Elecraft

K3. FD shutdown

Classic

List

Threaded

5 messages Options

Nr4c

K3. FD shutdown

My K3 (s/n 453x) has been used for FD and other outdoor events plus use at home (till I rec'd one of the first K3Ss). On at least 2 events in past year it has exhibited little output power. Batteries were checked, cables checked and replaced, to no avail. Display did not show SWR when TUNE button pressed (only "--"). Another K3 was swapped in and everything was fine.
I took radio home and it worked perfectly.

This year at FD, it quit at around midnight. Even tried <12 W to verify LPA. Result little or almost no power. Checked LPA screws but they were tight. Voltage on radio was just above 12v on TX. Took it home and it shows no sign of low power. It has worked well all week.

Reloaded FW from Elecraft and reloaded last CONFIG file (May 2017 just before first event of year and did TX cal at this time).

Now hooked to dummy load and running stress test with FD CW msg on repeat.

Anyone have ideas?

Sent from my iPhone
...nr4c. bill

______________________________________________________________
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]

k6dgw

Re: K3. FD shutdown

This is similar to the fellow who tells his doctor, "It hurts when I do
this." Doctor replies, "Don't do that. Fifty bucks, pay on the way
out." In your case, your K3 doesn't like FD, "don't do that." [:-)

Seriously, with that low a serial # [mine is 642], strange things can
and do happen. I took mine to Pershing County NV for the 7QP. It worked
fine. When I got back home, it didn't and I was really carefulpacking it
into the truck. Based on an almost countable infinity of previous posts
here over the years, I pulled and reseated the front panel, and made
sure all the TMP connectors were fully seated. Now it works like its
old self. Your symptoms are a little different... it doesn't like FD
... and it works now, but you might give that a try and then wait til
the end of June 2018 to see if it fixed the problem[s].

Some of the switches on mine are getting a bit unreliable, sometimes
BAND DOWN disables the ATU. Wife has a needlepoint hobby which is every
bit as expensive as ham radio, at least at my level[my stuff is more
expensive, but she buys A LOT more of hers than I do mine, and then she
pays to have Ian frame it]. We have an "Equal Hobby Allowance" policy,
I'm waaay ahead in my account, I may sell may at a real discount to some
young new ham who needs a radio and get a shiny new K3s.

73,

Fred ("Skip") K6DGW
Sparks NV USA
Washoe County DM09dn

On 6/29/2017 8:49 AM, Nr4c wrote:

> My K3 (s/n 453x) has been used for FD and other outdoor events plus use at home (till I rec'd one of the first K3Ss). On at least 2 events in past year it has exhibited little output power. Batteries were checked, cables checked and replaced, to no avail. Display did not show SWR when TUNE button pressed (only "--"). Another K3 was swapped in and everything was fine.
> I took radio home and it worked perfectly.
>
> This year at FD, it quit at around midnight. Even tried <12 W to verify LPA. Result little or almost no power. Checked LPA screws but they were tight. Voltage on radio was just above 12v on TX. Took it home and it shows no sign of low power. It has worked well all week.
>
> Reloaded FW from Elecraft and reloaded last CONFIG file (May 2017 just before first event of year and did TX cal at this time).
>
> Now hooked to dummy load and running stress test with FD CW msg on repeat.
>
> Anyone have ideas?
>
> Sent from my iPhone
> ...nr4c. bill
>
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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]
>
>
> --
> This message has been scanned by E.F.A. Project and is believed to be clean.
>
>
>
> ---
> This email has been checked for viruses by AVG.
> http://www.avg.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
Message delivered to [hidden email]

Bob-270

Re: K3. FD shutdown

In reply to this post by Nr4c

Hi Ron.

That and banging on it with a rubber mallet are valid percussive
maintenance techniques.

73,
Bob
K2TK

On 7/2/2017 6:24 PM, Ron D'Eau Claire wrote:

> If it was mine, I'd start by dropping it onto the operating desk from a
> height of about 6 inches, onto the bottom feet and, if that didn't make it
> quit, onto the side feet.
>
> I presume the cables you checked were external to the K3. There are a number
> of coaxial cables with TMP connectors around the synthesizer and reference
> oscillator boards the might be loose since they are simple friction fit
> connectors.
>
> IF it is a K3/100, be sure the KPA3 amplifier module is fully seated and the
> screws are in place.
>
> 73, Ron AC7AC
>

Guy Olinger K2AV

Re: K3. FD shutdown

TMP connectors that were never fully seated are a common cause of such
issues. When fully inserted, the little wings of the male plug should be
right up against the shell of the female receptacle.

