Popping out of diversity mode

[Julius Fazekas n2wn]

During the contest this past weekend, my K3 would pop out of diversity mode on it's own, from time to time. This occurred when running or during S&P.

I don't think I was doing anything to cause it, but it's not out of the question.

Has anyone else experienced this?

thanks for all the K3 and K2 QSOs :o)

73,
Julius
n2wn

[Grant Youngman]

Were you using the K3 as a computer peripheral or in standalone radio mode?

Grant/NQ5T


On Feb 1, 2010, at 2:05 PM, Julius Fazekas n2wn wrote:

>
> During the contest this past weekend, my K3 would pop out of diversity mode
> on it's own, from time to time. This occurred when running or during S&P.
>
> I don't think I was doing anything to cause it, but it's not out of the
> question.

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[Jim Brown-10]

On Mon, 1 Feb 2010 12:05:01 -0800 (PST), Julius Fazekas n2wn wrote:

>During the contest this past weekend, my K3 would pop out of diversity mode
>on it's own, from time to time. This occurred when running or during S&P.

For a long time, I've had problems with the two RX losing sync in diversity
mode. Symptom is that one RX is several hundred Hz from the other after a
transmission. Wiggle the RX RIT knob and they re-sync.

I've corresponded with Wayne on this. He has no ideas why, and has not been
able to reproduce it. One hypothesis is RFI. It only happens on 160, and my
TX antenna is only 25 ft from the shack, with only wood walls in the way. It
happened only a few times this weekend with 100W, but a lot more often
running 1.5kW, so RFI might be part of the mechanism. As you might guess,
I've got mondo coax chokes in line. :)  

73,

Jim K9YC


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[Richard Ferch]

N2WN wrote:

> During the contest this past weekend, my K3 would pop out of diversity mode
> on it's own, from time to time. This occurred when running or during S&P.
>

Julius,

This sounds like a software issue.

In the ARRL 160 at VE2OJ using N1MM Logger, we forgot to check "Dual RX
Always On", and we kept on losing diversity mode whenever we used the
software to change the tuning (e.g. RIT from the keyboard). During the
CQ 160 CW, we had "Dual RX Always On" checked, and the only time we had
problems with diversity mode was when we clicked on a cluster spot with
a split frequency. Apart from that, we ran with diversity on almost all
the time with no dropouts, except when we deliberately turned it off so
we could use the subRX to S&P during a slow run late in the contest.

73,
Rich VE3KI
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[Julius Fazekas n2wn]

Hi Grant,

I guess you would call it a peripheral, it was connected to the logging computer...

[Julius Fazekas n2wn]

Interesting Jim, and that indeed may be the mechanism. I should have noted exactly where and when it happened.

Something is not quite kosher with the antenna on the lower 15 KHz of the band and I've not done anything to improve it (or as I fear ruin an excellent antenna) yet.

My TX antenna is as close as yours to the shack.

fortunately, didn't really "need" diversity this weekend. QSB wasn't a real issue... QRN and QRM on the other hand *sigh*

Think there must have been a LOT of K3s out and about the way folks were packed in the tin ;o)

Think Grant may have been heading in the same direction with his post...

It wouldn't be the first Top Band RFI issue in this shack, but it's easier to combat and this antenna needs maintenance this Spring anyway.

Cheers,
Julius

[Bill W4ZV]

Julius Fazekas n2wn wrote

fortunately, didn't really "need" diversity this weekend. QSB wasn't a real issue...

Diversity is not just useful for signals from one direction.  I used diversity continually this weekend to allow simultaneous copy from two different directions.  This could also be done with an external splitter but I like the added flexibility of diversity using Beverages on one input and an RX 4SQ on the other.  

When running EU I used a phased Beverage pair NE and set the 4SQ NW for Western NA stations.  When running JA (wishful thinking!) I also listened NE on the 4SQ for W1-4 stations.  

Of course for extreme cases I could quickly switch both antennas to the same direction.

73,  Bill

[Julius Fazekas n2wn]

Thanks Rich, I'll look into that when I get back out to the shack. I still use the knobs to tune, even RIT/XIT, but it's worth checking it out. I was too focused most of the time on making contacts, so missed any "clues".

Thanks for the QSOs in both contests, more so in this one, those 5 pointers really matter!

Cheers,
Julius

[Barry N1EU]

Just a quick note about N1mm Logger, K3 subrx support and diversity mode in particular.  K3CT, W4TV and I have been working long and hard to define all K3 use case scenarios and testing K3CT's software implementation.  An upcoming software release will provide a great improvement in support for the K3 subrx.

73,
Barry N1EU

[Julius Fazekas n2wn]

I agree Bill, but it would depend on what you have available for Rx antennas. I use my Tx vertical and a short beverage, more to focus (as much as that is possible with the given antennas) on EU. Where the vertical is pretty much omni, didn't need to worry about two directions.

Wish I had room for some variety in top band antennas, but the "good" directions have roads or cows to contend with hihi

[Julius Fazekas n2wn]

Kewl!

Thanks for the info and effort Barry, K3CT and W4TV (who's dat?)!

Still have ZERO complaints about N1MM, one heck of a FREE logging program!

73,
Julius