Powering a K3s from a battery?

[Jim Brown-10]

On Thu,12/31/2015 4:34 AM, Kevin Stover wrote:
> IMD is not regulated

It is, as part of the wording of regulation of transmitted bandwidth,
but the wording doesn't include numbers. The regulation states (I'm
paraphrasing from memory) that the bandwidth of the transmitted signal
shall be no greater than required for the means of transmission. I've
served on the AES Standard Committee, and that's the sort of language
used to say that the signal should be as narrow as possible, but that it
is understood that through the years, it will be possible to make
narrower rigs, so it leaves out the number, which is a moving target.

Elecraft has pretty well set the standard for the bandwidth of a CW
signal, thanks to the careful control of the keying waveform, pretty low
IMD, and a design architecture that produces very low phase noise. In my
tests, I see the K3 as no cleaner than other rigs I've tested on SSB,
but significantly cleaner on CW, RTTY, and digital modes.

Important note: IMD strongly affects the bandwidth of a CW signal,
because CW is 100% amplitude modulation of a carrier by a square wave.
Square waves have an infinite number of harmonics, the strength of which
are related to the rise time of the CW keying (and NOT to CW SPEED). The
IMD of a gain stage that amplifies that signal WILL produce sidebands
(clicks). CW keying bandwidth can easily be measured using a spectrum
analyzer that has low enough resolution bandwidth. A P3 can do it, and a
P3 with SVGA has even lower resolution bandwidth. Likewise, an SDR with
suitable software can do it, and I'm planning to buy an ANAN 10E for
measurement only.

But the FCC Rules make the operator responsible for occupying the
minimum spectrum. So that means buying a rig that's clean in the first
place, giving the rig enough DC voltage, and not overdriving audio
stages and power amps.

73, Jim K9YC
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[Jim Brown-10]

On Thu,12/31/2015 3:07 PM, Ron D'Eau Claire wrote:
> The same is true for Ham rigs. It's perfectly okay to run an old Heathkit
> AT-1 or a 1930's homebrew rig with cathode keying today as it was back then,
> even though the keying bandwidth will be substantially greater than modern
> rigs.

WRONG!  The rule about bandwidth governs.

> The bottom line is to make sure the rig you have is being operated to
> produce the cleanest signal its design allows in the mode of operation being
> used.

The rule says NOTHING about the design of the rig. It speaks ONLY about
the means of transmission, which refers to the communications mode (CW,
SSB, FM, RTTY, PSK, etc.)

> That's why double-sideband amplitude modulation is still legal even though
> it requires more than twice the spectrum of an SSB signal and CW is still
> allowed even though SSB and the various digital modes provide the same
> information in yet smaller bandwidths.

WRONG. Double-sideband AM with a carrier is legal because it is a
DIFFERENT mode permitted by the FCC Rules.  (A3 is the FCC designator).
SSB is J3 if the carrier is suppressed. CW is A1.

73, Jim K9YC
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[Don Wilhelm-4]

Being New Years Eve, it is nostalgia time, and I think it appropriate to
discuss those antique stations.

If you want to hear how bad some of those antique transmitters were, do
listen tonight for SKN.
Bad chirps, bad keyclicks and lots of phase noise that spread the
signals out over a large portion of the band.
The bands today are more crowded than they were back then, and while it
is legal to use those antique transmitters and receivers, I do not think
it should be an everyday event.

Yes, I know several hams who are into 'boat anchors', particularly those
old AM transmitters.  Fortunately, that crowd concentrates on 80 meters
when the band is not full of signals, but listening with today's more
selective receivers and hearing signals in a 'net' so spread out and off
frequency, it amazes me that we were able to communicate easily back
then.  BUT we did, and had fun doing it.

I would not advocate using those transmitters and receivers in a contest
today, but they did work for us back then.  BTW, I was first licensed in
1955, so you can perhaps understand the advances in technology that I
have seen over the years.  There has been a LOT.

I have often considered building again my Novice transmitter which I
assembled from the article in the 1955 ARRL handbook (a 6CL6 xtal
oscillator and a 6146 final), but obtaining the parts is almost
impossible.  Can you find 1 1/4 inch diameter, 4 pin coil forms these
days?  Maybe, but they are prohibitively expensive, and the power
transformer is almost impossible to find although back then, they were
quite common because they were used in TV designs.

I pass by the flea market areas at hamfests and get enough of my
nostalgia satisfied by looking at those old transmitters and receivers
that I drooled over 'way back then' knowing that as a teen with limited
income I could never afford them.  I don't have time nor energy to
restore any of those 70 pound radios, nor does my hamshack have space
for them, so I look and marvel, but do not take any of them home with me.

