Elecraft XG3 RF - Manual (Page 4)

4
Introduction
The XG3 is a miniature RF signal source that provides output from 1.5 MHz through 1400 MHz. Four
commonly used selectable output levels are calibrated from 1.5 through 200 MHz.
The XG3 may be operated from its internal battery or from an external 11-14VDC source. It is housed in a
protective enclosure with easy-to-use front panel switches and LED indicators.
Since the XG3 is small and portable it’s ideal for quickly checking the performance of equipment in the
field as well as at the home station (see Reverse Power on pg 14).
Never apply RF power or voltage to the XG3 RF OUT connector.
If you are working with a transmitter or transceiver, disable the transmitter (turn the power to minimum,
disconnect any microphone or key or, if available, put the transceiver in a test or standby mode so transmit
is disabled.) Transmitting into your XG3, even briefly, will damage it. Such damage is not covered under
the Elecraft warranty.
If connecting the XG3 to circuits where voltages are present, use a blocking capacitor to keep those
voltages from reaching the XG3. A fusible trace is provided that may protect the XG3 in the event you
accidentally apply voltage or RF power to the RF OUT connector. If that happens, you may be able to
restore operation by installing a jumper to bypass the trace as described in Appendix A on pg 30.
A computer interface permits selecting up to 12 preset frequencies that are stored so they are available
when the XG3 is used without the computer. In addition, two sweep frequency ranges may be chosen with
a selectable sweep step size a sweep rate as little as 1 ms. An RS232 interface cable for connecting the XG3
to your computer is included.
The XG3 is a versatile tool that may be used for receiver testing, receiver alignment, RF signal tracing and
troubleshooting and may even serve as a VFO or local oscillator or homebrew projects (see Applications on
pg 14).