Use the kpa utility and check the fault codes. In my case (prefix du3) it has always been due to input power variance. And as you describe, the following day - everything has been fine.
Tim Du3tw Sent from my iPhone > On 14/11/2020, at 23:12, Alan - G4GNX <g4...@g4gnx.com> wrote: > > Mike, I'm not sure if this is relevant or not but I also have a tale of woe, > similar to yours. > > My main antenna is also an OSCFD and not really cut for 80 metres, so the SWR > is always a bit higher than I prefer, possibly approaching 2:1. > > My setup is a K3S + P3, KPA500 and KAT500. > > A couple nights ago I was attempting to call a special event station in a > pileup on 80 metres and decided to turn the KPA500 on. I was only running > with around 11W from the K3S, giving me about 200W output from the KPA500. > After 'shouting' a couple of times, the SWR was just below 2:1 but the KPA500 > didn't like it and suddenly faulted. When I tried to TX barefoot from the > K3S, there was no output - nothing showing on the K3S display. I checked the > power setting and it was 100W. I had previously power cycled the KPA500 and > it was in Standby. The only way I could get the K3S to TX was to power cycle > it, then all was back to normal. > > I ran the KPA500 in Operate again for a few moments to check that it was OK > and all seemed normal, but I didn't pursue it on 80m because I didn't want to > push my luck. :-) > > A couple days later on a regular 40 metre net, I ran the KPA500 again for > over an hour (on SSB) and have had no issues. > > I've not checked the manuals as to whether the original action is a safety > feature or a bug. > > 73, > > Alan. G4GNX > > > ------ Original Message ------ > From: "Mike Dodd" <m...@mdodd.com> > To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net > Sent: 14/11/2020 01:59:57 > Subject: [Elecraft] K3s/KPA500 communication issue? > >> Occasionally it seems my K3s doesn't know the STBY/OPER state of my KPA500. >> I also have a KAT500 for my Carolina Windom. >> >> Here's the first scenario: K3 in CW mode. I put the KPA in STBY and hit TUNE >> on the KAT and on the K3. When the tune is complete, I send one dash and >> note the 100W LED on the KPA. So far, so good. >> >> Next I put the KPA in OPER mode. The K3 power level is already set to about >> 10W, sufficient for about 250W on the KPA. Now I send a dash. >> >> Occasionally the KPA power indicator shoots up to 700W, and the KPA faults. >> When I clear the fault, the KPA is in STBY, and if I send a dash, I see the >> 100W LED come on. if I then put the KPA in OPER and send a dash, USUALLY I >> get the expected 250W output, but occasionally it shoots up to 700W and >> faults again. >> >> Now for the second scenario. With the KPA in OPER and outputting 250W, I >> switch it to STBY, then send a dash. I expect to see the 100W LED, but it >> does not light. If I look at the K3 RF bar graph, it shows 10W, not 100W. If >> I slightly turn the K3 PWR knob, it shows about 10W, not 100W. >> >> Until recently, the K3 ALWAYS switched back to my normal setting of 100W >> when the KPA is in STBY. The fact that it occasionally remains at 10W seems >> to indicate that it doesn't know the KPA is in STBY. >> >> Furthermore, the first scenario, where the KPA output shoots to 700W and it >> faults, seems to indicate that the K3 is sending it 100 watts -- another >> indication that the K3 doesn't know the KPA is in OPER, and thus doesn't >> reduce its output power to 10W. >> >> Is there any way to diagnose this problem, and more importantly, to fix it? >> >> Thanks for any and all guidance. >> >> -- 73, Mike N4CF >> Louisa County, VA USA >> Elecraft K3s / P3 / KPA500 / KAT500 >> Carolina Windom up 45' >> http://n4cf.mdodd.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 g4...@g4gnx.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 a4...@sy-edm.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
