P3 Transmit Display Failure

[ke9uw]

I have a reoccurring issue with the P3 display of the transmit cw display. Occasionally, the P3 doesn't display the TX waveform ( I have never noticed if this happening on SSB...probably not since I have never had to fix it). The fix is loading a config file stored when the problem was not happening.
I have tried to store a config file when it was happening just to see and then restore using that file. What happens then is the P3 display locked up with a dit and could not be unlocked.
After this test, I had to turn off the K3s and unpower the P3, restore power and turn the K3s on, and restore with a copy of the config which was taken when the display was showing transmit cw.
I'm thinking stray RF somehow causing this but never happened on SSB...and I have no clue what is getting flipped in the rig or P3 to have this happen.
Since I can restore the config and fix it, I guess I'm mostly curious why it's happening, any ideas?

Chuck Hawley
 [hidden email]

 Amateur Radio, KE9UW
 aka Jack, BMW Motorcycles
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[Alan Bloom]

My first thought is there might be an intermittent RS-232 connection
between the K3 and the P3.  That would prevent the P3 receiving the TX
and RX commands from the K3 so that the P3 gets hung up in TX or RX
mode.  If you can lay your hands on a spare RS-232 cable, I would try it
to see if that fixes the problem.

If the RS-232 connection is confirmed OK and the problem still occurs, then:

Have you tried cycling power without restoring the config file?  If it
really does require the config file restoration to restore proper
operation then it must be some setting that is accidentally getting
changed.  That can sometimes be caused by some computer software sending
commands to the P3 via RS-232.  Try running the K3/P3 with no RS-232
connection to the computer and see if you still see the problem.

If the problem occurs with no connection between the K3/P3 and the
computer and you can confirm that it does require a config restore to
get back to normal operation, then it sounds like the EEPROM in the P3
must be going bad.  I have never heard of that happening, but I guess
it's possible.

Alan N1AL


On 11/18/2020 12:19 PM, hawley, charles j jr wrote:

> I have a reoccurring issue with the P3 display of the transmit cw display. Occasionally, the P3 doesn't display the TX waveform ( I have never noticed if this happening on SSB...probably not since I have never had to fix it). The fix is loading a config file stored when the problem was not happening.
> I have tried to store a config file when it was happening just to see and then restore using that file. What happens then is the P3 display locked up with a dit and could not be unlocked.
> After this test, I had to turn off the K3s and unpower the P3, restore power and turn the K3s on, and restore with a copy of the config which was taken when the display was showing transmit cw.
> I'm thinking stray RF somehow causing this but never happened on SSB...and I have no clue what is getting flipped in the rig or P3 to have this happen.
> Since I can restore the config and fix it, I guess I'm mostly curious why it's happening, any ideas?
>
> Chuck Hawley
>   [hidden email]
>
>   Amateur Radio, KE9UW
>   aka Jack, BMW Motorcycles
>

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[Jerry]

Carl, Chuck and Alan,,

Carl, your suggestions are good and logical ones for attempting to fix the PTT_KEY parameter problem , but in this case, this was a problem that was designed to be so by
Elecraft. Here is Elecraft's solution to my problem:

" From your description of the issue, it sounds like you have USB.SAFE enabled for PTT-KEY.  This is a feature to prevent accidental transmissions when a computer toggles DTR and RTS lines during a reboot.  When USB.SAFE is enabled, it will keep PTT-KEY set to OFF-OFF until the radio receives valid serial commands over the serial connection.  It can be confusing, since the setting will show as OFF-OFF until it receives those commands.  You can toggle USB.SAFE off and on by tapping 1 on the keypad while viewing the PTT-KEY menu."

This was from Rob in support.

Chuck and Alan, as long as you don't tap the #1 key on the keypad while looking at the PTT-KEY parameter, this will not happen to you. Interestingly enough, the display will show UNSAFE and SAFE when in this condition and tapping the #! Will toggle the condition. I also think you have to have the KIOB module installed too. It sounds like it is USB specific and KIOA modules will not be affected (Ithink).

Best regards

Jerry, W1IE


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