[Elecraft] Tuning procedure for KX3, KXPA100 and KAT500?

[Vic Rosenthal 4X6GP]

Open the matching box at the base of the R9 and look around the toroids. 
My R8 (same box) had an arc when using high power where the wire was 
attached to one of the toroids. I stuck a piece of polystyrene between 
the wire and the toroid to fix it. You might have to unsolder the board 
from its connections to get it out of the box in order to see and fix this.

In my case it only occurred on 40m so it could be the same problem.

73,
Vic, 4X6GP
Rehovot, Israel
Formerly K2VCO
http://www.qsl.net/k2vco/

On 29 Jan 2017 05:06, Kenneth Christiansen wrote:
> Hi to the group.
>
> I promised to let you folks know what I came up with on my friends
> KX3, KXPA100, and the R9 vertical.
>
> He got the KX3, KXPA100, and KPA500 back from Elecraft all repaired.
>
> I put the station together and this time set all 120 frequency-SWR
> memories at the 20 watt level. They all set up OK and at that point
> we went to lunch feeling good that all the problems were gone.
>
> We came back and started using the KPA500 on various frequencies. Any
> frequency we tried from 20 meters to 6 meters worked just fine at the
> 500 watt level.
>
> On 40 meters any power over 400 watts would give a fault on every
> piece of equipment (KAT500, KPA500, KXPA100 and an ANT ERR on the
> KX3.
>
> On 80 meters the faults would come on at anything over 300 watts.
>
> I felt the faults were quite violent so that more than likely
> explains how all three pieces of equipment got destroyed.
>
> I studied the R9 which I put together last fall. On 17 meters through
> 6 meters there are stubs for each band and no loading coils involved.
> On 20 meters there is a trap so again no loading coils. On 40 meters
> there is a trap and a loading coil and on 80 meters there is another
> trap and loading coil.
>
> I noticed on 40 and 80 I could get them to tune to low SWR with the
> KAT500 but if I started sending my call the KPA500 would start
> showing more power and soon go into the violent fault.
>
> Years ago I had a hustler vertical that would change the matched
> frequency as the coil heated up and I think this R9 is doing the same
> thing. Our solution is to run no more than 400 watts on 40 meters and
> no more than 300 watts on 80 meters.
>
> The specs for the R9 say it can handle 1500 watts and I suspect it
> can on the higher bands but at least this antenna can not on 40 or 80
> meters.
>
> I came home and tried my camping KX3 and KXPA100 with my KAT500 and
> Hy-Gain HY-Tower vertical and it seems to work well in any of the
> memory position which I earlier set with my K3S and KPA500 so I feel
> we have isolated the problem to the R9 my friend is using.
>
> If anyone is able to use an R9 at higher power on 80 or 40 please get
> back to me and let me know how you are doing it.
>
> To everyone else thank you for the band width and suggestions.
>
> I consider this closed.
>
> 73
>
> Ken W0CZ w0cz at i29.net
>