Monday, November 19, 2012

KX3 Battery Ops

Saturday, I installed the Elecraft internal battery charger option in the KX3. I put in eight AA Eneloop XX NIMH cells. I waited for the charger for battery operation because with the internal charger I do not need to open the case to replace the batteries until they wear out. The charger is working well. It also provides a real time clock that I have set for GMT.

Of course battery operation and QRP go together. The KX3 has a high efficiency mode at 3 watts. So I wanted to try some 3 watt operation. I was in Dothan Sunday and I did some reverse beacon tests. My antenna there is a off center fed dipole. It did pretty good at 3 watts. See the spots below.

Then I wanted to try some QSOs. First was a QSO to Alaska with KL7IDA on 28.050. This is what I call Made My Day QSO! Then I worked KW7D in New Mexico on 17 meters. And last K3WWP John in PA on 14.061. John is a well known QRPer and he was using a KX3 to an attic dipole.

BTW, I don't see any problem charging the batteries via my solar panel. It looks like I can operate off the solar panel as well. If the panel dips the batteries take over. I have a DC to DC converter that will regulate the voltage. I also can use it to boost a source that is less than to 13.8 volts up to the 13.8 volts needed to charge the KX3 internal batteries.


dedxfreqcq/dxsnrspeedtime
NC7J N4KGL28061.9CW CQ15 dB13 wpm2045z 18 Nov
WA7LNW N4KGL28062.0CW CQ27 dB13 wpm2045z 18 Nov
N0TA N4KGL24906.1CW CQ18 dB13 wpm2044z 18 Nov
PJ2T N4KGL24906.0CW CQ14 dB13 wpm2043z 18 Nov
WA7LNW N4KGL24906.0CW CQ17 dB13 wpm2043z 18 Nov
PJ2T N4KGL21062.0CW CQ3 dB13 wpm2042z 18 Nov
KQ8M N4KGL18096.1CW CQ19 dB13 wpm2040z 18 Nov
W3LPL N4KGL18096.1CW CQ23 dB13 wpm2039z 18 Nov
KQ8M N4KGL18096.1CW CQ19 dB13 wpm2039z 18 Nov
AA4VV N4KGL14062.0CW CQ27 dB14 wpm2038z 18 Nov
N4ZR N4KGL14062.0CW CQ10 dB13 wpm2038z 18 Nov
VE2WU N4KGL14062.0CW CQ12 dB13 wpm2037z 18 Nov
KM3T N4KGL14062.0CW CQ17 dB13 wpm2037z 18 Nov
NY3A N4KGL14062.0CW CQ14 dB13 wpm2037z 18 Nov
W3LPL N4KGL10107.0CW CQ15 dB13 wpm2036z 18 Nov
AA4VV N4KGL10107.0CW CQ22 dB13 wpm2035z 18 Nov
AA4VV N4KGL7055.0CW CQ15 dB13 wpm2032z 18 Nov
W4KKN N4KGL7032.7CW CQ4 dB15 wpm1850z 17 Nov
NY3A N4KGL7032.7CW CQ5 dB15 wpm1850z 17 Nov

The tall pines come in handy for the OCF in Dothan. I use a Balun Desighns 4 to 1 balun.at the feed point.