[Elecraft] Re: [K3] power switch problem - update

[David Ferrington, M0XDF]

Thanks to all who responded to this thread. It looks like the problem  
is an R.pack on the KIO3 board and Elecraft are sending me a  
replacement. I will update the reflector once I get that. And will add  
this to the Wiki.
-- 
Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple and learn how to handle them,  
and
pretty soon you have a dozen.
--John Steinbeck, novelist, Nobel laureate (1902-1968)

On 5 Aug 2008, at 14:20, David Ferrington, M0XDF wrote:

> My K3 appears to have developed a power switch problem - it won't  
> turn off.
> While away on Scout camp last week, I allowed another 2 hams to work  
> the K3 while I was not present (one is quite young and the other an  
> adult) - later on, one of them noticed that the K3 had turned itself  
> on (after they had turned it off and walked away). The K3 was  
> working correctly for the first few days and as far as I know, was  
> not 'bounced' around while sitting on the table during the week. All  
> functions appear correct except for this.
>
> After investigation, I found I can not turn it off. Pressing the  
> power button results in one of the following behaviours:
>
> Most common: LCD just shows background colour (light is on), LEDs  
> are off, effectively the rig is off (no AF etc), but the LCD is not  
> and I can't turn it back on with a press of the power button.
>
> Occasionally: K3 turns off correctly, but then turns back within a  
> matter of seconds.
>
> Less occasionally: as above, but turns back on after a few minutes.
>
> Rarely: Appears to turn off as per first scenario, but LCD flickers.
>
> To resolve this, I have to pull out the power cord and plug it back  
> in, in which case the K3 turns on - so it's like the power switch is  
> permanently on.
>
> This is not the ALARM function. In fact, I tried the alarm to see if  
> it would turn on correctly - it won't, but it did bleep at me when I  
> pulled the power out the back and plugged it back in.
>
> I have tried a 'master reset' holding the power switch in, it make  
> no different, doesn't reset and doesn't turn off etc.
>
> In preparation for the reset, I went through and noted all the  
> config settings, changing a couple on the way. After that, the K3  
> turned off ok, but came back on after a few minutes.
>
> Holding the power switch while applying power results in the LEDs  
> coming on, but nothing else.
>
> I thought this might have been a problem with dampness, but the rig  
> has been in my indoor shake for 3 days now. I also considered supply  
> voltage, since at camp I was using a L/A battery, but its back on  
> the 13.615v supply now (I have a Medusa Research Power Analyzer).
>
>
> I'm about to install the KRX3, so will be taking it apart, but would  
> prefer to resolve this first.
> Any suggestions?
>
> This has been working perfectly since December.
> 73 de M0XDF, K3 #174
>