[Elecraft] K3 not recieving

[Vernon Mauery]

Yes.  I can see the S-meter go from 3-4 down with static down to
nothing with quieter static.  My best guess is that I am not trying
the right times at the right places.

Thanks to everyone for the help.

--Vernon N7OH

On Tue, Mar 8, 2011 at 8:12 AM, Ross Primrose N4RP <n4rp at aiko.com> wrote:
> 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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>
> --
> FCC Section 97.313(a) “At all times, an amateur station must use the
> minimum transmitter power necessary to carry out the desired
> communications.”
>
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