K3: Line-In dead (or heavily attenuated)

[K2QI]

I've sent an email over to Aptos hoping that they may know what's going on
with my K3.  A few days ago, I noticed that sometimes the amount of line-in
gain required for a digital signal from DM780 varied quite a bit.  Some
days, all it took was a level of 14 and I'd have about 6 bars of ALC.  On
others, gain had to be set to nearly 25.  Well, today it seems that my
line-in died all together or at the very least has become heavily
attenuated.  I now have to crank the line gain all the way up to 60 to get
about 3 bars ALC!!

I have checked, and no audio settings have been changed on my PC.  I even
plugged in a set of speakers to the line out jack on the PC and everything
is fine.  What is weird is that sometimes, fiddling around with the mic/line
input settings in the Main menu fixes things for a while, but then it's back
to almost zero input after a while.

Any suggestions?  Lyle seems to think it could be a bad solder.  I'm going
to let the rig cool off and see if the problem occurs while cold.  I've also
reloaded the current firmware twice, plus went back to 3.19 just to make
sure it wasn't a FW issue.

--
73 de James K2QI
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[Joe Subich, W4TV-4]

Check the RF chokes L4 and L5 on the KIO3 Audio IO board.  

73,

   ... Joe, W4TV
 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: [hidden email]
> [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of James Sarte
> Sent: Wednesday, August 05, 2009 7:06 PM
> To: Elecraft
> Subject: [Elecraft] K3: Line-In dead (or heavily attenuated)
>
>
> I've sent an email over to Aptos hoping that they may know
> what's going on with my K3.  A few days ago, I noticed that
> sometimes the amount of line-in gain required for a digital
> signal from DM780 varied quite a bit.  Some days, all it took
> was a level of 14 and I'd have about 6 bars of ALC.  On
> others, gain had to be set to nearly 25.  Well, today it
> seems that my line-in died all together or at the very least
> has become heavily attenuated.  I now have to crank the line
> gain all the way up to 60 to get about 3 bars ALC!!
>
> I have checked, and no audio settings have been changed on my
> PC.  I even plugged in a set of speakers to the line out jack
> on the PC and everything is fine.  What is weird is that
> sometimes, fiddling around with the mic/line input settings
> in the Main menu fixes things for a while, but then it's back
> to almost zero input after a while.
>
> Any suggestions?  Lyle seems to think it could be a bad
> solder.  I'm going to let the rig cool off and see if the
> problem occurs while cold.  I've also reloaded the current
> firmware twice, plus went back to 3.19 just to make sure it
> wasn't a FW issue.
>
> --
> 73 de James K2QI
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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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[K2QI]

Chokes look fine but L4 and L5 aren't directly connected to line-in; they
seem to be connected to the microphone in though. I took the KIO3 apart and
traced the line-input circuit for continuity.  The whole board looks good
with no cold solder joints.

Anyway, I put everything back and voila... works like new.  In fact, even
better than before.  I only need to set the input gain to about 10 to get a
nice signal in from DM780 and registering about 5.5 to 6 bars ALC.

This leads me to think two things;

1.  Something was loose and my refitting the boards took care of it
2.  There's still a cold solder somewhere that gets affected by heat

I'll leave the rig on for a while and keep testing.  I'm keeping my fingers
crossed.

73 de James K2QI

On Wed, Aug 5, 2009 at 9:10 PM, Joe Subich, W4TV <[hidden email]> wrote:

