Elecraft KX3

[VE2OK Jean]

De mon côté j'utilise le Pélican 1150. Il a l'avantage d'être un peu plus petit. Son désavantage comparativement au 1170, c'est que la clé ne peut pas être fixé lors de son rangement.
Voir les photos sur le site suivant: https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=22926e61cb5c4be4&id=22926E61CB5C4BE4%213080

[VE2KH Jean-Paul]

J F pour le kit du vfo est utile de changer le mien va tres boen qu'en pense tu

[VE2PID Pierre]

.... Jean-Paul ....

De mon côté, je n'ai jamais entendu parler de kit de modification de VFO pour le KX3 ... ?
Par contre, une légère modification physique permet de rendre inerte une puce qui causait des problèmes et qui n'est plus nécessaire.
Peut-être que c'est en rapport avec ta question ... ?

Cliquer ici pour voir ce message antérieur: Modification physique pour réduire le bruit entendu lors de la rotation du VFO (KX3).

Également, au début dans les premiers # de série livrés, il y avait un bruit assez agaçant lorsque l'on tournait le bouton du VFO.
C'était le cas pour le mien (# 190). Mais ils ont corrigé le problème en changeant des lignes de code dans les algorithmes.
Ces lignes de codes ont été depuis intégrées dans toutes les versions des mises-à-jour.

De sorte que mon KX3 est toujours alive and very well ...  après 2071 QSOs (CW).

[VE2PID Pierre]

Il semble effectivement y avoir une possibilité de changement pour un autre VFO avec roulement à billes.

Salut Jean-François (et Jean-Paul)

J'ai finalement trouvé cette référence... cliquer sur  Encodeur à roulement à billes - KX3.

64,95$ ... Peut être commandé via le lien mentionné.

Noter que les KX3 dont le # de série est approximativement 3800 et plus sont déjà équipé de cet encodeur. Le lien mentionné décrit comment vérifier si c'est le cas.

[VE2PID Pierre]

.... J'ai un KX3 de 'première génération'... s/n 190. Il y a un peu de jeu dans le roulement, mais ce n'est pas encore un problème.

Mais je préfère aussi maintenir cet excellent rig à niveau, alors je changerai aussi pour un décodeur optique.   

(Hors sujet: J'avais fait de même pour le décodeur (VFO) du KX1 qui est beaucoup plus vulnérable. Elecraft m'en avait envoyé un nouveau gratuitement  dans la tradition du support légendaire de cette compagnie ...)

[VE2UGO Hugo]

Portable, High-Performance Panadapter PX3

Our new PX3 Panadapter adds a visual dimension to signal hunting, with fast, real-time spectrum and waterfall displays of band activity. Its small size and weight make it ideal for travel or field use.

The PX3 is fully integrated with the Elecraft KX3, utilizing its serial control port and RX I/Q signals*. The panadapter tracks the KX3’s VFO frequency and filter settings via on-screen cursors. You can point and click on signals by rotating and tapping the PX3’s SELECT knob.

With its very wide dynamic range and frequency span of up to 200 kHz, the PX3 offers better performance than most PC sound cards. It’s also one of the most sensitive panadapters available, detecting signals down to the noise floor of the KX3. A PC or Mac can still be connected to the KX3 (via the PX3) for use with logging and control programs.
 
Advanced Features and Signal Processing PX3 features include multi-pass signal averaging to pull out weak signals, peak detection to show total activity on the band, adjustable reference level, and amplitude range scaling. There’s also a full set of programmable switches to access often-used settings.

The PX3 has a wide supply voltage range (8-15 V) and low current drain (typ. 140 mA @ 13.8 V). It includes a comprehensive manual, and is available factory assembled or as a modular, no-soldering kit.

Planned future features include:
 CW/RTTY/PSK text display
 Use of the built-in USB port with a keyboard
or flash drive
 SVGA monitor output option

* The PX3 uses the KX3’s baseband RX I/Q signals. It is not
compatible with the 8.2-MHz I.F. signal from the K3.

Suite du sujet PX3: http://forum.radioamateur.ca/index.php?topic=9625.0

[VE2UGO Hugo]

Apr 4 9:47 PM

If you're serious about using the KX3 (or other rigs) mobile, read the excellent treatment of the subject by Matt, W6NIA:

http://www.elecraft.com/manual/Rev-B1-1.6-KX3-Mobile-Owners.pdf

But if you just dabble in mobile occasionally, like me, or you're on a budget, you might want to try the minimalist approach presented here. You'll be a few dB shy of an optimal signal, but it'll be a good time nonetheless, and it'll set you back just a couple of hours and around $100.

* * *

N6KR's MINIMAL-MOBILE SYSTEM


RIG

While you can use just about anything for mobile operation, I'm focusing on the KX3 here. At less than two pounds, the KX3 has the advantage that when you get to your destination, you can take it hiking, even use it pedestrian mobile. If you need more than 12 W while using it in the car (or at home, or for travel), you can add an amp like the KXPA100.


