KX3 FD Operations?

[kp4md]

I used the KX3 on 40 meter CW and PSK31 with Win4K3 software, DigiPan, an
HF Packer Amplifier and 40 meter Loop Skywire at the River City ARCS Field
Day in Rio Linda, CA.
The power source were 105 Ah of sealed lead acid batteries and 90 watt
solar panel.
Some photos are at
https://picasaweb.google.com/114032640816757126398/FieldDayStation
Carol, KP4MD @ N6NA Field Day Station
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[Kenneth Christiansen]

Hi to the group

I know this is long so if you are not interested in Solar Field Days please hit delete.

I am late telling about my experience with Field Day but I had so much research going that I wanted to wait until after my two week vacation to tell you all about it.

I have been using class 1B ND battery all but one of the last 15 years. I started with my K2 built in 2000 along with a Radio Shack Tandy 1100FD laptop all running on an old group 27 battery. The year the battery was 18 years old it failed about 6 hours before the end of field day and would not take a charge again. I bought another group 27 battery and used my K3 and the 1100FD laptop the next year. The club talked me into running under my call the following year as a 100w 3A ND station using a Windows XP laptop and N3FJP software. The next year I had my new KX3 and went back to 1B ND battery. I used the I-PAD and Hamlog software but the I-PAD battery ran out of battery after just 7 hours of use. Last year I ran the KX3 and a Windows 8 laptop as 1B ND Battery but had to run the 40 watt laptop as the only load on my generator. I understand that meets the rules but I did not like it.

This year I replaced all the lights in my camper with LED bulbs and dropped the load from 1.5 amps per bulb to 0.2 amp per bulb. I found a Verizon 12 volt power supply that would run an I-PAD and Hotspot at the same time on a discharging 12 volt battery. The I-PAD used about .4 amp as long as I was careful to turn the I-PAD OFF instead of to STANDBY when I was not using it. The I-PAD looks OFF when in STANDBY but runs the battery down doing things in the background and charges the battery when it is turned back on which draws additional 12 volt from the battery. I programed the fast memories of the KX3 for W0CZ, and 1B ND and used the built in paddles for anything else. You can see pictures of my camper and antenna on qrz.com. I also added a 33 ft MFJ fiber pole with a 29 ft vertical wire that loads on 40, 30, 20 and 15 meters using the KX3 built in tuner. A week before field day I was given ten five watt solar panels. Years ago I had built the KD5NDB solar regulator so I wir
 ed all 10 panels in parallel and the solar regulator to charge the battery.

My results for field day were 132 cw five watt contacts with a claimed  QSO score of 1320 plus bonus points for 100% emergency power, Natural power QSOs completed and using the b4h.net applet. The solar charger had my batteries fully charged by the end of field day after operating all night.

Two days after field day we took off on a two week vacation to Northern Minnesota to camp grounds without electricity. I had the 8 year old group 27 battery and a 4 year old group 24 battery as my only source of electricity. I also had the KX3, PX3 and KXPA100 along and used the station extensively. The solar charger was able to recharge both batteries every day the sun was out and help them on the other days so I never did use the small generator I brought along. In bright sunlight I was able to make several nice rag chew CW QSOs at 100 watts. All my other contacts were at 50 watts night or day.

I made one more change to my solar project when I got home. It is a Home Depot Grape Solar GS-STAR-100W panel. I found when I was camping that it was a lot of work to move 10 panels so this way when the sun moves I can follow it by just picking up the one panel.

KD5NDB is a silent key and I do not know of anyone selling his kits but I did take pictures of his kit instructions and schematic drawing which I can E-Mail to anyone that wants to build this solar regulator. One advantage of his circuit is that it makes no RF noise. Many other SOLAR REGULATORS make serious RF noise.

73 and thanks for the band width

Ken  W0CZ   w0cz at i29 dot net7

Sent from my iPad

> On Jun 30, 2015, at 10:16 PM, Carol F. Milazzo, KP4MD/W6 <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
> I used the KX3 on 40 meter CW and PSK31 with Win4K3 software, DigiPan, an
>
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[Bill Frantz]

I have been using a SCC3 - 12 Volt 20 Amp Solar Charge
Controller (modifiable for 60 amp operation) from
<http://www.cirkits.com/scc3/>. The design is by G. Forrest
Cook. The design goals include low RF noise, and I haven't
noticed any noise when using it with my K3.

73 Bil AE6JV

On 7/19/15 at 6:26 PM, [hidden email] (Kenneth Christiansen) wrote:

>KD5NDB is a silent key and I do not know of anyone selling his
>kits but I did take pictures of his kit instructions and
>schematic drawing which I can E-Mail to anyone that wants to
>build this solar regulator. One advantage of his circuit is
>that it makes no RF noise. Many other SOLAR REGULATORS make
>serious RF noise.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Bill Frantz        | Privacy is dead, get over    | Periwinkle
[phone]      | it.                          | 16345
Englewood Ave
www.pwpconsult.com |              - Scott McNealy | Los Gatos,
CA 95032

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[Matt Zilmer-3]

The SCC3 meets all its design objectives, at least as I can measure
them here.  Been using one for about two years - the 20A version.  It
is quieter than the Samlex PSU I have here for AC/12VDC use.  The
difference is observable on a directly-connected spectrum analyzer,
but not an issue with average HF band noise.

73,
matt
W6NIA

On Sun, 19 Jul 2015 20:25:23 -0700, you wrote:

>I have been using a SCC3 - 12 Volt 20 Amp Solar Charge
>Controller (modifiable for 60 amp operation) from
><http://www.cirkits.com/scc3/>. The design is by G. Forrest
>Cook. The design goals include low RF noise, and I haven't
>noticed any noise when using it with my K3.
>
>73 Bil AE6JV
>
>On 7/19/15 at 6:26 PM, [hidden email] (Kenneth Christiansen) wrote:
>
>>KD5NDB is a silent key and I do not know of anyone selling his
>>kits but I did take pictures of his kit instructions and
>>schematic drawing which I can E-Mail to anyone that wants to
>>build this solar regulator. One advantage of his circuit is
>>that it makes no RF noise. Many other SOLAR REGULATORS make
>>serious RF noise.
>
>-----------------------------------------------------------------------
>Bill Frantz        | Privacy is dead, get over    | Periwinkle
>[phone]      | it.                          | 16345
>Englewood Ave
>www.pwpconsult.com |              - Scott McNealy | Los Gatos,
>CA 95032
>
>______________________________________________________________
>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
>Message delivered to [hidden email]

Matt Zilmer, W6NIA
--
"Always store beer in a dark place."  -R. Heinlein

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[Jim Brown-10]

The Genesun GV-series controllers are RF quiet, and their MPPT design
typically results in 25-25% greater charging current.  batteryspace.com
sells them.

If you're backpacking, you probably don't need a charge controller for
any panel you're likely to drag up the trail. :)

73, Jim K9YC

On Sun,7/19/2015 8:25 PM, Bill Frantz wrote:
> I have been using a SCC3 - 12 Volt 20 Amp Solar Charge Controller
> (modifiable for 60 amp operation) from <http://www.cirkits.com/scc3/>.
> The design is by G. Forrest Cook. The design goals include low RF
> noise, and I haven't noticed any noise when using it with my K3.

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