[Elecraft] No bars at all on KX3 digital mode transmit

[Don Wilhelm]

Julia,

That is designed in to prevent the audio front end from being damaged by 
a high audio level.
For those who have read my document on setting the audio levels, I was 
careful to state that one should start with each audio level (computer 
and KX3) to mid-range for a starting point and adjust from there a bit 
at a time.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 11/23/2021 8:34 PM, Julia Tuttle wrote:
> Does anyone know *why* it does that? It's confusing when no bars means
> either "way too high" or "way too low".
>
> On Tue, Nov 23, 2021, 20:22 AL7CR <al7cr at mooseaviation.com> wrote:
>
>> A classic problem.  You have TOO MUCH input gain.  Counterintuitively the
>> KX 3 ALC will display nothing if over driven.  Turn the input way down and
>> then increase in small steps.  You will find the right setting to show ALC
>> that way.
>> On Tue, Nov 23, 2021, at 2:57 PM, Frank O'Donnell wrote:
>>> After not having used my KX3 in a while, today I set it up with a laptop
>>> on the front porch to send FT8 in WSJT-X with a new AX1 antenna.
>>>
>>> I went through the procedure in Don W3FPR's document "Setting Elecraft
>>> Transceivers for soundcard digital," setting in and out audio levels on
>>> my MacBook Pro for the thumbnail-sized Sabrent USB soundcard; Mic Gain
>>> on the KX3; and the power slider in WSJT-X. CAT control is working fine,
>>> and the KX3 is in DATA A mode. The waterfall of incoming signals appears
>>> normal.
>>>
>>> I seem to be getting a good signal out, with -1 dB reported from Alaska,
>>> and -7 to -10 dB from the U.S. east coast with the above settings around
>>> midrange, and with the KX3 set for 15w out. However, I don't see any
>>> bars at all on the ALC meter at any time, even when the USB soundcard
>>> out, KX3 Mic Gain and WSJT-X power slider are set as high as their
>> maximums.
>>> Am I forgetting a setting? Anything I can look at to troubleshoot the
>>> ALC meter function?
>>>
>>> Thanks much,
>>>
>>> Frank K6FOD
>>> Southern California
>>>
>>>
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