Radio and amplifier environmental specifications

[Bill Frantz]

I'm trying to specify what is needed for a radio room here at
the Rivermead continuing care community. If I place an amplifier
or a radio (K3 w/remote rig or a K4) in a shack near the
antenna, what are the environmental requirement for that shack?
What temperature range, since the minimum weather shelter might
range from -20F (-30C) to 100F (40C)? What about humidity?

I couldn't find a specification in my copy of the K3S manual and
I haven't tried the KPA1500/KPA500/KAT500 manuals.

Does anyone know the specs?

TIA & 73 Bill AE6JV

--------------------------------------------------------------
Bill Frantz        | There are now so many exceptions to the
408-356-8506       | Fourth Amendment that it operates only by
www.pwpconsult.com | accident.  -  William Hugh Murray

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[Nr4c]

I’ve figured if I’m comfortable the radio should be also.

Sent from my iPhone
...nr4c. bill

> On Jan 5, 2020, at 2:28 PM, Bill Frantz <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
> I'm trying to specify what is needed for a radio room here at the Rivermead continuing care community. If I place an amplifier or a radio (K3 w/remote rig or a K4) in a shack near the antenna, what are the environmental requirement for that shack? What temperature range, since the minimum weather shelter might range from -20F (-30C) to 100F (40C)? What about humidity?
>
> I couldn't find a specification in my copy of the K3S manual and I haven't tried the KPA1500/KPA500/KAT500 manuals.
>
> Does anyone know the specs?
>
> TIA & 73 Bill AE6JV
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------
> Bill Frantz        | There are now so many exceptions to the
> 408-356-8506       | Fourth Amendment that it operates only by
> www.pwpconsult.com | accident.  -  William Hugh Murray
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
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>
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[Gary Johnson]

I've never seen an operating temperature spec for any ham equipment. When we built our remote station (K3/KPA1500 in an insulated 20 ft shipping container), my main concern was not so much temperature as condensation. Moisture is a slow-motion disaster for unsealed, uncoated circuit boards. Ventilation can help, but there are times when everything is going to be soaking wet. And then there’s dust. So we added a Mitsubishi 1-ton mini-split heat pump with the sepoints pretty wide (55 and 80 F). It doesn't run much but the equipment is dry and clean. Themostat is a Nest, controlled from an app.

Gary NA6O

> Date: Sun,  5 Jan 2020 14:26:11 -0500
> From: Bill Frantz <[hidden email] <mailto:[hidden email]>>
> To: [hidden email] <mailto:[hidden email]>
> Subject: [Elecraft] Radio and amplifier environmental specifications
>
> I'm trying to specify what is needed for a radio room here at
> the Rivermead continuing care community. If I place an amplifier
> or a radio (K3 w/remote rig or a K4) in a shack near the
> antenna, what are the environmental requirement for that shack?
> What temperature range, since the minimum weather shelter might
> range from -20F (-30C) to 100F (40C)? What about humidity?
>
> I couldn't find a specification in my copy of the K3S manual and
> I haven't tried the KPA1500/KPA500/KAT500 manuals.
>
> Does anyone know the specs?
>
> TIA & 73 Bill AE6JV

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[Paul Evans W4/VP9KF]

I just went to Icom, Yaesu and Kenwood sites and they quoted operating
temperature ranges for all {amateur} transceivers. This was either under
a dedicated 'specs' area for each model or within the Owner's Manual
[PDF] for each rig.

73, Paul.
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[Ed Pflueger]

All of our Microwave Sites and telecommunications facilities were kept at 70
degrees and 50 percent humidity.  That was from Chicago to New Orleans,
Mobile and Kansas City.  I also had a 2 meter repeater here in Paducah and
it seemed to like the environment it was in.  Matter of fact that's the
parameters I keep my own home in.

Ed.. AB4IQ

-----Original Message-----
From: [hidden email]
[mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Paul Evans W4/VP9KF
Sent: Sunday, January 5, 2020 3:04 PM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Radio and amplifier environmental specifications

I just went to Icom, Yaesu and Kenwood sites and they quoted operating
temperature ranges for all {amateur} transceivers. This was either under a
dedicated 'specs' area for each model or within the Owner's Manual [PDF] for
each rig.

73, Paul.
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[Elecraft mailing list]

Probably the biggest limiter will be the LCD. LCDs do not like cold temperatures - anything below freezing can be a problem, but below 10 degrees they tend to stop working and turn black. Yes, the do recover when it gets warm - usually.

I wouldn’t want to subject my station to anything below freezing (or close, for that matter). But then I wouldn’t have moved from Silicon Valley to frozen New Hampshire either… ;-)
For the record, Bill and I are good friends - we are both WVARA and NCCC members, and we used to live just a few miles apart...

73!
Jack, W6FB

> On Jan 5, 2020, at 12:50 PM, Gary Johnson <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
> I've never seen an operating temperature spec for any ham equipment. When we built our remote station (K3/KPA1500 in an insulated 20 ft shipping container), my main concern was not so much temperature as condensation. Moisture is a slow-motion disaster for unsealed, uncoated circuit boards. Ventilation can help, but there are times when everything is going to be soaking wet. And then there’s dust. So we added a Mitsubishi 1-ton mini-split heat pump with the sepoints pretty wide (55 and 80 F). It doesn't run much but the equipment is dry and clean. Themostat is a Nest, controlled from an app.
>
> Gary NA6O
>
>> Date: Sun,  5 Jan 2020 14:26:11 -0500
>> From: Bill Frantz <[hidden email] <mailto:[hidden email]>>
>> To: [hidden email] <mailto:[hidden email]>
>> Subject: [Elecraft] Radio and amplifier environmental specifications
>>
>> I'm trying to specify what is needed for a radio room here at
>> the Rivermead continuing care community. If I place an amplifier
>> or a radio (K3 w/remote rig or a K4) in a shack near the
>> antenna, what are the environmental requirement for that shack?
>> What temperature range, since the minimum weather shelter might
>> range from -20F (-30C) to 100F (40C)? What about humidity?
>>
>> I couldn't find a specification in my copy of the K3S manual and
>> I haven't tried the KPA1500/KPA500/KAT500 manuals.
>>
>> Does anyone know the specs?
>>
>> TIA & 73 Bill AE6JV
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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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