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My radio all of a sudden is so loud it blew a speaker!

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tomb18

My radio all of a sudden is so loud it blew a speaker!

HI,
Ok a strange thing happened today. I was moving my K3 from one rack to another and once everything was connected up I turned it on. Now I use an external speaker and the volume was so loud that it blew. I immediately turned down the volume and went to the speaker in the K3. Barely touching the volume control resulted in such a high volume level that I was afraid the speaker would blow there too!.
I checked the menu setting for the AF Gain and it was set to high which I have always used since I found the audio out of the K3 was too low for me.
Now, I’ve had to put it at low and it seems that it is now back to the way it was.
So is it really that loud on High and why would I have not seen this before?
Thanks, Tom
va2fsq.com

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NK7Z

Re: My radio all of a sudden is so loud it blew a speaker!

The dynamic range of the K3 is so great that this is possible, at least
for an external powered speaker.

There is a setting in the menu for limiting the audio output. While it
makes the audio horrid, it does limit the levels, thus saving your
speaker...

My guess is you have your AGC off... I leave mine turned on, but have
adjusted it to be as ineffective as possible, and only kick in on really
strong signals.

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

On 01/27/2018 02:13 PM, Tom wrote:

> HI,
> Ok a strange thing happened today. I was moving my K3 from one rack to another and once everything was connected up I turned it on. Now I use an external speaker and the volume was so loud that it blew. I immediately turned down the volume and went to the speaker in the K3. Barely touching the volume control resulted in such a high volume level that I was afraid the speaker would blow there too!.
> I checked the menu setting for the AF Gain and it was set to high which I have always used since I found the audio out of the K3 was too low for me.
> Now, I’ve had to put it at low and it seems that it is now back to the way it was.
> So is it really that loud on High and why would I have not seen this before?
> Thanks, Tom
> va2fsq.com
>
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KK1W

Re: My radio all of a sudden is so loud it blew a speaker!

In reply to this post by tomb18

Tom, I had the same issue a week ago, but only with one mode (data A). It was
far louder than any other mode and I had to change the line out setting from
10 to 1 in order to use data modes like FT8.
I tried EE INIT but no change. I went back to an earlier config file and it
became normal. I even went through the exercise of printing out the entire
Menu and Config settings, then loading each into the rig and writing down
the settings while scrolling through the radio. I couldn't find any
differences. Regardless if I loaded the latest config file it didn't work
and if I went back to an older one it corrected the problem. Possibly trying
an older config file will fix your problem too?

As they say, YMMV, good luck.

Jim/KK1W

--
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tomb18

Re: My radio all of a sudden is so loud it blew a speaker!

In reply to this post by tomb18

Hi,
No the AGC is On. It's still overall several times higher than I have ever
heard when in High.
That's very strange since I always had it at high and when I first checked
it was at High.
So now if I put it to low is is as it has always been. Putting it at high
with AGC off, I will now blow any speaker attached!
Tom

-----Original Message-----
From: Dave Hachadorian
Sent: Saturday, January 27, 2018 5:43 PM
To: Tom
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] My radio all of a sudden is so loud it blew a
speaker!

Did AGC get turned off?

-----Original Message-----
From: Tom
Sent: Saturday, January 27, 2018 3:13 PM
To: Elecraft
Subject: [Elecraft] My radio all of a sudden is so loud it blew a
speaker!

HI,
Ok a strange thing happened today. I was moving my K3 from one
rack to another and once everything was connected up I turned it
on. Now I use an external speaker and the volume was so loud that
it blew. I immediately turned down the volume and went to the
speaker in the K3. Barely touching the volume control resulted
in such a high volume level that I was afraid the speaker would
blow there too!.
I checked the menu setting for the AF Gain and it was set to high
which I have always used since I found the audio out of the K3
was too low for me.
Now, I’ve had to put it at low and it seems that it is now back
to the way it was.
So is it really that loud on High and why would I have not seen
this before?
Thanks, Tom
va2fsq.com

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software.
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Barry K3NDM

Re: My radio all of a sudden is so loud it blew a speaker!

