[Elecraft] K3 portable SSB problems?

[Leigh L Klotz, Jr.]

I worked VP6DX on 20m today, SSB with about 50W to a Buddipole vertical
from a park in central coastal california.  The battery was a LiFePO4 pack
about the size of 10 AA's, and the mic was an electret headphone set that
I got for $10.

I heard they were on 17m and had no trouble raising VP6DX on 17m SSB but I
got reports of "transmitter problems."  I had some big toroids with me so
I wrapped 12 turns at the entrance to the mic/spkr jacks.  Other wires in
were the coax, the power (about 4") and a Palm Paddle, about 2ft.  I
turned the compression to 0, the power to 25W, and the monitor to 0, and
used PTT, but I still got a report of transmitter problems.

It's also possible that the battery was dipping causing the rig to FM; in
the past I haven't seen Elecraft rigs to be vulnerable to that, but I
topped up the battery anyway.  It's capable of delivering 14A continuous.

I'll go investigate when I can get back to the shack in a few days, but it
would be nice to work VP6DX again this weekend on the higher bands.

Has anybody used a K3 at medium power with a nearby antenna and found some
areas that need careful attention?  I've probably become lax by using low
power with my K2 in the field, so there may be something I'm overlooking.

73 es TNX,
Leigh/WA5ZNU