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Missing dits (and dahs).

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Edward A. Dauer

Missing dits (and dahs).

Posts made here over the past week suggest that the problem of intermittent closure in the KX3's PDX3 paddle are fairly common. Until then I had thought only my fist was falling apart. I followed both sets of suggestions simultaneously and that seems to have solved the problem: open the paddle top as described in the on-line PDX3 instructions (without losing the spring), remove the pivot posts from the paddles, brighten the contact cylinders and the contact screws and the pivot posts with fine steel wool, spray everything with De-Oxit ($15 at Radio Shack), and reassemble. Done.

Ted, KN1CBR

-----Original Message-----
From: [hidden email] [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of [hidden email]
Sent: Monday, February 10, 2014 9:56 AM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Elecraft Digest, Vol 118, Issue 16

Send Elecraft mailing list submissions to
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When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
than "Re: Contents of Elecraft digest..."

Today's Topics:

1. Re: A confession (Gary NL7Y)
2. Re: A confession (Jim Lowman)
3. KX3: nearby noise post-mortem (Nicklas Johnson)
4. Re: A confession (Jim Brown)
5. Re: A confession (Mike Reublin)
6. Re: A confession (James Beitchman)
7. Re: KXPD3 Gold-plated contacts ? (Mark Petiford)
8. Re: KXPD3 Gold-plated contacts ? (Mark Petiford)
9. Re: KX3: nearby noise post-mortem (Matt Zilmer)
10. Re: KX3: nearby noise post-mortem (Nicklas Johnson)
11. Re: KX3: nearby noise post-mortem (Matt Zilmer)
12. Re: KX3: nearby noise post-mortem (Nicklas Johnson)
13. Re: KX3: nearby noise post-mortem (Matt Zilmer)
14. KXPA100 driving AL-800H (Al Sather)
15. Re: KX3: nearby noise post-mortem (Don Wilhelm)
16. Re: KX3: nearby noise post-mortem (Nicklas Johnson)
17. K2 bandwidth modification issue (Steve Garwood)
18. A confession (Chris Pickett)
19. Re: KX3: nearby noise post-mortem (Ralf Wilhelm)
20. Re: KX3: nearby noise post-mortem (Don Wilhelm)
21. Re: K2 bandwidth modification issue (Don Wilhelm)
22. Re: KXPA100 driving AL-800H (Al Sather)
23. Re: A confession ([hidden email])
24. HRD digital USB wire to K3/KPA500 lockup? (John Fritze)
25. Re: A confession (Ken G Kopp)
26. [K3] FSK RTTY Problems (Jim Miller)
27. Re: KX3: nearby noise post-mortem (Nicklas Johnson)
28. Re: HRD digital USB wire to K3/KPA500 lockup? (Joe Subich, W4TV)

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Message: 1
Date: Sun, 9 Feb 2014 16:14:50 -0800 (PST)
From: Gary NL7Y <[hidden email]>
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] A confession
Message-ID: <[hidden email]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

I want to thank all that replied to my OP for their perspectives. In fairness
to the ham's experimental spirit I plan to return my K3/P3 to the bench and
relearn the O/S.

It appears the Utility program's features are essential, and I need to
download and become familiar with that product. I own and have read Fred
KE7X's work as well.

I now clearly see the point of Elecraft's business model vs others. I too
went through the I-Y-K model evolutionary odyssey, and don't wish to repeat
those events.

Thanks for the sound advice from where experience counts,

73, Gary NL7Y

--
View this message in context: http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/A-confession-tp7583887p7583940.html
Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com.

------------------------------

Message: 2
Date: Sun, 09 Feb 2014 16:50:52 -0800
From: Jim Lowman <[hidden email]>
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] A confession
Message-ID: <[hidden email]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

Glad that the XYL claims it, although she isn't active at the time.

73 de Jim - AD6CW

On 2/9/2014 4:11 PM, Jim Brown wrote:
> On 2/9/2014 3:08 PM, Jim Lowman wrote:
>> Icom did the same with the IC-706 (the XYL has one of the originals).
>> They didn't even change the model number, only the suffix, and it's
>> on the third incarnation.
>
> And it's a nasty trash generator.
>
> 73, Jim K9YC

------------------------------

Message: 3
Date: Sun, 9 Feb 2014 17:06:13 -0800
From: Nicklas Johnson <[hidden email]>
To: elecraft <[hidden email]>
Subject: [Elecraft] KX3: nearby noise post-mortem
Message-ID:
<CA+ZptL=[hidden email]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8

Hi all,

I'm trying to make sure that I understand something kind of weird that I
ran across today; I hate resolving a problem without fully appreciating
everything that was causing it.

Since 10M was pretty active today, I thought I'd pop on, and since the
ground was nice and wet, I thought I'd give my "Home Depot" ground-mounted
vertical a go. (It's a vertical made entirely out of things you'd find in
Home Depot's plumbing, lumber, and window departments. I didn't have the
tape-measure radials connected today, just the ground stakes around it.)

Midway through the day I started picking up what looked and sounded like a
60Hz + harmonics buzz. I did not have a power supply connected to the KX3,
and I pulled all the other connectors from the computer to make sure I
wasn't getting some kind of ground loop hum. No dice.

To make matters more interesting if I backed the antenna connector halfway
off, such that the ground was no longer connected, the hum disappeared. I
started worrying that I was having some trouble with the local utility, but
decided I'd better rule out something in the house first.

Through the course of troubleshooting, I came to find the culprit was a USB
phone charger on the other side of the wall from the antenna, with the USB
cable stretched out across the floor. Unplugging it or disconnecting the
USB cable mostly made the noise go away (but not entirely, though there are
so many different power supplies and things inside the house, there could
be multiple sources of noise, too).

I mostly sorted the problem by winding the proximal end of the USB cable
about 6 times through a ferrite core, though a small amount of noise
remained just by virtue of the thing being plugged in at all.

Then I noticed that tuning up or down a few Hz had no effect at all on
where the noise showed up in the waterfall, which got me wondering if it
was a noise getting picked up in decoding. I set the RX SHFT setting to
8.0, and indeed, the noise disappeared entirely.

I don't completely understand the "why" part of what happened here... that
is to say, why did it change based on whether the ground side of the
antenna was connected or not, and why did changing the RX SHFT get rid of
it?

