[Elecraft] A broken K3

[David Olean]

Hello again

I finally sorted out the problem with my brother , K0ZK's Elecraft K3. 
It was an oldie with a serial number in the 300s and it died on him in 
the middle of a QSO. It has been dead for about six months and he is not 
in the best of health, so I figured I would try to fix it for him.  
Elecraft Tech Support came through even with all of the Virus conditions 
rocking the entire economy. Symptoms were no TX or RX, but everything 
seemed to be working as relays clicked as you changed bands, and the 
dial indications seemed OK. I traced the problem to a missing 
synthesizer signal to the first mixer and also the 2nd mixer on TX.  I 
tried swapping out the synthesizer, but had no luck as the 2nd 
synthesizer did not work either.  With the expert help and advice from 
Tech Support I found that my synthesizer was missing the 8 VDC on one of 
the connector pins. Checking the 8 volt rail, the resistance to ground 
seemed OK, so I removed the 8 V regulator and supplied 8 volts from an 
external current regulated power supply.  It pulled about 230 ma at 8 
volts. The K3 took off and started working again with 8 volts supplied. 
I had to do another synthesizer CAL, but after doing that, the rig is 
good to go on all bands.

I was hoping that I had a new 8 volt regulator in my junque box. After 
an exhaustive search I found everything BUT and 8 volt regulator, so I 
will have to order one. I'll also get some upgrade kits from Elecraft to 
bring K3 #387 into the 21st century. Gold pins are on top of the list.

Thanks for the excellent tech support help, Elecraft!

73

Dave K1WHS