K3 Noisy fans?
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Has anyone tried to quiet them down with vibration
isolators, etc? Wow, I have never heard my fans, not a peep. I have seen them run and felt the air flow out the back but sound, no. Something sounds wrong with your fans. Mike Scott - AE6WA Tarzana, CA (DM04 / near LA) K3-100 #508/ KX1 #1311 _______________________________________________ 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 Gary, W7TEA
I have certainly been surprised by folks who say they cannot hear their
fans. I can (although they rarely come on) and I even had Gary send some replacement units, but when I changed them over the improvement was not great. I've checked all likely reasons, it's not the sound of a fan touching something. I wonder how genuinely quiet some people's shacks are. If I had a Windows desktop PC on the desk alongside I'm certain I'd never hear them, similarly if I had an amp running, or any other of the constant sounds you just get used to until hit by the sudden quiet of a power cut! To put things in perspective, the K3 fans are excellent compared with the IC706 or IC7000 for example, where their noisy fans even cut in on receive! So, it's all relative I suppose. These days I almost always use open headphones (Sennheiser HD590) so it's not really an issue- I can just detect the fans turning on whilst wearing them. On a different note, closed headphones (unless I'm on a plane) I find claustrophobic, as if I have cut myself off from the rest of the world! 73 Stephen G4SJP K3 #980 K2, KX-1 On 09/12/2008 18:27, "W7TEA" <[hidden email]> wrote: > > > When I received my factory built K3 last spring (#1001) I thought > the fans were louder than I expected after reading about folks > who had to physically check to see if there fans were on. I could > hear the fans start up through my headphones when PA temp hit 37C. > I sent the rig back and the good folks traded out a few other fan modules > and reported that the noise level was the same and appropriate. > > I inquired about Elecraft changing fan suppliers. They said that had > happened, but the new supplier's fans were as quiet. > > So, I believe there are a variety of experiences. My fans are not whisper > quiet, but maybe I, too, have been spoiled by my TT rigs with external > cooling fins and no fans. > > Gary W7TEA > > > I was trying to ferret out some weak signals on 160m when > the cooling fans switched on, making it very hard > to hear over the "whine" of the fans (or fan) even through > the padding on my headphones. > > Has anyone tried to quiet them down with vibration > isolators, etc? > > Charlie, N0TT _______________________________________________ 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 AC7AC
I stand corrected. There are apparently a lot of quiet K3s out there.
I wonder if the quiet fans are from a different manufacturer? The fans in my K3 are made by UTEC: Series 8162 P/N AT6015L-12L2B ND5 Series 8163 P/N AT6015L-12L2B ND2 The replacement fans (from Elecraft) were identical. 73 -- Joe KB8AP On Dec 9, 2008, at 8:34 AM, Ron D'Eau Claire wrote: > There were a number of comments among the first customers that the > fans were > so quiet they couldn't tell if they were running without turning the > rig > around and looking at them. > > That's how mine are too (S/N 10 - early pre-production K3) and I am > very > sensitive to fan noise. On the rare occasions my K3 is actually > assembled an > on the operating desk, it's close to a wood paneled wall and I'm not > aware > of them even though there's not a single other fan our source of > noise in > the room. > > Indeed, I sometimes can't hear them running when I'm working on the > rig on > the bench. > > After taking a number of complaints about the little "whizzer" fan > in the > K2/100, I believe that was Wayne's intent ;-) > > It sure sounds like something is quite different now. I'd recommend > also > posting a note on [hidden email] about it. > > Ron AC7AC > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [hidden email] > [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Joe Planisky > Sent: Tuesday, December 09, 2008 7:56 AM > To: David Ferrington, M0XDF > Cc: [hidden email] > Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 Noisy fans? > > I think you got lucky and have extra quiet fans :-) > > 73 > -- > Joe KB8AP > > On Dec 9, 2008, at 7:20 AM, David Ferrington, M0XDF wrote: > >> That's how my K3 is set up too, in a corner where walls can reflect >> any noise. >> I still think there is something else wrong. >> 73 de M0XDF, K3 #174 >> -- >> They know enough who know how to learn. -Henry Adams (1838-1918) >> >> On 9 Dec 2008, at 14:55, Joe Planisky wrote: >> >>> I've also found that where I place the K3 on my desk makes a >>> difference in how loud the fans sound. My desk is in a corner of >>> the room and if I place the K3 so the back is pointing into the >>> corner, the walls reflect any sound right back toward me and the >>> fans are louder. If I place it on a table in the middle of the >>> room, I don't notice the noise nearly as much. >> > > _______________________________________________ > 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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Joe
