[Elecraft] [K3] CW "dash" sometimes inhibited?

[Don Wilhelm]

Kurt,

Try cleaning the paddle contacts - do not use anything abrasive, just 
slip a strip of paper between the contacts, put a little pressure on the 
paddle and withdraw the paper.  Repeat until the paper comes out clean.

Contacts normally "wipe" to clear out and dirt, dust, oils, etc. that 
might cause a bad contact closure, but after a while it builds up and 
must be removed manually.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 3/2/2014 2:32 PM, Mini Builder wrote:
> When sending code on a single paddle keyer, sometimes there's a disruption in "dash" generation; all connections were checked but it has persisted. The last time it happened, I held the paddle motionless in the "dash" position to see if it would regain its senses. After about 5 seconds, the K3 resumed dash generation as if nothing was wrong. The keyer is a new N3ZN unit, which is awesome, and I double checked that the connected on the bottom of the unit are secure. No problem there.
>
> If it were an electrically intermittent connection, I'd expect it to be just that, intermittent and random. However, when it stops working, it's always about five seconds before it starts working again. There are no connections to my PC other than HRD, so no external keying is involved.
>
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