K3EXREF - What am I doing wrong

[Tighe Kuykendall]

I picked up the Leo Bodnar frequency reference and a K3EXREF board after
reading a couple of threads here.  I Installed the board according to
instructions, took static precautions, am using a known good cable from
the K3 to said reference.  I can clearly hear the 10MHz tone on my K3
when I tune a VFO to 10MHz and the signal goes away if I disconnect the
coax from the freq reference.  I've checked all of the tmp connectors
and reseated the K3EXREF board on the K3REF board and all pins are
properly engaged.  But still no * on the display and the REF CAL setting
remains unlocked.

Am I missing something, is there something to do to enable the K3EXREF
other than plug in the freq reference and wait for some magic to happen?

73, Tighe NK4I


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[GM4JJJ]

Have you gone to Config: Ref Cal and tapped 2 to enable XREF IN ?

See page 63 of the manual.

73 from David GM4JJJ

> On 28 Feb 2016, at 05:31, Tighe Kuykendall <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
> I picked up the Leo Bodnar frequency reference and a K3EXREF board after reading a couple of threads here.  I Installed the board according to instructions, took static precautions, am using a known good cable from the K3 to said reference.  I can clearly hear the 10MHz tone on my K3 when I tune a VFO to 10MHz and the signal goes away if I disconnect the coax from the freq reference.  I've checked all of the tmp connectors and reseated the K3EXREF board on the K3REF board and all pins are properly engaged.  But still no * on the display and the REF CAL setting remains unlocked.
>
> Am I missing something, is there something to do to enable the K3EXREF other than plug in the freq reference and wait for some magic to happen?
>
> 73, Tighe NK4I
>
>
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[David Pratt]

Yes, you could be missing something, Tighe.
There is an addendum to Page 4 which reads:

After installing the K3EXREF module, you must enable it in the K3 menu
before it can be used if your K3 is equipped with MCU firmware 4.57 or
later.

Enable the K3EXREF module as follows:

* Turn the K3 on. Confirm that TECH mode is on (CONFIG:TECH MD On).
* Turn the VFO B knob to locate the CONFIG:REF CAL menu entry.
* Tap the REV / 2 switch and note that the VFO B display flashes between
XREF IN (K3EXREF module active) and XREF OUT (K3EXREF module disabled).
Tap the REV /2 switch so that XREF IN is displayed.

Ii is important to disable the module in the menu if you remove the
K3EXREF module in the future.

http://www.elecraft.com/manual/E740156E%20K3EXREF%20Errata%20A2-5.pdf

I hope that helps.

73 de David G4DMP

In a recent message, Tighe Kuykendall <[hidden email]> writes

>I picked up the Leo Bodnar frequency reference and a K3EXREF board
>after reading a couple of threads here.  I Installed the board
>according to instructions, took static precautions, am using a known
>good cable from the K3 to said reference.  I can clearly hear the 10MHz
>tone on my K3 when I tune a VFO to 10MHz and the signal goes away if I
>disconnect the coax from the freq reference.  I've checked all of the
>tmp connectors and reseated the K3EXREF board on the K3REF board and
>all pins are properly engaged.  But still no * on the display and the
>REF CAL setting remains unlocked.
>
>Am I missing something, is there something to do to enable the K3EXREF
>other than plug in the freq reference and wait for some magic to
>happen?
>

--
 + - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - +
 | David M Pratt, Kippax, Leeds.   |
 | Website: http://www.g4dmp.co.uk |
 + - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - +

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[Tighe Kuykendall]

Thanks to everyone that responded.  I looked at that errata several
times and for some reason had blinders on to the big obvious section in
the middle of the page which deals with enabling the module.  That's
what I get for working on it in the middle of the night.

All good now.

