Elecraft K3 Owner's Manual - Manual (Page 39)

39
Receive Antenna In/Out
The RX ANT IN/OUT jacks, supplied with the
KXV3 option, have various uses:
• Low-noise receiving antenna: Some operators
use a Beverage, tuned loop, or other low-noise
receiving antenna. You can connect such
antenna to the RX ANT IN jack, then tap
R X A N T to select it. The RX icon will turn on.
• Narrowband filters or preamps: You can
"patch in" a specialized filter or preamp (e.g.,
the Elecraft PR6 preamp for 6 meters) between
RX ANT IN / OUT. Tap
R X A N T to switch the
filter in (per-band). It will be in-line only during
receive, so you can use low-power devices.
• Test signal injection: The RX ANT IN jack is
ideal to inject a test signal, because the
generator won't be damaged if you transmit.
• Receiver comparisons: If you connect the RX
ANT OUT jack to a second receiver, and leave
the RX ANT IN jack open, you can A/B test the
K3 against the other receiver. When the
R X
A N T is not selected ( RX icon off), the K3 will
be receiving on its main antenna jack, and the
other receiver will have no input. If you then
tap
R X A N T , the K3 will have no receive
antenna, while the other receiver will be
operating from the K3's main antenna.
If you’re comparing the K3 to a transceiver and
using its transmit/receive antenna, be sure to set its
power to 0 so you won't damage the KXV3 when
you transmit.
Buffered I.F. Output
The KXV3 provides a buffered receive I.F. signal
at the IF OUT jack (~8.215 MHz). This signal is
compatible with panadapters, such as the P3 (pg.
45). Refer to panadapter’s manual for interfacing
and operating instructions. The frequency of the
receive I.F. for a given mode/filter setting can be
queried by a computer using the command “FI;”
(refer to the K3 Programmer’s Reference).
Use a short, high-quality coax cable between
the K3 and the panadapter. Additional isolation
circuitry may also be required.
Using Transverters
Nine user-definable bands are provided for use with
transverters. These can be used with the Elecraft
K144XV internal 2-m module, Elecraft XV-Series,
or other transverters. See pg. 18 for connections.
Transverter Band Setup
Transverter bands are set up using the XV menu
entries. Tap
1 – 9 within menu entries to select a
transverter band to configure.
• Set XVn ON to YES to enable band n .
• XVn RF sets the operating frequency (MHz).
• XVn IF specifies the I.F. band (7, 14, 21, 28, or
50 MHz). Use 28 MHz for the K144XV option.
• XVn PWR sets maximum K3 power output for
the current transverter band, in two ranges:
L . 01-L1. 27 specifies a power level in
milliwatts; the RF bar graph reads in tenths of a
milliwatt in this case. (Requires the KXV3
option. The KXV3 provides XVTR IN and
OUT jacks for external transverters, and
internal IF signal routing for the K144XV.)
H 0 .0-H12 .0 specifies power in watts, and
selects the K3’s main ant. jack(s) for IF output.
• XVn OFS can compensate for frequency offset
in the transverter’s oscillator. Two offsets are
provided for the K144XV (see XVn OFS).
• XVn ADR specifies a transverter select address.
Use INT . TRN0 -9 with the K144XV (see
XVn ADR description for details).
For weak-signal work: If you have a KXV3,
you can improve isolation between XVTR IN/OUT
and RX ANT IN/OUT by removing any antenna
connected to RX ANT IN. If you have a KAT3, tap
A N T to select the antenna (1 or 2) that has lower
sensitivity on the I.F. band in use. (Note: The ANT
1 / 2 icons are not displayed if XVn PWR is set for
L power range. Use H temporarily to see the icons.)
CAUTION: When possible, use mW-level
drive and the XVTR IN/OUT jacks with
transverters (see XVn PWR). If you use high
power, via ANT1 or 2, you could accidentally
damage a low-level transverter.