(?Also I note that the ground is particularly wet and conductive today,
which may or may not be a factor in why I noticed it today.)

Any thoughts?

Nick?

--
*N6OL*
Saying something doesn't make it true. Belief in something doesn't make it
real. And if you have to lie to support a position, that position is not
worth supporting.

------------------------------

Message: 4
Date: Sun, 09 Feb 2014 17:18:43 -0800
From: Jim Brown <[hidden email]>
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] A confession
Message-ID: <[hidden email]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

On 2/9/2014 4:14 PM, Gary NL7Y wrote:
> It appears the Utility program's features are essential, and I need to
> download and become familiar with that product.

While it's good to learn to use it, the radio will work forever without
it. The Utility program has three primary functions. 1) It will
automatically go to the Elecraft website, download the latest versions
of firmware, check what's in your radio, and allow you to update the rig
if it needs it. 2) It makes it easier to load CW memories and some
settings. 3) It allows you to save all of the settings in the radio so
if something breaks, you can restore your setup.

The P3 Utility has the additional functions that allow you to save
displays that you see on the screen.

As others have noted, these firmware updates expand the capabilities and
tweak the way things work. If you never did an update, things would
still work just fine, but you wouldn't have the new features.

Each product has its own Uitility -- the K3, the P3, the KPA500, and the
KAT500 -- and they all work the same. VERY easy to use. I typically open
up each one of them every 6 months to a year to see if there's anything
new. I have two complete stations, and it takes 30-45 minutes to do
everything.

73, Jim K9YC

------------------------------

Message: 5
Date: Sun, 9 Feb 2014 20:23:21 -0500
From: Mike Reublin <[hidden email]>
To: Elecraft Reflector <[hidden email]>
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] A confession
Message-ID: <[hidden email]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Keith -

Beta testing by definition means it may not be ready for prime time. That it's named a beta release is not an indication of sloppiness. In fact, I believe Elecraft has already done extensive unit testing, and user testing by a selected focused group. I look forward to each improvement, hoping someday to get my suggestion incorporated. I'd much rather spend a few minutes to get the latest model radio, than a few thousand dollars to do the same. I have only a K3 and P3, so can't comment about other products.

I have always loaded the betas when they come out, and have never had a problem. I also don't do a formal test protocol (since I retired, I don't have to any more).

73, Mike NF4L

On Feb 9, 2014, at 4:55 PM, XE3/K5ENS <[hidden email]> wrote:

> I don't get where it is being said that the K3 keeps turning into a new
> receiver every time
> a firmware release happens. There hasn't been any MAJOR improvements in the
> K3 for about
> 2 years. Sure minor upgrades have been made. Even one that only 1 person
> ask for????
> And now the KAT500 has been downgraded to less than what it was when
> released. The
> slow response time for reading frequency changes has dropped the tuner down
> a class or 2.
> And being without it for weeks while waiting for an upgrade was hard to
> take.
> I personally think Elecraft has been sloppy with firmware releases. Too
> many betas released
> to soon with too many bugs. That never happened 2-3 years ago. I say use
> whatever rig
> works for YOU! Enjoying your radio is the most important thing. Whatever
> radio that may be.
>
> Keith
>
>
>
> --
> View this message in context: http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/A-confession-tp7583887p7583937.html
> Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
> ______________________________________________________________
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------------------------------

Message: 6
Date: Sun, 9 Feb 2014 21:16:07 -0500
From: "James Beitchman" <[hidden email]>
To: <[hidden email]>
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] A confession
Message-ID: <B7B9FA9A8D11479EB940C0896F54E8E3@James>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Eric,

I think in your message copied below you come closest to expressing and
understanding the anxiety in Gary's mail. I am a loyal, frequent,
multi-mode user of my K3, but there is more to the hobby for many of us than
the latest software upgrades, software/hardware interface issues and bugs
that form the content of the majority of posts on this reflector. Complete
station automation through software and integrated hardware is not a goal
for many, including me, in the hobby. Although I do admit that I am
anxiously waiting for the K3/0 mini so I can remote from my home QTH to my
shack 100 miles away.

For me there is the joy putting my mind and hands to work finding the "bad
guy"(or guys) among the resistors, capacitors, inductors, Rube Goldberg
mechanisms and tubes of my 75A4 (a crystal set compared to the K3) and KW-1
(not KWS-1). With a complete schematic spread out in front of me, using
logic and measurements the precise function of every one of those hundreds
of discrete components is clear. The process of understanding, maintenance
and repair is far different from finding a software bug or resolving an
interface issue and equally as rewarding, I think.

And one more, not so subtle point: K3 + Drake L4B (1200W; $400 with a
month's work at the bench) + Johnson KW Matchbox (no, it doesn't suddenly
re-tune on its own; got to put hands on it, but getting it to stop arcing
over was a challenge; $100) yields an amplifier + tuner cost per watt of
$0.42. You can make that calculation with "other" amplifier/tuner
combinations that have a set of headaches that you can't fix yourself.

Perhaps now Gary's plaint and my, and others like me, more extreme deviation
from 2014 orthodoxy are more understandable.

There is fun for each of us in this hobby!

73,

Buzz

W3EMD

Message: 26

Date: Sun, 9 Feb 2014 13:13:28 -0800

From: EricJ <[hidden email]>

To: [hidden email]

Subject: Re: [Elecraft] A confession

Message-ID: <[hidden email]>

Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1"; format=flowed

I think I get Gary, too, on some points.

I almost gave up ham radio 8-10 years ago. The operating had become routine
and boring. DXing was indistinguishable from post card or stamp collecting
to me.

What changed it was a club member bringing a bunch of QRP rigs he had built
to a meeting. Among them were a Rockmite and a K1. Next day I ordered one of
each. Since that day, I have been as immersed in ham radio as any time in
the last 57 years I've been licensed. I've since added two K2's and a KX1. I
have no qualms about opening the cases of any of them and heating up the
soldering iron to try something, though most of my ham activities involve
sitting at the bench systematically working through the homebrewer's bible,
EMRFD, and learning to program PICs in Forth (tired of C...if I stop for
lunch I need to be retrained).

