Re: [Elecraft] Power spike early K3
__ 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] Power spike early K3
My K3s has this problem, but it only happens intermittently. When driving the KPA1500, there would be a spike of about 70w. Drive level was between 20 and 25 watts. The K3s spent three months at Elecraft and they could not fix it. I finally discovered two things that caused the power spike: 1. Exiting the CW QRQ mode; either by turning on RIT or by using the menu. 2. Narrowing the passband from XFIL 3 to XFIL 4 (1000 Hz to 400 Hz in my case.), either with the XFIL button or the Width control. These appear to be the only things that cause the power spike. This leads me to believe it's a firmware problem (v 5.67, the most recent). I tried going back to an earlier FW version, but could not figure out how to load it. It doesn't look like there will be any new FW updates for the K3 series. --- 73, Mike Cizek WØVTT -Original Message- From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net On Behalf Of N2TK via Elecraft Sent: Saturday, 20 May, 2023 15:51 To: m...@sj2w.se; elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Power spike early K3 I had the same problem with the K3/KPA1500 combination. I recalibrated the K3. Then I made sure I don't run the K3 at exactly 5W or 50W. The problem has not reappeared.N2TK, Tony -Original Message- From: Mikael Larsmark To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Sent: Sat, May 20, 2023 3:45 am Subject: [Elecraft] Power spike early K3 Hi, We have an early serial K3 which has got an issue with power spikes. I have done a TX gain calibration without it making a difference. The spike happens mainly when you have changed to a new band and during the first transmission. After that the spike is a lot smaller and not much of an issue. Anybody have any ideas of what this could be because of? It kind of makes it impossible to run a solid state amplifier on the radio and probably not good for the tube amplifiers either. /Mike, SJ2W __ 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 tony@verizon.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 mgci...@gmail.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
Re: [Elecraft] Power spike early K3
I had the same problem with the K3/KPA1500 combination. I recalibrated the K3. Then I made sure I don't run the K3 at exactly 5W or 50W. The problem has not reappeared.N2TK, Tony -Original Message- From: Mikael Larsmark To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Sent: Sat, May 20, 2023 3:45 am Subject: [Elecraft] Power spike early K3 Hi, We have an early serial K3 which has got an issue with power spikes. I have done a TX gain calibration without it making a difference. The spike happens mainly when you have changed to a new band and during the first transmission. After that the spike is a lot smaller and not much of an issue. Anybody have any ideas of what this could be because of? It kind of makes it impossible to run a solid state amplifier on the radio and probably not good for the tube amplifiers either. /Mike, SJ2W __ 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 tony@verizon.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] Power spike early K3
I had a similar problem and traced it to voltage sag under load at the K3. The power supply was good under load but there was too much loss in the stock cable which was wired directly to the PS. I replaced it with a heavier, shorter cable. I found that I had to run the TX gain calibration twice in a row to get it right. It’s been fine since. GL&73, Brian, K0DTJ > On May 20, 2023, at 00:50, Mikael Larsmark wrote: > > Hi, > > We have an early serial K3 which has got an issue with power spikes. I have > done a TX gain calibration without it making a difference. The spike > happens mainly when you have changed to a new band and during the first > transmission. After that the spike is a lot smaller and not much of an > issue. > > Anybody have any ideas of what this could be because of? It kind of makes > it impossible to run a solid state amplifier on the radio and probably not > good for the tube amplifiers either. > > /Mike, SJ2W > __ > 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 huntin...@coastside.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] Power spike early K3
Hi Mike, I saw that you had posted a similar question in January 2023 and had some suggestions including running the TX Gain calibration, which you did, but apparently without effect on the spiking. There have been numerous reports of TX power spikes on first dit or first voice sound. Some found that part of the issue was inadvertent changes in the TX GAIN settings when the TX POWER control was set to precisely 5.0 W or 50 W and the TUNE button was pressed. One respondent to the reflector commented on this issue and how the TX power spiking was eliminated: https://www.mail-archive.com/elecraft@mailman.qth.net/msg252489.html One question: does the power spiking upon changing bands occur when only a 50 ohm dummy load is attached instead of antenna or an amplifier? Don't put anything else in the line between the K3 and the dummy load, and be sure the internal ATU in the K3 (if installed) is set to BYPASS. 73, Mike, K8CN __ 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
[Elecraft] Power spike early K3
Hi, We have an early serial K3 which has got an issue with power spikes. I have done a TX gain calibration without it making a difference. The spike happens mainly when you have changed to a new band and during the first transmission. After that the spike is a lot smaller and not much of an issue. Anybody have any ideas of what this could be because of? It kind of makes it impossible to run a solid state amplifier on the radio and probably not good for the tube amplifiers either. /Mike, SJ2W __ 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] Power spike