My fans are Utec too, same part numbers too. I wonder why the part numbers are different? 73 Stephen G4SJP On 09/12/2008 18:43, "Joe Planisky" <[hidden email]> wrote: > > I stand corrected. There are apparently a lot of quiet K3s out there. > > I wonder if the quiet fans are from a different manufacturer? > > The fans in my K3 are made by UTEC: > Series 8162 P/N AT6015L-12L2B ND5 > Series 8163 P/N AT6015L-12L2B ND2 > > The replacement fans (from Elecraft) were identical. > > 73 > -- > Joe KB8AP _______________________________________________ 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 n0tt1
The fan noise depends on the fan setting, which in turn depends not only on
the duty cycle but also on the ambient temperature. On mine (#1595), FAN1 is almost inaudible (almost completely drowned out by the noise of my computer's fan), FAN2 is audible but not obtrusive, and FAN3 and FAN4 get progressively louder and more noticeable. During operation, I don't believe I have ever heard them get beyond FAN2, and that only in data modes with relatively long transmissions. In CW, the speed has never gotten above FAN1, even while running stations in a contest. Ambient temperature may have a lot to do with it, though. The fan speed depends on PA temp, and if the ambient temperature starts out high, it takes less heating to reach the next set point. The temperature in my shack right now is a balmy 15C (that's just about 60F), so my K3 has to work pretty hard just to get up to the FAN1 set point. In summer, when even with A/C running it is about 10 degrees C warmer in here, I expect the fans will be more noticeable. 73, Rich VE3KI _______________________________________________ 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 AC7AC
Serial No. 21 . . . absolutely zero fan noise.
Kent K9ZTV Ron D'Eau Claire wrote: There were a number of comments among the first customers that the fans were so quiet they couldn't tell if they were running without turning the rig around and looking at them. That's how mine are too (S/N 10 - early pre-production K3) and I am very sensitive to fan noise. _______________________________________________ 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 Stephen Prior
> -----Original Message----- > From: [hidden email] [mailto:elecraft- > [hidden email]] On Behalf Of Stephen Prior > Sent: Tuesday, December 09, 2008 10:52 AM > To: elecraft > Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 Noisy fans? > > Joe > > I wonder why the part > numbers > are different? > Maybe because the power lead lengths are different on the two fans?? Adam - KA7ARK _______________________________________________ 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 Mike Scott-7
No noise here. I often run barefoot with no amp, no headphones, no computer,
and the rig is in a corner! Jack AE6GC K3-100 Kit #1433 _______________________________________________ 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 Richard Ferch
I find that at an ambient temp. of about 17C, 75 W into a dummy load,
it takes about a minute and a half of CW at 18 WPM to raise the PA temp from 23C to 37C, the temp at which the fans come on at the slowest speed. 73 -- Joe KB8AP On Dec 9, 2008, at 10:55 AM, Richard Ferch wrote: > The fan noise depends on the fan setting, which in turn depends not > only on > the duty cycle but also on the ambient temperature. > > On mine (#1595), FAN1 is almost inaudible (almost completely drowned > out by > the noise of my computer's fan), FAN2 is audible but not obtrusive, > and FAN3 > and FAN4 get progressively louder and more noticeable. During > operation, I > don't believe I have ever heard them get beyond FAN2, and that only > in data > modes with relatively long transmissions. In CW, the speed has never > gotten > above FAN1, even while running stations in a contest. > > Ambient temperature may have a lot to do with it, though. The fan > speed > depends on PA temp, and if the ambient temperature starts out high, > it takes > less heating to reach the next set point. The temperature in my > shack right > now is a balmy 15C (that's just about 60F), so my K3 has to work > pretty hard > just to get up to the FAN1 set point. In summer, when even with A/C > running > it is about 10 degrees C warmer in here, I expect the fans will be > more > noticeable. > > 73, > Rich VE3KI > > _______________________________________________ > 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 Adam Koczarski
