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Strange power problem with KPA1500

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Carl Yaffey

Strange power problem with KPA1500

1. Select 20m
2. Go to 14.305 and select USB.
3. Press ATU Tune on amp.
4. Press tune on K3S and tune completes.
5. Select OPER on amp.
6. Speak into mic. Only see 100 watts on amp’s meter. Huh???
7. Change mode to CW.
8. Press key.
9. Power starts out at 100 and climbs up to 1300w or so.
10. Switch mode to SSB, speak into mic, and the meter shows proper power.

Carl Yaffey K8NU
Recording studio.
[hidden email]
614 268 6353, Columbus OH
http://www.carl-yaffey.com
http://www.grassahol.com
http://www.bluesswing.com

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Michael Blake

Re: Strange power problem with KPA1500

Carl, I suspect that the issue you see is not a KPA1500 issue. The same sequence takes place the first time you use the KPA500 each day. In fact I have seen the same issue with the K3s by itself with no amplifier. It takes mine a few words or short sentences to ramp up to whatever the K3s power has been set for. CW dits will start the process but it seems to take SSB voice to complete it.

After the power ramps up (a few seconds of ssb modulation) it will stay at that power level until the K#s has been powered down and turned back on. This is what I see on mine anyway as does another local K3s/KPA500 user.

It will happen EVERY TIME the k3s is first started for both of us. I believe we both have the mic and compression settings correctly adjusted but low mic levels or low compression will lengthen the duration of ssb modulation required to stabilize the output power.

I have seen this described several times on the reflector without having seen any explanation for why it might occur other than the method Elecraft uses for power control.

Michael Blake
[hidden email] <mailto:[hidden email]>

> On May 13, 2018, at 4:16 PM, Carl Yaffey <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
> 1. Select 20m
> 2. Go to 14.305 and select USB.
> 3. Press ATU Tune on amp.
> 4. Press tune on K3S and tune completes.
> 5. Select OPER on amp.
> 6. Speak into mic. Only see 100 watts on amp’s meter. Huh???
> 7. Change mode to CW.
> 8. Press key.
> 9. Power starts out at 100 and climbs up to 1300w or so.
> 10. Switch mode to SSB, speak into mic, and the meter shows proper power.
>
>
> Carl Yaffey K8NU
> Recording studio.
> [hidden email]
> 614 268 6353, Columbus OH
> http://www.carl-yaffey.com
> http://www.grassahol.com
> http://www.bluesswing.com
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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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Carl Yaffey

Re: Strange power problem with KPA1500

I hear you. In the case I described, the power NEVER comes up on SSB until I switch to CW and back to USB. Annoying.

> On May 13, 2018, at 4:31 PM, Michael Blake <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
> Carl, I suspect that the issue you see is not a KPA1500 issue. The same sequence takes place the first time you use the KPA500 each day. In fact I have seen the same issue with the K3s by itself with no amplifier. It takes mine a few words or short sentences to ramp up to whatever the K3s power has been set for. CW dits will start the process but it seems to take SSB voice to complete it.
>
> After the power ramps up (a few seconds of ssb modulation) it will stay at that power level until the K#s has been powered down and turned back on. This is what I see on mine anyway as does another local K3s/KPA500 user.
>
> It will happen EVERY TIME the k3s is first started for both of us. I believe we both have the mic and compression settings correctly adjusted but low mic levels or low compression will lengthen the duration of ssb modulation required to stabilize the output power.
>
> I have seen this described several times on the reflector without having seen any explanation for why it might occur other than the method Elecraft uses for power control.
>
> Michael Blake
> [hidden email] <mailto:[hidden email]>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>> On May 13, 2018, at 4:16 PM, Carl Yaffey <[hidden email] <mailto:[hidden email]>> wrote:
>>
>> 1. Select 20m
>> 2. Go to 14.305 and select USB.
>> 3. Press ATU Tune on amp.
>> 4. Press tune on K3S and tune completes.
>> 5. Select OPER on amp.
>> 6. Speak into mic. Only see 100 watts on amp’s meter. Huh???
>> 7. Change mode to CW.
>> 8. Press key.
>> 9. Power starts out at 100 and climbs up to 1300w or so.
>> 10. Switch mode to SSB, speak into mic, and the meter shows proper power.
>>
>>
>> Carl Yaffey K8NU
>> Recording studio.
>> [hidden email] <mailto:[hidden email]>
>> 614 268 6353, Columbus OH
>> http://www.carl-yaffey.com <http://www.carl-yaffey.com/>
>> http://www.grassahol.com
>> http://www.bluesswing.com
>>
>> ______________________________________________________________
>> 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]
>

Carl Yaffey K8NU
Recording studio.
[hidden email]
614 268 6353, Columbus OH
http://www.carl-yaffey.com
http://www.grassahol.com
http://www.bluesswing.com

______________________________________________________________
Elecraft mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:[hidden email]

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Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
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Bob Wilson, N6TV

Re: Strange power problem with KPA1500

In reply to this post by Carl Yaffey

Sounds like an ALC issue. Do you have CONFIG:EXT ALC OFF?

