[Elecraft] Blown Diodes - K3

[Lee Buller]

It looks like D36 and D37 on the SWR Bridge on the K3 RF Board are no longer functioning.  Kaput.

Questions:

Where are these diodes located on the board?
Are they Surface Mount?  If so, can they be changed to "regular" diodes
What are the parameters of these diodes?
Can I still operate the rig?  (KS QSO Party this weekend.) (The SWR on the meter if very good so there is not issue with high swr, just a wrong reading.)
Has anyone changed these out and can give me some instructions?

Here is what I did to determine what is going on....

I have the K3 connected to a dummy load through an external watt meter as well
The watt meter says the SWR is fine on all bands.  100watts forward and no watts back.

The K3 says that it is 2.6 or 3.6 to one on all bands and I am putting out about 25 watts while using the XMIT Key
When I go below 12 watts it seems to be fine, but when I go above 12 watts 
the SWR Reading goes up considerably but the external meter stays the same....flat!

This happens on bands 80 through 10 meters.  I did not try 160 or 6 meters
I am in bypass mode on the bands mentioned.

Lee Buller - K0WA



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