In this comprehensive guide, we delve into the intricacies of optimizing power settings for the Elecraft K3S and WSJT-X. From understanding the impact of power levels on signal quality to fine-tuning your setup for maximum efficiency, this guide provides invaluable insights and step-by-step instructions to enhance your digital communication experience.
I've activated two parks in Iceland since arriving 4 days ago - both times were first activations for those parks. It's been tough to put the camera down. Iceland is an amazing country and I'll have more to say about it later.Today's activation of IS-0092 Blábjörg Natural Monument was a lesson in Exceeded Expectations 101. Just when you think you can predict certain aspects of this radio stuff,
(This a rewrite as WordPress.com ate without leaving the least sign the first draft. Actually self-deleted several drafts and scheduled posts. Not helpful.) EDIT 9:30 AM June 4th – Seems Powerwerx takes speedy delivery to heart, as my order was just dropped off at my office! Alas I won’t be able to break into […]
(This a rewrite as WordPress.com ate without leaving the least sign the first draft. Actually self-deleted several drafts and scheduled posts. Not helpful.) EDIT 9:30 AM June 4th – Seems Powerwerx takes speedy delivery to heart, as my order was just dropped off at my office! Alas I won’t be able to break into… Continue reading Replacement Power Supplies
A quiet reminder to keep in touch with your friends and family. When people get old and/or take ill, it seems to come in waves. This week a cousin told family that cancer has spread into two areas and types of cancer, which puts things into uncharted territory for them. A friend’s wife who also […]
A quiet reminder to keep in touch with your friends and family. When people get old and/or take ill, it seems to come in waves. This week a cousin told family that cancer has spread into two areas and types of cancer, which puts things into uncharted territory for them. A friend’s wife who also… Continue reading Fading Friends and Family
Years ago, I owned a Yaesu FT-817, a fantastic transceiver that I even used as a mobile rig in my 1991 Ford Explorer. I have fond memories of using it during my ski trips to the Black Hills. With it...
A new set of paddles and an inductive helper for my 17-ft whip both rode shotgun with me for about an hour on a beautiful Florida morning.Everything about the kit made for a quick and easy set-up...and that is my goal: 2 minutes till "On The Air" and 2 minutes to "Back on the road".The KX2 is probably the 2nd fastest rig to put on the air, second only to the KH1. But its effectiveness (due to
There's a KX2 in that camera bag.I know you can see it...but the only thing airport agents see is camera gear.Nikon, Canon, Olympus...they all make camera gear - nothing to see here.After my trip to Ecuador last year, several people emailed to ask me about getting my gear through customs. Any problems?Ditto with a recent Caribbean cruise and a trip to Nova Scotia.My radio at the time was either
I have to be 100% honest, with you, my readers. When I did that activation of K-1635 Washington Rock State Park a few weekends ago, I was less than enthused with Elecraft's bipod holder for the AX1. Maybe I didn't set it up correctly, but it seemed a little bit wobbly and wonky to me. That plastic clip that holds the antenna is tight and secure for now; but after repeated use, I can't but help think that it's going to loosen up and become less secure. Elecraft does supply an additional one at the time you purchase the bipod, but ultimately, I think the contact area between antenna and clip is a not enough to be effective over the long run. ESPECIALLY when you add on the 40 Meter extender - there's just too much mass to rely on that little clip doing the job all on its lonesome.
Sometime during that next week, while thinking if I could come up with a better solution myself, a little voice in my head said "Google is your friend". I proceeded to Google "AX1 antenna holder" and that led me to https://tufteln.com/ which is owned and operated by Joshua Ellis, N5FY. it was there that I saw and purchased his idea of what an AX1 holder should be. His solution was a lot more elegant than anything I could dream up.
It's a product of 3d printing. The selling price was quite reasonable and shipping was faster than I would have expected. If you're like me, and you're not quite 100% satisfied with the Elecraft solution, do yourself a favor and go over to Josh's webpage. Besides this antenna holder, he has a variety of nifty products with the portable operator in mind.
It comes in two pieces for easy storage:
The cylindrical upright piece is threaded, as is the hole in the base. This is not a press-fit combo that will wear out after many uses. The two pieces screw together to mate securely.
This is what it looks like with the antenna in place. I like that the antenna is supported for a good length and not by that single contact point at the connector assembly.
In actual practice, I find it easiest to mount the antenna to the KX3 first and then slide on the holder.
