[Elecraft] K3 Couple of issues during CQWW RTTY

[Richard Ferch]

Joe,

Problem 1 is probably mainly an N1MM Logger configuration issue. In the 
Configurer under Mode Control, right side ("Mode sent to radio"), beside 
RTTY change the two list boxes to read AFSK in order to select AFSK A on 
the K3 (RTTY is N1MM's terminology for the K3's FSK D mode). If you use 
PSK, beside PSK change the list boxes to read PSK (N1MM's terminology 
for DATA A on the K3).

There is also an interaction with the way the K3 remembers its data 
sub-modes. Data sub-mode (and the 45/75 baud speed) are remembered by 
the K3's firmware on a per-band basis, so setting the radio to AFSK A on 
one band will leave it in FSK D on other bands if that's where it was 
before. You may need to go through all the bands to set the K3 back to 
AFSK A on each one; the N1MM Mode Control configuration only takes 
effect when the program starts up and/or when you change modes from 
CW/SSB to data, not when you change bands without changing the mode.

Problem 2, as has been noted, sounds like an audio drive issue. It's not 
the number on the LINE IN control that matters, it's the reading on the 
ALC meter. Set the audio drive and LINE IN level to produce 4-5 bars on 
the K3's ALC meter and use the PWR control to control the power.

If that's what you are already doing, maybe you should try re-doing the 
TX Gain Calibration step from the K3 manual.

73,
Rich VE3KI


K2UF wrote:

> I had the following two problems during the RTTY contest this past weekend.
>
>
>
> 1.-   I had to reset the mode from FSK D to AFSK A many times.  Usually when
> I changed bands or a large change in frequency within the same band.  When I
> get to the top of the band and want to go back to the bottom of the band I
> would type the frequency in N1MM.  Radio would QSY to the new frequency but
> the mode would revert back to FSK D.  This would not happen every time but
> quite often.
>
>
>
> 2.-  Using the K3 / KPA500 setup with N1MM running on a Win XP desktop pc
> with a soundMAX sound card.  The K3 running about 25 watts and the LINE IN
> level set at 10 the KPA500 power out would start at about 60 to 70 watts.
> Each time I would call/work someone the power out on the KPA500 would
> increase.  After 8 or 10 calls/Qs the power would be up to 400 to 500 watts.
> If I changed the power level on the K3 down 1 watt and then back up 1 watt
> the process would start all over again.  I do not have the same problem on
> CW.  I have not used the amp in a CW contest yet, but I have worked several
> DXpeditions/DX stations sometimes calling for over an hour. The amp output
> would stay where it was set.
>
>
>
> I have looked over the K3 manual and could not find any hints about problem
> 1.  Problem 2 is a real puzzler.