K3 & Portable Operation

[Ken Kirkley]

I am very interested in the K3 for use as a portable rig while camping. Have any of you new owners taken the K3 outside and operated portable on battery power? If so, what were you impressions?

Additionally, if I build the 100W model, I can operate at QRP levels on battery with no issues?

Thanks!
Ken/NO4D

[Don Wilhelm-4]

Ken,

I have not used my K3 portable yet, but I have no doubts that it would
work just great.

Since the K3 was *not* designed for minimum current draw on receive, if
you are contemplating longish operating on battery, I might suggest a K2
would be a better choice.  The K2 *was* designed for low receive current
draw.  A QRP K2 with the internal battery and the KAT2 is very versatile
for portable operation.  Of course, the  K1 and KX1 are also choices for
CW only with good performance using even smaller batteries (or longer
operating times with a larger external battery).

Yes, the K3/100 can be reduced to even QRPp levels.

73,
Don W3FPR

Ken Kirkley wrote:

> I am very interested in the K3 for use as a portable rig while camping. Have
> any of you new owners taken the K3 outside and operated portable on battery
> power? If so, what were you impressions?
>
> Additionally, if I build the 100W model, I can operate at QRP levels on
> battery with no issues?
>
> Thanks!
> Ken/NO4D
>  

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[n6wg]

Hello Ken
The K3 is designed to be a shack radio with access to ac power.
It draws quite a bit more current than the K2, which was designed
for the type of use you describe.

>From measurements others have made, it appears the K3 has a resting
receive current right around 1 amp, +/- a little bit.  Transmit
current
at 5w is also higher than for the same output with a K2.

Yes, the K3 will operate in the field, but the battery consumption
will
be quite a bit higher than with a comparable K2 at the same power
levels.

Good luck and 73
Bob N6WG

----- Original Message -----
From: "Ken Kirkley" <[hidden email]>
To: <[hidden email]>
Sent: Saturday, February 23, 2008 12:22 PM
Subject: [Elecraft] K3 & Portable Operation


>
> I am very interested in the K3 for use as a portable rig while
camping. Have
> any of you new owners taken the K3 outside and operated portable on
battery
> power? If so, what were you impressions?
>
> Additionally, if I build the 100W model, I can operate at QRP levels
on
> battery with no issues?
>
> Thanks!
> Ken/NO4D
> --
> View this message in context:
http://www.nabble.com/K3---Portable-Operation-tp15656862p15656862.html

> Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
>
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[KK7P]

> I am very interested in the K3 for use as a portable rig while camping. Have
> any of you new owners taken the K3 outside and operated portable on battery
> power? If so, what were you impressions?

We had three (3) K3s operating at K7S (Salmoncon 2007), last July.  Yes,
they were field tester rigs.  They worked well for us.

We used a large battery and had no trouble keeping them going as long as
we liked.  I also took mine to a Field Day site last year and let some
of the folks operate it for a few hours.

Currently, the Ducie Island DXpedition is K3-equipped.  This is
definitely portable/camping-on-the-beach operation :-)

<
URL:http://ducie2008.dl1mgb.com/pictures/index.php?imgdir=DXpedition%20-%202008%20Feb%2016&page=3 
 >  and click on the two operating tent pictures.

Enjoy!

Lyle KK7P


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