[Elecraft] [K3] New K3 User and New Ham

[Julius Fazekas n2wn]

Wes,

Do share your 30A "smart charger". It's easy enough to find information for
lower current chargers, but less so for something in this range.

cheers,
Julius


Wes Stewart wrote:
> 
> Steve, 
> 
> Congratulations and welcome.
> 
> I can't recommend a manufactured antenna since I make all of my own, which
> I encourage you to do eventually.  I do understand your desire to get on
> quickly, though and I suspect you will get a lot of recommendations, some
> better than others.
> 
> As to the battery, I use a Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) 92 AH battery made by
> East Penn Manufacturing and sold under their "Deka" brand.
> (http://www.eastpenn-deka.com/assets/base/0139.pdf) I have it on
> continuous charge via a home-built 30A "smart charger."
> 
> The charger to battery circuit (both wires) is fused at 30A and the radio
> circuit is fused at 25A.  In addition I use a "battery boost" regulator
> made by TGE (http://stores.tgelectronics.org/Detail.bok?no=11) to provide
> a constant 14.1V at the radio regardless of battery state, and the
> inevitable voltage drop in the wiring.
> 
> I can tell you that at the 100W level, without the charger running and the
> booster off, it doesn't take long before the K3 is beeping and warning
> about low battery voltage.
> 
> This system was put together for RV/Field Day use, but I also use it in
> the fixed location when the RV is in storage, even though I have an Astron
> RM-35 sitting right next to the charger.
> 
> Wes  N7WS
> 
> --- On Mon, 1/4/10, KC2VNI <steve at smarrano.com> wrote:
> 
> From: KC2VNI <steve at smarrano.com>
> Subject: [Elecraft]  New K3 User and New Ham
> To: elecraft at mailman.qth.net
> Date: Monday, January 4, 2010, 6:19 PM
> 
> 
> Folks: I am a new ham. I just purchased a K3 100W radio with an
> auto-tuner.
> Several basic questions:
> 
> 1) Wire antennas- Do you guys have suggestions for a multi-band wire
> antenna
> pre-made by someone like MFJ or similar that I could hang in a tree? 
> 
> 2) Battery based power: From speaking with the fellow from customer
> support
> from elecraft, a 100 Amp-Hr battery is what is required to operate at
> 100W.
> What type of battery do I use? Is sealed-lead acid acceptable? What size
> fuses do I want on the line running from the radio to the battery?
> 
> I recognize that this radio has orders of magnitude of capability that I
> don't understand yet. I also recognize that reading the manual will be of
> a
> help here. If you have further resources and/or suggestions, please
> advise.
> 
> 73,
> 
> KC2VNI.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>       
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> 


-----
Julius Fazekas
N2WN

Tennessee Contest Group
http://www.k4ro.net/tcg/index.html

Tennessee QSO Party
http://www.tnqp.org/

Elecraft K2/100 #4455
Elecraft K3/100 #366
Elecraft K3        #1875
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