Elecraft

K3 Momentary no transmit

Classic

List

Threaded

7 messages Options

N7FN

K3 Momentary no transmit

I discovered a problem with my K3, s/n 83xx.
With nothing but power and a dummy load connected to the K3, while in TUNE
on 10 meters, PWR adjusted to 15 watts, the K3 momentarily stops
transmitting every 15 seconds.
When I push the TUNE button it starts transmitting. After 15 seconds the K3
momentarily stops transmitting for about a millisecond, again at 30 seconds,
again at 45 seconds, and again at 60 seconds and so on.
The same result in both CW and DATA modes.
If I reduce the power to under 12 watts, the K3 transmits continually.
Has anyone experienced or duplicated this characteristic with their K3?

Thanks/73,
Frank
N7FN

______________________________________________________________
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 McGraw - K4TAX

Re: K3 Momentary no transmit

Known software/firmware issue that appears on 12M, 10M and 6M only.
Elecraft is aware of it. I wish it was fixed as it drives my amp crazy
while working any mode that has 100% duty cycle such as DATA or AM. It
is a PITA, and I wish it was resolved.

73
Bob, K4TAX

On 11/22/2015 7:54 PM, [hidden email] wrote:

Jim - N4ST

Re: K3 Momentary no transmit

In reply to this post by N7FN

This drove me nuts when I first got my K3S.
After a few days of testing and reconfigurations, it turned out to be a
firmware problem that has existed for years.
You will never notice it in SSB modes and the dropout occurs in the spaces
for CW.
A definite annoyance for those of us using digital modes with transmit times
longer than 15 seconds.

_________
73,
Jim - N4ST

-----Original Message-----
From: Elecraft [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of
[hidden email]
Sent: Sunday, November 22, 2015 20:54
To: [hidden email]
Subject: [Elecraft] K3 Momentary no transmit

I discovered a problem with my K3, s/n 83xx.
With nothing but power and a dummy load connected to the K3, while in TUNE
on 10 meters, PWR adjusted to 15 watts, the K3 momentarily stops
transmitting every 15 seconds.
When I push the TUNE button it starts transmitting. After 15 seconds the K3
momentarily stops transmitting for about a millisecond, again at 30 seconds,
again at 45 seconds, and again at 60 seconds and so on.
The same result in both CW and DATA modes.
If I reduce the power to under 12 watts, the K3 transmits continually.
Has anyone experienced or duplicated this characteristic with their K3?

Thanks/73,
Frank
N7FN

______________________________________________________________
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 McGraw - K4TAX

Re: K3 Momentary no transmit

Likewise, when running my amp, when the K3/K3S output drops, the amp
gives out a big grunt and this happens every 15 seconds. Rather
annoying to say the least and it made me wonder, until it was disclosed
as to why, what was going wrong with the amp.

73
Bob, K4TAX

On 11/22/2015 9:37 PM, Jim - N4ST wrote:
> This drove me nuts when I first got my K3S.
> After a few days of testing and reconfigurations, it turned out to be a
> firmware problem that has existed for years.
> You will never notice it in SSB modes and the dropout occurs in the spaces
> for CW.
> A definite annoyance for those of us using digital modes with transmit times
> longer than 15 seconds.

______________________________________________________________
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]

Ken Wagner K3IU

Re: K3 Momentary no transmit

In reply to this post by N7FN

G'morning, Frank:
I just tried to duplicate what you are experiencing and was
unsuccessful. No interruptions. K3 #202 with latest firmware.
73, Ken K3IU
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On 11/22/2015 8:54 PM, [hidden email] wrote:

> I discovered a problem with my K3, s/n 83xx.
> With nothing but power and a dummy load connected to the
> K3, while in TUNE on 10 meters, PWR adjusted to 15 watts,
> the K3 momentarily stops transmitting every 15 seconds.
> When I push the TUNE button it starts transmitting. After
> 15 seconds the K3 momentarily stops transmitting for about
> a millisecond, again at 30 seconds, again at 45 seconds,
> and again at 60 seconds and so on.
> The same result in both CW and DATA modes.
> If I reduce the power to under 12 watts, the K3 transmits
> continually.
> Has anyone experienced or duplicated this characteristic
> with their K3?
>
> Thanks/73,
> Frank
> N7FN
>
>
> ______________________________________________________________
>
> 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]
>

Jim - N4ST

Re: K3 Momentary no transmit

Ken,

This is firmware problem acknowledged by Elecraft, and previously discussed
in this forum
If you don't do digital comms, one of the easiest ways to see this is to put
the rig in TEST mode and turn on the 2-tone test. Monitor the "transmit"
signal with headphones and you will hear it drop out every 15 seconds. The
dropout is just for a few milliseconds and sounds similar to a WWV "tick".