The back right leg of the KX3 actually rests on the base, which adds to the stability. And the stand/holder disassembles easily enough and fits nicely in that zippered case that I acquired for the AX1.
Disclaimer - I have no connection with Josh, or TUFTELN.US - I'm just a satisfied customer and think that some of you out there might like his solution as well.
Among amateur radio operators, the Icom 7610 and Elecraft K3S radios stand out as popular choices, renowned for their superior performance and advanced features. Despite their impressive attributes, these radios can be further optimized by adjusting their SSB listening receiver...
I placed an order for a KH1 on October 20, when the shipping date was "4-6 weeks". Today is the 8th week with a new projected shipping date of mid-January.A big justification for placing the order was the anticipated ease of taking the tiny rig on a late December cruise and operating from one or two ports, or from the ship itself (we have a balcony cabin).Subsequent activity with the rig would be
A cheap 51" (130cm) telescoping CB walkie-talkie antenna and conditions on 10-15 meters gave me the idea to treat my KX2 like a KH1.Tuesday mornings can offer slow POTA activity but I was pleased with the results anyway from a peaceful little park about half an hour from home.The weather was perfect and this project served as the perfect excuse to be outside.In the following video, I made 10
I don't particularly care for the KH1's sidetone for two reasons:First of all, it sounds terrible and I find it to be reminiscent of a code practice oscillator I built as a kid.Second, there is no way to zero-beat a station based on how their pitch relates to your own sidetone.Neither of these reasons matter too much - the KH1 is a utilitarian radio designed for a specific purpose - quick
Big surprise after opening the Elecraft K3S! I bought this rig used off of Schulman Auctions. I love this radio, but I find it is not as easy to use or configure as the Icom 7300. Let me tell you...
I ordered a KX2 back in mid July - by mid-October, it had still not arrived...but an 'For Sale' ad was placed by a local ham for a 4-month old KX2 that he decided he didn't want. It had all the options I wanted and none of those I didn't.My order with Elecraft was quickly cancelled and the new-to-me KX2 was soon on its way.Today was my first outting - a POTA activation - with the KX2 and, man, I
I was lucky enough to catch Thomas K4SWL on his first activation with the new Elecraft KH1 - a CW-only rig for now but which will soon be capable of FT8 operation. Tom was operating from the Blue Ridge National Parkway in North Carolina, presumably with the KH1's built-in whip antenna. I was using a 1/4-wave vertical in Florida...
Hey there, Ham friends! If you're passionate about amateur radio, you'll be thrilled to learn about the latest addition to the world of ham radio gear: the KH1 Hand-Held 5-Band Transceiver. This pocket-sized wonder is taking the amateur radio community...
Elecraft K3: Upper trace is start of sidetone and lower trace is start of RF ~15 ms later.
An amateur radio transceiver is not a precision measurement device. This is apparent when it comes to measuring time for your own round-the-world signal or when characterizing Long-Delayed Echos (LDE). One cannot just substitute onset of sidetone for the actual start of transmission of RF. Similarly there may be an unspecified delay between received RF and start of audio output on the receiver side.
The main specification for ham radio transceivers is that the sidetone is synchronized with the keying. The delay to start of RF is only of secondary importance. All numbers should therefore be judged against the length of a dot which for instance at a morse code speed of 30 WPM is 40 ms.
The first image shows that start of the sidetone is about 15 ms before RF is transmitted in the Elecraft K3.
Elecraft K3: Upper trace shows RF and lower trace start of AF output some 35 ms later.
The second image shows that there is a delay of about 35 ms between RF is received and audio appears on the receiver side. This means that measurement of audio delay overestimates the value for RF delay by about 50 ms. It should be noted that in a transceiver with digital signal processing, especially the receiver delay will vary with settings. In the case measured here, the DSP was set for 50 Hz bandwidth.
Elecraft K2: Upper trace is start of sidetone and lower trace is start of RF ~4 ms later.
The Elecraft K2 without the DSP audio processor is a 100% analog transceiver and has much less delay. The delay from sidetone to RF is about 4 ms.
Second, the delay from RF to audio appears is about 8 ms giving a total of 12 ms additional delay to take into account.
Elecraft K2: Lower trace shows RF and upper trace start of AF output some 8 ms later.
I would expect other transceivers to have similar delays, that the delay will vary from one type of transceiver to the other, and even with settings of e.g. filter parameters for a single transceiver.
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