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Re: [KX3] KX3 Setup For Contesting?

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Jeff Kinzli N6GQ

Re: [KX3] KX3 Setup For Contesting?

Being an avid contester, and having used the KX3 in numerous contests
already (both stateside and as a DX station), I think it makes a great
contest radio.

One of the first things I'd suggest is considering trying it on CW rather
than SSB. If you don't know CW, this is a great time to learn, and I think
you'll find its a LOT easier to make QSOs on CW as opposed to SSB when
conditions are not excellent. On CW, with very modest antennas, I can work
stuff in the noise with my KX3 and 10w, but on SSB, they have to be strong
in most cases before I can make a QSO.

I'd also strongly recommend ditching the /QRP piece. When I'm running a
pileup, the last thing I want to hear is /QRP or /MOBILE - those are
irrelevant to the contest, and actually, IMHO, hamper your ability to make
the QSO. As previously stated, the idea is to make lots of QSOs fast, and
so to be efficient, you want to send what's relevant and necessary, not
extraneous stuff, like /QRP, /MOBILE, "please copy...", "thanks for the new
one", or any of that. For any DX station, the band is only open for a
finite amount of time, and if there's a pileup, ever extra word you or
someone else throws in is taking time away from other QSOs. That said, I'm
not trying to suggest that this is always the case, clearly there's times
when DX stations are calling CQ with no takers, and in those times clearly
the demand is much lower...

For antennas, as others have said, try to make them as efficient as
possible. This means full-size, resonant, and usually as high as possible.
Try to avoid shortened, compromise antennas, and try to avoid using the
antenna tuner if you can. If you can get some directionality that will help
too. Of course, if you are limited in $ or other factors, its hard to beat
a dipole 1/2 wavelength high or higher for bang for the buck.

The KX3 is a pretty easy radio to operate - not a lot of tweaking is needed
to make it functional - mic gain settings, compression settings, and
equalizer settings will help, and in those cases the archives are full of
suggestions, but try to minimize the lower bass frequencies with the
equalizer, as those are essentially wasting the small amount of power you
have.

Have fun though and put your time in, and you'll find your way!

73 de N6GQ, aka YN2AA, 9H3ZZ, SV5/N6GQ, etc., etc.

On Tue, Jul 2, 2013 at 4:42 AM, Aaron Melton <[hidden email]> wrote:

> **
>
>
> [Cross-posting between KX3 Yahoo Group & Elecraft mailing list.]
>
> Hi all,
>
> I'm sure at least a few of you read this email to see if this was a
> joke... :D
>
> I originally purchased a KX3 for portable ops, SOTA, etc. and it's been an
> awesome rig in that regard. However, I'd like to participate in a few DX
> contests from time to time and this is currently my only HF rig. I know
> that operating QRP means I'm getting clobbered more often than not by
> higher power stations, but is like to know if anyone else has any tricks
> they'd like to share?
>
> If you operate QRP (5 watts) during normal contests, what/how do you do?
>
> I have experimented with the mic gain and its currently set to 30 (which
> seems to provide the most power before detrimentally distorting my voice).
> I haven't touched this dial since week one.
>
> I've alternated adjusting the voice compression at times, but haven't had
> much opportunity to get feedback from another station on how well (or not)
> it might improve cutting through the noise.
>
> I've been told that taking some of the lows out of my voice (EQ?) might
> help as well?
>
> Finally, I've started appending "stroke QRP" to the end of my call when
> contacting other stations. It doesn't make it more likely that I'll be
> heard, but if heard I find I usually receive preferential treatment.
>
> Have you any radio settings or techniques that would help a new(er) KX3
> owner and wannabe contester?
>
> Thanks!
>
> Aaron
> de KK4LOV
> __._,_.___
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george fritkin

Re: [KX3] KX3 Setup For Contesting?

I have a KX3. It is still 5/12 watts. Great TX audio, but most new radios have great TX audio. 5 watts in great conditions, you work the world. But if a 1500 watter lands on you, guess who the other end will hear W6GF Sent from Yahoo! Mail for iPad
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george fritkin

Re: [KX3] KX3 Setup For Contesting?

