K3 problems

[Julius Fazekas n2wn]

I've had a number of things crop up since trying to get on RTTY. There may be no link to trying to get the rig going on FSK, and the issues are noted in CW mode (my primary activity).

There have been several one-time error messages. The most recent one being: E 0444A7 ERR DSE.

I've received overtemp warnings on 160, even though I had not been transmitting on the first key down. I've checked the PS, one that I've been using for years. It is metered and the output voltage does not waver. I've checked it with a Fluke in Rx and Tx, and it reads 13.4VDC/13.3VDC respectively. The K3 internal meter reads 13.3 and 12.2! That doesn't seem right.

Also, I seem to have lost control of my RF Gain pot. It does not function in AGC, either F or S. Sometimes I can get it to work in AGC-OFF, cycling the radio on and of seems to place it back in the non-functioning mode as does changing bands. I've put all of the AGC settings back to factory default. Same problem.

I'm using the last official firmware release 2.78 and whatever the associated DSP firmware was.

It might be something blatantly obvious, but I'm missing it. Any suggestions before I go batty?

Thanks,
Julius

Wanted to put the second Rx in, but with this weirdness, I'm holding off.

Julius Fazekas
N2WN

Tennessee Contest Group
TnQP http://www.tnqp.org/

Elecraft K2/100 #4455
Elecraft K3/100 #366
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[Julian, G4ILO]

Julius Fazekas n2wn wrote

I've had a number of things crop up since trying to get on RTTY. There may be no link to trying to get the rig going on FSK, and the issues are noted in CW mode (my primary activity).

There have been several one-time error messages. The most recent one being: E 0444A7 ERR DSE.

I've received overtemp warnings on 160, even though I had not been transmitting on the first key down. I've checked the PS, one that I've been using for years. It is metered and the output voltage does not waver. I've checked it with a Fluke in Rx and Tx, and it reads 13.4VDC/13.3VDC respectively. The K3 internal meter reads 13.3 and 12.2! That doesn't seem right.

Also, I seem to have lost control of my RF Gain pot. It does not function in AGC, either F or S. Sometimes I can get it to work in AGC-OFF, cycling the radio on and of seems to place it back in the non-functioning mode as does changing bands. I've put all of the AGC settings back to factory default. Same problem.

I'm using the last official firmware release 2.78 and whatever the associated DSP firmware was.

It might be something blatantly obvious, but I'm missing it. Any suggestions before I go batty?

Thanks,
Julius

Wanted to put the second Rx in, but with this weirdness, I'm holding off.

Have you tried a complete reload, either of the same firmware or the previous version you were using?

[Julius Fazekas n2wn]

Hi Julian,

I've tried that once...

Is there a "reset to factory default" option? I don't suspect it's the firmware load, but it's worth trying again.

Cheers,
Julius

Julian, G4ILO wrote

Julius Fazekas n2wn wrote

I've had a number of things crop up since trying to get on RTTY. There may be no link to trying to get the rig going on FSK, and the issues are noted in CW mode (my primary activity).

There have been several one-time error messages. The most recent one being: E 0444A7 ERR DSE.

I've received overtemp warnings on 160, even though I had not been transmitting on the first key down. I've checked the PS, one that I've been using for years. It is metered and the output voltage does not waver. I've checked it with a Fluke in Rx and Tx, and it reads 13.4VDC/13.3VDC respectively. The K3 internal meter reads 13.3 and 12.2! That doesn't seem right.

Also, I seem to have lost control of my RF Gain pot. It does not function in AGC, either F or S. Sometimes I can get it to work in AGC-OFF, cycling the radio on and of seems to place it back in the non-functioning mode as does changing bands. I've put all of the AGC settings back to factory default. Same problem.

I'm using the last official firmware release 2.78 and whatever the associated DSP firmware was.

It might be something blatantly obvious, but I'm missing it. Any suggestions before I go batty?

Thanks,
Julius

Wanted to put the second Rx in, but with this weirdness, I'm holding off.

Have you tried a complete reload, either of the same firmware or the previous version you were using?

[Julian, G4ILO]

Julius Fazekas n2wn wrote

Hi Julian,

I've tried that once...

Is there a "reset to factory default" option? I don't suspect it's the firmware load, but it's worth trying again.

Cheers,
Julius

"Reset to factory default" would have to somehow restore whatever firmware version it came with. There is a "reinitialize all parameters to defaults" option, described in the manual under Parameter Equalization (page 61 in my copy.) If you do that you'll have to re-do all the menu parameter settings, which you may never have done before if yours is a ready built radio. You can save all the settings using the firmware utility and then restore them (also described on that page of the manual) though if you do that I suppose you could be restoring whatever setting is causing the trouble. Still, it would seem to be the logical next step, if reloading the firmware hasn't cured the problem.

[Julius Fazekas n2wn]

Gary,

I do see a difference between two cables. Both are the same gauge, one from a K2 kit and the other some "scrap" from a hamfest.

