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k3 being turn on when N1MM is activated

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Jerry

k3 being turn on when N1MM is activated

Good morning all,

I have been having this problem for about the last three weeks. Erratic
behavior with my K3; such as when I attempted to turn off the K3, it would
remove sound, xmit and the data on the front panel. The panel would stay
lit with the amber backlight, but there would be just a blank screen. To
reset the radio back to being "all off", I would disconnect the power, wait
a respectable 10 seconds and then when I turn it on and all was well until I
tried to turn it off again, resulting in the same previous condition. I was
on the verge of sending the rig back home to California after the winter
contests , when I notice something during yesterdays SSB contest.

I was using N1MM software for contesting and I noticed that the radio would
behave oddly; such as after a while the VOX became unreliable and the radio
would not respond to mouse clicks on the N1MM program. It seems I would
have to reset the radio and N1MM every ten minutes or so. So one time, I
had both N1MM down and the radio off, and when I started N1MM, it turned on
the radio via through a standard RS-232 port (came with the computer board).
I have since found out through some testing this morning, that all my K3
problems seem to be related to the presence of the N1MM being on, and when
N1MM was shut down - my K3 works as expected.

My question is,after this long ramble, before I submit this to the N1MM
team, has anyone else experienced this type of behavior in the relationship
of N1MM and the K3?

Best regards,

Jerry, W1IE

(BTW I did get a "Sweep" on the contest. I don't think it would have happen
if I did not have the K3.)

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Don Wilhelm

Re: k3 being turn on when N1MM is activated

Jerry,

You must have something else going on there.

Check the PSn command in the K3 Programmer's Reference and you should
see that the command can turn the K3 power OFF, but when off, the K3
(and its RS-232 port) is not powered, so the K3 cannot be powered ON via
an RS-232 command.

The K3 CAN be powered on by an external device pulling the AUX I/O
connector pin 8 to ground, but not via the RS-232 connection.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 11/21/2016 8:48 AM, Jerry wrote:

>
> I was using N1MM software for contesting and I noticed that the radio would
> behave oddly; such as after a while the VOX became unreliable and the radio
> would not respond to mouse clicks on the N1MM program. It seems I would
> have to reset the radio and N1MM every ten minutes or so. So one time, I
> had both N1MM down and the radio off, and when I started N1MM, it turned on
> the radio via through a standard RS-232 port (came with the computer board).
> I have since found out through some testing this morning, that all my K3
> problems seem to be related to the presence of the N1MM being on, and when
> N1MM was shut down - my K3 works as expected.
>

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Guy Olinger K2AV

Re: k3 being turn on when N1MM is activated

In reply to this post by Jerry

Hi Jerry,

Sometimes when one sees a pile of weird inexplicable happenings that don't
make any sense at all, one must stand back, look at the forest instead of
the trees, and say I've got the the weird inexplicable multi problem
syndrome, otherwise known as "the wimps".

The problem with not knowing you've got the wimps is the attempt to fix the
symptoms one by one, which can't work.

There are some well known wimps causes. RFI in the shack is a great one.
Problems with third party programs another. Another, if your K3 is old
enough, is the "pin problem" that needs the replacement with gold pins
thing done.

I'd like to see W3FPR's take on your wimps, if that sounds like the pin
problem to him.

What's the serial number on your K3?

73, Guy K2AV

On Mon, Nov 21, 2016 at 8:50 AM Jerry <[hidden email]> wrote:

> Good morning all,
>
>
>
> I have been having this problem for about the last three weeks. Erratic
> behavior with my K3; such as when I attempted to turn off the K3, it would
> remove sound, xmit and the data on the front panel. The panel would stay
> lit with the amber backlight, but there would be just a blank screen. To
> reset the radio back to being "all off", I would disconnect the power, wait
> a respectable 10 seconds and then when I turn it on and all was well until
> I
> tried to turn it off again, resulting in the same previous condition. I was
> on the verge of sending the rig back home to California after the winter
> contests , when I notice something during yesterdays SSB contest.
>
>
>
> I was using N1MM software for contesting and I noticed that the radio would
> behave oddly; such as after a while the VOX became unreliable and the
> radio
> would not respond to mouse clicks on the N1MM program. It seems I would
> have to reset the radio and N1MM every ten minutes or so. So one time, I
> had both N1MM down and the radio off, and when I started N1MM, it turned on
> the radio via through a standard RS-232 port (came with the computer
> board).
> I have since found out through some testing this morning, that all my K3
> problems seem to be related to the presence of the N1MM being on, and when
> N1MM was shut down - my K3 works as expected.
>
>
>
> My question is,after this long ramble, before I submit this to the N1MM
> team, has anyone else experienced this type of behavior in the relationship
> of N1MM and the K3?
>
>
>
> Best regards,
>
>
>
> Jerry, W1IE
>
>
>
> (BTW I did get a "Sweep" on the contest. I don't think it would have happen
> if I did not have the K3.)
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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]
>

Don Wilhelm

Re: k3 being turn on when N1MM is activated

Jerry and Guy,

The connector pin problem does not usually manifest itself as something
"extra" happening, but something that does not work.

