[Elecraft] KX3 - CW - What's This Sound?

[Joel Black]

I'm not sure if I'm hearing a spurious emission or not.  As an example 
(and I know this may sound weird to some folks - that's just the way I 
am ;) ):

<The following paragraph is *not* the problem - it's what the problem 
sounds like to me.>
If I'm on a frequency and someone gets on a frequency pretty far away (I 
don't know how many kHz) I can hear them - I cannot figure out what 
they're sending, but I know they're there.  It's like I'm on the ragged 
edge of their transmit bandwidth.

I'm beginning to hear that on my KX3 and it's me.  I'm not sure if it's 
a spurious emission or what it is.  Last night I heard it and it was 
almost like an echo (not long path), but I could hear tones. I thought 
someone was calling me.  I'd stop and listen - nothing. I'd send ? - 
nothing.

This morning, that sound is different.  It's more like someone is not on 
frequency but they're sending CW and I'm at the edge of their transmit 
bandwidth or just past it.  I can hear it and I know it's there, but I 
cannot make it out.  This happens with a key or my bug.  After figuring 
out I was hearing myself, I had initially thought it was my sending on 
the bug or something I had out of adjustment, but it doesn't appear to 
be that.

I tested on the vertical, inverted vee, and dummy load.  I heard it on 
both antennas, but not the dummy load.  I tried it with the ATU in auto 
and bypass with the same results.  I am not using CW in SSB - I am in CW 
mode.

I tested with my K3 at the same power level using the vertical, inverted 
vee, and dummy load.  I did not hear it on any of the three.

The firmware I'm using is 1.54.

I cannot tell you how long this has been going on.  I just recently took 
the KX3 out of the Pelican box and started playing around with it in the 
shack some more.  It may have been doing it a while, it may have just 
started with 1.54, I have no idea.

73,
Joel - W4JBB