Wayne you sent me this e-mail that you sent to the forum and K4ZRJ. concerning the 5.13 (and 5.15 which I don't have) You made a statement in the e-mail the 5.13 has a bug which effects PLL calbration.
After cleaning all the tin plated contacts within my K3 and installing 5.13 I still ran into errors in calibrating my PLL. Being a retired engineer I committed a sin by making an assumption. I assumed the old PLL cards will calibrate with the 5.13 firmware. Everything works correctly with 5.10. Please enlighten me us all on which firmware (5.13, 5.14, or 5.15) can be used with the old PLL boards and the PLL calibrates. ( I will get the new PLL boards in a couple of weeks). Are the new PLL boards going to work with the new beta firmware? 73 Dave KD1NA On Tue, Mar 3, 2015 at 6:22 PM, Wayne Burdick <n...@elecraft.com> wrote: > Guys, > > Please read carefully and let me know if this rings a bell. > > tnx > W > > > Begin forwarded message: > > > From: Charles Johnson <k4...@icloud.com> > > Subject: Fwd: Firmware 5.13 strange issue > > Date: March 3, 2015 10:56:22 AM PST > > To: Wayne Burdick <n...@elecraft.com> > > > > Wayne, > > > > Any thoughts on this? > > > > 73, Charles, K4ZRJ > > > > Begin forwarded message: > > > >> From: Charles Johnson <k4...@icloud.com> > >> Subject: Re: Firmware 5.13 strange issue > >> Date: March 1, 2015 at 6:44:24 PM EST > >> To: Wayne Burdick <n...@elecraft.com> > >> > >> Wayne, > >> > >> More investigative results: > >> > >> Still on 5.14 with new synthesizers. > >> > >> I have: > >> > >> 1) Disconnected the KPA500/KAT500 control cable and connected the K3 > via a 6 inch length of coax to a W2 sensor and that to another 6 inch > length of coax to a Bird dummy load. > >> > >> 2) Done an EE INIT and manually added the K3 options and filters. This > K3 has all options except 2M module. Have not restored my saved > configuration file. > >> > >> 3) Done a transmit gain calibration, can send the results if you think > I should. > >> > >> 4) Observed the following with the K3 in CW mode and the power output > set to 100W: > >> > >> When I key the K3 (for a short time, say less than 5 seconds) on a band > (say 10M) with a continuous key down, the SWR and RF output bar graphs will > go blank after briefly showing normally. The power output at that time as > measured on the W2 will be low, around 70 watts or so (varies with each > band). > >> > >> When I again key the K3, I generally (not always) get the same result. > After two, maybe three more keyings, the power output slowly rises. After > another one or two keyings the output will be at 100 or more and the bar > graphs will persist. After another keying, the power output stays as it was > the previous time, but the bar graphs once again go blank. > >> > >> 5) When I change to another band, all this happens again, pretty much > in the same order. After coming back to a band where this behavior has been > previously noted, it happens again from the start. > >> > >> 6) I have never noticed this behavior before installing the new > synthesizers, but I never used the K3 barefoot at 100W either (always used > the KPA500). > >> > >> 7) There does seems to be a spike issue on 10M that initially faults > the KPA500, but can be mitigated by reducing the K3 output power but that > results in low drive to the KPA500 so that its output is in the 400 watt > range. > >> > >> If you want, I can revert to the old synthesizers if you think it would > be worth while to do so, but I would only install the main unit and disable > the sub receiver by not installing its synthesizer. > >> > >> I don’t know if this is a hardware or software issue, but the blanking > of the graphs seems odd for a hardware problem. > >> > >> Ideas? > >> > >> 73, Charles, K4ZRJ (K line with KAT500 & W2) Old retired software > engineer who likes to putz around with stuff. > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> On Mar 1, 2015, at 1:47 PM, Wayne Burdick <n...@elecraft.com> wrote: > >> > >>> I haven't hear about anything like this. I would first eliminate as > many variables as possible. If you disconnect the KPA500 and any ATU and > use a dummy load, how does the K3 behave? If it calibrates normally and > works at various power levels (both QRP and QRO), the problem is likely to > be with the KPA500. > >>> > >>> Let me know-- > >>> > >>> Wayne > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> On Feb 28, 2015, at 9:09 PM, Charles Johnson <k4...@icloud.com> wrote: > >>> > >>>> Wayne, > >>>> > >>>> Just installed two new synthesizers and under 5.14 noticed the SWR > and RF out bar graphs disappear quickly after keying the transmitter. If I > keep the key down, the graphs go away, if I send a string of dits, they > display. Its like they are present for a short period of time, then > disappear. > >>>> > >>>> Also noticed the transmitter appears to overshoot with high RF on 10M > particularly causing the KPA500 to fault. I’ve done the TX gain calibration > several times as I shift between firmware versions. The K3 output level > going into the KPA500 is 25 watts on 10M. If I reduce it to 22 watts, then > when the transmitter output settles, the KPA500 is only putting out around > 450 watts. Seems the transmitter output isn’t too stable. This has actually > been an issue since installing the KPA500 several weeks ago, and predates > the synthesizer swap. Was probably running 5.01 when I first noticed this. > >>>> > >>>> Ideas? > >>>> > >>>> 73, Charles, K4ZRJ > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> On Feb 28, 2015, at 3:00 PM, Wayne Burdick <n...@elecraft.com> wrote: > >>>> > >>>>> Hi Charles, > >>>>> > >>>>> 5.13 had a bug in VCO CAL. Please try 5.14, attached. > >>>>> > >>>>> 73, > >>>>> Wayne > >>>>> N6KR > >>>>> > >>>>> <k3fw5r14.zip> > >>>>> > >>>>> > >>>>> On Feb 28, 2015, at 11:44 AM, Charles Johnson <k4...@icloud.com> > wrote: > >>>>> > >>>>>> Wayne, > >>>>>> > >>>>>> Last night I had a strange occurrence with the K3 (old > synthesizers) and 5.13. > >>>>>> > >>>>>> I was doing something at the computer when I noticed the K3 gave a > ERR VCO message. I found that on 15, 12 and 10M both synthesizers voltage > was reported as 7.5* or 7.6* but the lower frequency bands were OK, > normally 3 volts or so. I tried to recalibrate both synthesizers and could > not get either to finish without errors, which were E00187, E00188 or > E00189. I reloaded the 5.13 firmware but that made no difference. > >>>>>> > >>>>>> At that point, I swapped synthesizers, removed the reference > oscillator board cleaned the pins, reseated all coax lines, nothing made > any difference. > >>>>>> > >>>>>> Eventually, I reloaded 4.51 firmware, recalibrated both > synthesizers and everything worked as it should. Both synthesizers finished > recalibration without any errors. > >>>>>> > >>>>>> I reloaded 5.13, did an EE INIT, reloaded my saved configuration > and all went OK. I have not tried to recalibrate the synthesizers under > 5.13. > >>>>>> > >>>>>> What do you make of this? > >>>>>> > >>>>>> 73, Charles, K4ZRJ > >>>>>> > >>>>>> > >>>>>> On Feb 26, 2015, at 9:50 AM, Wayne Burdick <n...@elecraft.com> > wrote: > >>>>>> > >>>>>>> K3 beta firmware rev. 5.13 is now available on our K3 software > page. > >>>>>>> > >>>>>>> We neglected to mention in the release notes that the original > "DUAL PB" CW function has been added back in. > >>>>>>> > >>>>>>> 73, > >>>>>>> Wayne > >>>>>>> N6KR > >>>>>>> > >>>>>>> ______________________________________________________________ > >>>>>>> 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 k4...@icloud.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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