Hi guys, I did try TX GAIN CAL and it failed on 30m. I had an issue in CQWW CW where one of the ops placed the radio on 30m where there is no BPF so we burned the classic D25 diode. I have replaced that and have gotten RX back and all bands seem to work OK. However 30m behaves strangely also on RX where there is a lot of noise, almost sounds like RTTY all over the band and no normal signals and it goes away when I disconnect the antenna. When I try to listen to the band with another radio it sounds normal and it is filled with CW signals. Does anybody have an idea of what I can have burnt up that only has an impact on 30m? 20m does not seem impacted so I ruled out the LPF and I doubt it would cause the strange RX behavior. /Mike, SJ2W On Sun, Jan 22, 2023 at 1:58 PM Eric Norris wrote: > The first thing to do is run TX GN CAL. That usually stops the spikes. > My K3 #2254 began needing that every few months, and sometimes I had to run > TX GN CAL multiple times. Eventually, at Wayne's suggestion, I sent it in > for repair. They found some burned resistors in the LPA SWR circuit, which > were replaced. I haven't tested it yet, because, you know, my K4D > arrived. :-) > > 73 Eric WD6DBM > > On Sat, Jan 21, 2023, 12:47 PM David Olean wrote: > >> I have #1504 and it does not add any spike ever. I have no idea what >> would cause a spike. Does this happen on CW? >> >> Dave K1WHS >> >> On 1/19/2023 5:55 AM, Mikael Larsmark wrote: >> > Hi, >> > >> > I have 5 pcs Elecraft K3 in my shack and one of them, which is a very >> early >> > model (serial #1938) suffers from quite a power spike when transmitting. >> > You can clearly notice it on the amplifier and it is only this K3, none >> of >> > the others. >> > >> > Can somebody give me some insight on this? >> > >> > /Mike, SJ2W >> > __ >> > 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 k1...@metrocast.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 norrislawfi...@gmail.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
Re: [Elecraft] Power spike
The first thing to do is run TX GN CAL. That usually stops the spikes. My K3 #2254 began needing that every few months, and sometimes I had to run TX GN CAL multiple times. Eventually, at Wayne's suggestion, I sent it in for repair. They found some burned resistors in the LPA SWR circuit, which were replaced. I haven't tested it yet, because, you know, my K4D arrived. :-) 73 Eric WD6DBM On Sat, Jan 21, 2023, 12:47 PM David Olean wrote: > I have #1504 and it does not add any spike ever. I have no idea what > would cause a spike. Does this happen on CW? > > Dave K1WHS > > On 1/19/2023 5:55 AM, Mikael Larsmark wrote: > > Hi, > > > > I have 5 pcs Elecraft K3 in my shack and one of them, which is a very > early > > model (serial #1938) suffers from quite a power spike when transmitting. > > You can clearly notice it on the amplifier and it is only this K3, none > of > > the others. > > > > Can somebody give me some insight on this? > > > > /Mike, SJ2W > > __ > > 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 k1...@metrocast.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 norrislawfi...@gmail.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
Re: [Elecraft] Power spike
I have #1504 and it does not add any spike ever. I have no idea what would cause a spike. Does this happen on CW? Dave K1WHS On 1/19/2023 5:55 AM, Mikael Larsmark wrote: Hi, I have 5 pcs Elecraft K3 in my shack and one of them, which is a very early model (serial #1938) suffers from quite a power spike when transmitting. You can clearly notice it on the amplifier and it is only this K3, none of the others. Can somebody give me some insight on this? /Mike, SJ2W __ 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 k1...@metrocast.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] Power spike
I have a K3 SNR 1595 and it does not have power spikes. Maybe TX gain cal will solve it as 4X6GP writes. / Jim SM2EKM On 19/01/2023 12:55, Mikael Larsmark wrote: Hi, I have 5 pcs Elecraft K3 in my shack and one of them, which is a very early model (serial #1938) suffers from quite a power spike when transmitting. You can clearly notice it on the amplifier and it is only this K3, none of the others. Can somebody give me some insight on this? /Mike, SJ2W __ 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] Power spike
The first thing that is always recommended for this is to run the TX Gain Calibration in the K3 Utility. 73, Victor, 4X6GP Rehovot, Israel Formerly K2VCO CWops no. 5 http://www.qsl.net/k2vco/ On 19/01/2023 12:55, Mikael Larsmark wrote: Hi, I have 5 pcs Elecraft K3 in my shack and one of them, which is a very early model (serial #1938) suffers from quite a power spike when transmitting. You can clearly notice it on the amplifier and it is only this K3, none of the others. Can somebody give me some insight on this? /Mike, SJ2W __ 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 k2vco@gmail.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
[Elecraft] Power spike
Hi, I have 5 pcs Elecraft K3 in my shack and one of them, which is a very early model (serial #1938) suffers from quite a power spike when transmitting. You can clearly notice it on the amplifier and it is only this K3, none of the others. Can somebody give me some insight on this? /Mike, SJ2W __ 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