In reply to this post by Jeff Kinzli N6GQ

Let us be reminded that Field Day is not a contest! George, W6GF Sent from Yahoo! Mail for iPad
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Scotty Long

Re: [KX3] KX3 Setup For Contesting?

In reply to this post by Jeff Kinzli N6GQ

I said that and got laughed at...I beg to differ as it was key board to key board CW full contest mode rude operators on 20m...30 to 40+++ wpm CW... No casual fun operators it was full blow contest mode with everyone stepping on each other... Just saying ... This is from a rookie ham licensed about four years; that operates 99.9% other than optimal or nice operating conditions CW all the time not just ARRL Field Day...You definitely need a contest grade set up to compete in this non contest unless you work search and pounce during the full ARRL Field Day contest. My Elmer's have told me this as well, kinda sad. Try paper logging with a straight key or paddle running 22 wpm. Maybe the other bands in the novice portions of the bands were better??? Who passes messages on CW nets at 40+++wpm... If I ever run field day again and have to run keyboards I'll use PSK31 or just use the cell phone and call around...Not being negative just personal observations... please don't take it t
hat way... has it been this way from the beginning... ARRL does call it a special contest in some of their advertisements...

72/73

Scotty/NU0S

K1-4, #3206

Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE DROID

[hidden email] wrote:

 Let us be reminded that Field Day is not a contest! George, W6GF Sent from Yahoo! Mail for iPad
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Don Wilhelm-4

Re: [KX3] KX3 Setup For Contesting?

Scotty (and all),

Field Day is different things to different people. To some it is as it
was originally intended - an exercise in setting up a station in a short
time for simulated emergency conditions. To others it is a time to go
into the 'back country' and test out your latest homebrew transceiver
and portable antenna and see if you can make some contacts under adverse
conditions, and to others it is a time to get together with fellow club
members and have some socialization while making some contacts under
those simulated emergency conditions. For others it is a time just to
see if you can set up a station in the field (independent of power
mains) and make some contacts just to prove to yourself that you can do
it. Then there are the others who treat it as a contest - competitive
groups trying to see if they can muster the best score.

Pick whichever group you associate with the most and 'go for it'. With
folks of a like mind, Field Day can be a lot of fun as well as a test of
your ability to set up a station in the field and make contacts. There
is room for everyone, just pick your group with care. If you would
rather go it alone, I suggest trying class 1B with a battery powered QRP
station rather then trying to enter "contest' mode - just prove to
yourself that you can set up a station and establish communications
under simulated adverse conditions. That practice might come in handy
in a real emergency.

If you have a "Go Box" for emergency communications, try using just that
for Field Day and you will see just how effective your "Go Box" is and
make notes for what you need to add for the next time. Think emergency
preparedness and you will come back to the original intent of Field Day.

Yes, making contacts in crowded band conditions is an important part of
the process. While the "emergency" aspects in a real situation may not
involve battling QRM, it certainly could be battling QRN and other
distractions to communications. Confidence building in your capability
to provide communications under emergency situations is the goal no
matter how you wish to approach it.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 7/3/2013 7:24 PM, Scotty Long wrote:
> I said that and got laughed at...I beg to differ as it was key board to key board CW full contest mode rude operators on 20m...30 to 40+++ wpm CW... No casual fun operators it was full blow contest mode with everyone stepping on each other... Just saying ... This is from a rookie ham licensed about four years; that operates 99.9% other than optimal or nice operating conditions CW all the time not just ARRL Field Day...You definitely need a contest grade set up to compete in this non contest unless you work search and pounce during the full ARRL Field Day contest. My Elmer's have told me this as well, kinda sad. Try paper logging with a straight key or paddle running 22 wpm. Maybe the other bands in the novice portions of the bands were better??? Who passes messages on CW nets at 40+++wpm... If I ever run field day again and have to run keyboards I'll use PSK31 or just use the cell phone and call around...Not being negative just personal observations... please don't take it
t
> hat way... has it been this way from the beginning... ARRL does call it a special contest in some of their advertisements...
>
>

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Bill Frantz

Re: [KX3] KX3 Setup For Contesting?

