Elecraft

K3 freq goes wonky

Classic

List

Threaded

5 messages Options

ac2ev

K3 freq goes wonky

Yeah that's a great subject line. So this weekend I was trying to operate kids day at 14.280MHZ I was told that I was actually at 14.275.01
I noticed on the P3 that between 14.272 and 14.285 the VFO lost control. The P3 would start drifting with the K3 and it would smear across the screen. I wouldn't be able to hear anyone on frequency. If I tuned up and down they continued to sound like they were off frequency. This only happens between 14.272 and 14.285

Going to try resetting and reloading firmware but not sure that's going help. Any ideas?

______________________________________________________________
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]

k6dgw

Re: K3 freq goes wonky

No ideas, however on the outside chance that it might be related ...

running N1MM+ in contests, every now and then, my K3 goes into a
frequency scan, sometimes up, sometimes down. It doesn't seem to matter
where I was when it starts. It has never done that without N1MM running
so I'm guessing N1MM is sending it some commands, but I don't know that
is isn't in the K3. My casual operation comes in much shorter periods
than contests, maybe if I got into a 10 hour rag chew it would do it. :-)

Hope you can find it.

73,

Fred K6DGW
- Northern California Contest Club
- CU in the 50th Running of the Cal QSO Party 3-4 Oct 2015
- www.cqp.org

On 6/21/2015 12:20 PM, Frontier ac2ev wrote:

> Yeah that's a great subject line. So this weekend I was trying to
> operate kids day at 14.280MHZ I was told that I was actually at
> 14.275.01 I noticed on the P3 that between 14.272 and 14.285 the VFO
> lost control. The P3 would start drifting with the K3 and it would
> smear across the screen. I wouldn't be able to hear anyone on
> frequency. If I tuned up and down they continued to sound like they
> were off frequency. This only happens between 14.272 and 14.285
>
> Going to try resetting and reloading firmware but not sure that's
> going help. Any ideas?

______________________________________________________________
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]

Don Wilhelm-4

Re: K3 freq goes wonky

In reply to this post by ac2ev

Old synth boards or new?

First thing I would suggest is to turn the manual to the Calibration
Procedures and if you have the old synthesizers, do the Synthesizer
Calibration, followed by the Reference Oscillator calibration. If you
have the new synths, then skip directly to the Reference Oscillator
calibration (the new synths do not need calibration).

I am not certain that will fix it, but it certainly can do no harm.
Periodically checking those calibrations is good for the "annual
physical" of your K3.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 6/21/2015 3:20 PM, Frontier ac2ev wrote:
> Yeah that's a great subject line. So this weekend I was trying to operate kids day at 14.280MHZ I was told that I was actually at 14.275.01
> I noticed on the P3 that between 14.272 and 14.285 the VFO lost control. The P3 would start drifting with the K3 and it would smear across the screen. I wouldn't be able to hear anyone on frequency. If I tuned up and down they continued to sound like they were off frequency. This only happens between 14.272 and 14.285
>
> Going to try resetting and reloading firmware but not sure that's going help. Any ideas?
>

______________________________________________________________
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]

Dr. William J. Schmidt, II

Re: K3 freq goes wonky

In reply to this post by k6dgw

Interesting. Ive had a similar issue with N1MM and my K3. Every once in a while it will add 0.2 KC to the main frequency. Its always been + and I've not been able to figure out why it happens.

Dr. William J. Schmidt - K9HZ J68HZ 8P6HK ZF2HZ PJ4/K9HZ VP5/K9HZ PJ2/K9HZ

Owner - Operator
Big Signal Ranch – K9ZC
Staunton, Illinois

Owner – Operator
Villa Grand Piton - J68HZ
Soufriere, St. Lucia W.I.
Rent it: www.VillaGrandPiton.com

email: [hidden email]

> On Jun 21, 2015, at 6:34 PM, Fred Jensen <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
> No ideas, however on the outside chance that it might be related ...
>
> running N1MM+ in contests, every now and then, my K3 goes into a frequency scan, sometimes up, sometimes down. It doesn't seem to matter where I was when it starts. It has never done that without N1MM running so I'm guessing N1MM is sending it some commands, but I don't know that is isn't in the K3. My casual operation comes in much shorter periods than contests, maybe if I got into a 10 hour rag chew it would do it. :-)
>
> Hope you can find it.
>
> 73,
>
> Fred K6DGW
> - Northern California Contest Club
> - CU in the 50th Running of the Cal QSO Party 3-4 Oct 2015
> - www.cqp.org
>
>> On 6/21/2015 12:20 PM, Frontier ac2ev wrote:
>> Yeah that's a great subject line. So this weekend I was trying to
>> operate kids day at 14.280MHZ I was told that I was actually at
>> 14.275.01 I noticed on the P3 that between 14.272 and 14.285 the VFO
>> lost control. The P3 would start drifting with the K3 and it would
>> smear across the screen. I wouldn't be able to hear anyone on
>> frequency. If I tuned up and down they continued to sound like they
>> were off frequency. This only happens between 14.272 and 14.285
>>
>> Going to try resetting and reloading firmware but not sure that's
>> going help. Any ideas?
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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]

ac2ev

Re: K3 freq goes wonky

In reply to this post by ac2ev

I tried reloading the firmware and that didn't work so I did a full system reset on the K3. I re-entered my filters, options, and setting then performed a power calibration but not a synthesizer. It seems to be working again.

It's just odd that it only seemed to be in that specific range.

73
Don AC2EV

______________________________________________________________
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]