[Elecraft] K3 key clicks

[Matthew Zilmer]

The K3 is the most click-free CW transmitter available on the market.  Better take a look at the 5000's receiver!

Matt Zilmer
Consultant - Product Management Dept.
Magellan Navigation / MiTAC Digital Corp.
Tel: (909) 394-6052
Cell: (909) 730-6552
In status quo voluntas non sufficit


-----Original Message-----
From: elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of William Hein
Sent: Thursday, December 13, 2012 11:24 AM
To: elecraft at mailman.qth.net
Cc: Larry Gerbaz; Jerry Fleck
Subject: [Elecraft] K3 key clicks

I am currently operating barefoot at my new-ish (moved here one year ago) QTH in Glade Park CO with a K3 and a Cushcraft vertical antenna.  (Much nicer antennas going up in the next few weeks and more power once I get 220V to the shack).

I have a neighbor, Jerry K0DU, who lives about 4 miles away and is an active contester.  We can see each other's QTHs from our respective shacks across a high elevation Colorado plateau.  Needless to say we have no trouble hearing each other.

I have noticed that I can get within 2-kHz of Jerry when he's operating CW with at full 1.5-kW output with no clicks or elevated tx noise.  I can see a giant signal on the P3 but can't hear a thing once I'm 2-kHz either side.  This underscores how nice the K3 rx is.  I have a full set of accessory CW roofing filters.

After the 10m test recently Jerry emailed me  "...(Jerry's guest op) came across you several times on CW... heard buckshot or key clicks out of the pass band of our receiver up & down the band"  This suprised since I had noted during the contest how close I could operate to Jerry.  And he was running his linear and I was operating barefoot.  Jerry has a FTdx5000 so I don't think poor selectivity or bad rx design is the issue.  I confirmed that Jerry's 5000 did not have the NB engaged during the 10m test.

What can I do to check my K3 for transmitted key clicks and other unwanted emissions?  How to do to eliminate same once I confirm the problem?  Frankly, I Jerry's transmissions don't bother me reciprocity didcates than my transmissions shouldn't bother him especially with an order-of-magnitude different to transmitted power.

The Cushcraft vertical (an R8) sometimes has high SWR spikes.  Since its being decommissioned soon and I've been running low power I haven't bothered to trouble shoot it.  Could this be contributing to the clicks/"buckshot"?

I'll run some tests with Jerry after I have a plan of attack.

73
Bill

-----
William Hein, AA7XT
(ex-AA4XT, NT1Y, AA6TT, KC6EDP)

AMSAT Life Member
ARRL Life Member
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1st W to OH0 QSO on 6m
1st North America to Asia QSO on 60m
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