[Elecraft] K3: Right paddle key not working?

[Ron D'Eau Claire]

You handled it just like I would, James, and I've repaired communications
equipment, LF through microwave, professionally as well as built countless
kits and scratch-built Ham rigs, many of my own design. 

I don't know if the fellow behind "The Smiths" built his K3 from a kit, but
you and I both know that replacing the RF board is a big job involving
completely disassembling the K3 back to a "kit" except for the front panel
assembly. I've done it. Time is required, just as with the original
assembly. Rushing, while assuming one remembers exactly what to do, will
certainly lead to time-consuming mistakes.

RF chokes on leads leading outside the rig are for RF suppression - to keep
RF in or, in this case, certainly to keep RF that might trigger the circuit
out. 

You'd know instantly if there was a problem.  Your rig would key when you
operated something else, or stick in transmit if it's own RF trigger the key
line. 

In your situation I'd replace the choke too, but if it were too difficult to
get to, I'd add a similar value choke to points I could reach physically as
close to the existing choke as possible. 

73,

Ron AC7AC


 

-----Original Message-----
From: elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net
[mailto:elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of James Sarte
Sent: Sunday, November 14, 2010 12:54 PM
To: The Smiths
Cc: Elecraft Reflector
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3: Right paddle key not working?

Well, time is always an issue for me.  This weekend I was lucky as I didn't
have to work.  I was able to troubleshoot the radio and figure out what the
problem was.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, I'd rather take my chances replacing the
choke myself then spend hours tearing the K3 apart, then putting it back
together again, hoping that nothing else would be wrong with it once I'm
done.

I did put my K3 together as a kit, so I do have experience working on it...
it's just not something I look forward to doing.  In the little time I do
have to play radio, I'd rather play than fix. :)

73 de James K2QI

On Sun, Nov 14, 2010 at 3:38 PM, The Smiths <notforchat at hotmail.com> wrote:

>
> Of course if time is an issue, and it doesn't seem to be in this case as
> we've seen you trouble shoot, then soldering to repair, and once again
> jumping the choke to "test" with. Than in that case a person should send
> their rig in for repair.
>
>
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