K3 problems during Field Day

Posted by wa9fvp on Jun 25, 2012; 2:40pm
URL: http://elecraft.85.s1.nabble.com/K3-problems-during-Field-Day-tp7558120.html

If you received this several times, please accept my apologies.  It's been a while since I used
"Nabble" and I had problems up loading the image.


I'm not sure what software N2BJ was using but there was a complaint that the PC
software was doing something to the paddle.

The contest software sends a canned CW message thats stored as text and keys the
 K3 via the straight key input. The CW operator uses the paddle to send other
text.

I'm not sure exactly what was happening, there were 2 conflicting stories, the
operator claimed the paddle speed was changing.

My K3 was running the beta software version 4.51 and dsp 2.76.


My K3 was on 40 meters CW. The 20 meter operator was using a K2. He mentioned
that the K3 was transmitting "birdies" on 20 CW and they thought that it had
something to do with the switching power supply on the K3 that I provided.
They switched power supplies with an analog type but it didn't help.

My K3 is back in the shack and fortunatly I can run some test using another
receiver or a spectrum analyzer to check the spectral purity.

Here are the results;


When I transmit on 7.0644 I can receive a birdie on 14.060. The transmit power
on the K3 is 2 watts into a diapole 400 ohm ladder line and a home brew match
box. The Icom R8500 receiver is connected to my Hygain TH-11 beam. With 100
watts, the birdie is S5.

With a dead carried it sounds more like a buzzer than a birdie. It almost sounds
 like a bad TV antenna amplifier that transmits a drifting birdy on 6 meters but
 this doesn't drift.