[Elecraft] Using the PR-6 with K3 control

[Peter Chamalian W1RM]

If you have the PR-6 6-meter preamp and control it via your AUX like to turn
it on (when on 6 meters and off when not), and you have a KPA500 on the AUX
line and a KAT500 on the AUX line and you use a separate RX antenna
connected to the RX in on the PR-6 (yeah, lots of IF's) you may experience
what I have - the preamp not shutting off so it gets into the act on your
separate RX antenna with its own preamp.  What I experienced was artifacts
on cw signals and in some cases a Christmas tree like distortion that I
could see on my P3.

 

The good folks at Electraft support diagnosed the problem as the
configuration draws too much current for the pulldowns in the K3.  The fix
was to get a DB15 port extender (this one has all 15 pins with male on one
side and female on the other), break off pin 11 (which is easily done with a
small screw driver and bending that pin back and forth until it breaks).  No
not use the port extender that's provided with the KPA as it isolates your
TR line (unless you are already using it and have alternative means of
controlling the KAT and KPA key line).

 

Once done, the problem was gone.

 

I wanted to share this with the community in case someone else had a similar
configuration and was having this problem.

 

 

Pete, W1RM