[Elecraft] K3 Frequency Calibration

[Don Wilhelm]

Pete,

When using WWV to set the K3 reference, make certain you are listening 
to the carrier.  WWV is an AM signal that is modulated by a 500 or 600 
Hz tone on alternate minutes (440 Hz 2 minutes after the hour).  That 
produces tones that are both above and below the carrier.
So be certain you are hearing the carrier and not one of the modulating 
tones.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 12/16/2021 4:34 PM, Pete Smith N4ZR wrote:
> I've been wondering for some time if my 10-year-old K3's frequency 
> calibration was off, because it seemed like most spots of me were well 
> off when I clicked on them, usually in one direction.  Not having a 
> frequency counter, I went to the alternative method outlined in page 
> 49 of the manual.  I thought I did it all "by the book", but found 
> that when I was done 15-MHz WWV's carrier frequency (determined by 
> zero-beating the carrier) was almost 400 Hz low. Since I wasn't 
> looking for FMT-level accuracy, I went back to WWV and adjusted the 
> REF CAL setting by ear until 15.000 on my RX dial was as close to 
> zero-beat with WWV as I could tell. We'll see how it worked out, but I 
> wonder if I simply have some fundamental misunderstanding of what's 
> involved.  Wouldn't be the first time...
>