I would suggest first unplugging everything except power and a coax to a
dummy load. Make sure the K3 operates correctly - plug mic or paddles
or key in one at a time to make checks on them.
Then connect the RS-232 cable and run N1MM to see if that now behaves
normally.
Lastly, plug in the AUX I/O cable and see what happens.

I would suggest that there is something wrong with the AUX I/O cable -
shorting pin 8 to ground.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 11/21/2016 9:50 AM, Guy Olinger K2AV wrote:

>
> I'd like to see W3FPR's take on your wimps, if that sounds like the pin
> problem to him.
>
> What's the serial number on your K3?
>
> 73, Guy K2AV
>
______________________________________________________________
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Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
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Jerry

Re: k3 being turn on when N1MM is activated

I will do that. I do have pin 8 shorted to ground through another rs-232
port and that is for my remoting my K3 as a remote. I use the K3/0 mini a
lot when I travel and other people do also. I will look at the pin 8
arrangement.

Jerry

-----Original Message-----
From: Don Wilhelm [mailto:[hidden email]]
Sent: Monday, November 21, 2016 10:05 AM
To: Guy Olinger K2AV; Jerry; [hidden email]
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] k3 being turn on when N1MM is activated

Jerry and Guy,

The connector pin problem does not usually manifest itself as something
"extra" happening, but something that does not work.

I would suggest first unplugging everything except power and a coax to a
dummy load. Make sure the K3 operates correctly - plug mic or paddles or
key in one at a time to make checks on them.
Then connect the RS-232 cable and run N1MM to see if that now behaves
normally.
Lastly, plug in the AUX I/O cable and see what happens.

I would suggest that there is something wrong with the AUX I/O cable -
shorting pin 8 to ground.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 11/21/2016 9:50 AM, Guy Olinger K2AV wrote:

>
> I'd like to see W3FPR's take on your wimps, if that sounds like the
> pin problem to him.
>
> What's the serial number on your K3?
>
> 73, Guy K2AV
>

______________________________________________________________
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Don Wilhelm

Re: k3 being turn on when N1MM is activated

Jerry,

That connection to pin 8 of the AUX I/O is most likely the problem.
I don't know how you have implemented it, but it should not be held low
constantly. See Remote Power On in the manual.

Also be aware that when the computer boots, it will "exercise" the pins
of the RS-232 ports, causing the signal to ground AUX I/O pin 8 to
become active. That too may be part of the problem.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 11/21/2016 10:19 AM, Jerry wrote:

> I will do that. I do have pin 8 shorted to ground through another rs-232
> port and that is for my remoting my K3 as a remote. I use the K3/0 mini a
> lot when I travel and other people do also. I will look at the pin 8
> arrangement.
>
> Jerry
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Don Wilhelm [mailto:[hidden email]]
> Sent: Monday, November 21, 2016 10:05 AM
> To: Guy Olinger K2AV; Jerry; [hidden email]
> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] k3 being turn on when N1MM is activated
>
> Jerry and Guy,
>
> The connector pin problem does not usually manifest itself as something
> "extra" happening, but something that does not work.
>
> I would suggest first unplugging everything except power and a coax to a
> dummy load. Make sure the K3 operates correctly - plug mic or paddles or
> key in one at a time to make checks on them.
> Then connect the RS-232 cable and run N1MM to see if that now behaves
> normally.
> Lastly, plug in the AUX I/O cable and see what happens.
>
> I would suggest that there is something wrong with the AUX I/O cable -
> shorting pin 8 to ground.
>
> 73,
> Don W3FPR
>
>
> On 11/21/2016 9:50 AM, Guy Olinger K2AV wrote:
>
>> I'd like to see W3FPR's take on your wimps, if that sounds like the
>> pin problem to him.
>>
>> What's the serial number on your K3?
>>
>> 73, Guy K2AV
>>
>

Jerry

Re: k3 being turn on when N1MM is activated

In reply to this post by Don Wilhelm

Thank you both for your help. The problem is solved.

Normally (about 98% of the time), LP-Bridge sits (software wise) between the
K3 comport and the N1MM program. During contests, since there is a
significant slow down with that arrangement when I attempt to use the
CATASC1 SWT21 commands, I close the LP-Bridge program and go direct from
N1MM to K3. Now since the setting for the comport in N1MM has the RTS set to
always on and there is no "buffer" between the K3 and the N1MM program, we
now have the conditions previously described. Setting the RTS to always off
in the N1MM solves the problem.

This situation exemplifies my military training and experience in planning
"as too many moving parts" to the problem and solution.

Radio, LP-Bridge, N1MM program and Time.

My very best regards to you both.

Jerry, W1IE

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