[Elecraft] [KX3] KX3 and Digital Modea (KM4VX)

[Gary Hawkins]

Hi Ron,

I've never run my KX3 on digital as it came out of the box but from the testing I've done I think you're going to struggle with digital until you add a third-party heatsink.  I installed the VE7FMN heatsink after experiencing overheating issues running SSB on 10m in California summer weather.  I subsequently got into JT65/JT9, and after doing the temperature calibration, the addition of the heatsink is allowing me to run at 10W on 20m and below.  Not sure whether this performance can be maintained on the higher frequency bands but at least I'm up and running.  I like the KX3 a lot - I've nearly 2000 portable SOTA contacts and I'm rapidly adding digital contacts from the home QTH but it's not perfect.  It's a radio that needs a little extra work.  IMHO for portable SOTA operation the SideKX by GEM Products is a must and a third party heatsink is a must for digital.  I'd love the radio if Elecraft had done this from the outset but they did not and fortunately some good third party suppliers have neatly solved a couple of significant shortcomings.

73's Gary K6YOA

    Message: 3
    Date: Mon, 20 Jul 2015 06:28:19 -0700 (MST)
    From: KM4VX<roncerra at earthlink.net>
    To:elecraft at mailman.qth.net
    Subject: [Elecraft] KX3 and Digital Modea
    Message-ID:<1437398899812-7605122.post at n2.nabble.com>
    Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

    I am on my second KX3, having sold the first one and then  find myself
    missing it.  However, I now find the KX3 routinely overheats in digital
    modes. Specifically, at just 5 watts on WSPR with transmission time of 2
    minutes (as regulated by WSPR software) the KX3 overheats "HI TEMP" at a
    minute and a half, resulting in a safety shutdown of the rig. This radio has
    a wonderful built-in digital capability, but digital appears beyond the
    rig's ability, save CW which is my main digital interest anyway.  I would
    like to use the KX3 occasionally on PSK, JT65 and WSPR without the absurdity
    of having to buy an after-market heat sink to replace a factory installed
    heat sink. There is no guarantee the after-market one is superior, and it
    shouldn't be necessary since a radio with a digital capability should not
    need some after-market accessory to enable the advertised digital mode. I
    wonder if anyone has found a firmware or software answer to the over heating
    problem. The overheating problem happens regularly in digital modes and I
    believe comments about the KX3 working correctly in digital are simply
    incorrect. This is not an antenna issue and not an SWR issue.
    Thanks Ron
    KM4VX