There may be some variability in rigs, though I doubt it. When I was
trouble shooting the problem with Elecraft support, they were unable to
duplicate the problem with the rig they initially had on the bench.

_________
73,
Jim - N4ST

-----Original Message-----
From: Elecraft [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Ken
K3IU
Sent: Monday, November 23, 2015 03:44
To: [hidden email]; [hidden email]
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 Momentary no transmit

G'morning, Frank:
I just tried to duplicate what you are experiencing and was unsuccessful. No
interruptions. K3 #202 with latest firmware.
73, Ken K3IU
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On 11/22/2015 8:54 PM, [hidden email] wrote:

> I discovered a problem with my K3, s/n 83xx.
> With nothing but power and a dummy load connected to the K3, while in
> TUNE on 10 meters, PWR adjusted to 15 watts, the K3 momentarily stops
> transmitting every 15 seconds.
> When I push the TUNE button it starts transmitting. After
> 15 seconds the K3 momentarily stops transmitting for about a
> millisecond, again at 30 seconds, again at 45 seconds, and again at 60
> seconds and so on.
> The same result in both CW and DATA modes.
> If I reduce the power to under 12 watts, the K3 transmits continually.
> Has anyone experienced or duplicated this characteristic with their
> K3?
>
> Thanks/73,
> Frank
> N7FN
>
>
> ______________________________________________________________
>
> 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]
>

______________________________________________________________
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]

______________________________________________________________
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]

Ken Wagner K3IU

Re: K3 Momentary no transmit

Hi Jim:

Now that you mention it, I do recall something about this in
the recent past on the reflector. I did my previous test in
CW mode putting RF into a dummy load and heard no momentary
drop out. I just tried the setup that you suggested below in
LSB and I must have one of the rigs that don't produce it
because I am not hearing any interruption at any interval.

Thanks for the info...
73, Ken K3IU
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On 11/23/2015 9:34 AM, Jim - N4ST wrote:

> Ken,
>
> This is firmware problem acknowledged by Elecraft, and previously discussed
> in this forum
> If you don't do digital comms, one of the easiest ways to see this is to put
> the rig in TEST mode and turn on the 2-tone test. Monitor the "transmit"
> signal with headphones and you will hear it drop out every 15 seconds. The
> dropout is just for a few milliseconds and sounds similar to a WWV "tick".
>
> There may be some variability in rigs, though I doubt it. When I was
> trouble shooting the problem with Elecraft support, they were unable to
> duplicate the problem with the rig they initially had on the bench.
>
> _________
> 73,
> Jim - N4ST
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Elecraft [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Ken
> K3IU
> Sent: Monday, November 23, 2015 03:44
> To: [hidden email]; [hidden email]
> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 Momentary no transmit
>
> G'morning, Frank:
> I just tried to duplicate what you are experiencing and was unsuccessful. No
> interruptions. K3 #202 with latest firmware.
> 73, Ken K3IU
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> On 11/22/2015 8:54 PM, [hidden email] wrote:
>> I discovered a problem with my K3, s/n 83xx.
>> With nothing but power and a dummy load connected to the K3, while in
>> TUNE on 10 meters, PWR adjusted to 15 watts, the K3 momentarily stops
>> transmitting every 15 seconds.
>> When I push the TUNE button it starts transmitting. After
>> 15 seconds the K3 momentarily stops transmitting for about a
>> millisecond, again at 30 seconds, again at 45 seconds, and again at 60
>> seconds and so on.
>> The same result in both CW and DATA modes.
>> If I reduce the power to under 12 watts, the K3 transmits continually.
>> Has anyone experienced or duplicated this characteristic with their
>> K3?
>>
>> Thanks/73,
>> Frank
>> N7FN
>>
>>
>> ______________________________________________________________
>>
>> 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]
>>
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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]
>
>