But I could never generate the same interest in the KX3 or K3. I've come
close to buying a KX3 based on the absolutely superb specs and incredible
reviews, but something's missing for me. I said the same about the first
luxury Japanese cars when I worked in that industry; superb engineering and
build quality, but they have no soul. The KX3/K3 kit builds are mostly
mechanical not electronic. And who really knows what's going on inside that
box beyond the block diagram which is all that is provided. I don't mean
this to be critical. I don't know what hidden things are going on inside
this computer I'm typing on either.

SDR, with its hidden computer circuits, is where RF and ham radio is going.
It's a very natural progression for Elecraft as one of the leaders in ham
radio. Nobody could last long in this high tech age sticking with thru-hole
QRP kits.

But there are people like Gary, and like me, who don't see the same radio
magic in SDR that others see. I work on everything from boatanchors (Viking
Ranger on the bench right now) to homebrew original design SMT and PIC
projects, so I'm not some old f**t longing for the good ole days. (OK, maybe
old f**t, but not the longing part) I love the new technologies, but I just
can't get behind a rig that really isn't meant to be opened up and tinkered
with.

Hats off to the Elecraft team for producing such technological wonders, but
also hats off to them for keeping more classic rigs like the K1 and K2 in
their product line.

Eric

KE6US

------------------------------

Message: 7
Date: Sun, 9 Feb 2014 18:27:07 -0800 (PST)
From: Mark Petiford <[hidden email]>
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KXPD3 Gold-plated contacts ?
Message-ID:
<[hidden email]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8

Tried to send the message below, but apparently my mail provider didn't actually send it.? See the post below if you are interested in accomplishing KXPD3 mod to correct intermittent operation.

Mark
KE6BB

From:?Mark Petiford<[hidden email]>
Sent:??Sun, ?Feb? ?9?, ?2014 at ?1?:?33? ?PM
To:?Heinz Baertschi <[hidden email]>; <[hidden email]>
Subject:?Re: [Elecraft] KXPD3 Gold-plated contacts ?

Re: Heinz Baertschi wrote> ...> BTW, some pictures of the mod done could be made available for publication> on the net.> ...There is a real nice set of photos showing the mod in the Yahoo Group (Files>KXPD3 Mod.), if you are a member of that group. If not, I have attempted to share them on Flickr:http://www.flickr.com/photos/22169464@N03/sets/72157640740273315/Be sure to click on the comments balloon for each photo for a short description.This is the simplest solution I have seen. I hope Flickr lets you see them. I am not very Flickr fluent. MarkKE6BB

------------------------------

Message: 8
Date: Sun, 9 Feb 2014 18:30:34 -0800 (PST)
From: Mark Petiford <[hidden email]>
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KXPD3 Gold-plated contacts ?
Message-ID:
<[hidden email]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8

OK, I give up.? Yahoo keeps making its mail clients fancier, but less useful.? It seems to have a mind of its own.? Here is the link that I was trying to send:

??????? http://www.flickr.com/photos/22169464@N03/sets/72157640740273315/

Mark
KE6BB

From:?Mark Petiford<[hidden email]>
Sent:??Sun, ?Feb? ?9?, ?2014 at ?6?:?27? ?PM
To:? <[hidden email]>
Subject:?Re: [Elecraft] KXPD3 Gold-plated contacts ?

Tried to send the message below, but apparently my mail provider didn't actually send it.? See the post below if you are interested in accomplishing KXPD3 mod to correct intermittent operation.MarkKE6BBFrom:?Mark Petiford<[hidden email]>Sent:??Sun, ?Feb? ?9?, ?2014 at ?1?:?33? ?PMTo:?Heinz Baertschi <[hidden email]>;? <[hidden email]>Subject:?Re: [Elecraft] KXPD3 Gold-plated contacts ?Re:? Heinz Baertschi wrote> ...> BTW, some pictures of the mod done could be made available for publication> on the net.> ...There is a real nice set of photos showing the mod in the Yahoo Group (Files>KXPD3 Mod.), if you are a member of that group.? If not, I have attempted to share them on Flickr:http://www.flickr.com/photos/22169464@N03/sets/72157640740273315/Be sure to click on the comments balloon for each photo for a short description.This is the simplest solution I have seen.? I hope Flickr lets you see them.?
I am not very Flickr fluent. MarkKE6BB______________________________________________________________Elecraft mailing listHome: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraftHelp: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htmPost: mailto:[hidden email] list hosted by: http://www.qsl.netPlease help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html

------------------------------

Message: 9
Date: Sun, 09 Feb 2014 18:37:22 -0800
From: Matt Zilmer <[hidden email]>
To: Nicklas Johnson <[hidden email]>
Cc: elecraft <[hidden email]>
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KX3: nearby noise post-mortem
Message-ID: <[hidden email]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Hi Nick,

RX SHFT is normally used to cancel the effects of AM detection of very
strong signals that blow by the mixer and enter the detector -
overload. Since enabling RX SHFT cured this 60Hz+harmonics problem,
it seems likely that you were copying a strong signal with little or
no modulation. You may have been hearing the transmitter's power
supply ripple.

Is your QTH near a broadcast station or military facility? I've come
across a similar problem once in a while when operating portable.
Usually, the signal comes out as station audio that can't be tuned
away from. A couple years ago, I had exactly the same symptoms (never
could explain the _what_ part) and RX SHFT was what I used to solve
it. It also works well on the OM down the street that operates with
all gain controls set to 11. :)

73,
matt W6NIA

On Sun, 9 Feb 2014 17:06:13 -0800, you wrote:

