Well I decided to run my KX3 in the QRP class of the SSB portion of the North
American QSO Party.  This was the first time I had ever done SSB contesting at QRP power levels.  During the 2 day warm spell we had last week, I was able to repair and re-install my 80 meter doublet which had come down during the last snow storm.

The next step was to get the KX3 ready for a SSB contest.  To setup the KX3 for the contest I had to figure out how to interface my Heil Pro head set to the KX3.  I use a headset and foot switch during SSB contests so that I can keep my hands  free to type on the keyboard.  Connecting the Heil head turned out to be straight forward because the 1/8″ headphone and mike connectors will plug directly into the KX3 mike and headphone inputs.  However,  a KX3 menu setting had to be changed to disable the mike PTT button because the 1/8″ mono phone plug on the Heil head set will enable the PTT since the KX3 mike jack is a 1/8″ female stereo jack.  Elecraft provides a menu setting to disable the PTT function for this reason.

The next thing I had to do was interface my foot switch to the KX3.  I determined that the foot switch can be connected to the KX3 through the ACC2 connector.  The only problem I had interfacing the foot switch was connecting the 1/4″ male mono phono plug from the foot switch to the 1/8″ ACC2 female jack.  Elecraft sells a nice cable for the ACC2 input which plugs into the KX3 and provides RCA female connector (to key an amplifier) and a 1/8″ female mono phone input which can be used to access the PTT function.  Once I had the Elecraft cable all I had to do was make a 1/4″ F phono to 1/8″ M phono adapter.  I happened to find an adapter cable in my Junk box so I was in business.  The only other thing I had to do was a simple menu change to tell the KX3 that the PTT should activate when the ACC2 center pin is pulled low.

I found that operating QRP in a SSB contest is a bit more of a challenge than running 100W, but I was still able to work nearly all of the stations I called.  Sometimes I had to wait in line behind the high power stations but I usually did not have to call more than two to three times.  In most cases I was answered on my first call.  The main exceptions were the rarer states such as WY and DE.  I even managed to work Alaska and Hawaii during the contest.

Here is a summary of my QRP part time Search and Pounce effort:

SCORE 15,895