Posted: 7/3/2014 9:14:08 AM EDT
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I have been lurking in the Yahoo Group KX3 forum and have read a number of threads about frequency stability issues with the KX3 while running JT65 and JT9.
I was curious how the KX3 owners here are doing? Any issues or has anyone done the fix? |
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At the lower bands I didn't have a problem. Above 20m the drift was bad enough that it was unusable. This is pretty much the reason I stopped playing JT65 several months ago.
It's really a necessary procedure and you have to buy or borrow the XG50 to do it. I will probably order one after I get back from vacation in a few weeks. |
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I've never had any copy issues with my kx3. I've got it heated up to 50c running olivia on 5w. I honestly don't know what the fuss is about but I'm not a pro at this stuff either. I didn't have a problem with receiving either. I just was never able to make a QSO whether calling CQ or answering. And this wasn't just one band, it was all of the higher ones. Below is a picture of the waterfall after attempting to answer a CQ. You can see the drift as it cools back down. I have to assume it drifted the other way on transmit. 
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I didn't have a problem with receiving either. I just was never able to make a QSO whether calling CQ or answering. And this wasn't just one band, it was all of the higher ones. Below is a picture of the waterfall after attempting to answer a CQ. You can see the drift as it cools back down. I have to assume it drifted the other way on transmit. https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-zpRrJJJAd1o/UrstPksJVlI/AAAAAAAAEgw/u01kTqosUgU/w1044-h243-no/KX3-Drift.JPG Quoted:
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I've never had any copy issues with my kx3. I've got it heated up to 50c running olivia on 5w. I honestly don't know what the fuss is about but I'm not a pro at this stuff either. I didn't have a problem with receiving either. I just was never able to make a QSO whether calling CQ or answering. And this wasn't just one band, it was all of the higher ones. Below is a picture of the waterfall after attempting to answer a CQ. You can see the drift as it cools back down. I have to assume it drifted the other way on transmit. https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-zpRrJJJAd1o/UrstPksJVlI/AAAAAAAAEgw/u01kTqosUgU/w1044-h243-no/KX3-Drift.JPG Foxxz and I have had a couple 30min + QSOs on Olivia and his signal has been fine. On the other hand I have seen a KX3 drift from a user on here. I ordered the PAE-KX31 heat sink. Since I am building the kit KX3 I plan on adding thermal compound where possible. |
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Pictures are worth a thousand words....yes that makes is easy to understand.
I guess if you were to do the procedure and maybe install the aftermarket heatsink stability would be a non-issue. I have also read that the 2m module might suffer from the same stability issues too. I am still kicking the idea around about getting a KX3 but still don't have the cash saved to get one yet. I do a great deal of digital, so frequency stability is an absolute must. |
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What bands were you using?
I know I've had QSOs with GCW as well with no problem, but again, this was on 40m. It itsn't until I tried 10/12/15 that I started to see issues. No matter whether you get the heat sink or do the thermal paste thing, you should still do the thermal compensation procedure. It's been a while but I thought there was even a way to do it using WWV. |
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What bands were you using? I know I've had QSOs with GCW as well with no problem, but again, this was on 40m. It itsn't until I tried 10/12/15 that I started to see issues. No matter whether you get the heat sink or do the thermal paste thing, you should still do the thermal compensation procedure. It's been a while but I thought there was even a way to do it using WWV. I run 80m through 6m for digital work. The temperature compensation procedure looks easy to do, but maybe a bit time consuming though. Again I am just kicking the idea around, but have no real need for a KX3. I like the idea of a small footprint rig, but am just not absolutely convinced I need one. 
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Yes, I searched for it, but couldn't come up with it. Quoted:
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Where is BigDaddy? Didn't he run some temperature tests on the KX3 with a couple of different heat sinks? Here's the thread in question: ARCHIVED THREAD - BD's KX3 Heatsink Upgrade I do have the Elecraft XG50 signal source needed for this procedure, and I promised to send it to anyone who needed to use it. (I think Brundoggie had first dibs.) 
Elecraft extended temperature compensation procedure 
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