[Elecraft] k3 High Current Message on 10 meters

[Gadget Lust]

HI Don:

Understood, but the K3 is rated for full duty cycle on those modes, and this is a new issue.  I can certainly run it way under that and turn on the KPA500, but still worry something is going south.

73
Harv
K2PI

Sent from Mail for Windows 10

From: Don Wilhelm
Sent: Wednesday, December 19, 2018 10:05 AM
To: Gadget Lust; elecraft at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] k3 High Current Message on 10 meters

Harv,

I think the key is what you said about "long cycles modes like RTTY".  
Things heat up in those instances and the current will increase.  The 
only 'cure' is to reduce power.  I would suggest running RTTY at a power 
level of 50% of the CW/SSB rating for the transmitter.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 12/19/2018 9:53 AM, Gadget Lust wrote:
>
> Hi Don:
>
> Actually, my issue is only on 10M.  It appears that as I transmit, 
> current consumption increases, and I get occasional high current 
> messages.  This is more apparent on long duty cycle modes like RTTY, 
> and at higher power levels (80-100W).  If I watch, I can see current 
> consumption start at 16 amps, and slowly rise to 25-27 amps.
>
> I performed a TX gain Cal successfully, and that made it a bit more 
> stable (only rising to 20 or 21 amps now), but it still concerns me.  
> A friend suggested this may be blown coils in the output bandpass 
> filters.  I can wrap new coils if needed, but don’t want to do this if 
> that’s not the problem.
>
>