PR6 preamp fails to turn on reliably

[W7GJ, Lance]

I just returned from using my K3 for 6m EME down in E51 (you can see more
information about the trip at http://www.bigskyspaces.com/w7gj/E51SIX.htm ).
My question is that often the PR6 would not seem to "engage" at the beginning of
an operating session.  I could press the RX button and hear the relays click, but
the S meter and noise would not increase.  Fortunately, I was always able to get
the preamp to finally "kick in" before my moon came up, but it required the K3 to
be on for awhile and for me to press the RX button multiple times to turn the
preamp on and off.

I was using switching power supplies, so I don't think there should have been any
problem with the actual DC voltages (although I did not confirm that there was
actually 13.5 VDC coming to the K3).

Does anybody have any ideas as to what the problem may have been, or how I can
prevent this problem in the future?  Like I said, the K3 and PR6 performed well
for me on this trip, but I am a little worried about its performance on future
trips if the PR6 fails to turn on!

MNI TNX and VY 73, Lance
--
Lance Collister, W7GJ (ex: WN3GPL, WA3GPL, WA1JXN, WA1JXN/C6A, ZF2OC/ZF8)
P.O. Box 73
Frenchtown, MT  59834  USA
QTH: DN27UB
TEL: [phone]   URL: http://www.bigskyspaces.com/w7gj
2m DXCC #11, 6m DXCC #815


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[Dave, G4AON]

Lance I almost always use an external 2nd receiver via the KXV3 RX RF
in/out route that a pre-amp uses (via a ferrite splitter), mine is used
on the lower HF bands but the principle is the same. I don't have any
switching issues with the K3 and that external receive signal route. I
do have an Advanced Receiver Research P50VDG 6m pre-amp but only operate
6m during the summer months "portable".

Do you think the problem is the PR6, or the K3?

73 Dave, G4AON
K3/100 #80
--------------------

I just returned from using my K3 for 6m EME down in E51 (you can see more
information about the trip at http://www.bigskyspaces.com/w7gj/E51SIX.htm ).
My question is that often the PR6 would not seem to "engage" at the
beginning of
an operating session. I could press the RX button and hear the relays
click, but
the S meter and noise would not increase. Fortunately, I was always able
to get
the preamp to finally "kick in" before my moon came up, but it required
the K3 to
be on for awhile and for me to press the RX button multiple times to
turn the
preamp on and off.

I was using switching power supplies, so I don't think there should have
been any
problem with the actual DC voltages (although I did not confirm that
there was
actually 13.5 VDC coming to the K3).

Does anybody have any ideas as to what the problem may have been, or how
I can
prevent this problem in the future? Like I said, the K3 and PR6
performed well
for me on this trip, but I am a little worried about its performance on
future
trips if the PR6 fails to turn on!

MNI TNX and VY 73, Lance
______________________________________________________________
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