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K3S goes Keydown

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Dale Martin, KG5U

K3S goes Keydown

I've been operating my new K3S for about 2 months now and love it.

Last week, however, something unexpected happened: as soon as I keyed the
paddles or hit f1 to key the radio (CW), the radio went keydown. Only by
running the power down below 50-70 watts does it finally key up.

It has happened a number of times since then. However, it doesn't happen all
the time.

I've disconnected extraneous cables, moved power supplies and computer and
cables. No change. I've reattached cables, relocated equipment back to where
it was. Again, no change. Nothing seems to make a difference.

It is also very sporadic. I can sit down and operate without an unexpected
keydown event. Other times, I can sit down and bang, it's gone key down and
I've got to run the power down to operate.

Until last week, it never happened before. As I said, no changes have been
made to the station: equipment configuration and positioning, cable
routing, antenna SWR/orientation, etc.

My next step is to find my box of ferrites and start clamping them on
cables-I've never had to do that at this station for any of the five radios
I've ever used here over many years. I figure if any of my past radios were
RFI susceptible it would have been my OMNI VI's. But I never had an
RFI-issue with them.

Any ideas?

73,

Dale, kg5u

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KE8G

Re: K3S goes Keydown

Hi Dale,
Sounds like RF is getting in somewhere, somehow! Have you noticed if it's band specific? Frequency specific?

This happens to me once in a while, and then mysteriously disappears!

73 de Jim - KE8G
Sent from my iPad

> On Feb 3, 2017, at 9:18 AM, Dale Martin <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
> I've been operating my new K3S for about 2 months now and love it.
>
>
>
> Last week, however, something unexpected happened: as soon as I keyed the
> paddles or hit f1 to key the radio (CW), the radio went keydown. Only by
> running the power down below 50-70 watts does it finally key up.
>
>
>
> It has happened a number of times since then. However, it doesn't happen all
> the time.
>
>
>
> I've disconnected extraneous cables, moved power supplies and computer and
> cables. No change. I've reattached cables, relocated equipment back to where
> it was. Again, no change. Nothing seems to make a difference.
>
>
>
> It is also very sporadic. I can sit down and operate without an unexpected
> keydown event. Other times, I can sit down and bang, it's gone key down and
> I've got to run the power down to operate.
>
>
>
> Until last week, it never happened before. As I said, no changes have been
> made to the station: equipment configuration and positioning, cable
> routing, antenna SWR/orientation, etc.
>
>
>
> My next step is to find my box of ferrites and start clamping them on
> cables-I've never had to do that at this station for any of the five radios
> I've ever used here over many years. I figure if any of my past radios were
> RFI susceptible it would have been my OMNI VI's. But I never had an
> RFI-issue with them.
>
>
>
> Any ideas?
>
>
>
> 73,
>
> Dale, kg5u
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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]

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Don Wilhelm

Re: K3S goes Keydown

In reply to this post by Dale Martin, KG5U

Dale,

Try it on a dummy load instead or your antenna.
If the problem is "cured", then look for a problem in your antenna
system - RF is getting back into your shack.

If the problem persists on the dummy load, contact K3support.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 2/3/2017 10:18 AM, Dale Martin wrote:

> Last week, however, something unexpected happened: as soon as I keyed the
> paddles or hit f1 to key the radio (CW), the radio went keydown. Only by
> running the power down below 50-70 watts does it finally key up.
______________________________________________________________
Elecraft mailing list
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Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:[hidden email]

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NK7Z

Re: K3S goes Keydown

In reply to this post by Dale Martin, KG5U

Are you by chance running an end fed wire?