>Hi all,
>
>I'm trying to make sure that I understand something kind of weird that I
>ran across today; I hate resolving a problem without fully appreciating
>everything that was causing it.
>
>Since 10M was pretty active today, I thought I'd pop on, and since the
>ground was nice and wet, I thought I'd give my "Home Depot" ground-mounted
>vertical a go. (It's a vertical made entirely out of things you'd find in
>Home Depot's plumbing, lumber, and window departments. I didn't have the
>tape-measure radials connected today, just the ground stakes around it.)
>
>Midway through the day I started picking up what looked and sounded like a
>60Hz + harmonics buzz. I did not have a power supply connected to the KX3,
>and I pulled all the other connectors from the computer to make sure I
>wasn't getting some kind of ground loop hum. No dice.
>
>To make matters more interesting if I backed the antenna connector halfway
>off, such that the ground was no longer connected, the hum disappeared. I
>started worrying that I was having some trouble with the local utility, but
>decided I'd better rule out something in the house first.
>
>Through the course of troubleshooting, I came to find the culprit was a USB
>phone charger on the other side of the wall from the antenna, with the USB
>cable stretched out across the floor. Unplugging it or disconnecting the
>USB cable mostly made the noise go away (but not entirely, though there are
>so many different power supplies and things inside the house, there could
>be multiple sources of noise, too).
>
>I mostly sorted the problem by winding the proximal end of the USB cable
>about 6 times through a ferrite core, though a small amount of noise
>remained just by virtue of the thing being plugged in at all.
>
>Then I noticed that tuning up or down a few Hz had no effect at all on
>where the noise showed up in the waterfall, which got me wondering if it
>was a noise getting picked up in decoding. I set the RX SHFT setting to
>8.0, and indeed, the noise disappeared entirely.
>
>I don't completely understand the "why" part of what happened here... that
>is to say, why did it change based on whether the ground side of the
>antenna was connected or not, and why did changing the RX SHFT get rid of
>it?
>
>(?Also I note that the ground is particularly wet and conductive today,
>which may or may not be a factor in why I noticed it today.)
>
>Any thoughts?
>
> Nick?

------------------------------

Message: 10
Date: Sun, 9 Feb 2014 19:28:05 -0800
From: Nicklas Johnson <[hidden email]>
To: Matt Zilmer <[hidden email]>, elecraft
<[hidden email]>
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KX3: nearby noise post-mortem
Message-ID:
<[hidden email]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8

In this case the 'transmitter' was the switching power supply in a USB cell
phone charger plugged into an outlet in relatively close proximity to the
antenna (other side of the wall of the house).

The charger plugged in by itself put off a little noise. With the USB
cable plugged into it and stretched out across the floor, it put off a lot
more noise (until I added a ferrite to it). Unplugging the charger or
switching off the circuit breaker to that side of the house also would make
the noise go away (for the most part... but there are a lot of random
little cheap switching power supplies in the house that get picked up to
some degree).

?I'm a little stumped about how the noise put off by these little things
could be so strong as to blow past the mixer and get into the detector,
unless it's just the close proximity to the antenna (probably 2-3 feet).
There's little question that it was, though, given its lack of movement
when changing QRG (and this was USB) and the fact that it went away by
changing RX SHFT.

Extra weird is that it seemed to be getting picked up by the ground
connection (or maybe the cable shield).?

? Nick?

On 9 February 2014 18:37, Matt Zilmer <[hidden email]> wrote:

> Hi Nick,
>
> RX SHFT is normally used to cancel the effects of AM detection of very
> strong signals that blow by the mixer and enter the detector -
> overload. Since enabling RX SHFT cured this 60Hz+harmonics problem,
> it seems likely that you were copying a strong signal with little or
> no modulation. You may have been hearing the transmitter's power
> supply ripple.
>
> Is your QTH near a broadcast station or military facility? I've come
> across a similar problem once in a while when operating portable.
> Usually, the signal comes out as station audio that can't be tuned
> away from. A couple years ago, I had exactly the same symptoms (never
> could explain the _what_ part) and RX SHFT was what I used to solve
> it. It also works well on the OM down the street that operates with
> all gain controls set to 11. :)
>
> 73,
> matt W6NIA
>
>

>In this case the 'transmitter' was the switching power supply in a USB cell
>phone charger plugged into an outlet in relatively close proximity to the
>antenna (other side of the wall of the house).
>
>The charger plugged in by itself put off a little noise. With the USB
>cable plugged into it and stretched out across the floor, it put off a lot
>more noise (until I added a ferrite to it). Unplugging the charger or
>switching off the circuit breaker to that side of the house also would make
>the noise go away (for the most part... but there are a lot of random
>little cheap switching power supplies in the house that get picked up to
>some degree).
>
>?I'm a little stumped about how the noise put off by these little things
>could be so strong as to blow past the mixer and get into the detector,
>unless it's just the close proximity to the antenna (probably 2-3 feet).
> There's little question that it was, though, given its lack of movement
>when changing QRG (and this was USB) and the fact that it went away by
>changing RX SHFT.
>
>Extra weird is that it seemed to be getting picked up by the ground
>connection (or maybe the cable shield).?
>
>? Nick?
>
>On 9 February 2014 18:37, Matt Zilmer <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
>> Hi Nick,
>>
>> RX SHFT is normally used to cancel the effects of AM detection of very
>> strong signals that blow by the mixer and enter the detector -
>> overload. Since enabling RX SHFT cured this 60Hz+harmonics problem,
>> it seems likely that you were copying a strong signal with little or
>> no modulation. You may have been hearing the transmitter's power
>> supply ripple.
>>
>> Is your QTH near a broadcast station or military facility? I've come
>> across a similar problem once in a while when operating portable.
>> Usually, the signal comes out as station audio that can't be tuned
>> away from. A couple years ago, I had exactly the same symptoms (never
>> could explain the _what_ part) and RX SHFT was what I used to solve
>> it. It also works well on the OM down the street that operates with
>> all gain controls set to 11. :)
>>
>> 73,
>> matt W6NIA
>>
>>

Matt Zilmer, W6NIA
--
"Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will
spend the first four sharpening the axe." -A. Lincoln

------------------------------

Message: 12
Date: Sun, 9 Feb 2014 20:11:13 -0800
From: Nicklas Johnson <[hidden email]>
To: [hidden email], elecraft <[hidden email]>
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KX3: nearby noise post-mortem
Message-ID:
<CA+ZptL=sM8q_SOEpMqk-odqhh4o=iaJLhVYTpb6CBGD-=[hidden email]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8

I should have mentioned this specifically, but I was operating the KX3
strictly from batteries at the time.

Connecting a 13.8V source to it (one that was plugged into the house power)
didn't really change whether the 'buzz' was present or not.

?The only thing that changed it was either unplugging the offending power
supply, or de-energizing that circuit in the house (by tripping the
breaker).?

?I guess it's not impossible that the thing was putting off a lot more
energy than I thought, and I was picking up a lot of common-mode noise on
the cable shield-- a lot more than I thought I would/should.?

?Good ideas though.?