I do have my homebrew receiver, a version of the HBR-16 and an old NC100
receiver that I may someday bring out of the attic and bring back to
operational status, but that is pretty far down on the priority list for me.

Enjoy SKN and listen to those old transmitters (and even listen on your
vintage receiver).  It is a telling story of the history of ham radio
and the gear available in the years gone by.

Happy New Year.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 12/31/2015 7:30 PM, Ron D'Eau Claire wrote:
> Sure the rules apply, and rules for spectrum bandwidth provide no numbers,
> saying only "... in accordance with good amateur practice."
>
> Right now, New Year's eve, there is an on air event taking place, Straight
> Key Night, that encourages the use of antique rigs on the air and is
> sponsored by the largest association of Radio Amateurs in the USA, the ARRL.
>
>
>

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[Grant Youngman]

I honestly don't understand why this keeps coming up, or what it has to do with Elecraft.

I'll operate my DX-40, or Viking II, or 100V or other vintage rig anytime and anywhere I please, thank you. These radios don't generally chirp wildly or have substantial phase noise. If phase noise is a concern, be concerned about some of the infamous 80's import all mode solid state, with a hundred tiny knobs, impressive looking expensive radios that could well clear out a band. Fortunately that junk doesn't show up very often.

A well built tube transmitter, vintage or not, is a good thing. A modern receiver is a great tool and we wail when it's S-meter reading is off by .01dB or it drifts 2 HZ or there's something wrong with a Windows driver or whatever.   A vintage one with a pair of 6V6s driving a large loudspeaker and an operating manual that doesn't require a search engine has character, soul, and audio that has to be heard to be believed, even if it can't read freq out to a few milli-hertz :)

And other than contest weekends, I keep searching and searching for crowded bands ...

Grant NQ5T

Sent from my iPhone

> On Dec 31, 2015, at 8:22 PM, Don Wilhelm <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
> Being New Years Eve, it is nostalgia time, and I think it appropriate to discuss those antique stations.
>
> If you want to hear how bad some of those antique transmitters were, do listen tonight for SKN.
> Bad chirps, bad keyclicks and lots of phase noise that spread the signals out over a large portion of the band.
> The bands today are more crowded than they were back then, and while it is legal to use those antique transmitters and receivers, I do not think it should be an everyday event.
>
> Yes, I know several hams who are into 'boat anchors', particularly those old AM transmitters.  Fortunately, that crowd concentrates on 80 meters when the band is not full of signals, but listening with today's more selective receivers and hearing signals in a 'net' so spread out and off frequency, it amazes me that we were able to communicate easily back then.  BUT we did, and had fun doing it.
>
> I would not advocate using those transmitters and receivers in a contest today, but they did work for us back then.  BTW, I was first licensed in 1955, so you can perhaps understand the advances in technology that I have seen over the years.  There has been a LOT.
>
> I have often considered building again my Novice transmitter which I assembled from the article in the 1955 ARRL handbook (a 6CL6 xtal oscillator and a 6146 final), but obtaining the parts is almost impossible.  Can you find 1 1/4 inch diameter, 4 pin coil forms these days?  Maybe, but they are prohibitively expensive, and the power transformer is almost impossible to find although back then, they were quite common because they were used in TV designs.
>
> I pass by the flea market areas at hamfests and get enough of my nostalgia satisfied by looking at those old transmitters and receivers that I drooled over 'way back then' knowing that as a teen with limited income I could never afford them.  I don't have time nor energy to restore any of those 70 pound radios, nor does my hamshack have space for them, so I look and marvel, but do not take any of them home with me.
>
> I do have my homebrew receiver, a version of the HBR-16 and an old NC100 receiver that I may someday bring out of the attic and bring back to operational status, but that is pretty far down on the priority list for me.
>
> Enjoy SKN and listen to those old transmitters (and even listen on your vintage receiver).  It is a telling story of the history of ham radio and the gear available in the years gone by.
>
> Happy New Year.
>
> 73,
> Don W3FPR
>
>> On 12/31/2015 7:30 PM, Ron D'Eau Claire wrote:
>> Sure the rules apply, and rules for spectrum bandwidth provide no numbers,
>> saying only "... in accordance with good amateur practice."
>>
>> Right now, New Year's eve, there is an on air event taking place, Straight
>> Key Night, that encourages the use of antique rigs on the air and is
>> sponsored by the largest association of Radio Amateurs in the USA, the ARRL.
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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 delivered to [hidden email]

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