[Elecraft] KX1 frequency display issue

[Paul Huff]

My 3-band (40, 30, 20) KX-1 with built-in antenna tuner has given me faithful service for portable operations for the past 11 years but yesterday an issue developed.  

I had just completed a QSO on 40-meters (about 7.038) and started to turn the tuning knob up the band.  After a couple of turns the digital frequency display went blank.  When I reversed direction and tuned down the band the display returned but again, after several turns it went blank.  I turned the radio off and back on and got the same results - after a few turns of the tuning knob in either direction the frequency display would blank out.  So I shut my operation down and headed home.  I should add that I had inadvertently done some transmitting for two or three minutes on 20-meters with a rather high SWR before my QSO on 40.  The antenna match on 30 and 40 meters was very good.

Later that evening with the KX-1 hooked up to a dummy load I tested it for a few minutes and could not duplicate the situation.  The frequency display followed the knob turns without any problem and everything else seemed to be working fine as well.  I did hear a very small and short raspy birdie type of tone (just a little more than a “click”) every turn or so of the knob but I don’t know if that is significant.

Does anyone have any ideas on what might have caused this problem and/or what I can do to diagnose it and fix it?

Thanks and 73,

Paul - N8XMS
NAQCC President
NAQCC #0675
http://www.naqcc.info/ <http://www.naqcc.info/>