? Nick
?
On 9 February 2014 20:05, Matt Zilmer <[hidden email]> wrote:

> Hi Nick,
>
> After reading your reply, I think I have an idea.
>
> I've had the same problem in a mobile setting, where good grounds are
> scarce and there is a lot of transient noise around. If -somehow- the
> noise put off by the charger were to get onto the 12V line into the
> KX3, you might get this effect. I don't see how this could happen
> though.
>

--
*N6OL*
Saying something doesn't make it true. Belief in something doesn't make it
real. And if you have to lie to support a position, that position is not
worth supporting.

------------------------------

Message: 13
Date: Sun, 09 Feb 2014 20:18:23 -0800
From: Matt Zilmer <[hidden email]>
To: Nicklas Johnson <[hidden email]>
Cc: elecraft <[hidden email]>
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KX3: nearby noise post-mortem
Message-ID: <[hidden email]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

I'm puzzled by all of this, Nick. I'll think on it.

73,
matt W6NIA

On Sun, 9 Feb 2014 20:11:13 -0800, you wrote:

>I should have mentioned this specifically, but I was operating the KX3
>strictly from batteries at the time.

Matt Zilmer, W6NIA
--
"Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will
spend the first four sharpening the axe." -A. Lincoln

------------------------------

Message: 14
Date: Sun, 09 Feb 2014 20:58:05 -0800
From: Al Sather <[hidden email]>
To: [hidden email]
Subject: [Elecraft] KXPA100 driving AL-800H
Message-ID: <[hidden email]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

Greetings All

I am having a problem with my KXPA100 driving my AL-811H.

First what works

KX3 driving AL-811H no problems, and at 10 watts drive I get over 125
watts out, about what I expect.
KX3 driving KXPA100 no problems, and performs as advertised, and tested
to 90 watts.
KX3 using my KXPA100 to drive AL-811H which has out put pretty much as
expected (approx less that 40 watts in with more than 400 out)

It should be noted my all f/w etc. is up to date, and today I replaced
the power amp drivers with the most recent beta version. This did not
help, as expected. Also, the ATU in both the KX3 and KXPA are bypassed,
since there is a third antenna tuner in line to handle the high power
from the AL-811.

Now the problem! My Rx was attenuated from a S7-S8 signal to a S1-S2
while working the Elecraft SSB net this morning when the AL-811 is
keyed, even briefly (i.e just a dit).
Turning the 811H off and on or going from "opr" to "stand by" restores
the Rx to normal. While talking with the net, I was Txing nearly 500
watts, but needed to go from opr-stand by, to copy net control. Tx was
not affected.

I have carefully followed the suggested wiring by the KXPA100 user
manual as shown on page 14. If I use the Key line found on the KXPA100,
I still get attention of the Rx upon termination of Tx.

Up until today, the KXPA100 has performed flawlessly and a joy to
assemble and to operate.

My question is, ``Where may the fault lie``.
Changing the ``Opr`` status resets the attention in the AL-811H.
Suggests an AL-811 issue.
But, only when the KXPA is part of the circuit, Rx attenuation occurs.
Suggests and KXPA issue.
Or, these two amps just do not each other ;-(

If I set the power level, say to 2 watts, the KXPA should not fire as a
PA, but it is still part of the circuit, and Rx attenuation occurs.
Could there be a grounding isssue.

The KX3 is able to drive the AL-811 without issue.

Any suggestions as to what I can do next, or where should I look for an
issue.

Thank you
Al, ve7ear
[hidden email]

------------------------------

Message: 15
Date: Mon, 10 Feb 2014 00:01:09 -0500
From: Don Wilhelm <[hidden email]>
To: Nicklas Johnson <[hidden email]>, elecraft
<[hidden email]>
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KX3: nearby noise post-mortem
Message-ID: <[hidden email]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed

Nick,

I suspect your antenna ground stakes were not connected to the utility
entry ground rod with a #6 or larger copper wire. The earth creates
resistance between the antenna ground stake(s) and the AC ground in your
home.

Now, that USB phone charger power supply connects to at least the AC
neutral, which is in turn connected to the grounding point at the entry
panel. There is a lot of wire there to carry noise. That noise can be
induced as a voltage between your antenna ground and the electrical
system ground due to the resistance between the different ground
points. That "circuit" includes your coax shield, and is then carried
onto the board ground and enclosure of the KX3.

I strongly suspect that is the reason the noise was not heard when you
removed the coax shield from the KX3 is because the KX3 board and
enclosure grounds were then isolated from that 'sneak' circuit.

This is one minor reason that all ground rods should be connected to the
utility ground - in this case it was a noise producing inconvenience,
but in case of a fault in your home electrical system, a dangerous
voltage could develop between the two ground points. Bottom line -
connect all grounds to the utility entry ground for safety purposes, and
hopefully it can also reduce noise generated by devices in your home in
your received signal. Such ground rod connections are a requirement of
the National Electrical Code because it can be a safety hazard.

If the two grounds are more than 100 feet apart, then they do not have
to be connected for safety (according to NEC, but consider that if your
coax shield is connected to that remote ground stake and runs into your
home, the same safety consideration exists between your coax shield and
any AC grounding point, so in the case of antenna ground rods, they
should be connected no matter what the distance. NEC requires they be
connected using #6 or larger wire.

Certainly with the price of copper, it is expensive to connect the
ground rods, but what is the safety of your family or anyone who may be
in your home worth?

73,
Don W3FPR

On 2/9/2014 8:06 PM, Nicklas Johnson wrote:

> and I pulled all the other connectors from the computer to make sure I
> wasn't getting some kind of ground loop hum. No dice.
>
> To make matters more interesting if I backed the antenna connector halfway
> off, such that the ground was no longer connected, the hum disappeared. I
> started worrying that I was having some trouble with the local utility, but
> decided I'd better rule out something in the house first.
>
> Through the course of troubleshooting, I came to find the culprit was a USB
> phone charger on the other side of the wall from the antenna, with the USB
> cable stretched out across the floor. Unplugging it or disconnecting the
> USB cable mostly made the noise go away (but not entirely, though there are
> so many different power supplies and things inside the house, there could
> be multiple sources of noise, too).
>
>

------------------------------

Message: 16
Date: Sun, 09 Feb 2014 21:29:29 -0800
From: Nicklas Johnson <[hidden email]>
To: [hidden email], Don Wilhelm <[hidden email]>, elecraft
<[hidden email]>
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KX3: nearby noise post-mortem
Message-ID: <[hidden email]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8

That's a really good point, and in fact I have it on my 'to do' list to get the bonding done correctly. It's complicated by the ground rods being on the opposite side of the house, and the utilities running underground without an exposed ground stake by the utility box outside.

