K3 Power puzzlement

[Mike Morrow-3]

>The meter (Watt's Up) is in the 13.8v line in series with the K3.

This must be a joke, right?  April 1 isn't for another ten weeks!  :-)

Mike / KK5F



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[Ralph Parker]

I thought I'd check to see how much current my K3/100 draws under various
operating condx (for battery powered QRP portable operation, etc.).

What the heck is drawing 1.7 amps when the front panel power switch is off?

VE7XF

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[Andrew Moore-3]

> What the heck is drawing 1.7 amps when the front panel power switch is
off?

Not sure... I remember seeing only 0.8 A when the power switch was ON!
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[Rob May-2]

0.00 Power off
1.06 Power on
1.38 Power on + P3 on

Rob
NV5E


----------------------------------------

> Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2011 19:29:11 -0500
> From: [hidden email]
> To: [hidden email]
> CC: [hidden email]
> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3: Power puzzlement
>
> > What the heck is drawing 1.7 amps when the front panel power switch is
> off?
>
> Not sure... I remember seeing only 0.8 A when the power switch was ON!
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[Joe Planisky]

I get about 4.5mA with my K3/100 powered off.  Assuming you've checked the obvious (i.e. that there's nothing else connected to the power supply), is it possible your ammeter is defective or needs new batteries?

73
--
Joe KB8AP


On Jan 17, 2011, at 4:12 PM, Ralph Parker wrote:

> I thought I'd check to see how much current my K3/100 draws under various
> operating condx (for battery powered QRP portable operation, etc.).
>
> What the heck is drawing 1.7 amps when the front panel power switch is off?
>
> VE7XF

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[Ralph Parker]

>I get about 4.5mA with my K3/100 powered off...
I would have expected something similar, if not zero.
I always wondered why I heard a 'pop' from the speaker (audio amp?) when I
plugged the K3 in with the power off.
Could be related - a leaky cap charging?

>Assuming you've checked the obvious (...nothing else connected to the p/s)
Yep. The meter (Watt's Up) is in the 13.8v line in series with the K3.

Ralph, VE7XF

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[Craig Smith]

I believe the meter you are trying to use is intended for AC powerline
measurements.  No telling what it will do with DC.  I expect that if you
repeat the measurement using a DVM in a DC current mode you will get a more
meaningful result.

73  Craig  AC0DS

<> >Assuming you've checked the obvious (...nothing else connected to the
p/s)
<> Yep. The meter (Watt's Up) is in the 13.8v line in series with the K3.

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[doberman]

If you have one for sale I'm looking for one - please contact directly.

Thanks Much

Dan - KI4YZE
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[Craig Smith]

Good Morning Ralph .

I certainly owe you an apology - I was familiar with this meter:

http://cableorganizer.com/electricity-power-meter/

and not familiar with the DC version with the same name that you are using.
I'm very sorry for jumping to an incorrect conclusion without looking into
it further.  Indeed, the meter you are using should be able to provide a
reasonable measurement of the DC current.  My bad!

But with your measured current, you should be dissipating about 20 watts
somewhere in the K3 with it off.  Unless something is getting quite warm I
would still be looking for some kind of measurement anomaly.  

Again, I'm sorry for my error.

73   Craig  AC0DS
 
<> Tnx, Craig, but I actually know what I'm doing!
<> I've been building ham gear since 1954.
<>
<> Here's the Watt's Up:
<> http://www.powerwerx.com/tools-meters/watts-up-meter-dc-inline.html#desc
<> What did you think it was?


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[Joe Planisky]

I'm assuming he has one of these inline:

http://www.powerwerx.com/tools-meters/watts-up-meter-dc-inline.html

...not the similarly named product for AC use made by a different company.

73
--
Joe KB8AP

On Jan 17, 2011, at 9:21 PM, Craig D. Smith wrote:

> I believe the meter you are trying to use is intended for AC powerline
> measurements.  No telling what it will do with DC.  I expect that if you
> repeat the measurement using a DVM in a DC current mode you will get a more
> meaningful result.
>
> 73  Craig  AC0DS
>
> <> >Assuming you've checked the obvious (...nothing else connected to the
> p/s)
> <> Yep. The meter (Watt's Up) is in the 13.8v line in series with the K3.
>

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[N5NA]

I have the Model 101 Super Whatt Meter so I hooked mine up to see what it reads.  I'm showing 0.0A with the switch off and 1.6A with the switch on and the P3 on.

Mine is an older model and measures the current on the negative side.  If yours is the same I wonder if the current you're seeing could be ground related.

73,  Alan  N5NA

Ralph Parker wrote

I thought I'd check to see how much current my K3/100 draws under various
operating condx (for battery powered QRP portable operation, etc.).

What the heck is drawing 1.7 amps when the front panel power switch is off?

VE7XF

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[David Christ]

It certainly would be simple enough to get some resistors, measure
them and the voltage.  Put the voltage across various combinations
and see how calculated current using ohms law compares to the meter
reading.  You could probably use a 50 ohm dummy load.  That would be
around 250 to 300 ma.  Only about 3 to 5 watts.  You will at least
get an idea it the unit measures under 1 amp reasonably well.

Or even simpler, find someone with a Simpson model 260 VOM.  It
measures DC up to 10 amps.

David K0LUM

At 9:54 AM -0800 1/18/11, N5NA wrote:

>I have the Model 101 Super Whatt Meter so I hooked mine up to see what it
>reads.  I'm showing 0.0A with the switch off and 1.6A with the switch on and
>the P3 on.
>
>Mine is an older model and measures the current on the negative side.  If
>yours is the same I wonder if the current you're seeing could be ground
>related.
>
>73,  Alan  N5NA
>
>
>
>Ralph Parker wrote:
>>
>>  I thought I'd check to see how much current my K3/100 draws under various
>>  operating condx (for battery powered QRP portable operation, etc.).
>>
>>  What the heck is drawing 1.7 amps when the front panel power switch is
>>  off?
>>
>>  VE7XF
>>
>>  ______________________________________________________________
>>  Elecraft mailing list
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>>
>>
>
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