[Elecraft] K3 Noisy fans?

[Stephen Prior]

I have certainly been surprised by folks who say they cannot hear their
fans.  I can (although they rarely come on) and I even had Gary send some
replacement units, but when I changed them over the improvement was not
great.  I've checked all likely reasons, it's not the sound of a fan
touching something. I wonder how genuinely quiet some people's shacks are.
If I had a Windows desktop PC on the desk alongside I'm certain I'd never
hear them, similarly if I had an amp running, or any other of the constant
sounds you just get used to until hit by the sudden quiet of a power cut!

To put things in perspective, the K3 fans are excellent compared with the
IC706 or IC7000 for example, where their noisy fans even cut in on receive!
So, it's all relative I suppose.

These days I almost always use open headphones (Sennheiser HD590) so it's
not really an issue- I can just detect the fans turning on whilst wearing
them.  On a different note, closed headphones (unless I'm on a plane) I find
claustrophobic, as if I have cut myself off from the rest of the world!

73 Stephen G4SJP

K3 #980
K2, KX-1


On 09/12/2008 18:27, "W7TEA" <gtuck at mac.com> wrote:

> 
> 
> When I received my factory built K3 last spring (#1001) I thought
> the fans were louder than I expected after reading about folks
> who had to physically check to see if there fans were on.  I could
> hear the fans start up through my headphones when PA temp hit 37C.
> I sent the rig back and the good folks traded out a few other fan modules
> and reported that the noise level was the same and appropriate.
> 
> I inquired about Elecraft changing fan suppliers. They said that had
> happened, but the new supplier's fans were as quiet.
> 
> So, I believe there are a variety of experiences.  My fans are not whisper
> quiet, but maybe I, too, have been spoiled by my TT rigs with external
> cooling fins and no fans.
> 
> Gary W7TEA
> 
> 
> I was trying to ferret out some weak signals on 160m when
> the cooling fans switched on, making it very hard
> to hear over the "whine" of the fans (or fan) even through
> the padding on my headphones.
> 
> Has anyone tried to quiet them down with vibration
> isolators, etc?
> 
> Charlie, N0TT