K3: FW 2.02 TUNE problem

[ab2tc]

I am having problems with the TUNE ("Hold" XMIT) function. My tune power is set to 10W, but I am now finding that the power drops to 0W after a couple of seconds. Both indicated power and actual power drops to 0. Downgrading to 1.96 clears up the problem. Is it possible that this has something to do with the VOX changes (TUNE is CW mode after all)? Please advise.

AB2TC - Knut

[Ken Wagner K3IU]

G'morning, Knut:
No problem with that here using v2.02. Works perfectly.
73,
Ken K3IU
K3 #202
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ab2tc wrote:
> I am having problems with the TUNE ("Hold" XMIT) function. My tune power is
> set to 10W, but I am now finding that the power drops to 0W after a couple
> of seconds. Both indicated power and actual power drops to 0. Downgrading to
> 1.96 clears up the problem. Is it possible that this has something to do
> with the VOX changes (TUNE is CW mode after all)? Please advise.
>
> AB2TC - Knut
>  
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[N8XPQ]

No problem here either. Make sure that your SWR isn't changing or is off in left field from the start.

Mike N8XPQ
K3 #248
V2.02

Ken K3IU wrote

G'morning, Knut:
No problem with that here using v2.02. Works perfectly.
73,
Ken K3IU
K3 #202
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ab2tc wrote:
> I am having problems with the TUNE ("Hold" XMIT) function. My tune power is
> set to 10W, but I am now finding that the power drops to 0W after a couple
> of seconds. Both indicated power and actual power drops to 0. Downgrading to
> 1.96 clears up the problem. Is it possible that this has something to do
> with the VOX changes (TUNE is CW mode after all)? Please advise.
>
> AB2TC - Knut
>  
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[ab2tc]

Thanks to everybody who responded. I am back on 2.02 and the problem did not return. Interesting; I swear I wasn't dreaming it up. I was tuning on the dummy load so it was not SWR or RF, but I suppose it could be that the K3 was reading a high SWR due to some problem with the internal SWR meter. I usually have my meter set to ALC and use my external tuner's SWR meter. If it happens again, I will investigate this possibility. Are the symptoms I described compatible with a shutdown due to high SWR (just 0.0W in the display, 0W output and no other error indication)?

Knut - AB2TC

Mike N8XPQ wrote

No problem here either. Make sure that your SWR isn't changing or is off in left field from the start.

Mike N8XPQ
K3 #248
V2.02

[ab2tc]

I spoke too early, the problem is back intermittently. The problem is *not* high SWR indication, nor actual high SWR, so there is definitely a problem here. It looks like if I try again and again I will eventually get it to stay on (3 or 4 attempts typical). BTW when the power drops, the SWR bargraph drops to 0 bars.

I am again suggesting this has something to do with the recent changes to CW/SSB keying modes. I have not made any changes to CONFIG in response to any of these changes. Is there anything in CONFIG that I ought to check?

Knut - AB2TC

ab2tc wrote

Thanks to everybody who responded. I am back on 2.02 and the problem did not return. Interesting; I swear I wasn't dreaming it up. I was tuning on the dummy load so it was not SWR or RF, but I suppose it could be that the K3 was reading a high SWR due to some problem with the internal SWR meter. I usually have my meter set to ALC and use my external tuner's SWR meter. If it happens again, I will investigate this possibility. Are the symptoms I described compatible with a shutdown due to high SWR (just 0.0W in the display, 0W output and no other error indication)?

Knut - AB2TC

Mike N8XPQ wrote

No problem here either. Make sure that your SWR isn't changing or is off in left field from the start.

Mike N8XPQ
K3 #248
V2.02

[Don Wilhelm-4]

Knut,

Intermittent can often indicate that something is loose.

Have you checked the cable between the K3 and your external SWR meter?  
Could it be faulty?  Ar the PL-259s tight? - they depend on tight
contact for a good connection to the shield, Type N and BNCs are better
IMHO because they do not depend on the tightness of the connector for a
good connection.

73,
Don W3FPR

ab2tc wrote:

> I spoke too early, the problem is back intermittently. The problem is *not*
> high SWR indication, nor actual high SWR, so there is definitely a problem
> here. It looks like if I try again and again I will eventually get it to
> stay on (3 or 4 attempts typical). BTW when the power drops, the SWR
> bargraph drops to 0 bars.
>
> I am again suggesting this has something to do with the recent changes to
> CW/SSB keying modes. I have not made any changes to CONFIG in response to
> any of these changes. Is there anything in CONFIG that I ought to check?
>
> Knut - AB2TC
>  

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[Julian, G4ILO]

Don Wilhelm wrote

Knut,

Intermittent can often indicate that something is loose.

Have you checked the cable between the K3 and your external SWR meter?  
Could it be faulty?  Ar the PL-259s tight? - they depend on tight
contact for a good connection to the shield, Type N and BNCs are better
IMHO because they do not depend on the tightness of the connector for a
good connection.

I bought a Diamond dummy load to do the calibration tests of my K3. The center pin didn't feel a tight fit in the SO239 sockets on the back of my power meter, and I got odd high SWR readings until I used the DL1 instead (which handled the brief periods of 50W admirably.) I'm not suggesting that's the cause in this case, but it might be worth checking.