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KX3 - First 2 meter CW contact

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Jim Sheldon

KX3 - First 2 meter CW contact

Just finished a 15 mile CW QSO on 144 MHz using the KX3's internal 2
meter transverter. Antenna on my end was a Ringo Ranger (vertically
polarized) only 12 feet off the ground and the antenna on his end was
also a Ringo Ranger but his was on a real short (6 foot) ground mounted
mast. There is quite a bit of hilly terrain between us and signals were
only 539 both ways but with the low noise on the band copy was real
easy. We tried SSB but I don't have the latest Field Test firmware in
my KX3 and the transverter is putting out maybe a watt on SSB. It does
the full 3.0 watts on CW. Also as previously reported, CW using the
internal keyer is kind of messed up. It misses character elements and
gets choppy at times. I didn't have time to try external keying with my
bug but that will come in another test tomorrow.

Jim - W0EB
Park City, KS
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Oliver Dröse

Re: KX3 - First 2 meter CW contact

Congrats Jim!

Also thanks for our 10 m QSO last weekend! ;-) Did you use your KX3 or
something bigger?

Wayne did a great job with the new firmware, SSB output is up to almost
3 watts now but only with COMP off. As soon as you turn COMP on output
power drops down to 1 watt again until you "turn all lights on", i.e.
push COMP to a full 30. Even then output is only 2.2 watts then. Suppose
Wayne will take a look at it again this week. Problem is it seems he
cannot reproduce it while we have 2 units here showing the same
behaviour. Doesn't make things easier but Wayne would not be Wayne if
... ;-)

73, Olli - DH8BQA

Contest, DX & radio projects: http://www.dh8bqa.de

Am 29.11.2014 22:59, schrieb Jim's Desktop:

> Just finished a 15 mile CW QSO on 144 MHz using the KX3's internal 2
> meter transverter. Antenna on my end was a Ringo Ranger (vertically
> polarized) only 12 feet off the ground and the antenna on his end was
> also a Ringo Ranger but his was on a real short (6 foot) ground
> mounted mast. There is quite a bit of hilly terrain between us and
> signals were only 539 both ways but with the low noise on the band
> copy was real easy. We tried SSB but I don't have the latest Field
> Test firmware in my KX3 and the transverter is putting out maybe a
> watt on SSB. It does the full 3.0 watts on CW. Also as previously
> reported, CW using the internal keyer is kind of messed up. It misses
> character elements and gets choppy at times. I didn't have time to
> try external keying with my bug but that will come in another test
> tomorrow.
>
> Jim - W0EB
> Park City, KS
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Jim Brown-10

Re: KX3 - First 2 meter CW contact

On Mon,12/1/2014 12:23 AM, Oliver Dröse wrote:
> Also thanks for our 10 m QSO last weekend! ;-) Did you use your KX3 or
> something bigger?

Thank you too. K3s driving 35 year old Ten Tec Titan amps (a pair of
each for SO2R) to legal limit (1.5 kW). 3-el SteppIR up 120 ft on 20-10,
wire dipoles up 140 ft on 80 and 40. Photos of SteppIR on qrz page.

73, Jim K9YC

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wayne burdick

Re: KX3 - First 2 meter CW contact

Administrator

In reply to this post by Oliver Dröse

Back from the holiday. I'll be looking at the compression issue again this week.

73,
Wayne
N6KR

On Dec 1, 2014, at 12:23 AM, Oliver Dröse <[hidden email]> wrote:

>
> Congrats Jim!
>
> Also thanks for our 10 m QSO last weekend! ;-) Did you use your KX3 or something bigger?
>
> Wayne did a great job with the new firmware, SSB output is up to almost 3 watts now but only with COMP off. As soon as you turn COMP on output power drops down to 1 watt again until you "turn all lights on", i.e. push COMP to a full 30. Even then output is only 2.2 watts then. Suppose Wayne will take a look at it again this week. Problem is it seems he cannot reproduce it while we have 2 units here showing the same behaviour. Doesn't make things easier but Wayne would not be Wayne if ... ;-)
>
> 73, Olli - DH8BQA

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Barry K3NDM

Re: KX3 - First 2 meter CW contact

Wayne,
With what Olli is doing and saying, what is going to happen to duty
cycle and heat dissipation needs?

Change of subject. The CQ WWCW contest was this weekend. When I got
on Friday night, 40 was filled to overflowing. My kx3 was hearing better
than, I infer, a lot of the DX stations. I could really hear through the
QRM. What a demo!

73,
Barry
K3NDM

On 12/1/2014 11:44 AM, Wayne Burdick wrote:

> Back from the holiday. I'll be looking at the compression issue again this week.
>
> 73,
> Wayne
> N6KR
>
> On Dec 1, 2014, at 12:23 AM, Oliver Dröse <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
>> Congrats Jim!
>>
>> Also thanks for our 10 m QSO last weekend! ;-) Did you use your KX3 or something bigger?
>>
>> Wayne did a great job with the new firmware, SSB output is up to almost 3 watts now but only with COMP off. As soon as you turn COMP on output power drops down to 1 watt again until you "turn all lights on", i.e. push COMP to a full 30. Even then output is only 2.2 watts then. Suppose Wayne will take a look at it again this week. Problem is it seems he cannot reproduce it while we have 2 units here showing the same behaviour. Doesn't make things easier but Wayne would not be Wayne if ... ;-)
>>
>> 73, Olli - DH8BQA
>
>
> ______________________________________________________________
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>