>
> Check the RF chokes L4 and L5 on the KIO3 Audio IO board.
>
> 73,
>
>   ... Joe, W4TV
>
>
>
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: [hidden email]
> > [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of James Sarte
> > Sent: Wednesday, August 05, 2009 7:06 PM
> > To: Elecraft
> > Subject: [Elecraft] K3: Line-In dead (or heavily attenuated)
> >
> >
> > I've sent an email over to Aptos hoping that they may know
> > what's going on with my K3.  A few days ago, I noticed that
> > sometimes the amount of line-in gain required for a digital
> > signal from DM780 varied quite a bit.  Some days, all it took
> > was a level of 14 and I'd have about 6 bars of ALC.  On
> > others, gain had to be set to nearly 25.  Well, today it
> > seems that my line-in died all together or at the very least
> > has become heavily attenuated.  I now have to crank the line
> > gain all the way up to 60 to get about 3 bars ALC!!
> >
> > I have checked, and no audio settings have been changed on my
> > PC.  I even plugged in a set of speakers to the line out jack
> > on the PC and everything is fine.  What is weird is that
> > sometimes, fiddling around with the mic/line input settings
> > in the Main menu fixes things for a while, but then it's back
> > to almost zero input after a while.
> >
> > Any suggestions?  Lyle seems to think it could be a bad
> > solder.  I'm going to let the rig cool off and see if the
> > problem occurs while cold.  I've also reloaded the current
> > firmware twice, plus went back to 3.19 just to make sure it
> > wasn't a FW issue.
> >
> > --
> > 73 de James K2QI
> > ______________________________________________________________
> > 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
>
>

--
73 de James K2QI
______________________________________________________________
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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

[Joe Subich, W4TV-4]

> Chokes look fine but L4 and L5 aren't directly connected to
> line-in; they seem to be connected to the microphone in
> though.

According to the schematic, L4 and L5 are line in ... L6 and L7
are rear panel mic in (L7 is removed in the RFI fix).

73,

   ... Joe, W4TV
 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: James Sarte [mailto:[hidden email]]
> Sent: Wednesday, August 05, 2009 9:40 PM
> To: [hidden email]
> Cc: Elecraft Reflector
> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3: Line-In dead (or heavily attenuated)
>
>
> Chokes look fine but L4 and L5 aren't directly connected to
> line-in; they seem to be connected to the microphone in
> though. I took the KIO3 apart and traced the line-input
> circuit for continuity.  The whole board looks good with no
> cold solder joints.  
>
> Anyway, I put everything back and voila... works like new.  
> In fact, even better than before.  I only need to set the
> input gain to about 10 to get a nice signal in from DM780 and
> registering about 5.5 to 6 bars ALC.  
>
> This leads me to think two things;
>
> 1.  Something was loose and my refitting the boards took care
> of it 2.  There's still a cold solder somewhere that gets
> affected by heat
>
> I'll leave the rig on for a while and keep testing.  I'm
> keeping my fingers crossed.
>
> 73 de James K2QI
>
>
> On Wed, Aug 5, 2009 at 9:10 PM, Joe Subich, W4TV
> <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
>
> Check the RF chokes L4 and L5 on the KIO3 Audio IO board.
>
> 73,
>
>   ... Joe, W4TV
>
>
>
>
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: [hidden email]
> > [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of James Sarte
> > Sent: Wednesday, August 05, 2009 7:06 PM
> > To: Elecraft
> > Subject: [Elecraft] K3: Line-In dead (or heavily attenuated)
> >
> >
> > I've sent an email over to Aptos hoping that they may know what's
> > going on with my K3.  A few days ago, I noticed that sometimes the
> > amount of line-in gain required for a digital signal from
> DM780 varied
> > quite a bit.  Some days, all it took was a level of 14 and I'd have
> > about 6 bars of ALC.  On others, gain had to be set to nearly 25.  
> > Well, today it seems that my line-in died all together or
> at the very
> > least has become heavily attenuated.  I now have to crank the line
> > gain all the way up to 60 to get about 3 bars ALC!!
> >
> > I have checked, and no audio settings have been changed on
> my PC.  I
> > even plugged in a set of speakers to the line out jack on
> the PC and
> > everything is fine.  What is weird is that sometimes,
> fiddling around
> > with the mic/line input settings in the Main menu fixes
> things for a
> > while, but then it's back to almost zero input after a while.
> >
> > Any suggestions?  Lyle seems to think it could be a bad
> solder.  I'm
> > going to let the rig cool off and see if the problem occurs while
> > cold.  I've also reloaded the current firmware twice, plus
> went back
> > to 3.19 just to make sure it wasn't a FW issue.
> >
> > --
> > 73 de James K2QI
>

______________________________________________________________
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Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:[hidden email]

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[K2QI]

That's true, and that's why I'm confused... continuity tests with L4 and L5
correlate to the rear panel microphone connector and not the line-in jack.