MIC

I used the Elecraft MH3, which is well-suited to this application. It's small, has a great sound, and plenty of output to maximize S/N ratio. I found myself using the UP/DN buttons a lot rather than the VFO knob.


RIG LOCATION AND MOUNTING

Much has been written about Ram Mounts and the like that work with the KX3. To keep things simple, I just placed the rig directly above the steering wheel, wedged between the dashboard and windshield. Next time I go out I'll add a bit of velcro (or something), since it did slide around a bit and could become a projectile in a worst-case scenario. But a simple friction fit was fine for the maiden voyage. I also found that this location worked well ergonomically. Since the rig is so small, it didn't obscure any part of my view of the road. Having it above the steering wheel also placed the mic jack to the left, allowing me to easily use the mic with my left hand. The metal tab on the MH3 fit into a left-side console vent, so I could hang the mic when I wasn't using it.


SPEAKER SYSTEM

The KX3's internal speaker is not intended for use in noisy environments, and you can't legally wear headphones while driving (in most places). Yet I really wanted speakers, and I wanted stereo. Just about every vehicle has an FM stereo, including my Honda CRV, so I used an FM modulator (Monster Mobile RadioPlay 300, $25 at Amazon). You just pick a clear FM channel (107.9 MHz in my case), tune your car stereo to it, power the modulator from the 12V accessory jack, and insert it's 3.5-mm plug into the KX3's headphone jack. Instant stereo with lots of audio power, with reasonably low noise. One nice thing about doing it this way is that the car stereo's volume and tone controls can be used, and they're always within easy reach.


ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (12 V AND GROUND)

Matt (W6NIA) went to great lengths to Do the Right Thing in terms of grounding, using short battery cable runs, etc. I didn't have much time for this exercise, and after all it's supposed to be Minimalist, so I didn't attempt to ground by any means other than what was provided by the antenna coax and the 12 V system. (Purists are surely cringing as they read this--my apologies.) Keeping with the spirit of the project, I picked up a 2-to-1 12-V car accessory adapter at Radio Shack, into which I plugged the rig and FM modulator. Worked like a charm, with very little engine noise heard. I touched things up a bit using the KX3's noise blanker and noise reduction. Had there been significant engine noise, I would have tried setting MENU:RX SHFT to 8.0.


BANDS

I like 40 and 17 meters for mobile operation. 17 m is not a contest band; a more relaxed, less competitive spirit pervades, and it's great for both DXing and single-hop rag-chews. You can also do pretty well on this band with a physically short antenna, since a full-height vertical would be only 234/18.1 = 13 feet. 40 m is excellent for regional QSOs and nets by day, and DX by night. The combination of the two covers the bases pretty well. If I had to pick three more bands, they'd be 20, 15, and 10 meters.


ANTENNA

I spent some time perusing the reviews of HF mobile antennas on eHam.net. Strong opinions are the rule. Since my goal was something easy to install and remove, not to mention inexpensive, I limited my scope to under-$100 fixed-band whips that were in stock at HRO (Ham Radio Outlet, www.hamradio.com). I ended up with two Hustler whips that are surprisingly well made for the price: the RM-40 ($25) and RM-17 ($20). I perched one of them at a time on the company's short mast, the MO-4 ($20). This gave my antenna a total length of about 56", counting the mag mount. While this antenna won't beat a Texas Mega Coil With BBQ Attachment, it seems to do the job.


ANTENNA TUNER

An antenna tuner is a huge help while operating mobile with a short whip. (I used the KXAT3 -- the KX3's internal ATU. The KXPA100 amp has a similar built-in ATU option.) Bypass the ATU while doing initial adjustments of antenna length to find the lowest SWR. Then put the ATU back in-line and do an ANT TUNE every 20 kHz or so in the band. This will almost always give you and SWR of < 1.5:1 across an entire band, even if the whip itself is very narrow banded. In fact the KXAT3 was able to tune the 17-meter whip to reasonably low SWR on 40-10 meters. I was able to copy lots of signals on all of these bands, but transit efficiency would be pretty poor on any band other than the one the coil was intended for.


ANTENNA MOUNT

I bought an MFJ Max-Strength Hi-Flux Magnet Mount (5" diameter, $16). In hindsight it seemed insufficient to handle the antenna's wind load when configured for 40 meters. It was fine on 17 m--I took the freeway for that portion of the journey. But when I stopped to set up for 40 m, I took surface streets, just in case. The guy at HRO was right: I should have opted for the 3-magnet mount. None of the in-stock trunk/hatch mounts worked with my vehicle.


OPERATING NOTES

I learned a few important lessons about how to operate the radio mobile:

- Set MENU:VFO CTS to 128 instead of 256. Easier to tune the VFO on rough roads. You might also want to push the VFO knob tighter against the felt washer to add friction. The KX3 comes with an Allen wrench for this purpose (see page 24 of the owner's manual).

- Program your band scanning ranges ahead of time (manual page 17). Scanning allows you to monitor the bands safely while driving. When a signal pops up, just tap PTT, then use the mic UP/DN buttons to tune it in.

