Elecraft

K3 Key out

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Phil LaMarche-2

K3 Key out

I've had many wonderful emails with suggestions and I thank you.

Let me be more specific: The Amp Keyer works OK. The 30L-1 keys OK. The tested cable coming out of the Key Out on the back of the K3 isn't working properly. It's in the closed position. If I take the other end of the cable from the Key Out and plug into the amp keyer, it keys it without my keying the K3. If I hook it direct to the 30L-1 it keys the amp. I'm presuming the circuit is faulty in the K3? Ideas?

Phil

Philip LaMarche
LaMarche Enterprises, Inc.
www.instantgourmetspices.com

www.w9dvm.com
800-395-7795 pin 02
727-944-3226
FAX 727-937-8834
NASFT 30210

K3 #1605
W9DVM

Iain MacDonnell - N6ML-2

Re: K3 Key out

Phil,

I had the same issue when I hooked up an SB200. Because the keying
voltage in the amp is negative, you can't connect to the K3 directly. I
put in an intermediate relay, which works OK. I might install the
Harbach "soft-key" mod at some point...

Have you put a continuity tester across "KEY OUT"? So long as you
connect the positive side to the center, it should only read closed
when the K3 is transmitting.

~Iain

Phil LaMarche wrote:

> I've had many wonderful emails with suggestions and I thank you.
>
> Let me be more specific: The Amp Keyer works OK. The 30L-1 keys OK. The
> tested cable coming out of the Key Out on the back of the K3 isn't working
> properly. It's in the closed position. If I take the other end of the
> cable from the Key Out and plug into the amp keyer, it keys it without my
> keying the K3. If I hook it direct to the 30L-1 it keys the amp. I'm
> presuming the circuit is faulty in the K3? Ideas?
>
> Phil
>
>
> Philip LaMarche
> LaMarche Enterprises, Inc.
> <http://www.instantgourmetspices.com/> www.instantgourmetspices.com
>
> www.w9dvm.com <http://www.w9dvm.com/>
> 800-395-7795 pin 02
> 727-944-3226
> FAX 727-937-8834
> NASFT 30210
>
> K3 #1605
> W9DVM
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>
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> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html

w0mu

Re: K3 Key out

He has a relay.

The key out is grounded at all times. Sounds like a component failure of
some type.

"A slip of the foot you may soon recover, but a slip of the tongue you may
never get over." Ben Franklin
-----Original Message-----
From: [hidden email]
[mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Iain MacDonnell -
N6ML
Sent: Sunday, February 08, 2009 4:09 PM
To: Phil LaMarche
Cc: [hidden email]; [hidden email]
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 Key out

Phil,

I had the same issue when I hooked up an SB200. Because the keying voltage
in the amp is negative, you can't connect to the K3 directly. I put in an
intermediate relay, which works OK. I might install the Harbach "soft-key"
mod at some point...

Have you put a continuity tester across "KEY OUT"? So long as you connect
the positive side to the center, it should only read closed when the K3 is
transmitting.

~Iain

Phil LaMarche wrote:

> I've had many wonderful emails with suggestions and I thank you.
>
> Let me be more specific: The Amp Keyer works OK. The 30L-1 keys OK.
> The tested cable coming out of the Key Out on the back of the K3 isn't
> working properly. It's in the closed position. If I take the other
> end of the cable from the Key Out and plug into the amp keyer, it keys
> it without my keying the K3. If I hook it direct to the 30L-1 it keys
> the amp. I'm presuming the circuit is faulty in the K3? Ideas?
>
> Phil
>
>
> Philip LaMarche
> LaMarche Enterprises, Inc.
> <http://www.instantgourmetspices.com/> www.instantgourmetspices.com
>
> www.w9dvm.com <http://www.w9dvm.com/>
> 800-395-7795 pin 02
> 727-944-3226
> FAX 727-937-8834
> NASFT 30210
>
> K3 #1605
> W9DVM
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> --
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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

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Don Wilhelm-4

Re: K3 Key out

In reply to this post by Phil LaMarche-2

Phil,

What is the possibility that you damaged the K3 KEYOUT by connecting the
negative voltage to it?

Check with an ohmmeter connected across the KEYOUT jack on the K3 - put
the K3 in TX TEST just to be safe. If it reads close to zero ohms with
no respect for keyup or keydown (or PTT or TUNE), then the driving
HEXFET has been damaged. OTOH, if the resistance is high during keyup
periods, then there must be some fault with your cable or its connectors.

73,
Don W3FPR

Phil LaMarche wrote:

Eric Swartz - WA6HHQ

Re: K3 Key out

Administrator

In reply to this post by Phil LaMarche-2

Hi Phil, If the 30L-1 keying input, with its very high negative voltage, was ever hooked directly to the K3's keying output, there is a very good chance you may have destroyed the K3s output keying device. Eric WA6HHQ
Phil LaMarche wrote:

I've had many wonderful emails with suggestions and I thank you.

Let me be more specific: The Amp Keyer works OK. The 30L-1 keys OK. The tested cable coming out of the Key Out on the back of the K3 isn't working properly. It's in the closed position. If I take the other end of the cable from the Key Out and plug into the amp keyer, it keys it without my keying the K3. If I hook it direct to the 30L-1 it keys the amp. I'm presuming the circuit is faulty in the K3? Ideas?

Phil

Philip LaMarche
LaMarche Enterprises, Inc.
www.instantgourmetspices.com

www.w9dvm.com
800-395-7795 pin 02
727-944-3226
FAX 727-937-8834
NASFT 30210

K3 #1605
W9DVM
______________________________________________________________
Elecraft mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: [hidden email]

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Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html