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K3 RF Gain calibration

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Ian Maude

K3 RF Gain calibration

Hi all,
I have been playing with the RF gain calibration procedure on my K3. I have
used my XG1 as a signal source after fitting a new battery :)
What I found had surprised me. If I turn down the RF gain, I cannot
completely lose a signal. The RF gain will not move the s-meter about about
s7. Now obviously the rig is much more quiet but it seems to me that this
is incorrect. If I use the factory default settings, the RF gain acts in
the way I would have expected. I am fairly confident that the XG1 is OK.
That is I see s9 on several rigs for 50uV.
I would appreciate your thoughts :)

73 Ian

--
Ian J Maude, G0VGS
SysOp GB7MBC & HB9DRV-9 DX Clusters
Member RSGB, GQRP 9838, FISTS 14077 | K3 #455
http://www.amateurradiotraining.org
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Ken Wagner K3IU

Re: K3 RF Gain calibration

Have you recalibrated the S-meter since you did the RF Gain Cal on the
K3? I found that to be necessary.
73,
Ken K3IU
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On 4/24/2010 8:36 AM, Ian Maude wrote:

> Hi all,
> I have been playing with the RF gain calibration procedure on my K3. I have
> used my XG1 as a signal source after fitting a new battery :)
> What I found had surprised me. If I turn down the RF gain, I cannot
> completely lose a signal. The RF gain will not move the s-meter about about
> s7. Now obviously the rig is much more quiet but it seems to me that this
> is incorrect. If I use the factory default settings, the RF gain acts in
> the way I would have expected. I am fairly confident that the XG1 is OK.
> That is I see s9 on several rigs for 50uV.
> I would appreciate your thoughts :)
>
> 73 Ian
>
>

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Ian Maude

Re: K3 RF Gain calibration

Yes I did Ken. In fact I have just been through all the calibration steps,
leaving the S-meter one until last. It just seeks odd that the RF agin
seems very low now.

73 Ian

On 24 April 2010 13:49, Ken K3IU <[hidden email]> wrote:

> Have you recalibrated the S-meter since you did the RF Gain Cal on the
> K3? I found that to be necessary.
> 73,
> Ken K3IU
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> On 4/24/2010 8:36 AM, Ian Maude wrote:
>
> Hi all,
> I have been playing with the RF gain calibration procedure on my K3. I have
> used my XG1 as a signal source after fitting a new battery :)
> What I found had surprised me. If I turn down the RF gain, I cannot
> completely lose a signal. The RF gain will not move the s-meter about about
> s7. Now obviously the rig is much more quiet but it seems to me that this
> is incorrect. If I use the factory default settings, the RF gain acts in
> the way I would have expected. I am fairly confident that the XG1 is OK.
> That is I see s9 on several rigs for 50uV.
> I would appreciate your thoughts :)
>
> 73 Ian
>
>
>
>

Joe Planisky

Re: K3 RF Gain calibration

In reply to this post by Ian Maude

Hi Ian,

Some earlier versions of the K3 Utility for Mac and Linux would
produce the symptoms you describe. If you're using a Mac or Linux box
to do the procedure and don't have the latest version of the K3
Utility, I would recommend updating the K3 Utility and trying the gain
calibration again. If you ARE using the latest Mac/Linux K3 Utility,
I would suggest trying the calibration using the Windows version if
you have access to a Windows machine.

If none of the above applies to you, then I don't know what else to
suggest.

73
--
Joe KB8AP

On Apr 24, 2010, at 5:36 AM, Ian Maude wrote:

> Hi all,
> I have been playing with the RF gain calibration procedure on my
> K3. I have
> used my XG1 as a signal source after fitting a new battery :)
> What I found had surprised me. If I turn down the RF gain, I cannot
> completely lose a signal. The RF gain will not move the s-meter
> about about
> s7. Now obviously the rig is much more quiet but it seems to me
> that this
> is incorrect. If I use the factory default settings, the RF gain
> acts in
> the way I would have expected. I am fairly confident that the XG1
> is OK.
> That is I see s9 on several rigs for 50uV.
> I would appreciate your thoughts :)
>
> 73 Ian

ab2tc

Re: K3 RF Gain calibration

In reply to this post by Ian Maude

Run the calibration step again. I had to do it 3 times before it would behave itself. My symptoms were somewhat similar to yours. Be very careful to follow the instructions exactly and especially make sure you have the test signal centered in the very narrow passband specified. After the 3rd attempt my S-meter is perfect and whan backing off the RF gain it rises smoothly up to past the S9+60dB point.

AB2TC - Knut

Ian Maude wrote

Yes I did Ken. In fact I have just been through all the calibration steps,
leaving the S-meter one until last. It just seeks odd that the RF agin
seems very low now.

73 Ian
<snip>

Ian Maude

Re: K3 RF Gain calibration

In reply to this post by Joe Planisky

OK, here is the heads up.

