Elecraft

KX3 tx not getting out

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KF5TEU

KX3 tx not getting out

I set up two portable antennas, a Buddipole as a dipole and a Chameleon VL1 plus extended Mil pole vertical with 4 grounded radials. They are on a 52 ft. hill overlooking the Gulf of Mexico about 100 yds. away.
I receive on 6-80 fairly well ( lots of static though )and the internal ATU tunes below 1.5 on all bands.
I have tried transmitting on every band to every strong received signal but not one reply.
Don't know if I'm getting out at 10 watts or npt.
AGC cuts off much of the TX during TX down below 10 but some reads at or above 10.
Should I turn off AGC ,get closer to the antennas, move the antennas or just hook up my ICOM 7100 and send 100 W ?
UNUNs on both antennas, lots of coax feed line (100 ' Rg8u on Cham. ,nd 50' LMR 400 on Buddipole, set for 20M ) and antennas are on tripod or clamped to wooden rail.
This is a field portable exercise so no permanent mounts.
They are too close together but I am able to receive at S9.

73

KF5TEU

Bill
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Gil G.

Re: KX3 tx not getting out

Hello,

You should have no trouble getting out with 10W. Though, you are using a
"compromise antenna," and that might require a bit of patience... SSB or
CW? CW, no problem. SSB, again, patience. You mention using the ATU.. I
would suggest tuning your antenna without it, so you don't lose any
radiated power there. If you have 1.5 after tuning, your SWR has to be
pretty bad before tuning, and that might be why you're not getting out.
Using 10W with a short antenna, you really don't want to use a tuner.

I have a Buddistick, and I get out fine on 2W, but I have a 1:1 to 1.2:1
SWR without a tuner.

If there are trees around, you might want to try an end-fed. Shoot it up
a tree with a slingshot and a fishing weight and line. You can get one
up easily to about 60ft above ground that way..

In the mean time, turn off the ATU, tune your Buddipole and keep
calling, it will work just fine.

Gil.

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Barry K3NDM

Re: KX3 tx not getting out

In reply to this post by KF5TEU

Bill,
I don't understand why you should be having such bad luck. I have a KX3 feeding a number of antennas and get out pretty well. I check in to ECARS on 7255 KHz. NA1DX was just down in Aruba with his KX3 and a Buddipole. He worked most of the states and continents.

I would suspect that the problem is between the radio and the ether. Check and make sure that the coax is good, the SWR of the antenna itself is not too high >2.5:1, and that you are transmitting on the receive frequency; make sure that you are not set up for split operation. This latter point is something that has happened to me a few times. Nothing else comes to mind. My experience has been when the KX3 speaks, hams listen.

73,
Barry
K3NDM

----- Original Message -----
From: "Bill Haden" <[hidden email]>
To: [hidden email]
Sent: Monday, July 29, 2013 2:29:24 PM
Subject: [Elecraft] KX3 tx not getting out

I set up two portable antennas, a Buddipole as a dipole and a Chameleon VL1 plus extended Mil pole vertical with 4 grounded radials. They are on a 52 ft. hill overlooking the Gulf of Mexico about 100 yds. away.
I receive on 6-80 fairly well ( lots of static though )and the internal ATU tunes below 1.5 on all bands.
I have tried transmitting on every band to every strong received signal but not one reply.
Don't know if I'm getting out at 10 watts or npt.
AGC cuts off much of the TX during TX down below 10 but some reads at or above 10.
Should I turn off AGC ,get closer to the antennas, move the antennas or just hook up my ICOM 7100 and send 100 W ?
UNUNs on both antennas, lots of coax feed line (100 ' Rg8u on Cham. ,nd 50' LMR 400 on Buddipole, set for 20M ) and antennas are on tripod or clamped to wooden rail.
This is a field portable exercise so no permanent mounts.
They are too close together but I am able to receive at S9.

