[Elecraft] K-Pod: A failure to Communicate

[Wes Stewart]

Bob

In order to answer your query about spaces in the command strings, I 
disconnected the K3S USB from my logging computer and went to my 
firmware/software maintenance computer.  Running the K3 Utility I saw no extra 
spaces before or after the commands.  If I executed them from the computer 
everything worked as expected.  BTW, there are commands associated with the 
"Hold" of each button, so accidentally holding instead of tapping would have 
been obvious. Furthermore, as I said before, if I tapped for M1, I would see 
"MSG 1" appear on the display every time but sometimes the message (my callsign) 
would not be sent. So the command seemed to be reaching the radio.

Just for completeness, since the K-Pod utility was on the same computer, I 
decided to reload the firmware.  I restarted the K3 utility and for giggles 
placed a space in front of the M1 command string.  It functioned normally. If I 
put a space after the command before the semi-colon, nothing was executed.  I 
re-saved all of the macros and loaded them back into the radio. Things actually 
appeared to be better. I thought that maybe I fixed it. But sadly that's not the 
case.  Like all intermittents, it's...well...intermittent.

I also discovered that there is another idiosyncrasy (IMO). Perhaps it is 
intended, but when I tap M1 on the K3 for example, multiple times, the message 
(my call) is chained and sent as many times as I tapped the button.  Doing this 
from the computer via the command tester works the same way.  However, tapping 
the function key on the K-Pod a second time immediately ends the message.  So I 
can't chain messages.  Furthermore this seems to exacerbate the intermittent 
condition.

At least I know how to turn off the beep.

Wes  N7WS


, On 2/27/2017 11:51 AM, Bob Wilson, N6TV wrote:
> Have you tried programming the identical function into both the TAP and HOLD 
> macros for each button?  It's very easy to hold down a K-POD button a bit too 
> long, which runs a different macro.  If nothing is programmed for the HOLD 
> function, you'll see "MACRO 1" or similar blink in the VFO B display.
>
> If that's not it, what are the command strings programmed into M1-M4?  Do they 
> contain any leading or trailing blanks?
>
> 73,
> Bob, N6TV
>
> On Mon, Feb 27, 2017 at 10:19 AM, Wes Stewart <wes_n7ws at triconet.org 
> <mailto:wes_n7ws at triconet.org>> wrote:
>
>     With a nod to Cool Hand Luke
>
>     I have mentioned this before in another thread but have heard no response.
>
>     I, and I know others, have experienced the annoyance of tapping a key on
>     the K-Pod and after noticeable latency, seeing a message appear in the VFO
>     B space that acknowledges the tap, yet the requested action fails to
>     occur.   Specifically in my case, I'm trying to send CW messages stored in
>     M1-M4.
>
>     This use was the main reason I asked for one of these for a Christmas
>     gift, so I could use my left hand and save both the buttons on the radio
>     and/or my rotator cuff on my sending hand.
>
>     Can we get a fix for this?
>
>     Wes  N7WS
>
>     ps. Another function button is supposed to turn VOX on and off. This fails
>     too often as well.
>