I think code also won't let me run conduit under the house in the crawl space, so it has to go around the outside of the house, and then somehow safely/correctly enter the utility box and connect to the utility ground bus.

I wonder if code allows the conduit to run through a garage, and if it'll be okay to run up the wall about 8' to get through it and be out of the way or if it's okay to run it along the roof line rather than along the ground (I think along the ground would be preferable)...

... Maybe it'll be best to hire someone to handle that part.

Definitely agree it needs to be done, and I've already been planning it out / waiting for a tax refund.

Nick

On February 9, 2014 9:01:09 PM PST, Don Wilhelm <[hidden email]> wrote:
>Nick,
>
>I suspect your antenna ground stakes were not connected to the utility
>entry ground rod with a #6 or larger copper wire. The earth creates
>resistance between the antenna ground stake(s) and the AC ground in
>your
>home.

------------------------------

Message: 17
Date: Mon, 10 Feb 2014 02:30:15 -0500
From: Steve Garwood <[hidden email]>
To: "[hidden email]" <[hidden email]>
Subject: [Elecraft] K2 bandwidth modification issue
Message-ID: <[hidden email]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Hello!

I am working on a K2, <3000 s/n in which I installed the K2 SSBCAPKT along with the 14 crystal kit.

Receive is working, audio level is low on the OP1 filter, normal on FL1, etc.
I have transmit, with good audio, however, no measurable power output or ALC reading.

I've been searching for something similar to this, no luck so far.....

It seems that the filter output is low, but functioning..... Alignment addresses adjusting BFO frequency, but nothing about output level.

I checked soldering again, but I have not made it any further than this....

Any ideas?

Thanks

73,

Steve, N0CZV

------------------------------

Message: 18
Date: Mon, 10 Feb 2014 10:29:49 -0000
From: "Chris Pickett" <[hidden email]>
To: <[hidden email]>
Subject: [Elecraft] A confession
Message-ID: <007EA2BDBDB947DFB83C34C81959B1E5@chrisshack>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Gary,

Take time out, study the manual learn to embrace the modern features and
play, play and play some more
to learn your way around. You have taken the tests, passed the exams etc so
practice what has been preached.

Get rid of the big rice box, keep the TS590s (best value on the ham market
today) for back up or field day.

Then just fall in love with your K3 - simples.

Very 73
Chris
M5LRO

---
This email is free from viruses and malware because avast! Antivirus protection is active.
http://www.avast.com

------------------------------

Message: 19
Date: Mon, 10 Feb 2014 12:02:40 +0100
From: Ralf Wilhelm <[hidden email]>
To: Nicklas Johnson <[hidden email]>
Cc: elecraft <[hidden email]>, "[hidden email]"
<[hidden email]>
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KX3: nearby noise post-mortem
Message-ID:
<[hidden email]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

My guess would be that the local oscillator of the KX3 (which is on the rx qrg) is emitted via the shield of the coax cable (common mode?) "received" by the charger's usb cable, modulated with the 60Hz by non-linearities in the charger and than re-emitted (maybe by the wiring a a whole) and then received by your antenna. If you turn on the 8khz shift, the re-emitted hum-modulated signal is 8khz away from your rx qrg and if you dissconnect the shield, the "antenna" that transmits the local oscillator is missing. Maybe a current mode choke close to the KX3 and one at the antenna's feed point will stop this from happen. Did you try to switch on and off the isolator amplifier in the KX3?

The mechanism is called "Ortssenderproblem" (local station problem) in german and means that every rf signal is detected by the wiring in the house, modulated by the 60Hz hum by the non-linearities and then re-emitted. With my indoor antenna and a funcube SDR, all signals consist of one "direct" and one re-emitted part and almost all signals I find are either 50 or 100 Hz modulated (sidebands about 40 dB down). I can even see the local oscillator of my battery powered KX3 (weak) and the 100 Hz sidebands.

When I got my KX3, I connected it to a piece of wire lying on the floor for initial testing and was having the same problem, but switching on the ISO amp in the menu solved it for me as did the 8khz feature and turning on the 10dB preamp.

Normally the antenna is far away from the wiring and the re-emitted signal is much weaker than the original signal, but if the only signal is the local oscillator, this is possibly not true and the fraction re-emitted by the wiring is stronger than the original local oscillator.

Greetings

Ralf, DL6OAP

------------------------------

Message: 20
Date: Mon, 10 Feb 2014 07:14:29 -0500
From: Don Wilhelm <[hidden email]>
To: Nicklas Johnson <[hidden email]>, elecraft
<[hidden email]>
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KX3: nearby noise post-mortem
Message-ID: <[hidden email]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed

Nick,

The wire should run outside. It can and should be buried. It does not
have to be down very far, but deep enough it will not be damaged by the
lawn mower or shovels if you should dig in that area.
A perimeter wire around the house would not be a bad idea either, it can
divert a lightning surge such that it does not punch a hole in the
foundation. If you are also using the wire for that kind of protection,
it should have a ground stake each place where the wire makes a turn -
lightning likes to move in a straight path.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 2/10/2014 12:29 AM, Nicklas Johnson wrote:

> That's a really good point, and in fact I have it on my 'to do' list to get the bonding done correctly. It's complicated by the ground rods being on the opposite side of the house, and the utilities running underground without an exposed ground stake by the utility box outside.
>
> I think code also won't let me run conduit under the house in the crawl space, so it has to go around the outside of the house, and then somehow safely/correctly enter the utility box and connect to the utility ground bus.
>
> I wonder if code allows the conduit to run through a garage, and if it'll be okay to run up the wall about 8' to get through it and be out of the way or if it's okay to run it along the roof line rather than along the ground (I think along the ground would be preferable)...
>
> ... Maybe it'll be best to hire someone to handle that part.
>
> Definitely agree it needs to be done, and I've already been planning it out / waiting for a tax refund.
>
> Nick
>
>
> On February 9, 2014 9:01:09 PM PST, Don Wilhelm <[hidden email]> wrote:
>> Nick,
>>
>> I suspect your antenna ground stakes were not connected to the utility
>> entry ground rod with a #6 or larger copper wire. The earth creates
>> resistance between the antenna ground stake(s) and the AC ground in
>> your
>> home.
>
>

------------------------------

Message: 21
Date: Mon, 10 Feb 2014 07:23:01 -0500
From: Don Wilhelm <[hidden email]>
To: Steve Garwood <[hidden email]>, "[hidden email]"
<[hidden email]>
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K2 bandwidth modification issue
Message-ID: <[hidden email]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

Steve,

How does the OP1 filter passband look when viewed on Spectrogram? It
should show a nice flat passband. If it has a dip or valley in it, look
for a bad connection on one of the capacitors or crystals.