Mea Culpa (as usual :) )

What I had done before was to use CWT and spot to zero beat the signal from
my XG1 and then switch off CWT. I now assumed the signal was centred. This
does not appear to be the case. I tested this with all 3 versions of the
Utility and got the same result. Then I did it manually, centering the
signal by ear et voila! It now looks and feels right :)

73 Ian

--
Ian J Maude, G0VGS
SysOp GB7MBC & HB9DRV-9 DX Clusters
Member RSGB, GQRP 9838, FISTS 14077 | K3 #455
http://www.amateurradiotraining.org

On 24 April 2010 15:38, Joe Planisky <[hidden email]> wrote:

> Hi Ian,
>
> Some earlier versions of the K3 Utility for Mac and Linux would produce the
> symptoms you describe. If you're using a Mac or Linux box to do the
> procedure and don't have the latest version of the K3 Utility, I would
> recommend updating the K3 Utility and trying the gain calibration again.
> If you ARE using the latest Mac/Linux K3 Utility, I would suggest trying the
> calibration using the Windows version if you have access to a Windows
> machine.
>
> If none of the above applies to you, then I don't know what else to
> suggest.
>
> 73
> --
> Joe KB8AP
>
>
> On Apr 24, 2010, at 5:36 AM, Ian Maude wrote:
>
> Hi all,
>> I have been playing with the RF gain calibration procedure on my K3. I
>> have
>> used my XG1 as a signal source after fitting a new battery :)
>> What I found had surprised me. If I turn down the RF gain, I cannot
>> completely lose a signal. The RF gain will not move the s-meter about
>> about
>> s7. Now obviously the rig is much more quiet but it seems to me that this
>> is incorrect. If I use the factory default settings, the RF gain acts in
>> the way I would have expected. I am fairly confident that the XG1 is OK.
>> That is I see s9 on several rigs for 50uV.
>> I would appreciate your thoughts :)
>>
>> 73 Ian
>>
>
>

Ignacy

Re: K3 RF Gain calibration

In reply to this post by Ian Maude

RF gain moves S-meter in my K3 to S5 max. After RF calibration it is S9+60, but after power up it is S5 again. Seems something not stored. Looks like the calibration numbers are not stored permanently?
Ignacy

Bill W4ZV

Re: K3 RF Gain calibration

Ignacy wrote

RF gain moves S-meter in my K3 to S5 max. After RF calibration it is S9+60, but after power up it is S5 again. Seems something not stored. Looks like the calibration numbers are not stored permanently?
Ignacy

This is a symptom of an old K3 Utility (circa September). Load the latest Utility and try it again.

73, Bill

Ignacy

Re: K3 RF Gain calibration

Thanks, I will try the new one.

Seems K3 delivers lots of drama due to many changes. But it is also good that the K3 users are highly advanced and helpful.

Ignacy

On Mon, Nov 29, 2010 at 1:25 PM, Bill W4ZV [via Elecraft] <[hidden email]> wrote:

Ignacy wrote:

RF gain moves S-meter in my K3 to S5 max. After RF calibration it is S9+60, but after power up it is S5 again. Seems something not stored. Looks like the calibration numbers are not stored permanently?
Ignacy

This is a symptom of an old K3 Utility (circa September). Load the latest Utility and try it again.

73, Bill

View message @ http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/K3-RF-Gain-calibration-tp4954737p5785412.html
To unsubscribe from K3 RF Gain calibration, click here.

Guy, K2AV

Re: K3 RF Gain calibration

The real choice is changes as we go, and a penalty of sorts for not keeping
up, or the Yakencom way of no changes until you buy next model. As they
say, pick your poison. I'll take life on the bleeding edge. 73, Guy.

On Mon, Nov 29, 2010 at 2:43 PM, Ignacy <[hidden email]> wrote:

>
> Thanks, I will try the new one.
> Seems K3 delivers lots of drama due to many changes. But it is also good
> that the K3 users are highly advanced and helpful.
> Ignacy
>
>
>
> On Mon, Nov 29, 2010 at 1:25 PM, Bill W4ZV [via Elecraft] <
> [hidden email]<ml-node%[hidden email]>
> <ml-node%[hidden email]<ml-node%[hidden email]>
> >
> > wrote:
>
> > Ignacy wrote:
> > RF gain moves S-meter in my K3 to S5 max. After RF calibration it is
> S9+60,
> > but after power up it is S5 again. Seems something not stored. Looks like
> > the calibration numbers are not stored permanently?
> > Ignacy
> >
> > This is a symptom of an old K3 Utility (circa September). Load the
> latest
> > Utility and try it again.
> >
> > 73, Bill
> >
> > ------------------------------
> > View message @
> >
> http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/K3-RF-Gain-calibration-tp4954737p5785412.html
> > To unsubscribe from K3 RF Gain calibration, click here<
> >.
> >
> >
>
> --
> View this message in context:
> http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/K3-RF-Gain-calibration-tp4954737p5785685.html
> Sent from the [K3] mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
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Ignacy

Re: K3 RF Gain calibration

After using the latest utility the RF gain works as it should.
Ignacy

Guy, K2AV

Re: K3 RF Gain calibration

Good!

I've been mostly up on the beta changes and done some alpha testing.
But in there I've gotten out of sync or some silly thing four or five
times and needed rescuing. Looking back, overall it was worth it. At
least I get to learn the brand new features one at a time, rather than
being overwhelmed by a complete brand new users manual.

73, Guy.

On Mon, Nov 29, 2010 at 8:43 PM, Ignacy <[hidden email]> wrote:

>
> After using the latest utility the RF gain works as it should.
> Ignacy
> --
> View this message in context: http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/K3-RF-Gain-calibration-tp4954737p5786717.html
> Sent from the [K3] mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
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> Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>
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> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>