[Elecraft] K3 Power cal

[Don Wilhelm]

Jack,

Are you driving the K3 with enough audio?  You should have the audio 
input level set high enough to produce 5 to 7 bars indication on the ALC 
meter.
If you do not drive the audio sufficiently, the behavior will be exactly 
as you have said.
We usually encounter this situation in digital modes, but it is just as 
applicable to voice modes.

Yes, the Elecraft K2, K3 and KX3 are unique in how the power output is 
controlled - some commercial gear does it similarly, but AFAIK no other 
amateur transceivers do it that way.  The output power is measured and 
compared to the requested power level, then the drive is adjusted in an 
attempt to match the requested power.  If the audio drive is low, it 
will take some time to come up to full power.  The answer is to drive 
the audio to the level indicated in the manual - 5 to 7 ALC bars for 
voice modes, 4 bars with the 5th bar flickering for digital modes.  Note 
that the K3 "ALC" meter is both an audio level and an ALC indicator.  
Internal ALC does not begin until the 5th bar is illuminated.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 1/13/2014 9:39 AM, Jack Brabham wrote:
> I have the same problem with my K3 on AM and SSB.
>
> Particularly on the initial transmission the power ramps up slowly, 
> like over 5 to 10 seconds.   I went round and round with Elecraft 
> about this problem when the rig was new (#4175), sent it back to them 
> twice, and never got anything resembling an admission that the problem 
> exists.
>
> It is not consistent, sometimes it works as it should, and sometimes 
> it has the problem to varying degrees.
>