I am a very happy camper! I just worked PJ5J on 80-m CW. He’s working split, calling on 3510.98 and listening up the usual 1 to 3 kHz. Since I got the Sub Receiver in my K3, I just turned on the SUB, set both VFOs equal, and tuned up with the main VFO until I started hearing what was going on, still listening to PJ5J on the Sub receiver. With just a little patience, I found he was tuning up a bit after each QSO, so I listened for him to work one that I was hearing, turned up slightly, called with my 100 watts, and bingo! He called me back! Done! So now I have a new one in the log on 80 CW.
I know none of this is new to you guys, but that’s the reason I bought the SUB receiver as part of the K3, and this is the first time I was able to make the contact. There are other techniques, using SPLIT, but I like the two-receiver technique, since you can hear what’s going on at both ends.
So, enjoy the rest of your day!
73, Mike, K1DM
Way to go, Mike! As you are discovering, the K3 w/SubRx is a very handy device. My preference is to go to SPLIT and listen to the DX on the main Rx and my Transmit freq on the SubRx (VFO B). In SPLIT mode the K3 transmits on the displayed VFO B freq. With dual speakers or stereo earphones, the Main Rx is in the left ear and the Sub Rx is in the right ear when the SubRx is turned on.
What antenna do you have on 80?
73, Ken K3IU
For transmitting I have an inverted VEE with the apex @ 85 feet – but right now it’s cut short and resonant around 3850. One of the tasks for the week is to stretch it so it’s more friendly to CW frequencies. I also want to move some trees so one side isn’t so close to the guy wires. As W1AN says, nothing is every easy, and everything takes longer than budgeted.
I know about split mode, but I couldn’t decide if the SUB RX was actually on or if you were just using the second VFO. The stereo headphones work great. I’ve been using that technique for years. I have a headphone switch I made many years ago that had three positions – left receiver/transceiver both ears, left transceiver/receiver left ear and right rig right ear, right rig both ears. I got spoiled by that one! Before long, I’ll have a Single Op/two rig station. That should be fun – and mind bending.
73, Mike, K1DM
GM Gents. I too just made my 1st contact using the SUB like Ken described. ZL9HR was operating split at 14.200 up 5-10 Thursday morning. I wasn’t using the SUB, but calling anyway in his listening window during, what I thought were breaks. He said “Sierra Delta if you keep tail-ending like that you’ll never make it into the log”. I quickly turned on the SUB with his TX freq (MAIN) in left ear and his RX freq (SUB) in right. Tuning up the band I heard him work someone and, whilst listening in stereo, knew exactly when to call. bing, bing he’s in the log. The SUB makes split simple but very effective. I’ll never go back. 73, James K1SD
I’ve been using a sub receiver at my home station ever since I got my FT-2000, and for me it’s the only way to go. With my FT-990 I would go split and have to do some fancy A-B button-pushing and VFO-tuning to be able to hear who the DX was calling and then switch back to his freq before calling him. Dual-receive kicks butt.
There are a lot of hams who not only don’t have two receivers but also don’t take the time to figure out where the DX is listening. With one receiver it take more work but it beats constantly calling on a frequency *hoping* the DX will find you.
73,
Pat, NG1G