KX3 SSB operating notes

[wayne burdick]

Believe it or not, every once in awhile I get a break from firmware/
manuals/etc. and actually get on the air.

I was just listening on 40 m SSB this morning with the KX3 and decided  
to do a little experiment. I shut off the 13.8-V external power supply  
I usually use with the KX3, so the rig was running from the internal  
NiMH pack. I set power to 5 W, which the KX3 can deliver even with the  
supply voltage reading around 9 volts key-down. I located one of the  
many daytime nets on 40 m LSB, tuned up the internal ATU on my random  
wire (not on frequency, of course!) and checked into the net. No  
sweat. I got a 5-7 report from the net control station, a few hundred  
miles away, despite my electrically short antenna that's only 15 feet  
off the ground.

For this contact I was using a Radio Shack headset/mic designed for  
use with computers. It has two 3.5-mm stereo plugs, one for mic, the  
other for stereo audio. The sound quality is surprisingly good. One  
really nice thing about this particular headset is that I don't need  
to touch the MIC BIAS or MIC BTN settings that I use with the Elecraft  
MH3. I just switch to VOX rather than PTT.

Dual watch also comes in handy on 40-m LSB at this time of day. While  
I was listening to a net on 7268.5 with VFO B (in the right audio  
channel), I was tuning around looking for other nets or CQs +/- 15 kHz  
from this frequency with VFO A (in the left channel).

As I was writing this, the KX3's AUTO-OFF timer kicked in and shut  
down the rig, saving my batteries :)

73,
Wayne
N6KR

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[Barry K3NDM]

Wayne,
     I just sold my K2 to a friend so that I would have space for the
KX3 that should be coming soon. He's running 5-10 Watts with an antenna
in the attic that is really less than optimum, yet he's working all
sorts of DX with the reports you're getting from a net close by. Move on
up the spectrum to 15 and 17 and really do some gee whiz things. It
really is a lot of fun. And, like he says "It's like stealing home".

73,
Barry
K3NDM

On 4/20/2012 12:17 PM, Wayne Burdick wrote:

> Believe it or not, every once in awhile I get a break from firmware/
> manuals/etc. and actually get on the air.
>
> I was just listening on 40 m SSB this morning with the KX3 and decided
> to do a little experiment. I shut off the 13.8-V external power supply
> I usually use with the KX3, so the rig was running from the internal
> NiMH pack. I set power to 5 W, which the KX3 can deliver even with the
> supply voltage reading around 9 volts key-down. I located one of the
> many daytime nets on 40 m LSB, tuned up the internal ATU on my random
> wire (not on frequency, of course!) and checked into the net. No
> sweat. I got a 5-7 report from the net control station, a few hundred
> miles away, despite my electrically short antenna that's only 15 feet
> off the ground.
>
> For this contact I was using a Radio Shack headset/mic designed for
> use with computers. It has two 3.5-mm stereo plugs, one for mic, the
> other for stereo audio. The sound quality is surprisingly good. One
> really nice thing about this particular headset is that I don't need
> to touch the MIC BIAS or MIC BTN settings that I use with the Elecraft
> MH3. I just switch to VOX rather than PTT.
>
> Dual watch also comes in handy on 40-m LSB at this time of day. While
> I was listening to a net on 7268.5 with VFO B (in the right audio
> channel), I was tuning around looking for other nets or CQs +/- 15 kHz
> from this frequency with VFO A (in the left channel).
>
> As I was writing this, the KX3's AUTO-OFF timer kicked in and shut
> down the rig, saving my batteries :)
>
> 73,
> Wayne
> N6KR
>
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> Elecraft mailing list
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>
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> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
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[Kurt Cramer-2]

I run a K2/10 on a Southern AZ RACES Home Unit 75 meter SSB net every Saturday morning. I am heard by everyone in Southern Arizona. The main point of the net is to encourage stations to maintain and operate on a backup power source. I maybe 10 db weaker, but I have about 50 pounds less battery then the 100 watt stations. I check into a state wide RACES net on Sunday mornings and almost all stations copy me. I guess I think every Amateur should have a 10 watt station. Especially if they have more then one transceiver in their station. I admit I have the 100 amp for the K2 and several older vintage stations and a amp with a 3-500Z and I use them all at different times, but if I could only have one station it would be the K2/10.
Kurt, W7QHD    
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