That is why - if you own an Elecraft that has a Utility, make sure you use the Utility to store the configuration file very early in its life! My definition of early in its life means before you change *anything* in the menu(s) - especially those that need permissions. That way if you need to resort to a EEinit, you will have a config file to reload the original factory (or known working) configuration. I would also recommend saving the configuration when any changes to calibration are made. My way of keeping a good recent configuration file is to store a configuration prior to upgrading firmware.
I think I remember that Elecraft might have the original config files for each unit shipped; but obviously not for any in-field upgrades. 73 George AI4VZ On Sun, Oct 27, 2024 at 2:18 PM Geert Jan de Groot via Elecraft < [email protected]> wrote: > > *** Wow. Thinking back, was it a mistake to put in a "break this radio" > > function? > > I don't think so, and if there is an issue, frankly, then it right in > front of the frontpanel, operating the VFO knob. > > Seriously: every modern radio these days, depends on settings that are > "done by software". Looking at Yaesu, radios like the FT897/857/817 have > a service menu, and it allows adjustment of RX gain paths, TX gain > paths, max RF output levels, S meter settings, bandfilter adjustments > and the like. This is the successor to adjusting trimmers and pots, and > it is required to adjust-out electric part variance. With today's parts, > doing physical trimmers is not viable anymore. > > For instance, to create a radio that can do "100W output", the actual > design needs to be able to do more than 100W so that if there is a stage > where the gain is a bit less (part variance), the radio would still > deliver 100W according to specs. > > In come various yaesu forums where Joe Golden Screwdriver talks about a > "secret hidden menu" which allows his radio to go up to 130W instead of > 100W. A lot of excitement, I-found-what-yeasu-didn't-tell-you and all that. > However, even if the radio is electrically able to do 130W, the cooling > design is not set up for this and hence, with 130W, the finals overheat, > fail and the next thing is Joe Golden Screwdrive complaining loudly > against Yaesu creating "bad equipment" and all that. > > It is so bad that on newer radios, the service mode isn't just "a > combination of buttons at power-on", it requires more to keep Joe Golden > Screwdriver out. You may want to look up how to go to service mode on > the IC-705 for instance. > > Just think of the IF filter corrosion issue a few years ago; what was an > incompatibility between the compound used to seal these 455kHz filters > and the way PCB's were washed. > Huge amounts of people started modifying their radio, adding unnecessary > decoupling capacitors and all. > > The K3 radio, compared to the competition, has a huge number of optional > modules that can be added and for which sometimes settings are required. > Think the IF filters, think the RF synthesizer, think adding an optional > 100W module, or a tuner, or the optional 2nd radio. For this, sometimes > parameters must be set and for some, you need to run diagnostic tests. > > In hindsight, Elecraft might have considered two resets, one that only > reset user parameters and the other one the whole radio, but it isn't as > easy because is an IF filter offset setting a user parameter or not? > > The one thing I would like the K3 firmware to get fixed is about the 50W > / 5W calibration issue. If you don't know: don't ever set your radio to > 50.0W (use 50.1 or 49.9) or 5.0W (use 4.99 or 5.01) or 0.5mW on the > transverter port. Search the archives for the reason why. > > At the end of day, when adding / removing options (which is a much more > severe problem these days since many radios go on the 2nd hand market > with options added, removed, or changed), you need to know what to do. > It is in the manual. I don't think hiding the EEPROM reset further would > have made any difference. > > And I don't think making EEINIT available is a mistake. > > 73, Geert Jan PE1HZG > > > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:[email protected] > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > Message delivered to [email protected] > ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[email protected] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to [email protected]
