[Elecraft] K3 - NOT K3S - issue: TX Calibration fails on 6m only
I am helping a friend upgrade an older K3/100 (s/n 798) after he recently acquired it from estate of a SK. I have brought firmware forward one or two versions and installed the KIO3B board set. The radio has main RX only and the KSYN3A upgrade. It does have the KANT3 antenna tuner. I ran the 5 watt TX Calibration and it failed due to high swr on 6m only. I thought this curious so ran this test against one of my K3S with the same high quality dummy load and cable. It passed. I also scanned the dummy load with my RigExpert and it is flat to at least 2m. We would appreciate any suggestions as to how to further troubleshoot this issue. My friend says that 6m is not important to him - today - but tomorrow might be a different story. It seems reasonable to us that so long as we are working on it, we should leave it fully operational. I have not looked to see if the front panel to main board pin upgrade or any other hardware mod has been performed. Jim N1NK __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] K3 - NOT K3S - issue: TX Calibration fails on 6m only
I had the same issue with a brand new K3S. It failed a couple times and then it passed once...so I left it there. I have not been on 6M but I assume it will work fine. I do feel apprehensive though about running the cal again. Chuck Hawley c-haw...@illinois.edu Amateur Radio, KE9UW aka Jack, BMW Motorcycles From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net on behalf of Jim Spears Sent: Thursday, April 2, 2020 8:12 AM To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: [Elecraft] K3 - NOT K3S - issue: TX Calibration fails on 6m only I am helping a friend upgrade an older K3/100 (s/n 798) after he recently acquired it from estate of a SK. I have brought firmware forward one or two versions and installed the KIO3B board set. The radio has main RX only and the KSYN3A upgrade. It does have the KANT3 antenna tuner. I ran the 5 watt TX Calibration and it failed due to high swr on 6m only. I thought this curious so ran this test against one of my K3S with the same high quality dummy load and cable. It passed. I also scanned the dummy load with my RigExpert and it is flat to at least 2m. We would appreciate any suggestions as to how to further troubleshoot this issue. My friend says that 6m is not important to him - today - but tomorrow might be a different story. It seems reasonable to us that so long as we are working on it, we should leave it fully operational. I have not looked to see if the front panel to main board pin upgrade or any other hardware mod has been performed. Jim N1NK __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to c-haw...@illinois.edu __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] K3 - NOT K3S - issue: TX Calibration fails on 6m only
I perform "radio maintenance" about every 2nd month or so. That includes check frequency {adjust REF CAL as necessary}, check power output on all bands {run TX Gain Cal as necessary}, receiver sensitivity {run RX Gain cal as necessary} and then perform a full back up of the configuration data. At the same time, I'm amazed at how stable and accurate the radio maintains in all regards. I've not experienced any failures of the TX gain calibration except when the KPA3A had issues. That was replaced with a Rev E unit and no problems observed since then. 73 Bob, K4TAX On 4/2/2020 9:01 AM, hawley, charles j jr wrote: I had the same issue with a brand new K3S. It failed a couple times and then it passed once...so I left it there. I have not been on 6M but I assume it will work fine. I do feel apprehensive though about running the cal again. Chuck Hawley c-haw...@illinois.edu Amateur Radio, KE9UW aka Jack, BMW Motorcycles From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net on behalf of Jim Spears Sent: Thursday, April 2, 2020 8:12 AM To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: [Elecraft] K3 - NOT K3S - issue: TX Calibration fails on 6m only I am helping a friend upgrade an older K3/100 (s/n 798) after he recently acquired it from estate of a SK. I have brought firmware forward one or two versions and installed the KIO3B board set. The radio has main RX only and the KSYN3A upgrade. It does have the KANT3 antenna tuner. I ran the 5 watt TX Calibration and it failed due to high swr on 6m only. I thought this curious so ran this test against one of my K3S with the same high quality dummy load and cable. It passed. I also scanned the dummy load with my RigExpert and it is flat to at least 2m. We would appreciate any suggestions as to how to further troubleshoot this issue. My friend says that 6m is not important to him - today - but tomorrow might be a different story. It seems reasonable to us that so long as we are working on it, we should leave it fully operational. I have not looked to see if the front panel to main board pin upgrade or any other hardware mod has been performed. Jim N1NK __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to c-haw...@illinois.edu __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to rmcg...@blomand.net __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] K3 - NOT K3S - issue: TX Calibration fails on 6m only
