[Elecraft] WSJT-X K3/K3s hanging as Tx

Mon Nov 13 23:21:19 EST 2017

Hi Joe,
> 
> 
> On 11/13/2017 9:01 PM, Gary Smith wrote:
>  >
>  > The only way I can reproduce the problem
>  > every time ( And FWIW, PTT-Key is set to
>  > off-off) is to go into the WSJT-X
>  > settings, select Radio, click on test PTT
>  > and it creates this exact condition. If I
>  > exit settings without clicking on Test PTT
>  > again to shut the state off, the K3s is
>  > then left in this transmit state with no
>  > RF being made.
> 
> That's because "Test PTT" in WSJT-X is a *TOGGLE*
> exactly like the XMIT button on the front of the
> K3.  By clicking "Test PTT" only once, you are
> placing the K3 into transmit and *NEVER* switching
> it back to receive!  WSTJ-X and the K3 are both
> doing *exactly* what you told it to do.

### I used that as an example of the state 
I find sometimes find the K3s in. There is 
something unique to WSJT-X that no other 
software does that makes this happen, I 
only find it randomly if I am using 
WSJT-X. Never experienced it before WSJT-X 
and never with any other 
situation/software.

> 
>  > The problem appears to me to be a still
>  > buggy WSJT-X issue that the authors have
>  > not yet become interested in attending to.
> 
> WSJT-X is not buggy.  The radio control interface
> does not handle asynchronous data and it was not
> designed to do so.  That means you *must* disable
> AI1; (set AI0;) in the K3 command (no automatic
> information reports) and *MUST NOT* share control
> of the K3 with any other software - where that
> software will poll the K3 and cause it to generate
> any unexpected data to hamlib (the WSJT-X control
> module).

### WSJT-X is the only software I use that 
does this. The others share control as in 
N1MM and MMTTY, Logic & FLDigi working 
fine together. Logic runs beautifully with 
N1MM and MMTTY, no conflicts of any kind. 
If they can do this flawlessly, it is not 
unreasonable to expect WSJT-X to play nice 
as well. 

> 
> Your complaint really belongs on the WSJT-X list
> and not the Elecraft list.

### I disagree. As is so often the 
situation when someone has an issue with 
Company A's product and Company B's 
product is being used and there is a 
conflict... the stock answer is that 
problem belongs to the other company, ask 
them what to do. It's an old saw and in 
this case, I'm told I should ask on the 
other list. Everyone feels it's the other 
guy's fault and that question belongs 
elsewhere. Ask there and they tell you how 
the K3 is non standard and to ask on the 
Elecraft list. The person in the middle 
gets trashed on both sides. I've 
experienced this for so long I've come to 
like trash.

As I said in the words below, I was asking 
on the Elecraft list if others had 
experienced this problem. My original 
statement was: "Anyone experience this and 
figure out how to prevent it?"

Where better to ask than a place devoted 
to this type of radio if others have the 
problem and if so, how to resolve it. 

When I first started with WSJT-X I asked 
on the WSJT-X reflector and was told quite 
clearly if I want to use it, I had to run 
it directly to the port for the K3, no 
other control software should be running 
at the same time and if I wanted to use 
logging I had to use JT Alert and have my 
logging done via that. I was also told 
virtual ports are nothing but trouble, not 
to use them with WSJT-X and there is no 
help for those that use them. It seems to 
me there's a lot of attitude on that list.

FWIW, I did find I can use a virtual port 
with it # "10" If I assign any other 
numerical value it will not work. Won't 
work with Win 7, I tried for hours but 
with this computer & Win 10, WSJT-X works 
on virtual port 10. All the other software 
works on whatever virtual port I tell it 
to work on. WSJT-X is not yet user 
friendly, I suspect it will become more so 
over time. 

If I had the skills I would be happy to 
help make that so. My skills lie in other 
areas; want someone to help keep you alive 
following a traumatic injury? I can do 
that. Write software? I can't do that.

