[Elecraft] Need to select a dummy load for K3 TX calibration...(advice?)

[Wes Stewart]

In the good old days you would just build one.  Six 300 ohm 1W resistors in parallel between a couple of sheets of PC board, tin can lids or whatever, with a coax connector mounted on one side and the center conductor attached to the opposite sheet and you're done.

Older ARRL Handbooks showed something like this---at least my 1999 does---but the new-fangled ones assume that you will buy one.  Pity.

I assume you're in a hurry so go to HRO and get the MFJ, it will be entirely adequate, as long as they remembered to solder the connections inside.

Wes


--- On Tue, 2/23/10, Jeff Hall, W6EZY <w6ezy at arrl.net> wrote:

> From: Jeff Hall, W6EZY <w6ezy at arrl.net>
> Subject: [Elecraft] Need to select a dummy load for K3 TX calibration...(advice?)
> To: elecraft at mailman.qth.net
> Date: Tuesday, February 23, 2010, 11:13 AM
> Hello all,
> 
> I need help picking out a proper dummy load to use for
> calibrating my new
> K3.  HRO is just up the road and they carry some of
> the less expensive MFJ
> dummy loads -- would these be sufficient? Not looking to
> spend a lot of
> money, but don't want to buy junk either.  What
> factors should I consider?
> I'm assuming oil-cooled dummy loads are more robust, while
> air-cooled loads
> are more compact, but you have to be more careful when
> operating or they can
> burn up more easily.  The K3 manual says this is just
> a 5W test and I need a
> load with low VSWR from 160 to 6.  What is considered
> "low" SWR? Anything
> under 1:5?
> 
> If I can get by with the MFJ-260 for just $40, that sounds
> reasonable to me.
> 
> 73 de Jeff, W6EZY