[Elecraft] KX3 - Keying problem - First Dit Going AWOL

[Wayne Burdick]

stan levandowski wrote:

> But you bring up an interesting thing - all of these lost dits have  
> been occuring at my home station where my KX3 is connected through  
> an Elecraft W2 to an SG-237 autocoupler which manages my all-band  
> doublet at the feedpoint.  I just press and hold XMIT to TUNE my  
> autocoupler.  I don't *ever* press ATU TUNE at home because that can  
> damage the autocoupler.
>
> I don't see any menu entry to disable the internal KX3 ATU (as with  
> my K2 for example).

MENU:ATU MD (ATU mode). Set to BYPASS. The ATU icon will turn off.


>  Page 14 of the manual states that TUNE is used for external  
> wattmeters and antenna tuners.  I've been under the assumption that  
> the ATU is out of the mix unless I press it.

If you have a KXAT3, it will auto-tune if it's in AUTO mode and you  
tap ATU TUNE.


> It sounds like you're saying it might be jumping in on its own to  
> tune without any action on my part?

If it's in AUTO mode, then whenever you transmit, it will retrieve LC  
network information from the closest previously-tuned band segment. If  
you go into BYP mode it won't do this.

73,
Wayne
N6KR


>
> If that's true then my ATU is tuning my autocoupler.
> Stan WB2LQF
>
>
>
>
> On Thu, Jun 28, 2012 at 10:11 PM, Wayne Burdick wrote:
>
>> Stan,
>>
>> This could be a case of the ATU jumping in to do a re-tune when you  
>> transmit 10-30 kHz away from the last transmit frequency. But we  
>> fixed this problem in recent firmware revisions. What rev are you  
>> running?
>>
>> tnx
>> Wayne
>> N6KR
>>
>> On Jun 28, 2012, at 6:42 PM, stan levandowski wrote:
>>
>>> Randomly, and always after a short period of "rest" (for example,  
>>> while
>>> in QSO and listening to the other ham sending), the first 'dit' goes
>>> missing.
>>>
>>> Does *not* occur in HAND mode; only occurs when using the KX3  
>>> internal
>>> keyer.
>>>
>>> Happens at slow speeds as well as higher speeds (my typical range  
>>> is 13
>>> wpm to 25 wpm).
>>>
>>> Occurs with the KXPD3 as well as with external paddles (i.e. KEY1  
>>> and
>>> KEY2)
>>>
>>> Once sending is resumed within the QSO, it *never* happens again --
>>> until after the next "rest" period while the other guy is sending,  
>>> but
>>> it does so *randomly*, never predictably.
>>>
>>> Some QSOs proceed perfectly to the end; others get messed up.  In  
>>> fact,
>>> it might work fine all night and make me think it's fixed itself.  
>>> Then
>>> it returns in a future session.
>>>
>>> Shot the KXPD3 with De-Oxit again. No joy.
>>>
>>> The externally connected paddles were four Begalis - rather  
>>> improbable
>>> that all four + the KXPD3 have mechanical issues or dirty  
>>> contacts. In
>>> fact one of them, the HST, got a good soaking of De-Oxit just in  
>>> case.
>>> Each Begali has its own cord and plug so rule out a common line  
>>> issue.
>>>
>>> My KX3 is #0325 and it was factory-built.  I'm running with the  
>>> original
>>> firmware it was shipped with.
>>>
>>> I have *not* moved to the new release as Wayne has suggested - yet -
>>> because I'd prefer to wait until the production release on Monday  
>>> when
>>> the download process will be less work.
>>>
>>> This problem is about a week old now. I wanted to gather as much  
>>> info as
>>> I could on it.
>>>
>>> Anyone else having similar problems or am I out front and all  
>>> alone on
>>> this one?
>>>
>>> 73, Stan WB2LQF
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
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