What is the possibility that you damaged one of the thru-plated holes
when removing the old crystals and capacitors. Use the schematic to
determine 'which is connected to what' and check all those connections
with your ohmmeter.

You may also have a problem with T1 or T2 soldering or a poor solder
connection in the switching diodes or R-Paks. Re-flow the solder in
those areas with a hot (750 degF) soldering iron.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 2/10/2014 2:30 AM, Steve Garwood wrote:

> Hello!
>
> I am working on a K2, <3000 s/n in which I installed the K2 SSBCAPKT along with the 14 crystal kit.
>
> Receive is working, audio level is low on the OP1 filter, normal on FL1, etc.
> I have transmit, with good audio, however, no measurable power output or ALC reading.
>
> I've been searching for something similar to this, no luck so far.....
>
> It seems that the filter output is low, but functioning..... Alignment addresses adjusting BFO frequency, but nothing about output level.
>
> I checked soldering again, but I have not made it any further than this....
>
> Any ideas?
>
>

------------------------------

Message: 22
Date: Mon, 10 Feb 2014 05:54:19 -0800
From: Al Sather <[hidden email]>
To: george fritkin <[hidden email]>, [hidden email]
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KXPA100 driving AL-800H
Message-ID: <[hidden email]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

Hi George

I am keying the AL=811 from the key jack on the adaptor via the CAT-6
cable.
I also reinstalled the beta f/w files, for the KXPA, and it just
occurred to me to reintall the config file for the KX3.
I will do that after breakfast.

73, Al ve7ear

On 09/02/2014 10:02 PM, george fritkin wrote:

> Are you keying the al811h with the key jack on the kxpa100? That won't work
>
> George W6GF
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
> On Sun, Feb 9, 2014 8:58 PM PST Al Sather wrote:
>
>> Greetings All
>>
>> I am having a problem with my KXPA100 driving my AL-811H.
>>
>> First what works
>>
>> KX3 driving AL-811H no problems, and at 10 watts drive I get over 125 watts out, about what I expect.
>> KX3 driving KXPA100 no problems, and performs as advertised, and tested to 90 watts.
>> KX3 using my KXPA100 to drive AL-811H which has out put pretty much as expected (approx less that 40 watts in with more than 400 out)
>>
>> It should be noted my all f/w etc. is up to date, and today I replaced the power amp drivers with the most recent beta version. This did not help, as expected. Also, the ATU in both the KX3 and KXPA are bypassed, since there is a third antenna tuner in line to handle the high power from the AL-811.
>>
>> Now the problem! My Rx was attenuated from a S7-S8 signal to a S1-S2 while working the Elecraft SSB net this morning when the AL-811 is keyed, even briefly (i.e just a dit).
>> Turning the 811H off and on or going from "opr" to "stand by" restores the Rx to normal. While talking with the net, I was Txing nearly 500 watts, but needed to go from opr-stand by, to copy net control. Tx was not affected.
>>
>> I have carefully followed the suggested wiring by the KXPA100 user manual as shown on page 14. If I use the Key line found on the KXPA100, I still get attention of the Rx upon termination of Tx.
>>
>> Up until today, the KXPA100 has performed flawlessly and a joy to assemble and to operate.
>>
>> My question is, ``Where may the fault lie``.
>> Changing the ``Opr`` status resets the attention in the AL-811H. Suggests an AL-811 issue.
>> But, only when the KXPA is part of the circuit, Rx attenuation occurs. Suggests and KXPA issue.
>> Or, these two amps just do not each other ;-(
>>
>> If I set the power level, say to 2 watts, the KXPA should not fire as a PA, but it is still part of the circuit, and Rx attenuation occurs. Could there be a grounding isssue.
>>
>> The KX3 is able to drive the AL-811 without issue.
>>
>>
>> Any suggestions as to what I can do next, or where should I look for an issue.
>>
>> Thank you
>> Al, ve7ear
>> [hidden email]
>>
>> ______________________________________________________________
>> 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
>
>
> -----
> No virus found in this message.
> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
> Version: 2014.0.4259 / Virus Database: 3697/7079 - Release Date: 02/09/14
>
>

------------------------------

Message: 23
Date: Mon, 10 Feb 2014 08:01:24 -0600
From: [hidden email]
To: "[hidden email]" <[hidden email]>
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] A confession
Message-ID: <[hidden email]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

The major thing he alluded to, I agree with. Elecraft needs more stable firmware and displays.

I may be wrong but it seems there are too many instances of hiccups, bumps or whatever.

I have a friend looking to buy and did not recommend the k3 without those disclaimers.

73
Mike R

RIP- Mr 500. STP's Andy Granatelli from racing fans everywhere.

------------------------------

Message: 24
Date: Mon, 10 Feb 2014 09:31:24 -0500
From: John Fritze <[hidden email]>
To: [hidden email]
Subject: [Elecraft] HRD digital USB wire to K3/KPA500 lockup?
Message-ID:
<[hidden email]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

Anyone having this problem?

This is everything I can think of:

When running digital, my computer looses contact with my
K3/P3/KPA500/KAT500. In other words, DM780 stops working necessitating
shutting down HRD, pulling and re-plugging in the USB connection,
restarting HRD. Sometime the K3 is locked in transmit and needs to be shut
down too because I have no response from any of the buttons. It doesn't
seem to matter what power output I run. I will sometimes get an error
message about serial stopped working.

