[Elecraft] closing out some K3S issues ("failed" 400Hz filters, failed KXUSB)

[John Shadle]

OK. I have to come clean and admit that despite more hours with a soldering
iron than I would care to count, I made a major error when I completed my
recent K3S build.

You know that REF CAL procedure where you zero beat WWV? Well... let's just
say that I somehow managed to set the oscillator to a value way out of the
expected range.

I swear I heard that slow beat note about 2Hz away from where the value
should have been, but now I don't know how. I re-did the REF CAL procedure
using 15MHz WWV today, and now things are hunky dory. The gents at Elecraft
provided too much kind support to help figure out my problem and I hope
they can forgive me for the time of theirs I wasted. :-)

Now, as for the KXUSB not communicating with my KAT500 -- that one is still
a mystery, but it appears to be an issue with a KXUSB instead of the KAT500
(whew!). I crafted a serial to stereo cable to connect the KAT500 to my
computer, and things worked just fine the first time. I hate to use that
serial port for this, but I may have to as the KXUSB is out of warranty
(purchased November 2014) despite its first use being last night. Ah well.

Thanks for listening, and I hope that this can be a lesson to each of you.
Take time on your builds. Don't stay up too late, or do things when you're
tired -- or you might completely mess up the REF CAL procedure and cause
your narrow filters to "fail".

73
-john NE4U