Re: [Elecraft] KX3/PX3/KXPA100 - PX3 taking 5 minutes to come on??? KXPA100 loses mind...

[n6hz]

Hi David, 

I'd prefer to have folks that are experiencing this problem email me
directly.  That way I can determine the best resolution path. The fix
involves replacing a surface mount capacitor which is located under the
power supply board on the front panel board. 

Kindly, 

Paul





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Re: [Elecraft] KX3/PX3/KXPA100 - PX3 taking 5 minutes to come on??? KXPA100 loses mind...

[David Orman]

Would you be willing to share this with the list? I'm curious as to what's
entailed/what the modification does and how it might help!

Thank you,
David

On Mon, Feb 13, 2017 at 11:00 AM, n6hz  wrote:

> Jack,
>
> I'll bet your PX3 needs a capacitor mod.  Please email me directly, my
> email
> is pauls at you know where dot com.
>
> Kindly,
>
> Paul
>
>
>
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Re: [Elecraft] KX3/PX3/KXPA100 - PX3 taking 5 minutes to come on??? KXPA100 loses mind...

[n6hz]

Jack, 

I'll bet your PX3 needs a capacitor mod.  Please email me directly, my email
is pauls at you know where dot com. 

Kindly, 

Paul 



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Re: [Elecraft] KX3/PX3/KXPA100 - PX3 taking 5 minutes to come on??? KXPA100 loses mind...

[Jack Spitznagel]

Hi Brian,

Well it is usually about 65F(~18C) in the shack this time of year unless 
I turn on the space heater. Not really "cold" per se. The PX3 will 
misbehave on start up or after having been turned off for about 5 min. 
even in warmer times. I guess what I mean by cold is different from 
Canadian cold... :)


Thanks for pointing that behavior out though... temperature may be an issue.

Jack - KD4IZ


On 2/12/2017 16:19, Brian Waterworth wrote:


>>When the PX3 is powered on "cold", it takes about 5 minutes for the
display to light up.


Hi Jack,

I recently experienced something similar to your PX3 situation.  When 
you said "cold", I immediately perked up.


During winter field day, I decided to take my PX3 with me.  Our club 
worked outdoors in about -2C degree weather. The trailer I was in had 
a couple of portable space heaters.  It felt like they were pumping 
out one BTU each :-).  By the time I had the station setup, the temp 
increased to about 9C, maybe.  It was still cold and I had to wear a 
coat.  Anyway, I digress.


When I powered on the PX3, the display was dark.  Picked it up to hear 
the click of the power on.  I heard a click. H.  I tried a couple 
of times.  I disconnected all the inter-connect cables and still no 
display.  I was a bit cold and had just finished exerting a lot of 
energy with the setup (antenna as well), that I just left it 
disconnected and put it away.  I was a bit dejected, but I had to 
focus on the task at hand, because WFD was going to start in moments.  
I should have left it turned on for a little while to see if the 
display came back on after the internal circuitry warmed up a bit.  
But that never occurred to me because every other display in my 
station came to life immediately.


After the PX3 had a chance to settle at home in the warmer climes of 
my shack, I connected everything back up and lo and behold, the PX3 
display lit up.  I was quite relieved.  I wrote off the experience to 
the fact that the PX3 didn't like the cold weather.  I don't either :-)


Anyway Jack, I am happy to be another voice when you go to Elecraft 
support regarding the PX3 display not turning on when the unit is 
cold.  I don't know the actual temperature that the PX3 doesn't like.  
But I never had this issue before.  I can turn on the PX3, when in the 
house, and it comes on immediately after having sat for days in my 
basement shack.


Regards,
Brian
VE3IBW








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Re: [Elecraft] KX3/PX3/KXPA100 - PX3 taking 5 minutes to come on??? KXPA100 loses mind...

[Brian Waterworth]

> >>When the PX3 is powered on "cold", it takes about 5 minutes for the
> display to light up.
>

Hi Jack,

I recently experienced something similar to your PX3 situation.  When you
said "cold", I immediately perked up.

During winter field day, I decided to take my PX3 with me.  Our club worked
outdoors in about -2C degree weather.  The trailer I was in had a couple of
portable space heaters.  It felt like they were pumping out one BTU each
:-).  By the time I had the station setup, the temp increased to about 9C,
maybe.  It was still cold and I had to wear a coat.  Anyway, I digress.

When I powered on the PX3, the display was dark.  Picked it up to hear the
click of the power on.  I heard a click.  H.  I tried a couple of
times.  I disconnected all the inter-connect cables and still no display.
I was a bit cold and had just finished exerting a lot of energy with the
setup (antenna as well), that I just left it disconnected and put it away.
I was a bit dejected, but I had to focus on the task at hand, because WFD
was going to start in moments.  I should have left it turned on for a
little while to see if the display came back on after the internal
circuitry warmed up a bit.  But that never occurred to me because every
other display in my station came to life immediately.

