K3 SSB Strange behaviour

[Tom Hoedjes]

Hi all on the List.

Yesterday i tried SSB the first time with a friend of mine, because usually i am operating Data and CW.

On Tune, CW and DATA (FSK) i have full output on all bands.

When i switch to SSB i only have output on 40 and 20 meters.

Max current drain is 2 Amp. on the bands where no output is available.
Monitor, ALC, Comp all are working and i can hear my modulation over the speaker monitoring
Tried both antenna settings on a dummy.
Any suggestions??
73 de Tom HB9DOD KL5X
K3 #29
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[Ian Maude]

Tom wrote:

> Hi all on the List.
>
> Yesterday i tried SSB the first time with a friend of mine, because usually i am operating Data and CW.
>
> On Tune, CW and DATA (FSK) i have full output on all bands.
>
> When i switch to SSB i only have output on 40 and 20 meters.
>
> Max current drain is 2 Amp. on the bands where no output is available.
> Monitor, ALC, Comp all are working and i can hear my modulation over the speaker monitoring
> Tried both antenna settings on a dummy.
> Any suggestions??
> 73 de Tom HB9DOD KL5X
> K3 #29
>  

Have you got the correct filters set for the modes on each band Tom?

Ian

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[Bjorn]

I had my first weekend with the new K3 and bumped into a strange problem. It
actually took me a while to figure out what was going on. When keying up
with the amplifier in line on 160 I was not able to run more than 400 watts
before the SWR protection in both the amp and SWR meter kicked in, it all
happened in milliseconds as if arcing was going on somewhere. I thought I
had an antenna problem and went through the system without finding anything
strange. After some time I hooked up my MP and all was fine again, running
full power without a problem. That’s when it hit me - RF feedback had to be
throwing my K3 off frequency and therefore tripping SWR protection and the
alarm.

My setup has been working fine with the MP for over a year, never seen a
problem like this. A common mode choke is in line with the TX antenna and
most of the wiring used with the MP was used for the K3 except that power
where fetched from my 12 volt bus. The MP is a field model and gets its
power straight from the mains, same phase as the 12 volt bus.

I would be interested to hear if anyone else had similar problems and found
a good solution.

73 de Björn /SM0MDG



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[Stewart Baker]

Are you using a separate RX antenna ? There is a recognised issue
with the KXV3 and insufficient isolation  that can give rise to
spurious oscillations.

73
Stewart G3RXQ
On Sun, 10 Feb 2008 21:43:55 +0100, Björn Mohr wrote:
> I had my first weekend with the new K3 and bumped into a strange
problem. It
> actually took me a while to figure out what was going on. When
keying up
> with the amplifier in line on 160 I was not able to run more
than 400 watts
> before the SWR protection in both the amp and SWR meter kicked
in, it all
> happened in milliseconds as if arcing was going on somewhere. I
thought I
> had an antenna problem and went through the system without
finding anything
> strange. After some time I hooked up my MP and all was fine
again, running
> full power without a problem. That's when it hit me - RF
feedback had to be
> throwing my K3 off frequency and therefore tripping SWR
protection and the
> alarm.
>
> My setup has been working fine with the MP for over a year,
never seen a
> problem like this. A common mode choke is in line with the TX
antenna and
> most of the wiring used with the MP was used for the K3 except
that power
> where fetched from my 12 volt bus. The MP is a field model and
gets its
> power straight from the mains, same phase as the 12 volt bus.
>
> I would be interested to hear if anyone else had similar
problems and found

> a good solution.
>
> 73 de Björn /SM0MDG
>
>
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[Barry N1EU]

Yes, Stewart asks a good question.  As I reported previously, I had to install an ICE 196 RF Limiter in the Beverage feedline to prevent my Acom from generating "ArcFault" errors on 160M.

73,
Barry N1EU

Stewart G3RXQ wrote

Are you using a separate RX antenna ? There is a recognised issue
with the KXV3 and insufficient isolation  that can give rise to
spurious oscillations.

73
Stewart G3RXQ
On Sun, 10 Feb 2008 21:43:55 +0100, Björn Mohr wrote:
> I had my first weekend with the new K3 and bumped into a strange
problem. It
> actually took me a while to figure out what was going on. When
keying up
> with the amplifier in line on 160 I was not able to run more
than 400 watts
> before the SWR protection in both the amp and SWR meter kicked
in, it all
> happened in milliseconds as if arcing was going on somewhere. I
thought I
> had an antenna problem and went through the system without
finding anything
> strange. After some time I hooked up my MP and all was fine
again, running
> full power without a problem. That's when it hit me - RF
feedback had to be
> throwing my K3 off frequency and therefore tripping SWR
protection and the
> alarm.
>
> My setup has been working fine with the MP for over a year,
never seen a
> problem like this. A common mode choke is in line with the TX
antenna and
> most of the wiring used with the MP was used for the K3 except
that power
> where fetched from my 12 volt bus. The MP is a field model and
gets its
> power straight from the mains, same phase as the 12 volt bus.
>
> I would be interested to hear if anyone else had similar
problems and found
> a good solution.
>
> 73 de Björn /SM0MDG
>
>
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> Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.):
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> Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com


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[Bill W4ZV]

Stewart G3RXQ:
>Are you using a separate RX antenna ? There is a recognised issue
with the KXV3 and insufficient isolation  that can give rise to
spurious oscillations.

Barry N1EU:
>As I reported previously, I had to install an ICE 196 RF Limiter in the Beverage feedline to prevent my Acom from generating "ArcFault" errors on 160M.

There's definitely a problem with RX ANT isolation on the KXV3.  I immediately experienced it when I first used my K3 on 160 in early December.  I temporarily solved it with an RF choke on the Beverage input but the real cure is a KXV3 mod from Elecraft (now installed).  Contact Elecraft for the mod.  

I had used exactly the same RX ANT setup with a TS-930S, FT-1000MP and Orion with no problems so this was definitely a problem unique to the K3 (now solved).

73,  Bill  W4ZV

[Jack Smith-6]

I'm contemplating a second kit run on the Z10000 IF sample buffer
amplifier, and I'm interested in whether there is any interest in a
second run.

For the unfamiliar, the Z10000 kit is a small PCB that pulls an isolated
sample of the K2's IF signal out and makes it available on an SMA
connector installed on the K2's rear panel. There's a great deal more
information on it that can be obtained by reading the manual at
http://www.cliftonlaboratories.com/Documents/Z10000%20Buffer%20Amplifier%20Assembly%20&%20Operation.pdf.
Also, http://www.cliftonlaboratories.com/k2_interface.htm provides more
details.

My thought is that with the increasing interest in using a Softrock
receiver as a K2 panadapter, there needs to be a way to extract the IF  
signal and to prevent the Softrock's nasty local oscillator signal
(around -40 dBm or stronger) from getting back into the K2. That's
exactly the purpose for which the Z10000 was built.

The original Z10000 price was subsidized by the associated Z90
panadapter, which will not be the case on a second run. Hence, there
will be a price increase to $34.95. If I go ahead with the second run,
this price will include the PCB, all parts, a cable with the miniature
coaxial cable and SMA connector installed and a printed copy of the
assembly and operation manual, and postage within the US. If sufficient
interest is found, I would make the second run available beginning in
mid-to-late April.

The kit can be built either in the K2 version (which includes bandpass
shaped response) or the broadband version, suitable for receivers with a
different IF. Price is the same, but the universal and K2-specific kits
will be different products.

Please respond privately to me.

Jack K8ZOA

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