Elecraft

K3 with erratic QSK and CW Delay

Classic

List

Threaded

3 messages Options

RLVZ

K3 with erratic QSK and CW Delay

My K3 has always had erratic QSK. I asked Elecraft to check this out when
the K3 was returned to Elecraft on another repair issue and the Tech said
the QSK "checked out fine". I don't doubt the Tech's word as he was even
nice enough to phone me while he was working on the radio. So crazy as it
seems, the K3's QSK works while in California... but it does not work when
it gets home to Florida! Here's the issues:

QSK: The QSK will often work when the radio is cold and first turned on.
But after the first or second transmission, the QSK quits working, and acts
like it's in semi-break-in. Seldom will the QSK ever work again until the
radio is powered off. Therefore, I've given up on QSK and operate
semi-breakin.

SEMI-BREAKIN: Until recently, semi-breakin worked fine and would quickly
return to receive as it should with the DELAY set at 0. But today it's
acting up as there's a substantial delay after the last CW character is sent
before it returns to receive. I'd estimate a half second delay before it
returns to receive. This issue is the same whether the VOX is on or off and
the same with the QSK on or off. I did double check the Delay setting and
it is set to ). (zero) I'm sure you will agree that trying to "run"
stations in a contest with a half second delay before returning to receive is a
horrible experience.

Question: Are there any settings besides "DELAY" that can effect how long
it takes the K3 to return to receive after transmitting the last CW
character? Perhaps a Menu setting needs changing?

Thanks & 73,

Dick- K9OM
______________________________________________________________
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

Vic Rosenthal

Re: K3 with erratic QSK and CW Delay

First, are you using any auxiliary devices connected to PTT? If so,
disconnect all the 'interfaces', etc., and try it just with a paddle.
Try it with a dummy load to rule out RF as a problem. Or even in TX TEST
mode. I can't think of any menu parameters that would cause this.

On 2/20/2014 9:10 AM, [hidden email] wrote:

>
> My K3 has always had erratic QSK. I asked Elecraft to check this out when
> the K3 was returned to Elecraft on another repair issue and the Tech said
> the QSK "checked out fine". I don't doubt the Tech's word as he was even
> nice enough to phone me while he was working on the radio. So crazy as it
> seems, the K3's QSK works while in California... but it does not work when
> it gets home to Florida! Here's the issues:
>
> QSK: The QSK will often work when the radio is cold and first turned on.
> But after the first or second transmission, the QSK quits working, and acts
> like it's in semi-break-in. Seldom will the QSK ever work again until the
> radio is powered off. Therefore, I've given up on QSK and operate
> semi-breakin.
>
> SEMI-BREAKIN: Until recently, semi-breakin worked fine and would quickly
> return to receive as it should with the DELAY set at 0. But today it's
> acting up as there's a substantial delay after the last CW character is sent
> before it returns to receive. I'd estimate a half second delay before it
> returns to receive. This issue is the same whether the VOX is on or off and
> the same with the QSK on or off. I did double check the Delay setting and
> it is set to ). (zero) I'm sure you will agree that trying to "run"
> stations in a contest with a half second delay before returning to receive is a
> horrible experience.
>
> Question: Are there any settings besides "DELAY" that can effect how long
> it takes the K3 to return to receive after transmitting the last CW
> character? Perhaps a Menu setting needs changing?
>
> Thanks & 73,
>
> Dick- K9OM

--
73,

Vic, K2VCO

Fresno CA

http://www.qsl.net/k2vco/

______________________________________________________________
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

Don Wilhelm-4

Re: K3 with erratic QSK and CW Delay

In reply to this post by RLVZ

Dick,

I also would suggest removing all cables except the paddles and
connecting a dummy load as a test.

One more thing to try on the delay situation is to set the delay
somewhere in the 2 to 4 range rather than zero. My reason for that is
to potentially identify a problem where the bits get "mixed up" and the
delay value tries to go 'negative'. With an 8 bit number, the next
'lower' value than zero is 255, which is really a very high number. If
you find something like that happening, the problem may RF in the Shack,
and the cure will be found with good common mode chokes on your feedlines.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 2/20/2014 12:10 PM, [hidden email] wrote:

______________________________________________________________
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