- SET MENU:VFO CRS to 0.5 in SSB mode. This is the best coarse tuning rate for casual scanning or VFO tuning, since most stations quantize to 0.5 kHz increments when selecting a VFO frequency.

- The KX3's "AFX" (audio effects) and dual watch work great with the car's stereo speakers. See AFX and DUAL RX menu entries.


RESULTS

My initial test was brief -- just the half-hour drive from HRO back to my home QTH. But I had a Q5 QSO with a VE7 on 17 m, followed by a net check-in on 40 meters where the net control in Oregon had no trouble hearing me. This was with 10 watts. 100 W would have made it easier, but wouldn't have been maximally minimal.


73,
Wayne
N6KR

[VE2UGO Hugo]

Voici une vidéo démontrant la simplicité d'installation du nouveau encodeur à roulement à billes d'Elecraft. Une bonne amélioration pour le KX3!

http://youtu.be/H6kOadASX6I

[VE2PID Pierre]

Nouvelle réalisation de Jean-François VA2SS (pour ceux qui veulent utiliser le KX3 en station fixe avec moins de portabilité): Un 'clavier' externe qui contient toutes les fonctions et sous-fonctions des menus du KX3. Une seule pression et on a la fonctionnalité. Bravo JF !

Cliquer ici: VA2SS-Clavier KX3.


_________________________
PS: Malgré tout, et sans vouloir faire "ombrage" à cet ajout, beaucoup d'utilisateurs du KX3 avaient été séduits au départ par la beauté de l'intégration de ce rig et sa 'portabilité', et par conséquent ne veulent surtout rien ajouter comme accessoire. C'est mon cas... j'ai toujours le KX3 du début avec comme seul 'ajout' un petit fil dans le KXPD3 pour compenser un défaut de pivots. Pour ce qui est des menus internes, ce n'est pas un problème; en particulier, je me sers des touches PF1 et PF2 pour rappeler une chaine programmée souvent utilisée (cette chaine transforme au besoin le KXPD3 et/ou l'entrée Key en clé droite quand je croise en onde des membres du SKCC).

[VE2PID Pierre]

Bonjour,

Il est maintenant possible de passer ses commandes pour les modules 2 mètres (et 4 mètres pour les pays qui autorisent cette bande) du KX3.

Cliquer ici: KX3 2M/4M Option Order Form.

... Both transverters should start shipping late July to mid-August ....

[VE2PID Pierre]

....

Nouvelle révision du FW du KX3 actuellement en bêta ...

KX3 Firmware Information

MCU 2.11 / DSP 1.30, 6-26-2014

* FAST MESSAGE PLAY: A long-hold of MSG (~3 sec) puts the KX3 into FAST PLAY mode. In this mode, the BAND+, BAND-, and FREQ_ENT switches can be used to play/repeat messages 1, 2, and 3 immediately, without the need to first tap MSG. To turn off fast play, hold MSG for ~3 seconds again, or turn the KX3 off and back on. Notes: (1) In voice modes (using the built-in DVR), only messages 1 and 2 are available, corresponding to BAND+ and BAND- in fast-play. (2) At present, message chaining is only available in CW modes (with both normal and fast-play).

À télécharger via la section FTP d'Elecraft.

[VE2PID Pierre]

.... Et encore une autre révision du FW disponible en version beta:

 KX3 beta firmware rev. 2.12 / DSP 1.30, 7-11-2014: FAST-PLAY, more accurate KXPA100 power control, & 40-m TX bug fix

/OT
 Pour ceux qui utiliseront ces toutes nouvelles fonctionnalités du KX3 via BAND+, BAND-, et FREQ_ENT dans le IARU HF Championship de cette fin de semaine-ci, noter que tout le Québec situé sous la latitude 80°N et entre les longitudes 70° et 90° Ouest appartient à la zone 4 de l'ITU. Sinon (Est du QC), vous êtes dans la zone 9. L'échange requis est donc soit 599-4 ou 599-9. À ne pas confondre avec les zones CQ où le QC est réparti entre les zones 2 et 5.
 OT/

[VE2PID Pierre]

Bonjour ...

Dans un autre fil, un OM a fait allusion à un projet de traduction du manuel du KX3. Avec un collègue français, j'avais entrepris de le faire. Sauf qu'avec les remises-à-jour fréquentes du firmware, il fallait chaque fois refondre des sections entières. Ça devenait fastidieux comme bénévolat ...

Pour cette raison, le projet fut stoppé il y a deux ans. Autre raison: Je pense aussi qu'il est préférable de s'approprier la langue anglaise qui n'est pas si difficile à comprendre quand il s'agit de technique.

Pour ceux qui voudraient quand même lire le brouillon (l'ébauche) de ce que nous avions fait (en pdf), cliquer ici: Brouillon-Manuel du KX3 en français.

[VE2OK Jean]

Pierre, ton lien ne fonctionne pas. 

[VE2PID Pierre]

Pierre, ton lien ne fonctionne pas.

Mais là, oui !