[Elecraft] Keyer goes berserk

[Dick Dievendorff]

You’re in mode CW, right?

 

73 de Dick, K6KR

 

 

From: Madison Jones <w5mikejuliet at gmail.com> 
Sent: Friday, May 22, 2020 15:25
To: Dick Dievendorff <dick at elecraft.com>
Cc: Elecraft at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Keyer goes berserk

 

Thanks to everyone. The entire configuration which I described has worked just fine ever since I acquired MORTTY last fall. I have used it in this configuration for thousands of contacts - paddle [and usb from computer ] into MORTTY and then into K3. The last time it all worked was for the 19z CWT on Wednesday. However, when I was setting up for the 03z CWT without making any changes from 19z except to change contests on N1MM+, when I set and saved the configuration, it first acted as a straight key [which is to say, either paddle simply gave a steady dah until I released it]. I then rebooted N1MM+, hit F3 [tu], and at that point the K3 gave some dits and dahs, and then would not do anything.

 

When I took everything apart, I suspected the MORTTY, but putting the paddle directly into either paddle or key port on K3 produced nothing at all - would not key K3 no way no how. Tried the MORTTY on my K/W 480, and it worked fine. Key into 480 works fine in either the paddle or key port. I can only conclude that since the MORTTY works fine, the cables work fine, and the paddle works fine, that leaves only the K3 which does not work fine.

 

Today I rebooted the K3 and computer several times in various configurations - N1MM, paddle with MORTTY, paddle direct to key port and then to paddle port. The first time I did it I noticed that both red and green lights on MORTTY lit up the first time I hit Enter on N1MM after configuring it, but no response that I remember from K3. I thought ESM must have disconnect itself in N1MM but it was OK. After that first attempt, I reconfigured ports in N1MM, still no ESM, no response from K3, and no lights on MORTTY. Nothing happens. 

 

Has to be K3 problem, but what? Receiver works OK.

 

Madison

 

On Fri, May 22, 2020 at 4:38 PM Dick Dievendorff <dick at elecraft.com <mailto:dick at elecraft.com> > wrote:

To troubleshoot this, the first thing I'd test is just a simple paddle
connected to the K3 paddle input, with no other electronics.  Does the K3
keyer work? A string of dits to one side, a string of dahs to the other?
Responsive to the K3 speed control?

Then I'd plug the paddle into the K3 KEY input, and see if pressing the
paddle to one side causes a solid key down.

If that all works, the problem probably isn't the K3.

My guess is that you may have plugged the external keyer into the K3's
paddle input.  It should probably instead be plugged into the K3's KEY
jack.  Both are adjacent 1/4" phone plugs and I've certainly made this
mistake myself.

Good hunting!

73 de Dick, K6KR

-----Original Message-----
From: elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net <mailto:elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net>  <elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net <mailto:elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net> > On
Behalf Of Madison Jones
Sent: Friday, May 22, 2020 13:36
To: Elecraft at mailman.qth.net <mailto:Elecraft at mailman.qth.net> 
Subject: [Elecraft] Keyer goes berserk

Neither the key nor paddle work on my K3. Using N1MM+ with a paddle and
MORTTY keyer hooked up, when attempting to send a command via the keyboard,
the K3 gave gibberish. When I attempted to use the paddle, it acted as a
straight key. Rebooted everything with the same result. After testing the
computer, all cables, connectors, the paddle, and the MORTTY interface and
finding all will operate satisfactorily with a Brand X transceiver using the
same N1MM+ program, same computer and with a paddle, I hooked everything
back up to the K3. Now the K3 will not key at all, either through the
program or manually with the paddle. Any suggestions before I send it back
to Elecraft?

73

Madison
W5MJ
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