[Elecraft] K3 output power spikes

Bill Frantz frantz at pwpconsult.com
Tue Mar 1 15:54:12 EST 2016


FWIW, I power my barefoot K3 with batteries and a solar charger. 
After our club county expedition for the California QSO Party 
(CQP) last year, I had a new appreciation for the way low power 
supply voltage could make a clean transmitter dirty.

To address this problem at home, I got a N8XJK Boost Regulator 
from TGE. This device boosts the battery voltage to the radio. 
Mine shows 13.9 volts, receive and 13.4 volts key down at 100W 
on 160M. I normally have it set up to only boost voltage when is 
senses RF output from the transmitter. (I need to talk on SSB 
before it cuts in.)

I have not noticed any RF noise on receive when I put it into 
"always on" mode. For a single radio setup, any RF noise it 
might make will be completely masked during transmit. We'll see 
how it works in multi-transmitter setups when I take to next 
year's CQP.

73 Bill AE6JV
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