[Elecraft] K3 with erratic QSK and CW Delay

[RLVZ at aol.com]

My K3 has always had erratic QSK.  I asked Elecraft to  check this out when 
the K3 was returned to Elecraft on another repair  issue and the Tech said 
the QSK "checked out fine".  I don't  doubt the Tech's word as he was even 
nice enough to phone me while he was  working on the radio.  So crazy as it 
seems,  the K3's QSK works while  in California... but it does not work when 
it gets home  to Florida!  Here's the issues:
 
QSK: The QSK will often work when the radio is cold and  first turned on.  
But after the first or second transmission, the  QSK quits working, and acts 
like it's in semi-break-in.  Seldom will  the QSK ever work again until the 
radio is powered off.  Therefore, I've  given up on QSK and operate 
semi-breakin.
 
SEMI-BREAKIN:  Until recently, semi-breakin worked  fine and would quickly 
return to receive as it should with the DELAY set at  0.  But today it's 
acting up as there's a substantial delay after the last  CW character is sent 
before it returns to receive.  I'd estimate a half  second delay before it 
returns to receive.  This issue is the same  whether the VOX is on or off and 
the same with the QSK on or  off.  I did double check the Delay setting and 
it is set to ).   (zero)  I'm sure you will agree that trying to  "run" 
stations in a contest with a half second delay before returning  to receive is a 
horrible experience. 
 
Question:  Are there any settings besides  "DELAY" that can effect how long 
it takes the K3 to return to receive after  transmitting the last CW 
character?  Perhaps a Menu setting needs  changing?
 
Thanks & 73,
 
Dick- K9OM