANT and the RX 4SQ into AUX RF.  I don't need to worry about transmitting into my RX antennas because that's impossible to do since all RX antennas use BNC ports on the K3.

Main Antenna (RX mode):  TX antenna (ANT1) OR Beverages (RX ANT) selectable by tapping RX ANT.
Sub RX:  TX antenna (MAIN) OR RX 4SQ (AUX RF) selectable by toggling ANT in BSET.

I still don't understand any advantage to using ANT2 for the loop and KRX3 input in your setup.  Please explain in more detail what your reasoning is for doing that?  There must be more to it than is evident in your original post.

73,  Bill

[Stewart Baker]

Hi Barry,
Oh dear... I hope Father Christmas brings me a new brain !

The problem is that I had convinced myself that there was only one
input path into the Sub RX, and that came in via J92. In reality there
is another path via the RF board.

End result is that when I actually tried it (using the BNC) - it worked, just like
everyone says it does !

All I have to do now is make a signal splitter to take the loop pre-amp output
to both the RX Ant on the KXV3  and the AUX BNC input.

I am sure that I am not the first (or last) to get confused with the K3 antenna routing.
Of course there are diagrams in the manuals, but a bit more detail with maybe plugs
and sockets marked might help.

Thanks to all who responded, and a Merry Christmas.

73
Stewart G3RXQ
On Wed, 23 Dec 2009 05:47:24 -0800 (PST), Barry N1EU wrote:

>
> I don't see the necessity to connect Main ant to subrx with a different ant
> on mainrx.  Just use the Main ant on mainrx.  You're over-thinking the
> flexibility issue IMHO.
>
> 73,
> Barry N1EU
>
>
> Stewart Baker wrote:
>>
>> On Wed, 23 Dec 2009 05:18:57 -0800 (PST), Barry N1EU wrote:
>>>
>>> Why do you have AUX allocated to ANT2 instead of AUX BNC?  Use AUX BNC
>>> and if
>>> you need to route your loop to RX ANT in addition to AUX BNC, use an
>>> external switch or splitter.
>>
>>>>>> As I wish to keep maximum flexibility of antenna switching I do
>>>>>> not want to use the AUX BNC  for the Sub RX as it stops me from
>>>>>> easily using either the main antenna or  loop as Sub RX input.
>>
>> Also if I use the AUX BNC route, wanting to use my Main antenna on the
>> Sub, and
>> use an external switch I have the possibility of putting RF back into the
>> Sub RX.

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[Jorge Diez - CX6VM]

Hello,

I think the main problem is about the MANUAL.

I am considering to buy a K3, so I am asking something here in the
reflector, something to other friends that owns a K3, and I downloaded what
seems to be the manual
http://www.elecraft.com/manual/K3_Owner's_Man_Rev_D5_Hi_Res.pdf

But really not help too much about knowing the radio.

In the past years I saw many radio manuals and they (more or less) are
clear, with some DIAGRAMS or PHOTOS showing where you connect each item
(mic, key, amplifier, antenna, RX antenna, etc, etc..

Here there´s nothing about that. Only a TEXT manual in English where we need
to understand all about the K3, without any photo or diagram that will help
us, no English spoken, or no tech or K3 builders, how to have all connected
correctly.

Seems that the manual was made for someone that know very well the K3, so
for him/her is very clear if he/she read the manual, but when you do a
manual you need to think that the manual will be reading for such a
diversity of people so it must be as clear as possible.

Yes, maybe you think that is really not necessary to have a diagram showing
where to connect the mic. Well, is a manual, so no suppose things, just add
it in the manual. All manuals have a photo where you see the ground
connected to the terminal that say GND. Maybe you never stop reading it in
the manual, but it must be there.

73,
Jorge
CX6VM/CW5W




-----Mensaje original-----
De: [hidden email]
[mailto:[hidden email]] En nombre de Stewart
Enviado el: Miércoles, 23 de Diciembre de 2009 12:58 p.m.
Para: Barry N1EU; Elecraft Reflector
Asunto: Re: [Elecraft] K3 Diversity antenna settings - wish

Hi Barry,
Oh dear... I hope Father Christmas brings me a new brain !

