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Problems with a 2m module on my KX3

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Jack F6AJW

Problems with a 2m module on my KX3

Hello Elecrafters!

I am not too happy with a 2m module I have just installed on my KX3: lot
of birdies, instabilities, microphone effects.

Any idea? Thanks in anticipation, 73's.

Jacques F6AJW
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vk2rq

Re: Problems with a 2m module on my KX3

The description below is a little vague, so hard to really comment.

- birdies: do you observe these with no antenna connected to the 2m SMA socket? On which frequencies? Is it consistent?

- instabilities: what exactly do you observe when you encounter one of these "instabilities"?

- microphone effects: I guess you probably don't mean microphonics. Maybe you mean some sort of RF pick by the microphone? Do you observe "microphone effects" when transmitting into a dummy load?

73, Matt VK2RQ

> On 8 Nov 2014, at 9:17 am, Jack F6AJW <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
> Hello Elecrafters!
>
> I am not too happy with a 2m module I have just installed on my KX3: lot of birdies, instabilities, microphone effects.
>
> Any idea? Thanks in anticipation, 73's.
>
> Jacques F6AJW
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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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Jack F6AJW

Re: Problems with a 2m module on my KX3

Hello Matt and all,

In fact, I performed my first tests using only a 144 MHz SMA whip
antenna directy on my KX3 and it was not a good idea at all (high SWR,
too close from KX3?)! Today, I put my KX3 +2m on a dummy load and it was
far better this way but I still have birdies especially near 144.300 and
385 (not checked else where yet) and as my main interest is weak signal
this is not good for me. I found that power was only 2 Watts using my
Bird 43 and 5W / 100 to 250 MHz slug; it is a bit low. I managed to make
a QSO with a guy about 40km away using a 3 el. Beam on my balcony (good
location here close to the Atlantic ocean) , starting with my IC-910H
and then switching to KX2+2m. I got good audio quality report in SSB.
S-meter indication was low (about S9 compared to 9+&( on my IC-910H
without amplifier. I put Preamp in service but may be I could put some
extra gain in the RX chain. KX3 is "leaking a bit" as I could hear it on
my IC-910H; useful in order to put both transceiver on the same
frequency ;-)

Tomorrow I will leave my vacation house in SW of France and move to
Paris for a few months there so I need to stop my tests on KX3 + 2m for
the moment. May be I will use it in Paris with a more decent antenna
that whip I used first (in fact I would need a ground plane attached to
KX3). I am affraid I will not manage to use KX3+2m the way I did long
time ago with my IC-202 and internal whip antenna!?

Any commentary or experience?

73's.

Jacques F6AJW/IN93EK

Le 08/11/2014 00:50, Matt VK2RQ a écrit :

> The description below is a little vague, so hard to really comment.
>
> - birdies: do you observe these with no antenna connected to the 2m SMA socket? On which frequencies? Is it consistent?
>
> - instabilities: what exactly do you observe when you encounter one of these "instabilities"?
>
> - microphone effects: I guess you probably don't mean microphonics. Maybe you mean some sort of RF pick by the microphone? Do you observe "microphone effects" when transmitting into a dummy load?
>
> 73, Matt VK2RQ
>
>> On 8 Nov 2014, at 9:17 am, Jack F6AJW <[hidden email]> wrote:
>>
>> Hello Elecrafters!
>>
>> I am not too happy with a 2m module I have just installed on my KX3: lot of birdies, instabilities, microphone effects.
>>
>> Any idea? Thanks in anticipation, 73's.
>>
>> Jacques F6AJW
>> ______________________________________________________________
>> 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]

Jack F6AJW

Re: Problems with a 2m module on my KX3

Typo: 9+15! Sorry!

Jacques F6AJW/IN93EK

Le 08/11/2014 21:15, Jack F6AJW a écrit :

> Hello Matt and all,
>
> In fact, I performed my first tests using only a 144 MHz SMA whip
> antenna directy on my KX3 and it was not a good idea at all (high SWR,
> too close from KX3?)! Today, I put my KX3 +2m on a dummy load and it
> was far better this way but I still have birdies especially near
> 144.300 and 385 (not checked else where yet) and as my main interest
> is weak signal this is not good for me. I found that power was only 2
> Watts using my Bird 43 and 5W / 100 to 250 MHz slug; it is a bit low.
> I managed to make a QSO with a guy about 40km away using a 3 el. Beam
> on my balcony (good location here close to the Atlantic ocean) ,
> starting with my IC-910H and then switching to KX2+2m. I got good
> audio quality report in SSB. S-meter indication was low (about S9
> compared to 9+&( on my IC-910H without amplifier. I put Preamp in
> service but may be I could put some extra gain in the RX chain. KX3 is
> "leaking a bit" as I could hear it on my IC-910H; useful in order to
> put both transceiver on the same frequency ;-)
>
> Tomorrow I will leave my vacation house in SW of France and move to
> Paris for a few months there so I need to stop my tests on KX3 + 2m
> for the moment. May be I will use it in Paris with a more decent
> antenna that whip I used first (in fact I would need a ground plane
> attached to KX3). I am affraid I will not manage to use KX3+2m the way
> I did long time ago with my IC-202 and internal whip antenna!?
>
> Any commentary or experience?
>
> 73's.
>
> Jacques F6AJW/IN93EK
>
>
>
> Le 08/11/2014 00:50, Matt VK2RQ a écrit :
>> The description below is a little vague, so hard to really comment.
>>
>> - birdies: do you observe these with no antenna connected to the 2m
>> SMA socket? On which frequencies? Is it consistent?
>>
>> - instabilities: what exactly do you observe when you encounter one
>> of these "instabilities"?
>>
>> - microphone effects: I guess you probably don't mean microphonics.
>> Maybe you mean some sort of RF pick by the microphone? Do you observe
>> "microphone effects" when transmitting into a dummy load?
>>
>> 73, Matt VK2RQ
>>
>>> On 8 Nov 2014, at 9:17 am, Jack F6AJW <[hidden email]> wrote:
>>>
>>> Hello Elecrafters!
>>>
>>> I am not too happy with a 2m module I have just installed on my KX3:
>>> lot of birdies, instabilities, microphone effects.
>>>
>>> Any idea? Thanks in anticipation, 73's.
>>>
>>> Jacques F6AJW
>>> ______________________________________________________________
>>> 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]
>