Adam Koczarski wrote: >> -----Original Message----- >> From: [hidden email] [mailto:elecraft- >> [hidden email]] On Behalf Of Joe Planisky >> Sent: Tuesday, December 09, 2008 7:56 AM >> To: David Ferrington, M0XDF >> Cc: [hidden email] >> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 Noisy fans? >> >> I think you got lucky and have extra quiet fans :-) >> > > I had to look, or feel, to see that mine were running during the build test > of the fans. Very quite even at the forth setting. Speaking of which, you can do that any time - CONFIG:KPA3 = Fn1 thru Fn4 (set it back to "nor" when you're done). With everything else quiet (AF gain turned down), I can definitely hear that the fans are running on Fn2 and up, but it's mostly fast-moving air I can hear - not whine from the motor or anything. If I had headphones on, noise coming through the external speaker, or even much other ambient noise in the shack (e.g. computer), I don't think I'd notice the fan noise at all - it's definitely never bothered me in normal operation. ~Iain / N6ML _______________________________________________ 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 Mike Scott-7
> Wow, I have never heard my fans, not a peep. I have seen them run and felt
> the air flow out the back but sound, no. I regularly run around to the backside of the table to check that haven't been stolen or dropped off or... ;-) I can confirm that my K3's blowers are barely audible, as others have also reported. vy 73 de toby _______________________________________________ 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 n0tt1
Thanks Tom (and several others too!), I'll contact
Elecraft.
Screws tight, but not over-tightened. Finger
guards centered. Fans move air in the right
direction. Also, nothing touching the blades.
I did notice that the instructions said to install some bushings at the
corners of the fans. My fans were made so that "bushings"
were already part of the fan and bushings were not in the kit....could
be a change in supplier or fan model. Also, the instructions
(including
errata) didn't apply to my fan model. Interesting...and it's got
to
be a tough job for anyone to keep up with suppliers and all the
details
that go into producing these kits! My k3's serial is 1719.
I just checked the fans again using the TECH-MD PA-FN1
thru PA-FN4, and yes, they do "whine" at all speeds, although
sounding different of course with varying degrees of "whine".
Listening very carefully when they power-down, I could swear
that the fan bearings and/or brushes (if there are any) sound rough.
Thanks,
Charlie, N0TT
_______________________________________________ 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 Joe Planisky
Wasn't there a menu setting that set what speed the fans would run at?
Remember something from the assembly instructions. Is it possible these folks have a different setting? Dave Wilburn NM4M Joe Planisky wrote: > I stand corrected. There are apparently a lot of quiet K3s out there. > > I wonder if the quiet fans are from a different manufacturer? > > The fans in my K3 are made by UTEC: > Series 8162 P/N AT6015L-12L2B ND5 > Series 8163 P/N AT6015L-12L2B ND2 > > The replacement fans (from Elecraft) were identical. > > 73 > -- > Joe KB8AP > > On Dec 9, 2008, at 8:34 AM, Ron D'Eau Claire wrote: > >> There were a number of comments among the first customers that the >> fans were >> so quiet they couldn't tell if they were running without turning the rig >> around and looking at them. >> >> That's how mine are too (S/N 10 - early pre-production K3) and I am very >> sensitive to fan noise. On the rare occasions my K3 is actually >> assembled an >> on the operating desk, it's close to a wood paneled wall and I'm not >> aware >> of them even though there's not a single other fan our source of noise in >> the room. >> >> Indeed, I sometimes can't hear them running when I'm working on the >> rig on >> the bench. >> >> After taking a number of complaints about the little "whizzer" fan in the >> K2/100, I believe that was Wayne's intent ;-) >> >> It sure sounds like something is quite different now. I'd recommend also >> posting a note on [hidden email] about it. >> >> Ron AC7AC >> >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: [hidden email] >> [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Joe Planisky >> Sent: Tuesday, December 09, 2008 7:56 AM >> To: David Ferrington, M0XDF >> Cc: [hidden email] >> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 Noisy fans? >> >> I think you got lucky and have extra quiet fans :-) >> >> 73 >> -- >> Joe KB8AP >> >> On Dec 9, 2008, at 7:20 AM, David Ferrington, M0XDF wrote: >> >>> That's how my K3 is set up too, in a corner where walls can reflect >>> any noise. >>> I still think there is something else wrong. >>> 73 de M0XDF, K3 #174 >>> -- >>> They know enough who know how to learn. -Henry Adams (1838-1918) >>> >>> On 9 Dec 2008, at 14:55, Joe Planisky wrote: >>> >>>> I've also found that where I place the K3 on my desk makes a >>>> difference in how loud the fans sound. My desk is in a corner of >>>> the room and if I place the K3 so the back is pointing into the >>>> corner, the walls reflect any sound right back toward me and the >>>> fans are louder. If I place it on a table in the middle of the >>>> room, I don't notice the noise nearly as much. >>> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> 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 > 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 n0tt1
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In reply to this post by dave.wilburn
Only for testing during installation - you're supposed to change CONFIG:KPA3 to "nor" after that, and the speed is automatically changed as required. Even on the full speed test setting, mine really doesn't make much noise - certainly not what I'd describe as a "whine"... ~Iain David Wilburn wrote: > Wasn't there a menu setting that set what speed the fans would run at? > Remember something from the assembly instructions. Is it possible these > folks have a different setting? > > Dave Wilburn > NM4M > > Joe Planisky wrote: >> I stand corrected. There are apparently a lot of quiet K3s out there. >> >> I wonder if the quiet fans are from a different manufacturer? >> >> The fans in my K3 are made by UTEC: >> Series 8162 P/N AT6015L-12L2B ND5 >> Series 8163 P/N AT6015L-12L2B ND2 >> >> The replacement fans (from Elecraft) were identical. >> >> 73 >> -- >> Joe KB8AP >> >> On Dec 9, 2008, at 8:34 AM, Ron D'Eau Claire wrote: >> >>> There were a number of comments among the first customers that the >>> fans were >>> so quiet they couldn't tell if they were running without turning the rig >>> around and looking at them. >>> >>> That's how mine are too (S/N 10 - early pre-production K3) and I am very >>> sensitive to fan noise. On the rare occasions my K3 is actually >>> assembled an >>> on the operating desk, it's close to a wood paneled wall and I'm not >>> aware >>> of them even though there's not a single other fan our source of >>> noise in >>> the room. >>> >>> Indeed, I sometimes can't hear them running when I'm working on the >>> rig on >>> the bench. >>> >>> After taking a number of complaints about the little "whizzer" fan in >>> the >>> K2/100, I believe that was Wayne's intent ;-) >>> >>> It sure sounds like something is quite different now. I'd recommend also >>> posting a note on [hidden email] about it. >>> >>> Ron AC7AC >>> >>> >>> -----Original Message----- >>> From: [hidden email] >>> [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Joe Planisky >>> Sent: Tuesday, December 09, 2008 7:56 AM >>> To: David Ferrington, M0XDF >>> Cc: [hidden email] >>> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 Noisy fans? >>> >>> I think you got lucky and have extra quiet fans :-) >>> >>> 73 >>> -- >>> Joe KB8AP >>> >>> On Dec 9, 2008, at 7:20 AM, David Ferrington, M0XDF wrote: >>> >>>> That's how my K3 is set up too, in a corner where walls can reflect >>>> any noise. >>>> I still think there is something else wrong. >>>> 73 de M0XDF, K3 #174 >>>> -- >>>> They know enough who know how to learn. -Henry Adams (1838-1918) >>>> >>>> On 9 Dec 2008, at 14:55, Joe Planisky wrote: >>>> >>>>> I've also found that where I place the K3 on my desk makes a >>>>> difference in how loud the fans sound. My desk is in a corner of >>>>> the room and if I place the K3 so the back is pointing into the >>>>> corner, the walls reflect any sound right back toward me and the >>>>> fans are louder. If I place it on a table in the middle of the >>>>> room, I don't notice the noise nearly as much. >>>> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> 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 >> > _______________________________________________ > 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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