[Elecraft] K3 problems

[Julius Fazekas]

Gary,

I do see a difference between two cables. Both are the same gauge, one from a K2 kit and the other some "scrap" from a hamfest.

This is a different PS too, slightly higher output voltage about 13.8 VDC to begin with. With the K3 internal meter I read 13.7 in Rx and 13.4 in Tx. Much better spread... Powerpole on one end 1/4" lugs on the other.

The other issues seem a bit better, which makes me wonder if there is something in the internal power in chain not doing it's job...

Julius Fazekas
N2WN

Tennessee Contest Group
TnQP http://www.tnqp.org/

Elecraft K2/100 #4455
Elecraft K3/100 #366


--- On Sun, 2/1/09, Gary Hvizdak <garyhvizdak at cfl.rr.com> wrote:

> From: Gary Hvizdak <garyhvizdak at cfl.rr.com>
> Subject: RE: [Elecraft] K3 problems
> To: phriendly1 at yahoo.com
> Date: Sunday, February 1, 2009, 9:52 AM
> Julius,
> 
>  
> 
>     What length is the cable between PS and K3?  What gauge
> is it?  Are all
> connections tight, including the joints between the cable
> wire and the
> connectors themselves?  (If the answers to any of these
> questions appear
> "unusual" then I suggest you share them with the
> group.)
> 
>  
> 
> 73,
> Gary  KI4GGX
> 
>  
> 
>   _____  
> 
>  
> 
> Julius Fazekas 
> Sun Feb 1 09:10:59 EST 2009 
> 
>  
> 
> I've had a number of things crop up since trying to get
> on RTTY. There may
> be no link to trying to get the rig going on FSK, and the
> issues are noted
> in CW mode (my primary activity).
>  
> There have been several one-time error messages. The most
> recent one being:
> E 0444A7 ERR DSE. 
>  
> I've received overtemp warnings on 160, even though I
> had not been
> transmitting on the first key down. I've checked the
> PS, one that I've been
> using for years. It is metered and the output voltage does
> not waver. I've
> checked it with a Fluke in Rx and Tx, and it reads
> 13.4VDC/13.3VDC
> respectively. The K3 internal meter reads 13.3 and 12.2!
> That doesn't seem
> right.
>  
> Also, I seem to have lost control of my RF Gain pot. It
> does not function in
> AGC, either F or S. Sometimes I can get it to work in
> AGC-OFF, cycling the
> radio on and of seems to place it back in the
> non-functioning mode as does
> changing bands. I've put all of the AGC settings back
> to factory default.
> Same problem.
>  
> I'm using the last official firmware release 2.78 and
> whatever the
> associated DSP firmware was. 
>  
> It might be something blatantly obvious, but I'm
> missing it. Any suggestions
> before I go batty?
>  
> Thanks,
> Julius
>  
> Wanted to put the second Rx in, but with this weirdness,
> I'm holding off.
>  
> Julius Fazekas
> N2WN