73, Tighe NK4I


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[Mike VE3YF]

Tighe:
Glad you got it working. Mine also works like a charm. I did the calibration on both my K3's and then since I had the GPS Antenna on a stick shoved into the snowbank, I made it a temp setup. Question, are you leaving the Calibration on all the time or just use it once in a while. I am thinking of leaving the calibration on and just remount the GPS Antenna to a more suitable location.


73 De Mike
VE3YF

http://www.ve3yf.com
[http://www.ve3yf.com/]
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[Edward R Cole]

Wow! Great tip -- totally forgot the "tap" "2" step.

My EXREF had quit some time ago and checking 10-MHz sources all
tested good so I figured my "beta test" unit had given it up.  Too
busy to investigate further.

It stopped after I had a firmware glitch so now guessing that shut
off the EXREF.

So I did the tap-2 and REF CAL showed no asterisk - uh oh.  I changed
10-MHz source (I have a 4-way distribution amp) and still
nothing.  So "utilizing my trouble shooting skills" I decided to
check the coax and found the sma connector not fully tightened at the
K3.  About 1/2 turn is all it took and REF * CAL with asterisk
blinking and the 49.380.000 oscillator is shifting upward again
compensating TCXO drift (mine tops out at about 49.380.072).

Its my belief the upward drift is from initial radio warm-up and once
it reaches operating temp** is reached its fairly stable varying only
a few Hz.  My Beta Tests indicate my EXREF holds my K3/10 within 2-Hz
at 28-MHz (which is my IF for transverter operation). I have a mw
frequency counter (with internal TCXO) for checking and also a
Rubidium oscillator which I use as my Frequency standard.  Counter
TCXO is never off 1-Hz from the Rb source.  The OCXO requires
adjustment about 2 times per year for long-term drift.  **NOTE: I
have a K3/10 so the 10w amp doesn't produce a lot of heat.  When I
operate in transverter mode the K3 operates at 1mw with no extra heat
in Tx.  If you have a K3/100 that could be different when on HF/6m.

I did find one of my four port distribution amp has no output (BNC
appears loose so probably has broke off the wire inside).  I have a
432 and 1296 transverter that both use a synth-PLL LO locked to
10-MHz.  My source is a $45 e-bay Russian surplus OCXO.

My Point: Beware that sma must be properly tight to have good contact.

73, Ed - KL7UW
http://www.kl7uw.com
     "Kits made by KL7UW"
Dubus Mag business:
     [hidden email]

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[Tighe Kuykendall]

Mike,

I'm planning to leave it on continuously although I did tap "1" to save
the setting at what my final fully warmed up state should be. I bought
an active GPS antenna which I have sitting in a windowsill and it seems
to have a good GPS lock.  I have to try pretty hard to get it to loose
GPS lock.  I'm also planning to try getting time information from the
Bodnar device into a Raspberry Pi.

For reference, on my K3, here's the Ref Cal values:

My starting point: 49.380.010
Power-on and initial EXREF input: 49.379.951
After several hours of operating:  49.379.912

73, Tighe NK4I


On 2/28/16 4:01 PM, Mike VE3YF wrote:
> Tighe:
> Glad you got it working. Mine also works like a charm. I did the calibration on both my K3's and then since I had the GPS Antenna on a stick shoved into the snowbank, I made it a temp setup. Question, are you leaving the Calibration on all the time or just use it once in a while. I am thinking of leaving the calibration on and just remount the GPS Antenna to a more suitable location.
>
>
> 73 De Mike
> VE3YF
>
>
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[Mike VE3YF]

Hi Tighe:

Tnx for the info. Once we get spring or summer I will move my active antenna up higher so it can get a pretty good shot of the sky. If I had left the antenna where it was it would be under snow by now. I was amazed how fast the unit locked onto Satellites and it worked like a charm. I think I left everything on for a couple days without any glitches etc. Definitely happy with the Leo Bodnar unit and the K3exref unit.


73 De Mike
VE3YF

http://www.ve3yf.com
[http://www.ve3yf.com/]
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