After the PX3 had a chance to settle at home in the warmer climes of my
shack, I connected everything back up and lo and behold, the PX3 display
lit up.  I was quite relieved.  I wrote off the experience to the fact that
the PX3 didn't like the cold weather.  I don't either :-)

Anyway Jack, I am happy to be another voice when you go to Elecraft support
regarding the PX3 display not turning on when the unit is cold.  I don't
know the actual temperature that the PX3 doesn't like.  But I never had
this issue before.  I can turn on the PX3, when in the house, and it comes
on immediately after having sat for days in my basement shack.

Regards,
Brian
VE3IBW

>
>
>
>
>
>
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Re: [Elecraft] KX3/PX3/KXPA100 - PX3 taking 5 minutes to come on??? KXPA100 loses mind...

[Dick Dievendorff]

If the kxpa100 power slide switch is OFF, the amp depends on periodic polls 
from the kx3 to keep it on.

Dick, K6KR

> On Feb 12, 2017, at 14:39, Don Wilhelm  wrote:
> 
> Jack,
> 
> It would seem that you have tackled the most obvious stuff.
> I don't know whether you have a bad display or not, so I suggest you contact 
> K3support to see if they might have seen a problem like that.
> 
> I have heard about prior problems with PA MODE turning off, but I don't 
> recall what is to be done about it.  A fault in the KXPA100 can cause it, and 
> the support folks may want a fault report from KXPA100 Utility.
> 
> 73,
> Don W3FPR
> 
>> On 2/12/2017 1:51 PM, Jack Spitznagel wrote:
>> All, (particularly Don or one of the kind folks at Elecraft support)
>> 
>> There are two seemingly interrelated problems in this message that may
>> indeed be independent.
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Re: [Elecraft] KX3/PX3/KXPA100 - PX3 taking 5 minutes to come on??? KXPA100 loses mind...

[Don Wilhelm]

Jack,

It would seem that you have tackled the most obvious stuff.
I don't know whether you have a bad display or not, so I suggest you 
contact K3support to see if they might have seen a problem like that.


I have heard about prior problems with PA MODE turning off, but I don't 
recall what is to be done about it.  A fault in the KXPA100 can cause 
it, and the support folks may want a fault report from KXPA100 Utility.


73,
Don W3FPR

On 2/12/2017 1:51 PM, Jack Spitznagel wrote:

All, (particularly Don or one of the kind folks at Elecraft support)

There are two seemingly interrelated problems in this message that may
indeed be independent.


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[Elecraft] KX3/PX3/KXPA100 - PX3 taking 5 minutes to come on??? KXPA100 loses mind...

[Jack Spitznagel]

All, (particularly Don or one of the kind folks at Elecraft support)

There are two seemingly interrelated problems in this message that may 
indeed be independent.


   All other helpful souls - before you post an answer, please read
   this ENTIRE message. I am a tech type and no stranger to radio -
   computer control systems. I did check cabling to make sure it is OK,
   an solidly seated. Firmware is updated and I configured all devices
   from factory settings.

My trusty KX3/PX3/KXPA100 kit has been on the shelf for an all too long 
respite because the antenna farm was one tree short. It is going back 
into regular service alongside an ICOM 7300 now before I build field day 
and trail "go kits" for my beloved KX3 system. Since it takes about 2 
hours to get everything behaving here - this is going to be a lousy 
EMCOMM and Field Day solution... For the trail, it doesn't matter 
because the KX3 goes alone.


Here goes: As I was bringing things back online today, I found a 
stickynote to self about an issue I had with the PX3 and the KXPA100 
before I stopped using the kit in December. I am still observing the 
following behavior:


When the PX3 is powered on "cold", it takes about 5 minutes for the 
display to light up.


   This occurs regardless of the power on jumper position which is
   currently back in the enable (pin3/4) position.

   This occurs whether the KX3 or the KXPA100 are cabled in.

   Once the PX3 is "warm". I can turn it off and then on again and it
   comes right back to life.

During this PX3 "braindead" period, when the entire setup was cabled up, 
the amplifier will not work properly. To make things more annoying, 
after the 5 minute braindead spell is over and the PX3 is working and if 
the KXPA100 decides to cooperate, I have to go back into the menu, 
enable the KXPA100, then reset the power level for the whole system 
every time this happens... but the PA does not always stay on!!! Then I 
have to tweak the whole system until it decides to work... when the 
KXPA100 is enabled by the KX3 menu, it holds PA MODE ON a moment and 
then reverts to PA MODE OFF without my doing anything.


Today in desperation, I tore everything down and re-connected several 
times and FINALLY all 3 unit talked to each other and the PA stayed on.


This started occurring in the fall of 2016 (September or so), I do not 
recall that any of this happened when I first assembled the PX3 and 
began to use the KXPA100.


So before the inevitable deluge of helpful "Did'ja look" comments come - 
current firmware is :


KX3 is at MCU version 2.38, DSP is at 1.37

PX3 is at MCU revision 1.39

KXPA100 is at revision 1.39

AND ALL units are set for 38,400 and communicate with the computer.

All cables have been checked and are properly seated.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Jack Spitznagel KD4IZ

KX3 #6029 PX3#0941 KXPA#1488

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