I am thinking this is an RF problem, but have not been able to locate and
solve it. I have wrapped multiple turns of the USB/serial cable on a mix
31 toroid, rechecked my house and antenna ground system. The antenna I am
using is a remote tuned vertical about 90 feet away with 35 ground radials.
Computer is a laptop (I have several with XP, W7 and W8) doesn't make any
difference which one I use.

The KAT500 has 2 antennas connected, the vertical and an OCF dipole (rarely
used). The tuner is only used when using the dipole. Is it possible there
is not enough isolation between the antennas?

All coax is RG8, except in the shack 8U for the interconnects between K3
and KPA500.

This problem doesn't happen when using FLdigi. But then I need to log
manually or am using N1MM in contests.

Shack is on the 2nd floor, grounded through the copper radiator system, and
jumpered to 2 separate ground rods in basement. All equipment is connected
to one common ground using 1 1/2" braid.

All rig interconnects are Elecraft. No 3rd party.

HRD is latest version.

I been scratching my head over this for several months.

--
John Fritze Jr
K2QY
[hidden email]
ACACES president 2014
Albany County RACES Radio Officer
ARES ENY DEC Northern District
Hudson Div. Asst. Director
Twitter: @k2qy
401 261 4996 (cell)

------------------------------

Message: 25
Date: Mon, 10 Feb 2014 07:32:44 -0700
From: Ken G Kopp <[hidden email]>
To: [hidden email], [hidden email]
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] A confession
Message-ID:
<CAD4CdTOgxWG8roS6JfX81u3beRFgcO8drXqeGdKXhvXh0c+D=[hidden email]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

Hmmmm ... My K3 (S/N 0056) has never missed a beat, so to speak.

Firmware updates have always gone smoothly. It sees heavy contest usage,
FD, and sometimes travels in an RV with "dirty" 12V / solar / wind power,
etc.

Could you elaborate about what you meant to say? "More stable firmware and
displays" and "Hickups. bumps or whatever" ... hard to be more vague than
that!! (;-)

You did your friend a disservice.

73 !

Ken - K0PP
On Feb 10, 2014 7:01 AM, <[hidden email]> wrote:

> The major thing he alluded to, I agree with. Elecraft needs more stable
> firmware and displays.
>
> I may be wrong but it seems there are too many instances of hiccups, bumps
> or whatever.
>
> I have a friend looking to buy and did not recommend the k3 without those
> disclaimers.
>
> 73
> Mike R
>
> RIP- Mr 500. STP's Andy Granatelli from racing fans everywhere.
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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: 26
Date: Mon, 10 Feb 2014 09:51:25 -0500
From: Jim Miller <[hidden email]>
To: Elecraft Reflector <[hidden email]>
Subject: [Elecraft] [K3] FSK RTTY Problems
Message-ID:
<[hidden email]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

Similar to others I had major problems with FSK-D RTTY with the latest beta
firmware this weekend on my K3 #1210.

I often found that my K3 didn't appear to recognize on the first attempt on
a band that the KPA500 was even present at all and instead put out the full
100W that I normally run when not using the KPA500. I hadn't seen this
reported by others. Needless to say the KPA faulted immediately on that!

I never really found a repeatable sequence that would set the power. I had
seen the note that power changes in TX or RX could be different so I
frantically tried either after reducing power into the teens after the KPA
faulted to huge overdrives.

I eventually found settings on each of 10 thru 80m that were somewhere
between 400 and 500w but never felt comfortable that something wasn't going
to go nuts.

FWIW, I normally run 500w or a bit more on RTTY with no problems at all
prior to this beta.

Eagerly awaiting a fix!!!

73

jim ab3cv

------------------------------

Message: 27
Date: Mon, 10 Feb 2014 06:52:20 -0800
From: Nicklas Johnson <[hidden email]>
To: Ralf Wilhelm <[hidden email]>
Cc: elecraft <[hidden email]>
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KX3: nearby noise post-mortem
Message-ID:
<CA+ZptLnH=BwCaVcCHDbvGE5eUzwsAmWzMBD9SC=[hidden email]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8

Now that you mention it, I did notice the buzz went away when I turned on
the preamp, but I thought it was just my imagination or that the static had
just become sufficiently loud that my own hearing wasn't responding to it
anymore.

? Nick?

On 10 February 2014 03:02, Ralf Wilhelm <[hidden email]> wrote:

>
> When I got my KX3, I connected it to a piece of wire lying on the floor
> for initial testing and was having the same problem, but switching on the
> ISO amp in the menu solved it for me as did the 8khz feature and turning on
> the 10dB preamp.
>
> Normally the antenna is far away from the wiring and the re-emitted signal
> is much weaker than the original signal, but if the only signal is the
> local oscillator, this is possibly not true and the fraction re-emitted by
> the wiring is stronger than the original local oscillator.
>

> Anyone having this problem?
>
> This is everything I can think of:
>
> When running digital, my computer looses contact with my
> K3/P3/KPA500/KAT500. In other words, DM780 stops working necessitating
> shutting down HRD, pulling and re-plugging in the USB connection,
> restarting HRD. Sometime the K3 is locked in transmit and needs to be shut
> down too because I have no response from any of the buttons. It doesn't
> seem to matter what power output I run. I will sometimes get an error
> message about serial stopped working.
>
> I am thinking this is an RF problem, but have not been able to locate and
> solve it. I have wrapped multiple turns of the USB/serial cable on a mix
> 31 toroid, rechecked my house and antenna ground system. The antenna I am
> using is a remote tuned vertical about 90 feet away with 35 ground radials.
> Computer is a laptop (I have several with XP, W7 and W8) doesn't make any
> difference which one I use.
>
> The KAT500 has 2 antennas connected, the vertical and an OCF dipole (rarely
> used). The tuner is only used when using the dipole. Is it possible there
> is not enough isolation between the antennas?
>
> All coax is RG8, except in the shack 8U for the interconnects between K3
> and KPA500.
>
> This problem doesn't happen when using FLdigi. But then I need to log
> manually or am using N1MM in contests.
>
> Shack is on the 2nd floor, grounded through the copper radiator system, and
> jumpered to 2 separate ground rods in basement. All equipment is connected
> to one common ground using 1 1/2" braid.
>
> All rig interconnects are Elecraft. No 3rd party.
>
> HRD is latest version.
>
> I been scratching my head over this for several months.
>
>
>

------------------------------

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End of Elecraft Digest, Vol 118, Issue 16
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