The problem is that I had convinced myself that there was only one
input path into the Sub RX, and that came in via J92. In reality there
is another path via the RF board.

End result is that when I actually tried it (using the BNC) - it worked,
just like
everyone says it does !

All I have to do now is make a signal splitter to take the loop pre-amp
output
to both the RX Ant on the KXV3  and the AUX BNC input.

I am sure that I am not the first (or last) to get confused with the K3
antenna routing.
Of course there are diagrams in the manuals, but a bit more detail with
maybe plugs
and sockets marked might help.

Thanks to all who responded, and a Merry Christmas.

73
Stewart G3RXQ
On Wed, 23 Dec 2009 05:47:24 -0800 (PST), Barry N1EU wrote:
>
> I don't see the necessity to connect Main ant to subrx with a different
ant

> on mainrx.  Just use the Main ant on mainrx.  You're over-thinking the
> flexibility issue IMHO.
>
> 73,
> Barry N1EU
>
>
> Stewart Baker wrote:
>>
>> On Wed, 23 Dec 2009 05:18:57 -0800 (PST), Barry N1EU wrote:
>>>
>>> Why do you have AUX allocated to ANT2 instead of AUX BNC?  Use AUX BNC
>>> and if
>>> you need to route your loop to RX ANT in addition to AUX BNC, use an
>>> external switch or splitter.
>>
>>>>>> As I wish to keep maximum flexibility of antenna switching I do
>>>>>> not want to use the AUX BNC  for the Sub RX as it stops me from
>>>>>> easily using either the main antenna or  loop as Sub RX input.
>>
>> Also if I use the AUX BNC route, wanting to use my Main antenna on the
>> Sub, and
>> use an external switch I have the possibility of putting RF back into the
>> Sub RX.

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[Mike Reublin]

Jorge -

On page 4 of the manual you mentioned is a diagram of both the front and
back of the K3, with all connectors labeled. The circled numbers for the
front panel diagram are explained in the text on pps 4-6. Look for
numbers in curly braces {19}.

The rear panel (with another diagram) is covered on p 17.

There IS a learning curve with the K3, because there are so many user
configurable settings, but once you get it tailored to your liking, you
don't touch them much. There are IMNSHO some things that could be
better/more explained, but usually a note to this reflector will get you
an answer in an hour or two at most.

Merrrrrrry Christmas and Happy New Year!

73, Mike NF4L

Jorge Diez - CX6VM wrote:

> Hello,
>
> I think the main problem is about the MANUAL.
>
> I am considering to buy a K3, so I am asking something here in the
> reflector, something to other friends that owns a K3, and I downloaded what
> seems to be the manual
> http://www.elecraft.com/manual/K3_Owner's_Man_Rev_D5_Hi_Res.pdf
>
> But really not help too much about knowing the radio.
>
> In the past years I saw many radio manuals and they (more or less) are
> clear, with some DIAGRAMS or PHOTOS showing where you connect each item
> (mic, key, amplifier, antenna, RX antenna, etc, etc..
>
> Here there´s nothing about that. Only a TEXT manual in English where we need
> to understand all about the K3, without any photo or diagram that will help
> us, no English spoken, or no tech or K3 builders, how to have all connected
> correctly.
>
> Seems that the manual was made for someone that know very well the K3, so
> for him/her is very clear if he/she read the manual, but when you do a
> manual you need to think that the manual will be reading for such a
> diversity of people so it must be as clear as possible.
>
> Yes, maybe you think that is really not necessary to have a diagram showing
> where to connect the mic. Well, is a manual, so no suppose things, just add
> it in the manual. All manuals have a photo where you see the ground
> connected to the terminal that say GND. Maybe you never stop reading it in
> the manual, but it must be there.
>
> 73,
> Jorge
> CX6VM/CW5W

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