Steve, Ive had KXPD3 issues similar to those that you describe since I got my KX3 2 ½ months ago. Right out of the box I couldnt seem to adjust the paddles as tightly as I normally prefer. The adjustment screws have rather coarse threads and it seems like theres only about a quarter of a turn range between too tight and too loose, and when I first adjusted it the way I normally use paddles I would randomly get spontaneous contact which resulted in unwanted transmissions. I finally accepted the fact that Id have to settle for a more course adjustment and have now become accumstomed to that. At least that stopped the spontaneous dits.
Ive also experienced random dropped dits, or sometimes a delayed response to trying to send a dit, which actually causes various sending errors depending upon the character Im trying to send. You know, with iambic keying if Im trying to interject a single dit between dahs and that dit fails, the result is a continuous string of dahs, etc., etc. I usually send at 25 -30 wpm. Ive never had a great fist, but some of my recent sending with the KXPD3 has been downright embarrassing. So Ive been doing a lot of apologizing and repeating during qsos. I discussed this with Wayne a few weeks ago and he suggested that I try cleaning the contacts. I took a close look under magnification and did find that there was a small ding on one of the brass contact cylinders right at the point where the screw tip makes contact (and it was the one on the dit side where all of my problems have occurred). I disassembled the KXPD3, and rotated the brass cylinder to get the dinged area away from the contact point. I also cleaned the contact areas with de-oxit as recommended by Wayne. The cleaning and adjustment seemed to solve the dropped dit problem (and I really think it was caused by the little "ding" rather than surface oxidation), but I continue to occasionally experience the delayed response thing. That is I hit the dit side of the paddle and there is a 1/3 or ½ second delay before it comes through. That, of course, breaks up my sending rhythm and results in more gibberish coming from my fist. I bought the KX3 for portable operation and certainly dont expect the KXPD3 to be anything like my Begali Magnetic Signature (which I believe would be an unreasonable expectation). As far as I'm concerned, the advantage of having the KXPD3 attached to the transceiver more than offsets the minor glitches I'm talking about, and I can live with them. But I would be a much happier camper if I could get to the bottom of this delayed response problem. Don, N5LZ -----Original Message----- From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net [mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Steve KC8QVO Sent: Saturday, July 21, 2012 9:49 PM To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: [Elecraft] KX3 - CW glitch with KXPD3/keyer? I have been running all CW so far with my KX3 and have noticed there is a delay a lot of times on dits. When calling CQ there is a hesitation when sending my call between the dits in the V (KC8QVO) that makes it sound like KC8QE UO or KC8QI AO. The first few times it happened I thought I just wasn't used to the key, but it happens too much to be the key. My speed is set to 18wpm in iambic B mode. Has anyone else noticed a similar characteristic? Or am I just crazy? Are there any tricks to a "fix"? Another potential glitch is with the memory keyer. I normally send my code farnsworth method and space out my letters. When I do that on the memory keyer recording it blends everything together so all the spacing between letters is the same as between words. I haven't tried sending with normal letter spacing to see if it holds that and expands the word spacing, but every time I've tried to record how I want to send it comes back with my call blended together with the same space between the 3 call signs as the individual letters. Steve, KC8QVO -- View this message in context: http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/KX3-CW-glitch-with-KXPD3-keyer-tp75 59618.html Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com. ______________________________________________________________ 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 ______________________________________________________________ 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