73, Guy K2AV

On Mon, Jul 3, 2017 at 10:51 AM Bob <[hidden email]> wrote:

> Hi Ron.
>
> That and banging on it with a rubber mallet are valid percussive
> maintenance techniques.
>
> 73,
> Bob
> K2TK
>
> On 7/2/2017 6:24 PM, Ron D'Eau Claire wrote:
> > If it was mine, I'd start by dropping it onto the operating desk from a
> > height of about 6 inches, onto the bottom feet and, if that didn't make
> it
> > quit, onto the side feet.
> >
> > I presume the cables you checked were external to the K3. There are a
> number
> > of coaxial cables with TMP connectors around the synthesizer and
> reference
> > oscillator boards the might be loose since they are simple friction fit
> > connectors.
> >
> > IF it is a K3/100, be sure the KPA3 amplifier module is fully seated and
> the
> > screws are in place.
> >
> > 73, Ron AC7AC
> >
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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]
>

--
Sent via Gmail Mobile on my iPhone
______________________________________________________________
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]

Guy Olinger K2AV

Re: K3. FD shutdown

In reply to this post by k6dgw

With a low number serial K3, (mine is 1239) it really is important to have
kept up with the mods over the years. One of those was the gold pins. I
kept going with these right through the new synths. Only one I didn't do
was the new IO board with the USB. If I didn't have my contest rigging
already worked out with serial boards in my PC etc, I would have upgraded
the IO board. One of those if-it-ain't-broke-don't-fix-it things. I've been
real light on SSB for other reasons, That might change things since the USB
simplifies audio transfer greatly.

Have to agree on the pins. Got an intermittent and did the gold pin mod.
That was a while ago. No recurrence.

Couple of folks I know have done a 100 percent deoxit on K3 connector pins,
so far 3, 4 years with zero recurrence. They're also very sure on proper
seating for those TMP connectors.

Good luck to all & Happy 4th.

73, Guy K2AV

On Tue, Jul 4, 2017 at 12:07 PM Fred Jensen <[hidden email]> wrote:

> This is similar to the fellow who tells his doctor, "It hurts when I do
> this." Doctor replies, "Don't do that. Fifty bucks, pay on the way
> out." In your case, your K3 doesn't like FD, "don't do that." [:-)
>
> Seriously, with that low a serial # [mine is 642], strange things can
> and do happen. I took mine to Pershing County NV for the 7QP. It worked
> fine. When I got back home, it didn't and I was really carefulpacking it
> into the truck. Based on an almost countable infinity of previous posts
> here over the years, I pulled and reseated the front panel, and made
> sure all the TMP connectors were fully seated. Now it works like its
> old self. Your symptoms are a little different... it doesn't like FD
> ... and it works now, but you might give that a try and then wait til
> the end of June 2018 to see if it fixed the problem[s].
>
> Some of the switches on mine are getting a bit unreliable, sometimes
> BAND DOWN disables the ATU. Wife has a needlepoint hobby which is every
> bit as expensive as ham radio, at least at my level[my stuff is more
> expensive, but she buys A LOT more of hers than I do mine, and then she
> pays to have Ian frame it]. We have an "Equal Hobby Allowance" policy,
> I'm waaay ahead in my account, I may sell may at a real discount to some
> young new ham who needs a radio and get a shiny new K3s.
>
> 73,
>
> Fred ("Skip") K6DGW
> Sparks NV USA
> Washoe County DM09dn
>
> On 6/29/2017 8:49 AM, Nr4c wrote:
> > My K3 (s/n 453x) has been used for FD and other outdoor events plus use
> at home (till I rec'd one of the first K3Ss). On at least 2 events in past
> year it has exhibited little output power. Batteries were checked, cables
> checked and replaced, to no avail. Display did not show SWR when TUNE
> button pressed (only "--"). Another K3 was swapped in and everything was
> fine.
> > I took radio home and it worked perfectly.
> >
> > This year at FD, it quit at around midnight. Even tried <12 W to verify
> LPA. Result little or almost no power. Checked LPA screws but they were
> tight. Voltage on radio was just above 12v on TX. Took it home and it
> shows no sign of low power. It has worked well all week.
> >
> > Reloaded FW from Elecraft and reloaded last CONFIG file (May 2017 just
> before first event of year and did TX cal at this time).
> >
> > Now hooked to dummy load and running stress test with FD CW msg on
> repeat.
> >
> > Anyone have ideas?
> >
> > Sent from my iPhone
> > ...nr4c. bill
> >
> >
> > ______________________________________________________________
> > 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]
> >
> >
> > --
> > This message has been scanned by E.F.A. Project and is believed to be
> clean.
> >
> >
> >
> > ---
> > This email has been checked for viruses by AVG.
> > http://www.avg.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
> Message delivered to [hidden email]
>