[Elecraft] KX3 Utility - "KX3 is not responding"

[Jeff Hughes]

New KX3 owner here (crazy nice radio and I’m utterly smitten!).

Have just downloaded the KX3 Utility program and can’t get it to work.  It consistently refuses to talk to the radio.  “KX3 is not responding” is what I get.

I’m (mostly) on a Mac.  I’ve downloaded and installed the correct USB-to-serial driver.  That shows up properly (as "usbserial-AL030VX”) under the Port tab.  Interestingly, when I click the “Test Communications” button I usually get “KX3 is not responding.”  Consistent with that, going to the Firmware tab the MCU and DSP entries under “Installed in KX3” usually show as “—“ because the program is not able to determine what versions are currently in the radio.  But occasionally that “Test Communications” button will return “KX3 MCU revision 02.38.  RS-232 speed 38400 bps.”  And then going to the Firmware tab will show “02.38” as the MCU version.  In those instances, at least briefly, the radio has communicated with the program.

Alas, every attempt to update firmware has resulted in a “KX3 is not responding” message under the Activity Log.  

I’m using the KXUSB cable that shipped with the radio.

I originally tried using the KX3 Utility on a Mac running 10.9.  Didn’t work.

I then tried it on a Mac running 10.10.  Didn’t work.

I then tried it on a Windows machine, running Windows 7 (with the appropriate Windows USB-to-serial driver).  Didn’t work.

Thinking maybe it was because of my slightly dated OS versions, I updated one of my machines to Mac 10.12 - the most current version.  Still no joy.

I’ve tried different baud rates on the radio side (noting that there’s no place I see within the KX3 Utility to set that rate).  No difference.

I’m fairly sure the KXUSB cable is okay, as I am running MacLoggerDX as my logging program.  That program is talking to my KX3, using that very same KXUSB cable (and the same “usbserial-AL030VX” usb-to-serial driver).

I’m pretty computer literate.  I don’t think it’s me.  I’ve turned on “Advanced Mode” and “Verbose Logging” - not a lot of extra illumination.  And I’ll give the good folks at Elecraft a ring on Monday if I don’t have an answer by then.  But in the event I’ve missed something (meaning, it is me!) thought I’d first throw this out to you good folks.

Any thoughts?

73, Jeff K4YWZ