Jim, If I am not mistaken, if the K3 Utility TX Gain calibration fails on any band, no calibration information is stored in the K3. If you do it manually, it will save on a band by band basis. 73, Don W3FPR On 4/2/2020 9:12 AM, Jim Spears wrote: I am helping a friend upgrade an older K3/100 (s/n 798) after he recently acquired it from estate of a SK. I have brought firmware forward one or two versions and installed the KIO3B board set. The radio has main RX only and the KSYN3A upgrade. It does have the KANT3 antenna tuner. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] K3 - NOT K3S - issue: TX Calibration fails on 6m only
Other than using a computer, is there a menu item where the tx calibration values can be seen? Tha manuals are pretty much assuming that you have a computer and still have the one that you did the calibration on. Chuck Jack Hawley KE9UW Sent from my iPhone, cjack > On Apr 5, 2020, at 7:24 PM, Don Wilhelm wrote: > > Jim, > > If I am not mistaken, if the K3 Utility TX Gain calibration fails on any > band, no calibration information is stored in the K3. If you do it manually, > it will save on a band by band basis. > > 73, > Don W3FPR > >> On 4/2/2020 9:12 AM, Jim Spears wrote: >> I am helping a friend upgrade an older K3/100 (s/n 798) after he recently >> acquired it from estate of a SK. I have brought firmware forward one or two >> versions and installed the KIO3B board set. The radio has main RX only and >> the KSYN3A upgrade. It does have the KANT3 antenna tuner. > __ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > Message delivered to c-haw...@illinois.edu __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] K3 - NOT K3S - issue: TX Calibration fails on 6m only
Try CONFIG TXGN It's listed in the manual under the CONFIG Menu http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] K3 - NOT K3S - issue: TX Calibration fails on 6m only
Thankyou. I'll check those. Chuck KE9UW c-haw...@illinois.edu Sent from my iPad > On Apr 6, 2020, at 2:43 PM, Howard Stephenson wrote: > > Try CONFIG TXGN > It's listed in the manual under the CONFIG Menu > > values can be > If you are having issues with TX Gain on 6M only check the IF trap in the > ATU (L10 C10) > you can remove them and replace with a jumper. > > 73 > Howard K6IA > __ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > Message delivered to c-haw...@illinois.edu __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] K3 - NOT K3S - issue: TX Calibration fails on 6m only
Could be a burned trap on the KAT3 (most likely). Just jumper the coil, L10 and it will bypass a burned capacitor. The trap was found to be redundant. Make sure 6m is on the correct antenna not 2. In TUNE, does it really have High SWR? Set ATU to BYP for any tests using dummy load. Make sure TECH MD is on, then look at config menu TXGN HP (or LP below 12w [8w 6m]) for the gain number. Try a manual TX gain cal on different parts of the band, every half a meg or so and see if it will pass. (set TUN PWR to nor, set power for 50w EXACTLY, then long press XMIT to send a carrier at 50 w for several seconds) Then check the TXGN number. You can do it at 5.0 watts exactly for the LP gain cal. Keith WE6R Elecraft K3 Tech __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] K3 - NOT K3S - issue: TX Calibration fails on 6m only
Thanks for the information. I did not have a tuner in this K3S when it failed the 6M cal so I figured it was just marginal for some reason since it DID pass on the third try. I have read the Config menu now and see how to check the gain and do a manual cal if necessary. I was just afraid to do the Cal again with the utility since it did eventually pass. I thought...leave it alone. But I did want to investigate the 6M gain etc. and understand what it was all about. I see now that I can do a manual Cal on 6M only if it becomes necessary. I need to learn to read the pages on menus in the manual as well as the index. I checked as you suggested and my gains are LP 10 watts and HP 34 at 50.135 MHz. Also I did as you suggested and the dummy load tune SWR is 1/1.1 So all good I guess. Thank you again, Chuck Hawley c-haw...@illinois.edu Amateur Radio, KE9UW aka Jack, BMW Motorcycles From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net on behalf of Keith Trinity WE6R Sent: Monday, April 6, 2020 4:32 PM To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 - NOT K3S - issue: TX Calibration fails on 6m only Could be a burned trap on the KAT3 (most likely). Just jumper the coil, L10 and it will bypass a burned capacitor. The trap was found to be redundant. Make sure 6m is on the correct antenna not 2. In TUNE, does it really have High SWR? Set ATU to BYP for any tests using dummy load. Make sure TECH MD is on, then look at config menu TXGN HP (or LP below 12w [8w 6m]) for the gain number. Try a manual TX gain cal on different parts of the band, every half a meg or so and see if it will pass. (set TUN PWR to nor, set power for 50w EXACTLY, then long press XMIT to send a carrier at 50 w for several seconds) Then check the TXGN number. You can do it at 5.0 watts exactly for the LP gain cal. Keith WE6R Elecraft K3 Tech __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to c-haw...@illinois.edu __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com