[Elecraft] Calibrating the Oscillator and Other Start-Up Questions for K3

[KC2VNI]

All: I am happy to report that S/N 3823 now has been powered up. I am
following the following calibration steps on pages 65-66 of the assembly
manual for the low power (5W) configuration. My personal computer is not
working so I cannot connect the radio to a lap-top. I am doing all of the
calibration and set up by the radio and whatever firmware has been shipped
loaded in the radio.

Here are some questions:

1) I put the factory filter 2.7kHZ with offset of -0.82 in slot 3 and I do
not have any other filters installed at this time. I put the filter there in
case I want to add other filters later on. I set up the filter for bandwidth
of 2.7 assuming that 2.7 is given in units KHZ. Is this correct? Also, I
turned everything else for filters 1,2,4, and 5 off. Let me know if there's
something I'm missing. Some additional questions:

a) I set the receive filter enables to filter 3 in my case for all modes
USB, LSB, CW, etc.

b) What filter loss compensation should be used

c) I set the transmit filter selection to filter 3


2) Testing output with dummy load for transmitter gain: I used an MFJ load
and tied it to antenna input 1. I believe that I performed the test per the
instructions but the load did not feel very warm at 5W. Is this normal?

3) Reference Osillator Calibration: This seems to be the tricky 1. I have
the standard 5PPM oscillator. I do not have a frequency counter. So this
leaves me with Method 2 on page 50 of the operations manual. Now, in order
to zero-beat this, I would assume that I need to attach my antenna to the
radio. Here are questions:

a) Is my assumption correct about attaching the antenna to the radio?

b) What other parameters need to be adjusted (and what would good suggested
values be) BEFORE I attach the antenna to the radio? I am not only referring
to "set-up" parameters but other items that would interfere with my
operating the radio.

c) Should I place the K3 antenna tuner on when performing an oscillator
calibration? I would assume so to make the antenna match the transceiver

d) What should I use as a "strong broadcast station" at 10,15,or 20MHz? Does
anybody have a suggested frequency I should use? Would one of the signal
beacons used for propagation studies be a good referece? For what it's
worth, I am in the Southern NJ area and all I have been using is my local
repeater on 2M so I have NO idea as to what is or what is not a good
frequency to use.

e) Would I be better off purchasing the XG2 mini project in lieu of trying
to do oscillator calibration form a strong broadcast station for a reference
oscillator? OR would I be better off shipping the radio back to Elecraft and
having them do an oscillator calibration in the factory?

f) I had purchased the 100W power amp. It looks like I have to perform the
transmitter gain calibraiton again and there is a calibration of a
temperature sensor as well. Does the temperature sensor unit require
calibration equipment on my part? Do I have to use the latest firmware from
the website to make this work?

I realize I've asked alot of questions here. Any help would be appreciated.

73,

Steve de KC2VNI


 


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