Intermittent steady CW send ?

[Elecraft mailing list]

I suppose I should look for this in the database, but I'm not really sure  
what to call it. I have a nice K3 and, generally I am delighted with it. One
 small splinter as I slide down the banister happens so infrequently that I
 suspect it would be difficult to demonstrate "on demand." When working CW
with  either straight key or paddles and VOX and QSK turned on, maybe once
in 6 to 10  hours of operation; I will experience a steady CW output. It is
as if I had  pressed the "tune" button or held the key down. Not
surprisingly, this is  embarrassing in the middle of a QSO. It seems that the only way
to stop  this is to turn the power off.   I think that, in my panic, I have  
tried other  things to stop it; but I can't remember what -- only that they  
didn't help. Does the keying circuit(s) have some kind of threshold
setting?
 
I will be happy to supply other information as needed and will appreciate  
any guidance from the Elecraft tribe.
 
VY 73 de W3UEC  (Steve Dubin)
 
 
______________________________________________________________
Elecraft mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:[hidden email]

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Message delivered to [hidden email]

[Don Wilhelm-4]

Steve,

"strange happenings" like that are commonly attributed to
RF-in-the-shack.  I know this is an often cited problem, but in many
cases it is real.
Given that it happens only infrequently, the source may be difficult to
find.  For instance, do you have an antenna swaying in the wind that can
have a bad connection somewhere in the system that rears its ugly face
and spits RF into the shack only when the wind blows in the right direction.

It may be beneficial to create a log of conditions just before the
problem occurs.  What band, what power level, which antenna.  In time,
you may find a pattern.

I can assure you that it is not a firmware problem or a general K3
hardware problem - if it were, yours would not be the only complaint
about that behavior we have seen reported.  That of course does not
suggest that your particular K3 does not have a problem, only to suggest
that it is not a problem that has been previously reported on the reflector.

That means there is likely something happening that is either
RF-in-the-shack, or something special about your shack interconnections
to the K3.  For instance, are you using computer keying in addition to
the key or paddles?  Something like that may be a contributing factor.

Sorry, but no real answers, but a few things for you to consider as
possible problem areas.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 2/16/2016 7:53 PM, Steve via Elecraft wrote:

> I suppose I should look for this in the database, but I'm not really sure
> what to call it. I have a nice K3 and, generally I am delighted with it. One
>   small splinter as I slide down the banister happens so infrequently that I
>   suspect it would be difficult to demonstrate "on demand." When working CW
> with  either straight key or paddles and VOX and QSK turned on, maybe once
> in 6 to 10  hours of operation; I will experience a steady CW output. It is
> as if I had  pressed the "tune" button or held the key down. Not
> surprisingly, this is  embarrassing in the middle of a QSO. It seems that the only way
> to stop  this is to turn the power off.   I think that, in my panic, I have
> tried other  things to stop it; but I can't remember what -- only that they
> didn't help. Does the keying circuit(s) have some kind of threshold
> setting?
>  
> I will be happy to supply other information as needed and will appreciate
> any guidance from the Elecraft tribe.
>  
>

______________________________________________________________
Elecraft mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:[hidden email]

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Message delivered to [hidden email]