***K3 Spurious Problem Alert***

classic Classic list List threaded Threaded
4 messages Options
Reply | Threaded
Open this post in threaded view
|

***K3 Spurious Problem Alert***

Bill W4ZV
Two Topband buddies have now reported a bad spur with relatively new K3s (April or May 2009) at only 20 dB down about 16 kHz from the fundamental.  

If you received a unit in this approximate time frame, you may want to have someone check about +/- 16 kHz for the -20 dB spur.  The fix from Elecraft is described in quotation marks on the page below, just above "My Experience".

http://mysite.verizon.net/vze7hjw3/id17.html

Hopefully Elecraft will eventually shed some more light on the serial numbers and production dates that this problem applies to.

73,  Bill  W4ZV

Reply | Threaded
Open this post in threaded view
|

Re: ***K3 Spurious Problem Alert***

Bill W4ZV
On 2 nov 2009, at 12.02, Bill W4ZV wrote:
>
>  Two Topband buddies have now reported a bad spur with relatively new K3s
>> (April or May 2009) at only 20 dB down about 16 kHz from the fundamental.
>>
>
2009/11/8 Björn Mohr <[hidden email]> wrote:

>
> I found it useful to fiddle with the routing of the coax cables from the
> synthesizer modules to minimize the level of spurs. It won't completely
> remove them, but at least it improved the situation. I have an early K3 in
> the serial # 200 range and many spurs where introduced when the sub RX was
> installed.
>
> I know I have at least one spur on topband that I have "masked" using the
> signal remove function. As I am travelling I cannot check the frequency of
> it right now.
>

Björn, just to clarify, the 16 kHz spur mentioned above is **NOT** a RX spur
but a **transmitted** spur.  This is caused by an extra capacitor on the
KPA3 board which should have been removed in production.  This spur is not
caused by cable routing as is the case for some RX spurs.  This problem
affected ~50 units in the range of S/N 3000 and produced in April/May 2009.
Elecraft attempted to contact the owners of these units but apparently a few
did escape.  It just so happened that two of these were good Topband friends
(AA1K and K3ZM) who bought their K3s on my recommendation.

If your K3 is near S/N 3000, I would strongly encourage you to have someone
check that your unit is not transmitting a strong (-20 dB) spur ~16 kHz from
the fundamental.  The solution was described in my original post and is
relatively easy to implement.

73,  Bill  W4ZV
______________________________________________________________
Elecraft mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:[hidden email]

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Reply | Threaded
Open this post in threaded view
|

Re: ***K3 Spurious Problem Alert***

Bjorn
In reply to this post by Bill W4ZV
On 2 nov 2009, at 12.02, Bill W4ZV wrote:

> Two Topband buddies have now reported a bad spur with relatively new  
> K3s
> (April or May 2009) at only 20 dB down about 16 kHz from the  
> fundamental.

I found it useful to fiddle with the routing of the coax cables from  
the synthesizer modules to minimize the level of spurs. It won't  
completely remove them, but at least it improved the situation. I have  
an early K3 in the serial # 200 range and many spurs where introduced  
when the sub RX was installed.

I know I have at least one spur on topband that I have "masked" using  
the signal remove function. As I am travelling I cannot check the  
frequency of it right now.

73 de Björn,
SM0MDG
SE0X


______________________________________________________________
Elecraft mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:[hidden email]

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Reply | Threaded
Open this post in threaded view
|

Re: ***K3 Spurious Problem Alert***

Guy, K2AV
This problem was reported about TRANSMITTED spurs, not spurs heard in K3
receiver.   73, Guy.

2009/11/9 Björn Mohr <[hidden email]>

> On 2 nov 2009, at 12.02, Bill W4ZV wrote:
>
> > Two Topband buddies have now reported a bad spur with relatively new
> > K3s
> > (April or May 2009) at only 20 dB down about 16 kHz from the
> > fundamental.
>
> I found it useful to fiddle with the routing of the coax cables from
> the synthesizer modules to minimize the level of spurs. It won't
> completely remove them, but at least it improved the situation. I have
> an early K3 in the serial # 200 range and many spurs where introduced
> when the sub RX was installed.
>
> I know I have at least one spur on topband that I have "masked" using
> the signal remove function. As I am travelling I cannot check the
> frequency of it right now.
>
> 73 de Björn,
> SM0MDG
> SE0X
>
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>
______________________________________________________________
Elecraft mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:[hidden email]

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html