This is a different PS too, slightly higher output voltage about 13.8 VDC to begin with. With the K3 internal meter I read 13.7 in Rx and 13.4 in Tx. Much better spread... Powerpole on one end 1/4" lugs on the other.

The other issues seem a bit better, which makes me wonder if there is something in the internal power in chain not doing it's job...

Julius Fazekas
N2WN

Tennessee Contest Group
TnQP http://www.tnqp.org/

Elecraft K2/100 #4455
Elecraft K3/100 #366


--- On Sun, 2/1/09, Gary Hvizdak <[hidden email]> wrote:

> From: Gary Hvizdak <[hidden email]>
> Subject: RE: [Elecraft] K3 problems
> To: [hidden email]
> Date: Sunday, February 1, 2009, 9:52 AM
> Julius,
>
>  
>
>     What length is the cable between PS and K3?  What gauge
> is it?  Are all
> connections tight, including the joints between the cable
> wire and the
> connectors themselves?  (If the answers to any of these
> questions appear
> "unusual" then I suggest you share them with the
> group.)
>
>  
>
> 73,
> Gary  KI4GGX
>
>  
>
>   _____  
>
>  
>
> Julius Fazekas
> Sun Feb 1 09:10:59 EST 2009
>
>  
>
> I've had a number of things crop up since trying to get
> on RTTY. There may
> be no link to trying to get the rig going on FSK, and the
> issues are noted
> in CW mode (my primary activity).
>  
> There have been several one-time error messages. The most
> recent one being:
> E 0444A7 ERR DSE.
>  
> I've received overtemp warnings on 160, even though I
> had not been
> transmitting on the first key down. I've checked the
> PS, one that I've been
> using for years. It is metered and the output voltage does
> not waver. I've
> checked it with a Fluke in Rx and Tx, and it reads
> 13.4VDC/13.3VDC
> respectively. The K3 internal meter reads 13.3 and 12.2!
> That doesn't seem
> right.
>  
> Also, I seem to have lost control of my RF Gain pot. It
> does not function in
> AGC, either F or S. Sometimes I can get it to work in
> AGC-OFF, cycling the
> radio on and of seems to place it back in the
> non-functioning mode as does
> changing bands. I've put all of the AGC settings back
> to factory default.
> Same problem.
>  
> I'm using the last official firmware release 2.78 and
> whatever the
> associated DSP firmware was.
>  
> It might be something blatantly obvious, but I'm
> missing it. Any suggestions
> before I go batty?
>  
> Thanks,
> Julius
>  
> Wanted to put the second Rx in, but with this weirdness,
> I'm holding off.
>  
> Julius Fazekas
> N2WN

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[Julius Fazekas n2wn]

Hi Julian,

I've done that as well.

I don't recall resetting the PA Temp value, that may explain the over temp warning...

Did reset all the filters, so that wasn't an issue.

I've swapped in a new PS that runs at 13.8VDC and a different power cable. That seemed to help some more, but there still seems to be latency with the RF gain pot.

This makes me wonder if something in the K3 power chain is not functioning correctly. I'm trying to think of an event that may have caused a problem, if there is one... Nothing out of the ordinary comes to mind. The other equipment on the line that feeds the K3 are all operating correctly.



Julius Fazekas
N2WN

Tennessee Contest Group
TnQP http://www.tnqp.org/

Elecraft K2/100 #4455
Elecraft K3/100 #366

Julian, G4ILO wrote

Julius Fazekas n2wn wrote

Hi Julian,

I've tried that once...

Is there a "reset to factory default" option? I don't suspect it's the firmware load, but it's worth trying again.

Cheers,
Julius

"Reset to factory default" would have to somehow restore whatever firmware version it came with. There is a "reinitialize all parameters to defaults" option, described in the manual under Parameter Equalization (page 61 in my copy.) If you do that you'll have to re-do all the menu parameter settings, which you may never have done before if yours is a ready built radio. You can save all the settings using the firmware utility and then restore them (also described on that page of the manual) though if you do that I suppose you could be restoring whatever setting is causing the trouble. Still, it would seem to be the logical next step, if reloading the firmware hasn't cured the problem.

[Julian, G4ILO]

Julius Fazekas n2wn wrote

there still seems to be latency with the RF gain pot.

I rarely touch the RF gain so I can't comment on that specifically, but there is often a noticeable lag between turning the other front panel controls and the value changing on the front panel display. This has been the case ever since the firmware was split between the front panel and the main MCU. So, depending on the extent of the delay, this may be normal.

[Julius Fazekas n2wn]

I, too, rarely have changed the RF gain in the past... So perhaps I've missed a change.

Need to find another K3 close by and see if it does the same thing as mine.

73,
Julius

Julian, G4ILO wrote

Julius Fazekas n2wn wrote

there still seems to be latency with the RF gain pot.

I rarely touch the RF gain so I can't comment on that specifically, but there is often a noticeable lag between turning the other front panel controls and the value changing on the front panel display. This has been the case ever since the firmware was split between the front panel and the main MCU. So, depending on the extent of the delay, this may be normal.