[Elecraft] Cool your KX3 (fredem)

[Jim Brown]

On 5/2/2014 5:43 PM, Don Wilhelm wrote:
> IMHO, the heatsink is an improvement to the KX3 for those who do 
> continuous duty data modes and want to operate at power levels in 
> excess of 5 watts. 

Yes, and equipment cooling is always a good thing. However -- note that 
the KXPA100 provides power gain of 16 dB, so it takes only 2.5W from the 
KX3 to get 100W out.

Another point. Even a contester who constantly CQs doesn't transmit for 
more than 4-8 seconds at a time and listens for 2 or 3 (if he doesn't 
listen for at least that long, he's a poor operator), and if he's making 
QSOs, the other guy is transmitting half of the time. And RTTY is the 
only keydown contesting mode. Also, the WSJT family of keydown modes 
like JT65, JT9, PSK441, and so on, transmit for 48 seconds and listen 
for 72 seconds. Finally, if you're transmitting for more than a minute 
or two at a time with RTTY or PSK, the other operator is probably bored 
to death with your brag tape.

To me, the value of that extra heat sink would be to allow me to run the 
KX3 barefoot closer to 10W in those keydown modes. But for portable 
operation, the limitation is battery, not heat.

73, Jim K9YC