Tom,
Something comes to mind. Go into the setup menu and check the AGC
threshold. As you move it up in number, the audio output goes up, and it
takes a greater signal amplitude before it "kicks" in. I usually use
this when using data A to prevent AGC capture, or at least as much, by
other signals in the passband, for instance FT8 with a received
bandwidth of 2.5KHz. Normally, the K3 AGC is excellent and should have
prevented what you describe unless the the AGC threshold is too high.

73,
Barry
K3NDM

------ Original Message ------
From: "Tom" <[hidden email]>
To: "Elecraft" <[hidden email]>
Sent: 1/27/2018 6:24:40 PM
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] My radio all of a sudden is so loud it blew a
speaker!

>Hi,
>No the AGC is On. It's still overall several times higher than I have
>ever heard when in High.
>That's very strange since I always had it at high and when I first
>checked it was at High.
>So now if I put it to low is is as it has always been. Putting it at
>high with AGC off, I will now blow any speaker attached!
>Tom
>
>
>-----Original Message----- From: Dave Hachadorian
>Sent: Saturday, January 27, 2018 5:43 PM
>To: Tom
>Subject: Re: [Elecraft] My radio all of a sudden is so loud it blew a
>speaker!
>
>Did AGC get turned off?
>
>-----Original Message----- From: Tom
>Sent: Saturday, January 27, 2018 3:13 PM
>To: Elecraft
>Subject: [Elecraft] My radio all of a sudden is so loud it blew a
>speaker!
>
>HI,
>Ok a strange thing happened today. I was moving my K3 from one
>rack to another and once everything was connected up I turned it
>on. Now I use an external speaker and the volume was so loud that
>it blew. I immediately turned down the volume and went to the
>speaker in the K3. Barely touching the volume control resulted
>in such a high volume level that I was afraid the speaker would
>blow there too!.
>I checked the menu setting for the AF Gain and it was set to high
>which I have always used since I found the audio out of the K3
>was too low for me.
>Now, I’ve had to put it at low and it seems that it is now back
>to the way it was.
>So is it really that loud on High and why would I have not seen
>this before?
>Thanks, Tom
>va2fsq.com
>
>---
>This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus
>software.
>https://www.avast.com/antivirus
>______________________________________________________________
>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]
>
>---
>This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
>https://www.avast.com/antivirus
>
>______________________________________________________________
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>Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>
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tomb18

Re: My radio all of a sudden is so loud it blew a speaker!

In reply to this post by tomb18

HiYes but it's weird that never arose in the past. The one thing that IS different this time is that the radio had a full power down. Not just the front panel.... 73 Tom

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone.
-------- Original message --------From: Barry <[hidden email]> Date: 2018-01-27 7:12 PM (GMT-05:00) To: Tom <[hidden email]>, Elecraft <[hidden email]> Subject: Re[2]: [Elecraft] My radio all of a sudden is so loud it blew a speaker!
Tom,
Something comes to mind. Go into the setup menu and check the AGC
threshold. As you move it up in number, the audio output goes up, and it
takes a greater signal amplitude before it "kicks" in. I usually use
this when using data A to prevent AGC capture, or at least as much, by
other signals in the passband, for instance FT8 with a received
bandwidth of 2.5KHz. Normally, the K3 AGC is excellent and should have
prevented what you describe unless the the AGC threshold is too high.

73,
Barry
K3NDM

------ Original Message ------
From: "Tom" <[hidden email]>
To: "Elecraft" <[hidden email]>
Sent: 1/27/2018 6:24:40 PM
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] My radio all of a sudden is so loud it blew a
speaker!

Barry K3NDM

Re: My radio all of a sudden is so loud it blew a speaker!

Tom,
I can't explain the cause of what's happening. Rob and I ran into
some craziness last weekend with power out and the antenna tuner. We
fixed the symptom, but have been unable to trace the cause. In my case,
I'm willing to swear that RF got in and corrupted the matrix of L and C
values stored in the radio's memory, but I can't reproduce the symptom.
What Rob suggested was to store off the radio settings using the
utility, doing a reset, and put the setting back. That seems to have
fixed the problem, so far. What is crazy is that of the set of K3 owners
around us, only Rob and I seem to have had a problem. In the about 2
years I've used my K3s, there has never been a hint of anything like
this.