Also, do you have CONFIG:TUN PWR set to NOR or to a fixed low level?
Instead of switching to CW, what happens if you press OPER on the AMP, then
press (hold) the TUNE button on the K3? Then immediately try the mic?

Try setting CONFIG:EXT ALC to OFF and CONFIG:TUN PWR to NOR. Then power
the K3 OFF and ON using the power button on the radio to ensure that these
settings are actually saved (removing power by switching off power at the
power supply does not give the K3 a chance to save its current state or all
settings).

73,
Bob, N6TV

On Sun, May 13, 2018 at 1:16 PM, Carl Yaffey <[hidden email]> wrote:

> 1. Select 20m
> 2. Go to 14.305 and select USB.
> 3. Press ATU Tune on amp.
> 4. Press tune on K3S and tune completes.
> 5. Select OPER on amp.
> 6. Speak into mic. Only see 100 watts on amp’s meter. Huh???
> 7. Change mode to CW.
> 8. Press key.
> 9. Power starts out at 100 and climbs up to 1300w or so.
> 10. Switch mode to SSB, speak into mic, and the meter shows proper power.
>

Michael Blake

Re: Strange power problem with KPA1500

In reply to this post by Carl Yaffey

Yes, that is different Carl.

Michael Blake
[hidden email] <mailto:[hidden email]>

> On May 13, 2018, at 4:34 PM, Carl Yaffey <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
> I hear you. In the case I described, the power NEVER comes up on SSB until I switch to CW and back to USB. Annoying.
>
>> On May 13, 2018, at 4:31 PM, Michael Blake <[hidden email] <mailto:[hidden email]>> wrote:
>>
>> Carl, I suspect that the issue you see is not a KPA1500 issue. The same sequence takes place the first time you use the KPA500 each day. In fact I have seen the same issue with the K3s by itself with no amplifier. It takes mine a few words or short sentences to ramp up to whatever the K3s power has been set for. CW dits will start the process but it seems to take SSB voice to complete it.
>>
>> After the power ramps up (a few seconds of ssb modulation) it will stay at that power level until the K#s has been powered down and turned back on. This is what I see on mine anyway as does another local K3s/KPA500 user.
>>
>> It will happen EVERY TIME the k3s is first started for both of us. I believe we both have the mic and compression settings correctly adjusted but low mic levels or low compression will lengthen the duration of ssb modulation required to stabilize the output power.
>>
>> I have seen this described several times on the reflector without having seen any explanation for why it might occur other than the method Elecraft uses for power control.
>>
>> Michael Blake
>> [hidden email] <mailto:[hidden email]>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>> On May 13, 2018, at 4:16 PM, Carl Yaffey <[hidden email] <mailto:[hidden email]>> wrote:
>>>
>>> 1. Select 20m
>>> 2. Go to 14.305 and select USB.
>>> 3. Press ATU Tune on amp.
>>> 4. Press tune on K3S and tune completes.
>>> 5. Select OPER on amp.
>>> 6. Speak into mic. Only see 100 watts on amp’s meter. Huh???
>>> 7. Change mode to CW.
>>> 8. Press key.
>>> 9. Power starts out at 100 and climbs up to 1300w or so.
>>> 10. Switch mode to SSB, speak into mic, and the meter shows proper power.
>>>
>>>
>>> Carl Yaffey K8NU
>>> Recording studio.
>>> [hidden email] <mailto:[hidden email]>
>>> 614 268 6353, Columbus OH
>>> http://www.carl-yaffey.com <http://www.carl-yaffey.com/>
>>> http://www.grassahol.com <http://www.grassahol.com/>
>>> http://www.bluesswing.com
>>>
>>> ______________________________________________________________
>>> 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]
>>
>
> Carl Yaffey K8NU
> Recording studio.
> [hidden email] <mailto:[hidden email]>
> 614 268 6353, Columbus OH
> http://www.carl-yaffey.com <http://www.carl-yaffey.com/>
> http://www.grassahol.com
> http://www.bluesswing.com
>