Don is absolutely right. I enjoyed one field day as a 1C with a
total of 4 SSB QSOs. Most of my field days have been with the
West Valley Amateur Radio Association's operation. WVARA has a
bunch of avid contesters, so we have spent the last few years
looking for a sub-category where we might be able to break the
record score. This year we tried for the 9AB category. When the
results come out we'll see how K6EI and our GOTA call W6ZZZ came
out. We have set new records in previous years.

General advice for a high-scoring field day.

* Arrange antennas for minimum mutual interference.

* Use the best antennas/masts etc. you can get your hands on.

* Use Elecraft radios. :-)

* Check your radios with a spectrum analyser for spurious
emissions beforehand.

* Run QRP for the multiplier and reduced interference.

* Get good CW operators. CW is where the points are.

* Try slow speed CW. There are some OPs who can't go fast but
want QSOs.

* Try running when QRP. We had a CW op hold a frequency for 3 hours.

* Try for all those 100 point bonuses.

I did my first field day with this group several years ago and
came away with 4 major insights: QRP is a whole lot of fun,
digital is a whole lot of fun, contesting is a whole lot of fun,
and setting up a big field operation is a whole lot of fun.

I didn't find 20 hours of PSK operation during field day too
much different from the NAQP RTTY contest: same logging program,
same radio, about the same number of stations that didn't hear
me, just a different digital mode. Field day was just a much
longer operation.

Cheers - Bill, AE6JV

On 7/3/13 at 5:11 PM, [hidden email] (Don Wilhelm) wrote:

>Scotty (and all),
>
>Field Day is different things to different people. To some it
>is as it was originally intended - an exercise in setting up a
>station in a short time for simulated emergency conditions. To
>others it is a time to go into the 'back country' and test out
>your latest homebrew transceiver and portable antenna and see
>if you can make some contacts under adverse conditions, and to
>others it is a time to get together with fellow club members
>and have some socialization while making some contacts under
>those simulated emergency conditions. For others it is a time
>just to see if you can set up a station in the field
>(independent of power mains) and make some contacts just to
>prove to yourself that you can do it. Then there are the
>others who treat it as a contest - competitive groups trying to
>see if they can muster the best score.
>

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Bill Frantz | QRP: So you can talk about | Periwinkle
(408)356-8506 | the ones that got away. | 16345
Englewood Ave
www.pwpconsult.com | | Los Gatos,
CA 95032

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Jim Low man

Re: [KX3] KX3 Setup For Contesting?

In reply to this post by Scotty Long

It's a matter of semantics. This topic comes up every year.

ARRL can call it whatever they like, but if scores are posted in QST and
winners are announced in various categories, it certainly functions like
a contest.
If it walks like a duck...

73 de Jim - AD6CW

On 7/3/2013 4:24 PM, Scotty Long wrote:
> I said that and got laughed at...I beg to differ as it was key board to key board CW full contest mode rude operators on 20m...30 to 40+++ wpm CW... No casual fun operators it was full blow contest mode with everyone stepping on each other... Just saying ... This is from a rookie ham licensed about four years; that operates 99.9% other than optimal or nice operating conditions CW all the time not just ARRL Field Day...You definitely need a contest grade set up to compete in this non contest unless you work search and pounce during the full ARRL Field Day contest. My Elmer's have told me this as well, kinda sad. Try paper logging with a straight key or paddle running 22 wpm. Maybe the other bands in the novice portions of the bands were better??? Who passes messages on CW nets at 40+++wpm... If I ever run field day again and have to run keyboards I'll use PSK31 or just use the cell phone and call around...Not being negative just personal observations... please don't take it
t

> hat way... has it been this way from the beginning... ARRL does call it a special contest in some of their advertisements...
>
> 72/73
>
> Scotty/NU0S
>
> K1-4, #3206
>
> Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE DROID
>
> [hidden email] wrote:
>
> Let us be reminded that Field Day is not a contest! George, W6GF Sent from Yahoo! Mail for iPad
>