73,
Barry
K3NDM

------ Original Message ------
From: "tomb18" <[hidden email]>
To: "Barry" <[hidden email]>; "Elecraft" <[hidden email]>
Sent: 1/27/2018 7:24:54 PM
Subject: Re: Re[2]: [Elecraft] My radio all of a sudden is so loud it
blew a speaker!

>Hi
>Yes but it's weird that never arose in the past.
>The one thing that IS different this time is that the radio had a full
>power down. Not just the front panel....
>73 Tom
>
>
>
>Sent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone.
>
>-------- Original message --------
>From: Barry <[hidden email]>
>Date: 2018-01-27 7:12 PM (GMT-05:00)
>To: Tom <[hidden email]>, Elecraft <[hidden email]>
>Subject: Re[2]: [Elecraft] My radio all of a sudden is so loud it blew
>a speaker!
>
>Tom,
> Something comes to mind. Go into the setup menu and check the AGC
>threshold. As you move it up in number, the audio output goes up, and
>it
>takes a greater signal amplitude before it "kicks" in. I usually use
>this when using data A to prevent AGC capture, or at least as much, by
>other signals in the passband, for instance FT8 with a received
>bandwidth of 2.5KHz. Normally, the K3 AGC is excellent and should have
>prevented what you describe unless the the AGC threshold is too high.
>
>73,
>Barry
>K3NDM
>
>------ Original Message ------
>From: "Tom" <[hidden email]>
>To: "Elecraft" <[hidden email]>
>Sent: 1/27/2018 6:24:40 PM
>Subject: Re: [Elecraft] My radio all of a sudden is so loud it blew a
>speaker!
>
> >Hi,
> >No the AGC is On. It's still overall several times higher than I have
> >ever heard when in High.
> >That's very strange since I always had it at high and when I first
> >checked it was at High.
> >So now if I put it to low is is as it has always been. Putting it at
> >high with AGC off, I will now blow any speaker attached!
> >Tom
> >
> >
> >-----Original Message----- From: Dave Hachadorian
> >Sent: Saturday, January 27, 2018 5:43 PM
> >To: Tom
> >Subject: Re: [Elecraft] My radio all of a sudden is so loud it blew a
> >speaker!
> >
> >Did AGC get turned off?
> >
> >-----Original Message----- From: Tom
> >Sent: Saturday, January 27, 2018 3:13 PM
> >To: Elecraft
> >Subject: [Elecraft] My radio all of a sudden is so loud it blew a
> >speaker!
> >
> >HI,
> >Ok a strange thing happened today. I was moving my K3 from one
> >rack to another and once everything was connected up I turned it
> >on. Now I use an external speaker and the volume was so loud that
> >it blew. I immediately turned down the volume and went to the
> >speaker in the K3. Barely touching the volume control resulted
> >in such a high volume level that I was afraid the speaker would
> >blow there too!.
> >I checked the menu setting for the AF Gain and it was set to high
> >which I have always used since I found the audio out of the K3
> >was too low for me.
> >Now, I’ve had to put it at low and it seems that it is now back
> >to the way it was.
> >So is it really that loud on High and why would I have not seen
> >this before?
> >Thanks, Tom
> >va2fsq.com
> >
> >---
> >This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus
> >software.
> >https://www.avast.com/antivirus
> >______________________________________________________________
> >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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> >https://www.avast.com/antivirus
> >
> >______________________________________________________________
> >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]
>

NK7Z

Re: My radio all of a sudden is so loud it blew a speaker!

In reply to this post by KK1W

Yet another reminder to do a config backup, thanks!

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

On 01/27/2018 03:10 PM, KK1W wrote:

> Tom, I had the same issue a week ago, but only with one mode (data A). It was
> far louder than any other mode and I had to change the line out setting from
> 10 to 1 in order to use data modes like FT8.
> I tried EE INIT but no change. I went back to an earlier config file and it
> became normal. I even went through the exercise of printing out the entire
> Menu and Config settings, then loading each into the rig and writing down
> the settings while scrolling through the radio. I couldn't find any
> differences. Regardless if I loaded the latest config file it didn't work
> and if I went back to an older one it corrected the problem. Possibly trying
> an older config file will fix your problem too?
>
> As they say, YMMV, good luck.
>
> Jim/KK1W
>
>
>
> --
> Sent from: http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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]
>