[Elecraft] Elecraft[K-3] K144XV

[Matt Zilmer]

I installed a production K144XV recently.  It's been in K3 #24 for
about 10 days, and there haven't been any real issues with it.

Mechanical installation went according to plan, and takes about 60
minutes.  There is one power pin that needs to be soldered down to a
pad on the RF Board to power the module.  This step take more time
than all the rest.

FM / SSB / CW all worked fine with only a minor calibration on the
WMTR MW.  It's a good step to follow, and it's referred to in the
assembly instructions.

On the air testing went well, with FM and SSB working first time and
no K3 transmit adjustments needed.  For most if not all users, adding
the K144XV is transparent from the op's point of view.  You just added
a band to the radio...  No hassle operating it.

The noise figure is extremely low (1.0 dB or less) with the
transverter, so with the K3 using it, it hears quite well.  As with
the other bands, you can pretty much receive with preamp off and RF
GAIN at one or two o'clock.

No weirdness on TX either.  Just good audio reports like with a
normally equipped K3.

Sensitivity is better than -125 dBm, and I think the MDS is perhaps 10
dB better than this figure.  My signal generator only goes down to
-125.  At this signal strength, you hear a readily discernable signal
(tone in my case).  I've worked quite a few stations > 40 miles out
with just a 3 element Yagi at 20 feet.  And that's using only the 10W
provided by the K144XV.

73,
matt W6NIA
K3 #24




On Thu, 07 Jan 2010 12:54:52 -0500, you wrote:

>Anyone installed the K144XV yet ?
>Comments
>
>     Phil K8MBY
>     # 609
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