K3 vs RigExperts SWR meter issue

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K3 vs RigExperts SWR meter issue

Alexander Sack
Hello:

I just bought an AA-54 RigExperts analyzer.  I am tuning a Buddipole
which I use with my K3 (25+ countries and counting).

The RigExpert says my SWR is 1:2.5 at 14.200Mhz.  I also scan the SWR
curve with it and I see that I am 1:3 or lower a couple of 100hz
around the 14.200 center frequency.

I hook my feedline up to my K3, put the KAT3 on bypass, set VFOA to
14.205Mhz and ask if the frequency is in use.  I immediately see "HI
SWR" on it.  I can definitely use the KAT3 to tune out any reactance
and my SWR/RF look reasonable (I hit 100on the RF Scale and the SWR
meter doesn't go above 2).

What am I missing here?  I am trying to compare the SWR meter on the
K3 against what the RigExperts claims as a learning exercise (1.5
month old ham here).

73

-aps
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Re: K3 vs RigExperts SWR meter issue

Jeff Cochrane - VK4XA
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Re: K3 vs RigExperts SWR meter issue

Alexander Sack
On Mon, May 9, 2011 at 6:03 PM, Jeff Cochrane - VK4BOF
<[hidden email]> wrote:
> Hi Alexander,
> I see this a lot with my K3.
> The truth is that the KAT3 is never really out of circuit.
> The trick is to enable the KAT3 (Hold ATU Tune), use it to show a low VSWR
> to the rigs finals, then disable it (Hold ATU TUNE) again.
> You will then find that the VSWR will presented to the rig will be correct
> as per the analyser.
> I don't why the KAT3 still appears to be in circuit when supposedly switched
> out but at least there is a workaround.

Funny I tried that too and still got HISWR cause that is what I
thought was going on....but I did this particular test so fast and I
might have changed my VFO making my observation invalid.

I will try again...(and verify its ANT1!).

73

-aps
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Re: K3 vs RigExperts SWR meter issue

Don Wilhelm-4
  As a "confidence building" exercise, try it into a dummy load rather
than the amp.  If it works into the dummy load, blame the input if the
amplifier.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 5/9/2011 6:22 PM, Alexander Sack wrote:

> On Mon, May 9, 2011 at 6:03 PM, Jeff Cochrane - VK4BOF
> <[hidden email]>  wrote:
>> Hi Alexander,
>> I see this a lot with my K3.
>> The truth is that the KAT3 is never really out of circuit.
>> The trick is to enable the KAT3 (Hold ATU Tune), use it to show a low VSWR
>> to the rigs finals, then disable it (Hold ATU TUNE) again.
>> You will then find that the VSWR will presented to the rig will be correct
>> as per the analyser.
>> I don't why the KAT3 still appears to be in circuit when supposedly switched
>> out but at least there is a workaround.
> Funny I tried that too and still got HISWR cause that is what I
> thought was going on....but I did this particular test so fast and I
> might have changed my VFO making my observation invalid.
>
> I will try again...(and verify its ANT1!).
>
>
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Re: K3 vs RigExperts SWR meter issue

Alexander Sack
In reply to this post by Jeff Cochrane - VK4XA
On Mon, May 9, 2011 at 6:03 PM, Jeff Cochrane - VK4BOF
<[hidden email]> wrote:
> Hi Alexander,
> I see this a lot with my K3.
> The truth is that the KAT3 is never really out of circuit.
> The trick is to enable the KAT3 (Hold ATU Tune), use it to show a low VSWR
> to the rigs finals, then disable it (Hold ATU TUNE) again.
> You will then find that the VSWR will presented to the rig will be correct
> as per the analyser.
> I don't why the KAT3 still appears to be in circuit when supposedly switched
> out but at least there is a workaround.

That works!  I tried it last night (been busy).  I had a 1.5 on my
RigExpert and the K3 confirmed it.  You absolutely have to tune it
FIRST or the VSWR will be off.  Seems strange.

@Elecraft (Wayne/Eric/Alan, etc):

Can you confirm this is by design?  :-)

And what does *bypass* do exactly?  I would assume leave the circuit
tuned based on the last push of the ATU button which of course maybe
wrong depending on what frequency you are on (which is why I initially
had a "HI SWR" message.

73

-aps
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