James K2QI

-----Original Message-----
From: Joe Subich, W4TV [mailto:[hidden email]]
Sent: Wednesday, August 05, 2009 11:27 PM
To: 'James Sarte'
Cc: 'Elecraft Reflector'
Subject: RE: [Elecraft] K3: Line-In dead (or heavily attenuated)



> Chokes look fine but L4 and L5 aren't directly connected to
> line-in; they seem to be connected to the microphone in
> though.

According to the schematic, L4 and L5 are line in ... L6 and L7
are rear panel mic in (L7 is removed in the RFI fix).

73,

   ... Joe, W4TV
 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: James Sarte [mailto:[hidden email]]
> Sent: Wednesday, August 05, 2009 9:40 PM
> To: [hidden email]
> Cc: Elecraft Reflector
> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3: Line-In dead (or heavily attenuated)
>
>
> Chokes look fine but L4 and L5 aren't directly connected to
> line-in; they seem to be connected to the microphone in
> though. I took the KIO3 apart and traced the line-input
> circuit for continuity.  The whole board looks good with no
> cold solder joints.  
>
> Anyway, I put everything back and voila... works like new.  
> In fact, even better than before.  I only need to set the
> input gain to about 10 to get a nice signal in from DM780 and
> registering about 5.5 to 6 bars ALC.  
>
> This leads me to think two things;
>
> 1.  Something was loose and my refitting the boards took care
> of it 2.  There's still a cold solder somewhere that gets
> affected by heat
>
> I'll leave the rig on for a while and keep testing.  I'm
> keeping my fingers crossed.
>
> 73 de James K2QI
>
>
> On Wed, Aug 5, 2009 at 9:10 PM, Joe Subich, W4TV
> <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
>
> Check the RF chokes L4 and L5 on the KIO3 Audio IO board.
>
> 73,
>
>   ... Joe, W4TV
>
>
>
>
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: [hidden email]
> > [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of James Sarte
> > Sent: Wednesday, August 05, 2009 7:06 PM
> > To: Elecraft
> > Subject: [Elecraft] K3: Line-In dead (or heavily attenuated)
> >
> >
> > I've sent an email over to Aptos hoping that they may know what's
> > going on with my K3.  A few days ago, I noticed that sometimes the
> > amount of line-in gain required for a digital signal from
> DM780 varied
> > quite a bit.  Some days, all it took was a level of 14 and I'd have
> > about 6 bars of ALC.  On others, gain had to be set to nearly 25.  
> > Well, today it seems that my line-in died all together or
> at the very
> > least has become heavily attenuated.  I now have to crank the line
> > gain all the way up to 60 to get about 3 bars ALC!!
> >
> > I have checked, and no audio settings have been changed on
> my PC.  I
> > even plugged in a set of speakers to the line out jack on
> the PC and
> > everything is fine.  What is weird is that sometimes,
> fiddling around
> > with the mic/line input settings in the Main menu fixes
> things for a
> > while, but then it's back to almost zero input after a while.
> >
> > Any suggestions?  Lyle seems to think it could be a bad
> solder.  I'm
> > going to let the rig cool off and see if the problem occurs while
> > cold.  I've also reloaded the current firmware twice, plus
> went back
> > to 3.19 just to make sure it wasn't a FW issue.
> >
> > --
> > 73 de James K2QI
>

______________________________________________________________
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