73s and thanks,
Dave
NK7Z
http://www.nk7z.net

On 02/03/2017 07:18 AM, Dale Martin wrote:

> I've been operating my new K3S for about 2 months now and love it.
>
>
>
> Last week, however, something unexpected happened: as soon as I keyed the
> paddles or hit f1 to key the radio (CW), the radio went keydown. Only by
> running the power down below 50-70 watts does it finally key up.
>
>
>
> It has happened a number of times since then. However, it doesn't happen all
> the time.
>
>
>
> I've disconnected extraneous cables, moved power supplies and computer and
> cables. No change. I've reattached cables, relocated equipment back to where
> it was. Again, no change. Nothing seems to make a difference.
>
>
>
> It is also very sporadic. I can sit down and operate without an unexpected
> keydown event. Other times, I can sit down and bang, it's gone key down and
> I've got to run the power down to operate.
>
>
>
> Until last week, it never happened before. As I said, no changes have been
> made to the station: equipment configuration and positioning, cable
> routing, antenna SWR/orientation, etc.
>
>
>
> My next step is to find my box of ferrites and start clamping them on
> cables-I've never had to do that at this station for any of the five radios
> I've ever used here over many years. I figure if any of my past radios were
> RFI susceptible it would have been my OMNI VI's. But I never had an
> RFI-issue with them.
>
>
>
> Any ideas?
>
>
>
> 73,
>
> Dale, kg5u
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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]
>

Robie Elms-2

Re: K3S goes Keydown

In reply to this post by Don Wilhelm

Dale,

You have received some good suggestions. I will add look into a common mode choke on you feed line. You may have one already, if so it may be marginal and a second one may solve your problems.

Robie - AJ4F

> On Feb 3, 2017, at 09:35, Don Wilhelm <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
> Dale,
>
> Try it on a dummy load instead or your antenna.
> If the problem is "cured", then look for a problem in your antenna system - RF is getting back into your shack.
>
> If the problem persists on the dummy load, contact K3support.
>
> 73,
> Don W3FPR
>
>> On 2/3/2017 10:18 AM, Dale Martin wrote:
>>
>> Last week, however, something unexpected happened: as soon as I keyed the
>> paddles or hit f1 to key the radio (CW), the radio went keydown. Only by
>> running the power down below 50-70 watts does it finally key up.
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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]

john@kk9a.com

Re: K3S goes Keydown

In reply to this post by Dale Martin, KG5U

It probably would help to describe your antenna(s).

John KK9A

Dale Martin kg5u said:

I've been operating my new K3S for about 2 months now and love it.

Last week, however, something unexpected happened: as soon as I keyed the
paddles or hit f1 to key the radio (CW), the radio went keydown. Only by
running the power down below 50-70 watts does it finally key up.

It has happened a number of times since then. However, it doesn't happen all
the time.

I've disconnected extraneous cables, moved power supplies and computer and
cables. No change. I've reattached cables, relocated equipment back to where
it was. Again, no change. Nothing seems to make a difference.

It is also very sporadic. I can sit down and operate without an unexpected
keydown event. Other times, I can sit down and bang, it's gone key down and
I've got to run the power down to operate.

Until last week, it never happened before. As I said, no changes have been
made to the station: equipment configuration and positioning, cable
routing, antenna SWR/orientation, etc.

My next step is to find my box of ferrites and start clamping them on
cables-I've never had to do that at this station for any of the five radios
I've ever used here over many years. I figure if any of my past radios were
RFI susceptible it would have been my OMNI VI's. But I never had an
RFI-issue with them.

Any ideas?

73,

Dale, kg5u

______________________________________________________________
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]

gm3sek

Re: K3S goes Keydown

In reply to this post by Don Wilhelm

Many problems with 'RF in the shack' are caused by bad shield
connections in PL259 plugs. It is also very typical for such problems to
appear suddenly or intermittently.

So if the problem persists when the K3S is connected only to a dummy
load, change the coax patch lead as well.

73 from Ian GM3SEK

>-----Original Message-----
>From: Elecraft [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of
>Don Wilhelm
>Sent: 03 February 2017 15:35
>To: Dale Martin; [hidden email]
>Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3S goes Keydown
>
>Dale,
>
>Try it on a dummy load instead or your antenna.
>If the problem is "cured", then look for a problem in your antenna
>system - RF is getting back into your shack.
>
>If the problem persists on the dummy load, contact K3support.
>
>73,
>Don W3FPR
>
>On 2/3/2017 10:18 AM, Dale Martin wrote:
>
>> Last week, however, something unexpected happened: as soon as I keyed
>the
>> paddles or hit f1 to key the radio (CW), the radio went keydown. Only

>> running the power down below 50-70 watts does it finally key up.
>______________________________________________________________
>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]