[Elecraft] K3 not recieving

[Ross Primrose N4RP]

Does the received noise decrease when you disconnect the antenna?

73, Ross N4RP

On 3/8/2011 1:06 AM, Vernon Mauery wrote:
> At the risk of exposing what a n00b I am when it comes to HF, I really
> need some help.  I recently (last month) purchased a K3.  First HF
> radio I have owned.  I got my license 2 years ago and have spent most
> of the time since playing with VHF.  I have been trying to teach
> myself CW and decided that it was time to step into the HF waters.  I
> studied, ogled, and dreamed of my ideal HF transceiver.  I finally
> found the K3 and having looked (at least a cursory glance) at all the
> others, I was sold.  I saved my pennies and purchased.  I also got
> myself a 43' untuned vertical antenna, balun, and radial wires.
>
> My setup: K3/100 has 100 feet of low loss 400 coax out to the 43 foot
> vertical on the hill in my back yard.  It has 8 25 foot radials and a
> 4:1 balun.  The K3 has the KATU3, KPA3, KTCXO3-1, KFL3A-400, and
> default 2.8KHz filters.  I assembled it and did followed the
> calibration instructions as well as I could.  I think I got
> everything, but obviously I missed something.  Or maybe I just need an
> elmer to tell me what to do.
>
> I cannot seem to find any signals that make the S meter go above a 3
> or 4.  I have the RF gain turned up a fair ways (mostly to the top),
> and I can hear static.  As I tune up some of the bands on SSB, I can
> hear a tone that changes higher in pitch as I tune up in frequency.  I
> have tried listening for CW, but I am hearing nothing as I scan
> through the bands.  I had a 10m horizontal dipole taped to my wall for
> a while until I found time to run the coax out to the back yard.  I
> had hoped that since it was resonant on the 10m band, maybe it would
> be able to pick up something, but it was no better (or worse) than my
> vertical.
>
> As far as I can tell, the radio seems to transmit.  I can see the
> power meter moving and the SWR meter moving.  The ATU seems to be able
> to find acceptable settings on most of the bands with the vertical.
> But I can't hear them.  You can't work them if you can't hear them,
> right?
>
> This is a desperate plea for help.  Is it the radio or me?  Please
> have pity on the n00b and walk me through my first HF contact.
>
> --Vernon N7OH
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