K3 Receiver

[Larry Boekeloo]

Good morning everyone from snowy, frigid Michigan...


I have K3 SN# 52XX and the receive seems to come and go on 30 mts - that's where I notice it the most but it happens on other bands too.


My AGC settings are:

AGC DLY - NORM
     AGC HLD - 0
     AGC PLS - NORM
     AGC SLP - 4
     AGC THR - 12
     AGC F - 120
     AGC S - 20

For example, the S-meter will be reading an S3 noise level and I can see it on the P3.  Suddenly, the noise levels drops to zero and the P3 follows.  If I'm listening to a CW signal, that signal drops too.  If I hit the keyer and send a dit, the receive comes back.  I've noticed this on a few of the other bands too.

I am running the latest firmware and software but I've noticed it on the previous versions too.


Ideas???

Thanks.

Larry, KN8N
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[Dave Hachadorian]

Perhaps your problem is external to the K3.  Are there any
normally-open relays between the K3 and the antenna?

I had this same issue happen to me several times in a December
contest.  I suspected the problem may have been a dry circuit
issue in the AL-1500 T/R  relay.  Since then, there have been two
low-power contests in January and, for those, I  bypassed the
AL-1500 (rerouted the coax). The problem did not recur in either
one of those contests, despite thousand of T/R cycles on the K3.
It looks like my suspicion regarding the AL-1500 was correct.  I
will "dry-clean" that relay before the next high power contest.
Here is a good article on cleaning relays:
http://www.w8ji.com/relay_cleaning_and_life.htm


Dave Hachadorian, K6LL
Yuma, Arizona




-----Original Message-----
From: Larry Boekeloo
Sent: Thursday, January 24, 2013 9:44 AM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: [Elecraft] K3 Receiver

Good morning everyone from snowy, frigid Michigan...


I have K3 SN# 52XX and the receive seems to come and go on 30
mts - that's where I notice it the most but it happens on other
bands too.


My AGC settings are:

AGC DLY - NORM
     AGC HLD - 0
     AGC PLS - NORM
     AGC SLP - 4
     AGC THR - 12
     AGC F - 120
     AGC S - 20

For example, the S-meter will be reading an S3 noise level and I
can see it on the P3.  Suddenly, the noise levels drops to zero
and the P3 follows.  If I'm listening to a CW signal, that signal
drops too.  If I hit the keyer and send a dit, the receive comes
back.  I've noticed this on a few of the other bands too.

I am running the latest firmware and software but I've noticed it
on the previous versions too.


Ideas???

Thanks.

Larry, KN8N
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[alsopb]

Larry,

Is this antenna different from other bands or has it band specific
components?

It sounds like a set of dirty relay contacts or a bad joint. I've had
this on a few antenna switches.  The xmit voltage is enough to punch
through but microvolts aren't.

73 de Brian/K3KO

On 1/24/2013 16:44, Larry Boekeloo wrote:

> Good morning everyone from snowy, frigid Michigan...
>
>
> I have K3 SN# 52XX and the receive seems to come and go on 30 mts - that's where I notice it the most but it happens on other bands too.
>
>
> My AGC settings are:
>
> AGC DLY - NORM
>       AGC HLD - 0
>       AGC PLS - NORM
>       AGC SLP - 4
>       AGC THR - 12
>       AGC F - 120
>       AGC S - 20
>
> For example, the S-meter will be reading an S3 noise level and I can see it on the P3.  Suddenly, the noise levels drops to zero and the P3 follows.  If I'm listening to a CW signal, that signal drops too.  If I hit the keyer and send a dit, the receive comes back.  I've noticed this on a few of the other bands too.
>
> I am running the latest firmware and software but I've noticed it on the previous versions too.
>
>
> Ideas???
>
> Thanks.
>
> Larry, KN8N

-----
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[Lee Trout]

Larry:
Over the years I have had several intermittent, seemingly inexplicable
problems with the K3 that have been solved simply by doing a EEINT (see K3
manual) and a reload of the firmware.  If you haven't found a hardware
problem, this may be worth a try since it doesn't take long to do.  Just be
sure to save your configuration before you do the EEINT so you can reload
your settings after, and use the SEND ALL FIRMWARE TO THE K3 in the utility.
Lee, K9CM
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[Don Wilhelm-4]

True, true, but ---
Ideally, that saved configuration file should be one that was obtained
before the problem came up.
If a configuration file is generated right before the EEINIT, the same
problem may be re-loaded afterwards.
Of course, whether that is true or not depends on the type of failure.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 1/25/2013 8:26 AM, Lee Trout wrote:
> Larry:
> Over the years I have had several intermittent, seemingly inexplicable
> problems with the K3 that have been solved simply by doing a EEINT (see K3
> manual) and a reload of the firmware.  If you haven't found a hardware
> problem, this may be worth a try since it doesn't take long to do.  Just be
> sure to save your configuration before you do the EEINT so you can reload
> your settings after, and use the SEND ALL FIRMWARE TO THE K3 in the utility.
> Lee, K9CM
>

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[Dick Dickinson]

Searching my K3 Owner's Manual.pdf turns up nothing for EEINIT.

 

 

Dick - KA5KKT

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[Pierfrancesco Caci]

Page 66 - Parameter Initialization.

>>>>> "Edward" == Edward Dickinson <[hidden email]> writes:


    Edward> Searching my K3 Owner's Manual.pdf turns up nothing for EEINIT.
    Edward> Dick - KA5KKT

    Edward> ______________________________________________________________
    Edward> Elecraft mailing list
    Edward> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
    Edward> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
    Edward> Post: mailto:[hidden email]

    Edward> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
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--
Pierfrancesco Caci, ik5pvx
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[N5GE]

You have to search for EE INIT with the space.

73,
Tom
Amateur Radio Operator N5GE
ARRL Lifetime Member
QCWA Lifetime Member

On Fri, 25 Jan 2013 10:28:56 -0500, "Edward Dickinson III"
<[hidden email]> wrote:

>Searching my K3 Owner's Manual.pdf turns up nothing for EEINIT.
>Dick - KA5KKT

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