73

KF5TEU

Bill
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David Bunte

Re: KX3 tx not getting out

Bill -

I also suspect you have a problem between the radio and the ether. I am
currently vacationing in Central Florida. I borrowed a KX3 from a
friend... threw up about 125' of wire fed at one end through a 9:1 un-un.
The antenna is about 35 to 40 feet up at the feed point and the far end is
7' from the ground... not ideal by any means, but it went up in a matter of
minutes, and the trees are so dense here it is the best I could do. It has
been up for just under two weeks and I have worked 60 countries. I have
worked out of the US on 80-40-30-20-17-15-11 & 10 meters. Several of the
QSOs have included rag chews with ZL, JA, DL and others... many long chats
with US stations, and a tremendous amount of fun.

Keep trying different combinations and I wish you well.

73 de Dave - K9FN

On Mon, Jul 29, 2013 at 7:24 PM, <[hidden email]> wrote:

> Bill,
> I don't understand why you should be having such bad luck. I have a KX3
> feeding a number of antennas and get out pretty well. I check in to ECARS
> on 7255 KHz. NA1DX was just down in Aruba with his KX3 and a Buddipole. He
> worked most of the states and continents.
>
> I would suspect that the problem is between the radio and the ether. Check
> and make sure that the coax is good, the SWR of the antenna itself is not
> too high >2.5:1, and that you are transmitting on the receive frequency;
> make sure that you are not set up for split operation. This latter point is
> something that has happened to me a few times. Nothing else comes to mind.
> My experience has been when the KX3 speaks, hams listen.
>
> 73,
> Barry
> K3NDM
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Bill Haden" <[hidden email]>
> To: [hidden email]
> Sent: Monday, July 29, 2013 2:29:24 PM
> Subject: [Elecraft] KX3 tx not getting out
>
>
>
> I set up two portable antennas, a Buddipole as a dipole and a Chameleon
> VL1 plus extended Mil pole vertical with 4 grounded radials. They are on a
> 52 ft. hill overlooking the Gulf of Mexico about 100 yds. away.
> I receive on 6-80 fairly well ( lots of static though )and the internal
> ATU tunes below 1.5 on all bands.
> I have tried transmitting on every band to every strong received signal
> but not one reply.
> Don't know if I'm getting out at 10 watts or npt.
> AGC cuts off much of the TX during TX down below 10 but some reads at or
> above 10.
> Should I turn off AGC ,get closer to the antennas, move the antennas or
> just hook up my ICOM 7100 and send 100 W ?
> UNUNs on both antennas, lots of coax feed line (100 ' Rg8u on Cham. ,nd
> 50' LMR 400 on Buddipole, set for 20M ) and antennas are on tripod or
> clamped to wooden rail.
> This is a field portable exercise so no permanent mounts.
> They are too close together but I am able to receive at S9.
>
> 73
>
> KF5TEU
>
> Bill
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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
>

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drewko

Re: KX3 tx not getting out

In reply to this post by KF5TEU

Try a few CW transmissions such as "TEST DE KF5TEU KF5TEU AR" then
search your callsign on Reverse Beacon Network to see if any stations
have copied.

73,
Drew
AF2Z

On Mon, 29 Jul 2013 13:29:24 -0500, you wrote:

>
>
>I set up two portable antennas, a Buddipole as a dipole and a Chameleon VL1 plus extended Mil pole vertical with 4 grounded radials. They are on a 52 ft. hill overlooking the Gulf of Mexico about 100 yds. away.
>I receive on 6-80 fairly well ( lots of static though )and the internal ATU tunes below 1.5 on all bands.
>I have tried transmitting on every band to every strong received signal but not one reply.
>Don't know if I'm getting out at 10 watts or npt.
>AGC cuts off much of the TX during TX down below 10 but some reads at or above 10.
>Should I turn off AGC ,get closer to the antennas, move the antennas or just hook up my ICOM 7100 and send 100 W ?
>UNUNs on both antennas, lots of coax feed line (100 ' Rg8u on Cham. ,nd 50' LMR 400 on Buddipole, set for 20M ) and antennas are on tripod or clamped to wooden rail.
>This is a field portable exercise so no permanent mounts.
>They are too close together but I am able to receive at S9.
>
>73
>
>KF5TEU
>
>Bill
>______________________________________________________________
>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