[Elecraft] N1MM+ & K3/K3s & Diversity

[Gary Smith]

I worked the ARRL 160 this last weekend, 
ran QRP. I had a couple technical problems 
that came up, one relates to the K3s. I'm 
asking here first if someone has  
experienced this.

I prefer running the K3s in Diversity in 
the contests. I find it is more helpful to 
take the -3 dB loss (or whatever it is) 
when using diversity than to hear louder 
when only using the one Rx. Diversity 
helps in the tough times to allow me to 
hear almost undecipherable details when 
the band condition collapses.

During the contest the K3s would slip out 
of diversity and leave the Rx at a 
previous point and I would also hear the 
VFO A frequency. It got confusing when 
this happened and no, I didn't bump the 
diversity button accidentally. I was using 
the Marker A & encoder on the P3 to 
navigate me through the signals, not the 
VFO A knob.

I never saw it happening, it would be a 
discovery when I would hearing a call I'd 
worked earlier while onto a new station to 
listen to and I'd see the diversity light 
was not flashing but the sub RX was still 
engaged. I never looked to see if it was 
the last station I worked or back farther.

The one possible time I might have noticed 
something happening was when I heard the 
the effect of listening to the VFO B knob 
turning on the crowded band while 
listening to a fixed signal on VFO A. I 
noticed the effect, looked at the K3s and 
sure enough the diversity had somehow 
unlocked. (What I have no idea of is if 
that sound was someone QSYing or my radio 
QSYing) This happened 5-6 times in the 
contest. It never has happened before that 
I remember.

Also using Win4K3Suite (good program) & 
K1EL's USB winkey at the same time with 
N1MM.

Any idea what might be happening and how 
to prevent it from doing this again?

Thanks & 73,

Gary
KA1J