[Elecraft] FMT and KX3

Sat Apr 11 20:30:56 EDT 2015

Hi Mike

I will give you some hints to help you use the K3 and get closer results.
Let the K3 get well warmed up.
Tune in WWV at 15 MHZ in the CW mode with narrow 50hz filter.
Tune slightly high and tap SPOT.
The K3 should stop about 1 hz high in frequency.
Tune slightly low and tap SPOT.
The K3 should stop about 1 hz low in frequency.
Set the K3 to the 1 hz step in between the previous two steps.
If the K3 does not read 50.000.000 than go to the CONFIG menu and REF CAL.
Adjust the frequency a bit and go back and do the tests.
You should be able to get the high SPOT to stop at 50.000.001 and the low SPOT to stop at 49.999.999. Than the proper point should be set to 50.000.000.
The unknown frequency should be measured by high tap SPOT and note the frequency than low tap SPOT and note the frequency. The unknown frequency will be close to the frequency step in between those two spots.
This should easily get you within 2 hz of the unknown frequency.
You can use the SPECTRUM LAB program to get even closer. 
The only reason the KX3 can get slightly better is that it only has the VFO and no IF frequency while the K3 has both the VFO and IF. That means more math takes place in the transceiver but there is also error in propagation so the end result is the K3 and the KX3 should be close. If you do not use the SPECTRUM LAB program then the above procedure should be about as good as you possibly get using your equipment. 

I hope these ideas help you and others to make a good showing at the next FMT.

73 and good luck

Ken W0CZ   w0cz at i29 dot net

Sent from my iPad

> On Apr 11, 2015, at 12:49 PM, <ac5p at sbcglobal.net> <ac5p at sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> 
> We used just the K3 for FMT the first time.  About 3 Hz high on 40 and 80 and a bit over 5 Hz high on 20M.   Denis, W3FAY, apparently the same
> thing but did much better than me.  Maybe he will share his tricks with us?    Still am pretty impressed for first time.
> 
> 73, Mike  AC5P
> 
> 
> 
> On Saturday, April 11, 2015 11:08 AM, Kenneth Christiansen <w0cz at i29.net> wrote:
> 
> 
> Hi to the gang
> 
> The QST article on page 37 of the April 2015 edition looked interesting to me. I started out setting up and testing my K3 along with the free recommended Spectrum Lab software. This looked to work quite well and I expected to get better than ordinary results. Just for the fun of it I fired up the KX3 and to my surprise it did even better than the K3. I had run the temperature compensated frequency setup last year and I found it would go for hours and never move even 1 hz. I ran the FMT after helping teach the ham radio licensing test Wednesday evening. My results were +1.04 hz on 20, -0.14 hz on 40 and -0.77 hz on 80. This is unbelievable that I could do that well with no additional outlay of cash. The last time I tried this was with a Ten-Tec Omni D, a frequency counter, and several home brew cables to measure the VFO, BFO and AF signals. I made the requirements that time about 30 years ago but sure did not have the accuracy of this time with the KX3. 
> 
> I feel using the K3 on CW with the spot control and no computer would easily get good enough results to get listed on the FMT web page in the second most accurate group.
> 
> This is just one more example of how well these Elecraft rigs work. Thank you for the unbelievably great rigs.
> 
> 73
> 
> Ken  W0CZ  w0cz at i29 dot net
> 
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad
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