[Elecraft] K3 transmit/amplifier relay

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

I am not so sure that this cannot be accomplished in firmware.

And I completely get what this causes if one has a complex pre-K3 setup
switching tower-top preamps, etc., whose primary state-change signal comes
from

Only the CPU knows that VOX is on or off.  There is no "VOX lead".  "Band
down" and "VOX" share the same physical switch using "tap" and "hold".  The
paddle states are interpreted in the CPU, there is no separate physical
keyer circuitry.  Follow the /DASH or /DOT leads in the schematic and you
will see it goes straight to the CPU.  Also there is no physical monitor
oscillator which is keyed by 7T.

This gives me the firm gut estimate that firmware CAN clean this up.

HOWEVER...   And a BIG HOWEVER...

The same gut gestimates that the code that is touched is all over the place,
would require a lot of testing because of everything that is involved, and
therefore it goes on the priority list just like everything else, and
weighted as "extensive".  And we want the big E to stay in business, so
other development must go on.  Wayne might want to state whether this is on
the list somewhere.  Then future queries can be answered: "It's on the
list,"  and some day a firmware release will fix it.

BEYOND THAT, HOWEVER NUMBER TWO...

If the clanking relay while phantom sending is an issue, isn't the clanking
relay in normal sending also an issue?  Don't blame the danging clanging
relay on the K3.  Fix the $%&*(@!!@  AMP.  I modified all my amps with fast
vacuum relays that are sound isolated by putting them on a blob of RTV.  End
of the )()*(^%$##&*))!! clanging. For casual operating, I like to work
without headphones, so the clanging is super-irritating.  The diversity is
really pretty good through stereo speakers, even if not quite as "spread" as
using headphones.

Since 99.999% of my operating is regular operation, the danging clanging
(which I hate) is the AMP's problem.  Not the K3's.  For me that's a deal
killer for some of the Alpha's.

73, Guy.



On Sun, Mar 13, 2011 at 1:27 PM, Jim McCook <w6ya at cox.net> wrote:

> Ralph, VE7XF, took the words right from my own mouth.  This situation is
> unique, extremely annoying, and I have not been able to get used to this
> anomaly after several years.  Using my spare FT-1000D is a big relief in
> that particular area.  I have asked for a solution to this for years,
> but to no avail.
>
> 73, Jim
> W6YA
>
>
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