Re: K3: FSK problems on K3 radio

[Lu Romero - W4LT]

Rich is absolutely correct:

In various environments using N1MMLogger, have seen K3's
(mine included) that have randomly gotten "stuck in
transmit" in RTTY, in SSB (using the N1MM DVK) and in CW, as
well, when using F-Key macros.  In all three modes, I have
found "Radio PTT On by Command" ticked in the N1MM radio
configuration.  

Clearing this selection, plus putting microHam Router in
full QSK mode without asserting PTT in CW, which may or may
not have anything to do with this issue,  cures this and the
radio no longer gets "stuck" in transmit.

This does not seem to happen with TenTec Orion 1, Kenwood
(TS570, TS480 and TS850 are the only Kenwoods have tested)
or Icom (as they cant do PTT via Serial command over CI-V)
but it does happen with K3.

I have no clue about Yaesu, as my shack is a Yaesu-free
zone.  :)

In all cases, pressing ESC gets the radio "unstuck".  

This might be a good entry for the N1MM "Gotchas" document
being compiled by N4ZR!

-lu-W4LT-
K3 # 3192



Message: 27
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2011 22:28:00 -0500
From: Richard Ferch <[hidden email]>
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] FW: [N1MM] FSK problems on K3 radio
To: "[hidden email]" <[hidden email]>
Message-ID: <[hidden email]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

Tom,

I have had this "stuck in transmit" happen to me a number of
times, most
recently just yesterday when I was playing with various
settings while
checking out a configuration problem for another N1MM user.
I have also
encountered several similar cases on user groups, not only
for N1MM
Logger but also for the DXLabs software suite.

The common thread in all of these problem reports appears to
be that
when the "stuck in transmit" problem happened, there were
two methods of
PTT control being used at once. For example, a user may have
been using
PTT via software command over the serial link (TX; and RX;
commands) in
parallel with a hardware PTT connection (either to the K3's
PTT IN jack,
to the AUX connector, or using RTS on the RS232 port).
Whenever this
problem has happened to me, I have always found that I had
two parallel
PTT methods configured.

In every such case that I am aware of, disabling all but one
of the PTT
methods has always solved the problem. It looks to me as if
you have a
hardware PTT connection from DTR on COM1 - at least, that is
how you
have EXTFSK configured. If so, that is the only PTT method
you need. In
the N1MM Configurer for COM3, is the "Radio PTT via command"
check box
checked? If so, try unchecking it to see if that solves the
problem.

73,
Rich VE3KI

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[Joe Subich, W4TV-4]

 > Clearing this selection, plus putting microHam Router in
 > full QSK mode without asserting PTT in CW, which may or may
 > not have anything to do with this issue,  cures this and the
 > radio no longer gets "stuck" in transmit.

Selecting QSK in microHAM Router has nothing to do with this.
The problem is purely a race condition in the transceiver
control logic;  it effects more transceivers that the K3.
Several transceivers appear to ignore "TX OFF" commands when
both PTT and "software control" occur too closely together.

 > This does not seem to happen with TenTec Orion 1, Kenwood
 > (TS570, TS480 and TS850 are the only Kenwoods have tested)
 > or Icom (as they cant do PTT via Serial command over CI-V)
 > but it does happen with K3.

No, this has been reported in all brands of transceiver -
including Icom which supports serial (Command) PTT in most
models released in the last five years+ (everything since
the IC-706mkII).

73,

    ... Joe, W4TV


On 1/21/2011 1:58 PM, Lu Romero wrote:

> Rich is absolutely correct:
>
> In various environments using N1MMLogger, have seen K3's
> (mine included) that have randomly gotten "stuck in
> transmit" in RTTY, in SSB (using the N1MM DVK) and in CW, as
> well, when using F-Key macros.  In all three modes, I have
> found "Radio PTT On by Command" ticked in the N1MM radio
> configuration.
>
> Clearing this selection, plus putting microHam Router in
> full QSK mode without asserting PTT in CW, which may or may
> not have anything to do with this issue,  cures this and the
> radio no longer gets "stuck" in transmit.
>
> This does not seem to happen with TenTec Orion 1, Kenwood
> (TS570, TS480 and TS850 are the only Kenwoods have tested)
> or Icom (as they cant do PTT via Serial command over CI-V)
> but it does happen with K3.
>
> I have no clue about Yaesu, as my shack is a Yaesu-free
> zone.  :)
>
> In all cases, pressing ESC gets the radio "unstuck".
>
> This might be a good entry for the N1MM "Gotchas" document
> being compiled by N4ZR!
>
> -lu-W4LT-
> K3 # 3192
>
>
>
> Message: 27
> Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2011 22:28:00 -0500
> From: Richard Ferch<[hidden email]>
> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] FW: [N1MM] FSK problems on K3 radio
> To: "[hidden email]"<[hidden email]>
> Message-ID:<[hidden email]>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
>
> Tom,
>
> I have had this "stuck in transmit" happen to me a number of
> times, most
> recently just yesterday when I was playing with various
> settings while
> checking out a configuration problem for another N1MM user.
> I have also
> encountered several similar cases on user groups, not only
> for N1MM
> Logger but also for the DXLabs software suite.
>
> The common thread in all of these problem reports appears to
> be that
> when the "stuck in transmit" problem happened, there were
> two methods of
> PTT control being used at once. For example, a user may have
> been using
> PTT via software command over the serial link (TX; and RX;
> commands) in
> parallel with a hardware PTT connection (either to the K3's
> PTT IN jack,
> to the AUX connector, or using RTS on the RS232 port).
> Whenever this
> problem has happened to me, I have always found that I had
> two parallel
> PTT methods configured.
>
> In every such case that I am aware of, disabling all but one
> of the PTT
> methods has always solved the problem. It looks to me as if
> you have a
> hardware PTT connection from DTR on COM1 - at least, that is
> how you
> have EXTFSK configured. If so, that is the only PTT method
> you need. In
> the N1MM Configurer for COM3, is the "Radio PTT via command"
> check box
> checked? If so, try unchecking it to see if that solves the
> problem.
>
> 73,
> Rich VE3KI
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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
>

______________________________________________________________
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