[Elecraft] Difficulty with K3 Utility RS232 Interface

[Don Wilhelm]

Tony,

While it may appear to be so on the surface, the K3 Utility and the 
firmware versions are not linked at all.
The only exception I know of is the firmware level that required the 
help of a new K3 utility to load properly - and that has been so long 
ago I had almost forgotten about it.
If you look only at the released firmware levels (or betas for that 
matter), consider the time between releases - yes Dick has done an 
update of K3 Utility to add more K3Utility features, so yes, you could 
update both because new versions were available.  An analogy is that an 
upgrade to Windows is available, and so is an update to Mozilla Firefox 
- that may happen in the same timeframe, but they are not related nor 
dependent on each other.

Dick has now discovered that the K3Utility program cannot do a 
configuration save with very old firmware, and he is in the process of 
correcting that so the new K3Utility can handle older firmware without 
error..  That fact alone should indicate that the K3 Utility and the 
firmware are not linked.  Ask any others of the Firmware Field Test 
Team, and they will probably tell you the same thing.

There are NO parts of the configuration file that are relevant to a 
particular firmware upgrade unless you are informed to the contrary for 
a particular firmware release.  Again, ask the others in the Field Test 
or Development Teams and they should also verify that.  As a Field Test 
member, I have loaded new and updated firmware 5 to 10 times more 
frequently than other users, and I have NEVER found a change in my 
configuration data after an upgrade, nor have I had a problem loading 
new firmware.  I do have a few saved configuration files, but have never 
felt the need to do a restore - the K3 firmware is solid for all 
versions I have dealt with since I received my K3 in early January 
2008.  A configuration save is not required prior to doing an upgrade, 
although some may choose to do it.

73,
Don W3FPR

K2ZLS wrote:
> Hi  Don,
>
>   
>> The K3Utility versions are not related to firmware upgrades (only one 
>> exception that I recall)
>> AND
>> A saved configuration file will NOT reload a previous version of the 
>> firmware - it will only reload menu settings, like AGC settings and such.
>>
>> So ... in the event of a firmware upgrade failure, a saved 
>> configuration file will be of no benefit for getting the K3 
>> operational again - the firmware must be loaded before a configuration 
>> can be restored.
>>
>> Firmware loads do not change menu entries and setup data!
>> Configuration restore only restores menu entries and setup data!
>>     
>
> In that context, you are absolutely right,  but ... It takes the Utility 
> file to make it all happen and each FW level has a specific Utility file 
> to load it and save THAT version of the Configuration file.  So they  
> ARE  tied together in that respect.  All I have pointed out is the LEVEL 
> of the Utility file that was used to load each FW revision and when it 
> changed.  I am NOT saying they are compatible,  as there will be 
> improvements and new configurations.  There seems to be CONFUSION  as to 
> what parts of the Configuration file are relevant in an upgrade.  That's 
> another story.
>
>    It gets even better.  Suppose you have several config files saved and 
> its time to upgrade,  what  do you do?    Well the answer now is,  you 
> have to choose which file (you can have only ONE)  that you want to be 
> the BASE file and reload it back to the K3 using the OLD Utility file .  
> Then,  load the NEW FW file using the NEWEST level of Utility (they may 
> not be the same),  into the K3.    The K3 will  "suck up"  most of the 
> defaults that it finds already resident, with the exceptions that you 
> have noted,  and the rest will be your responsibility to re-enter.   
> That's the current state of confusion as I understand it.
>
>   So, all I presented was a way for ELECRAFT to supply the 4 versions of 
> Utility files necessary to LOAD earlier FW versions.  PERIOD.
>
>   Richard,  remember Software Defined Radios are the wave of the 
> future.      Hang in there!
>
> 73's 
> Tony   K2ZLS
>   
>