KX3 SWR change during a SOTA

[Mike Herr]

On a SOTA in Death Valley I noticed something strange. Using a buddistick,
I would touch up the SWR using the KX3 internal tuner. 1:1, ok, now
transmit. The SWR would jump up. It would take a couple of cycles to get it
to calm down again. Now thinking about it, When I first pressed the ATU
tune, I was not holding the rig, it was sitting on the ground. When I
started using the rig I had the head phones on and the paddle on my leg or
the mic in my hand. Likely those two things were affecting my "ground"
Anyone else see this? Now I need to go back out and experiment with it.;)

--
Mike Herr
WA6ARA
DM-15dp
Home of The QRP Ranch
______________________________________________________________
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

[W6ODJ]

Hi Mike,

Thinking of N6BT Tom Schiller's famous LBOTA demonstrations at Pacificon and elsewhere (Light Bulbs on the Air), I wonder if any one has a documented a case of HOTA (Ham on the Air):  Someone with no antenna other than themselves.  Maybe connect one side of the antenna to a stake in the ground and the other side to your belt buckle. Like Rudolf the RF-nosed reindeer.

Oliver
W6ODJ


On 6 Jan. 2013, at 11:02 AM, Mike Herr <[hidden email]> wrote:

> On a SOTA in Death Valley I noticed something strange. Using a buddistick,
> I would touch up the SWR using the KX3 internal tuner. 1:1, ok, now
> transmit. The SWR would jump up. It would take a couple of cycles to get it
> to calm down again. Now thinking about it, When I first pressed the ATU
> tune, I was not holding the rig, it was sitting on the ground. When I
> started using the rig I had the head phones on and the paddle on my leg or
> the mic in my hand. Likely those two things were affecting my "ground"
> Anyone else see this? Now I need to go back out and experiment with it.;)
>
> --
> Mike Herr
> WA6ARA
> DM-15dp
> Home of The QRP Ranch
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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

[Don Wilhelm-4]

Mike,

Do you have a good return path for the RF from the antenna?  If not,
then yes, your body and its coupling to earth will have an effect on the
tuning that will vary with power level.  A good counterpoise should cure it.
If that is not your problem source, then look for a connection problem
in your antenna system - a loose connector can cause that behavior - OK
at low power but not good when the power increases.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 12/6/2013 2:02 PM, Mike Herr wrote:
> On a SOTA in Death Valley I noticed something strange. Using a buddistick,
> I would touch up the SWR using the KX3 internal tuner. 1:1, ok, now
> transmit. The SWR would jump up. It would take a couple of cycles to get it
> to calm down again. Now thinking about it, When I first pressed the ATU
> tune, I was not holding the rig, it was sitting on the ground. When I
> started using the rig I had the head phones on and the paddle on my leg or
> the mic in my hand. Likely those two things were affecting my "ground"
> Anyone else see this? Now I need to go back out and experiment with it.;)
>

______________________________________________________________
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