73,
Gary
KA1J

> 
> 73,
> 
>     ... Joe, W4TV
> 
> 
> On 11/13/2017 9:01 PM, Gary Smith wrote:
> > Folks,
> > 
> > I seem to have ignited a fire-storm that
> > was not at all what I was trying to
> > accomplish, I was just stating an issue
> > and asking if others had experienced this
> > and it seems like the topic has taken on
> > legs.
> > 
> > I am a novice at WSJT-X but I can't help
> > but feel that it is a program that is
> > genius but immature. I say this expressly
> > because I run N1MM, MMTTY, logic 9 and my
> > GPSDO all with LP bridge but WSJT-X wants
> > to have total dominion over the operating
> > system as far as the ports go.
> > 
> > I have found a way to finagle it to work
> > with LP bridge but not because WSJT-X has
> > any interest in that being the case.
> > Considering how many people are having
> > trouble with ports and that program, it
> > seems like the problem to me is within the
> > program itself and how it approaches using
> > ports. If the other programs can use the
> > virtual ports without issue, it doesn't
> > make sense that WSJT-X has to have
> > dominion. I'm sure that after enough
> > complaints and enough time, that the
> > authors will attend to this problem.
> > 
> > It is only when I use WSJT-X that I have
> > the issue that I mentioned in my initial
> > post which is hanging of the transmit
> > function without sending RF out the
> > antenna. No other program or situation
> > causes this to happen, only WSJT-X so as
> > far as I'm concerned it is a buggy program
> > but a genius program at the same time,
> > what it does is amazing and it is free no
> > less. My only interest in posting was to
> > find if somebody has found a way of
> > getting around this bug.
> > 
> > When it comes to the idea of RF getting
> > back in the shack, I never get any RF back
> > in the shack to disturb anything when I
> > use my antennas that are almost 400 feet
> > from the house using 1 inch hardline get
> > to them. The only time I ever have any
> > issue with RF in the shack is if I use the
> > tri-band on top of the house and I rarely
> > use that because of RFI in the
> > neighborhood.
> > 
> > For this transmit-state issue to happen
> > when I am running barefoot to an antenna
> > almost 400 feet away which is tuned
> > beautifully and I need no transmatch and
> > me running barefoot... it is not RFI in
> > the shack causing this problem. I do lay
> > it squarely on the shoulders of the WSJT-X
> > software for it never ever happens at any
> > other time then when I am running this
> > specific software.
> > 
> > I really don't want this topic to run to
> > the point that it becomes something Eric
> > has to shut down so maybe it's best just
> > to leave it and I will keep pushing a
> > button on the front panel to unlock the
> > transmit condition when it engages when
> > WSJT-X goes rogue.
> > 
> > The only way I can reproduce the problem
> > every time ( And FWIW, PTT-Key is set to
> > off-off) is to go into the WSJT-X
> > settings, select Radio, click on test PTT
> > and it creates this exact condition. If I
> > exit settings without clicking on Test PTT
> > again to shut the state off, the K3s is
> > then left in this transmit state with no
> > RF being made.
> > 
> > The solution is to tap a button on the K3s
> > front panel and all is fine again.
> > 
> > The problem appears to me to be a still
> > buggy WSJT-X issue that the authors have
> > not yet become interested in attending to.
> > I would just like to know how to have a
> > workaround to get around this error until
> > they fix it. As it is it has become
> > tiresome.
> > 
> > 73,
> > 
> > Gary
> > KA1J
> >   
> >> For those using WSJT-X, sometimes I find
> >> the K3s is locked as transmit but there is
> >> no RF being sent and no Rx from the K3.
> >>
> >> Looking at the P3 I see a jitter on the
> >> upper half of the screen as if there was a
> >> tiny output but no Rf is seen on any of
> >> the three SWR meters in line (K3s, AP3 &
> >> LP-100A).
> >>
> >> I couldn't get WSJT to receive, looked at
> >> the settings, all were correct and as is
> >> sometimes needed with WSJT-X, I rebooted
> >> to get it to work properly but it still
> >> did not lock onto the K3s frequency.
> >> Rebooted again and then I realized the K3s
> >> was in that TX condition with both the red
> >> & yellow LEDs lit and that jitter on the
> >> P3 upper screen.
> >>
> >> This happens every so often and what I
> >> have to do is touch any of the buttons on
> >> the K3s and it disengages this situation.
> >> I did that to deal with the issue I
> >> mentioned above. I could restart the K3s
> >> but then I'd have to restart LP-Bridge and
> >> wait, so I use the quick fix.
> >>
> >> Anyone experience this and figure out how
> >> to prevent it?
> >>
> >> Thanks!
> >>
> >> 73,
> >>
> >> Gary
> >> KA1J
> >>
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> >>
> > 
> > 
> > 
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