K2 internal keyer problem

[ve7ymm]

I finally finished my k2 a couple of weeks ago, and it seems to be working fine.  I do have an infrequent, intermitant problem with the internal keyer "sticking" and producing a steady carrier when I'm holding the dah paddle on the bencher.  So far, I've noticed this on 20 and 40m.  I don't have this problem with my K1.  It occurs rarely, perhaps once in a half hour of sending.  I can't reproduce the problem at will.  Any suggestions?
Thanks, Mark

[Don Wilhelm-4]

Mark,

That has to be either a firmware glitch (not likely), or the result of
RF-in-the-shack causing it.  The internal keyer routines in the firmware
have been in place for a long time, and this is the first report of that
behavior that I have heard.  If it were a firmware problem, I would
think others would experience the same thing.

Try operating into a dummy load and see if you can produce it.  If not,
then suspect RF in the shack.  If that is the case, the cure is within
your antenna system.  If the behavior is band dependent, then it is
caused by RF being where it should not be.  Do you have effective
current baluns on your antennas?

It is possible that the power level produced by the K1 would not cause
any indication of a problem, but the higher power of the K2 might cause
the RF problem to be noticed.

73,
Don W3FPR

ve7ymm wrote:
> I finally finished my k2 a couple of weeks ago, and it seems to be working
> fine.  I do have an infrequent, intermitant problem with the internal keyer
> "sticking" and producing a steady carrier when I'm holding the dah paddle on
> the bencher.  So far, I've noticed this on 20 and 40m.  I don't have this
> problem with my K1.  It occurs rarely, perhaps once in a half hour of
> sending.  I can't reproduce the problem at will.  Any suggestions?
> Thanks, Mark
>  
______________________________________________________________
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

[g3ymc]

I have seen this on occasion with my K2. Occasionally I get a very long DAH when I key as if I have mis-keyed. Tap the DIT paddle and all is well again. I only run 5W so I don't think it is RF, I suspect a bug in the firmware. But so infrequent not to worry about.

73 Dave G3YMC
K2 #2498

[Peter Wollan-2]

This sounds like the K2's auto-detect feature, which allows connecting
both paddles and a straight key or computer, along with a couple of
diodes, at the same time and sending from either.  If the paddles are
squeezed at exactly the same time, it looks like the straight key to
the circuit.  If I remember right, it can be avoided by choosing
normal rather than auto in the input menu.

    Peter W0LLN


On Sun, Aug 8, 2010 at 11:56 AM, g3ymc <[hidden email]> wrote:

>
> I have seen this on occasion with my K2. Occasionally I get a very long DAH
> when I key as if I have mis-keyed. Tap the DIT paddle and all is well again.
> I only run 5W so I don't think it is RF, I suspect a bug in the firmware.
> But so infrequent not to worry about.
>
> 73 Dave G3YMC
> K2 #2498
>
>
> --
> View this message in context: http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/K2-internal-keyer-problem-tp5385342p5386476.html
> Sent from the [K2] mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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
>

______________________________________________________________
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

[g3ymc]

On 8 Aug 2010 at 12:09, Peter Wollan wrote:

> This sounds like the K2's auto-detect feature, which allows connecting
> both paddles and a straight key or computer, along with a couple of
> diodes, at the same time and sending from either.  If the paddles are
> squeezed at exactly the same time, it looks like the straight key to the
> circuit.  If I remember right, it can be avoided by choosing normal
> rather than auto in the input menu.
>

I think you might be right Peter. I don't think I had ever looked at
that setting, and the way it works it is hard to see what it is set to.
ie if you press DISPLAY while at the INP menu setting it toggles it
rather than just displays it. I THINK I have it OFF now, so will see
what happens.

Thank 73 Dave G3YMC

http://www.davesergeant.com

______________________________________________________________
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

[Bill Coleman-2]

______________________________________________________________
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

[ve7ymm]

I will do more testing.  The auto detect is off, and I have good baluns/chokes on both of my antennas. It may be that I'm too close to my new elevated 40 vertical antenna.