Re: [Elecraft] K3 receiver troubleshooting
Guy, thanks for the tip. I will give it a try. A relay in the kxv3 rev 2 failed, an Omron part. It is now obsolete. Elecraft sells a new rev 3 version of the kxv3 for $88 as an upgrade. You trade in your defective module. The failure occurred during the night that we had electrical storms so I assumed some solid state part in the rx path had probably gotten zapped. But we could inject a weak signal after the kxv3 and hear it, but not before it. Of course that sounds like a simple diagnosis, and it is when you are reading the final outcome, but not when your rig is spread out on the bench. From: k2av@gmail.com Date: Wed, 16 Jul 2014 16:06:24 -0400 Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 receiver troubleshooting To: rstea...@hotmail.com CC: elecraft@mailman.qth.net On Wed, Jul 16, 2014 at 10:58 AM, Rick Stealey rstea...@hotmail.com wrote: Thanks to all who offered helpful suggestions. They were all via email - you notice there were no helpful postings on the reflector. Anyway, it's working again and I'm a happy camper. I note you did not post what the actual solution was. You are the only source for that information. Just a reminder that the Elecraft reflector is not an Elecraft technical support email address. While Elecraft employees may post here from time to time to answer email on the reflector, there is no guarantee that Elecraft employees or Elecraft owners will answer a particular question. For Elecraft help from Elecraft employees one should use supp...@elecraft.com or k3supp...@elecraft.com with issues. These emails are answered during normal business days and hours. Reflector readers are not under contract to Elecraft to answer posts, nor is there a requirement that someone who does answer a reflector post must do so on the reflector. Personally, I rarely offer help across this or any other reflector any more, because it is too hard to keep track of helping email threads. I set up a new folder with an intelligent name for a corresponder with filters to put new mail from him/her in that folder. Not putting that help conversation on the reflector also avoids trash talk (both on and off reflector) from a certain kind of reflector user which otherwise is a real and ugly disincentive. I will sometimes convert to telephone conversations if the writing becomes too complex. All that goes on without a clue on a reflector I was there. I would say that it's up to the person who asked for help to post the eventual solution on the reflector. This makes the answer compact and only relates the answer that actually worked. And it cuts down on noise when someone is later searching archives for a solution. Clearly those who answered you off-reflector saw the post on the reflector and so it would seem to me that the Elecraft reflector worked well. But email correspondence is no match for a technical buddy with test equipment working right there with you on the physical equipment. :) As to the schematics, using the current Adobe Reader to display the schematic PDF's, the search function will find all the occurrences of a wire label very quickly. I have found Elecraft schematics **very easy** to navigate and use with Adobe Reader. I decidedly prefer Elecraft schems to the microscopic lines in the paper schematic of my FT1000MP, and having to pencil trace a wire as it snakes around the page. To find the KXV3, bring up the June, 2010 version of the K3 schematic PDF with a current Adobe Reader. Hit CTRL-F. This will bring up a blue find window at the upper right. Type in kxv3 and hit enter. You can repeat the search to see every instance of the characters kxv3 (case insensitive) anywhere in the PDF. Huge help in chasing stuff in PDF schematics. 73, and glad you found the trouble. Guy K2AV __ 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] K3 receiver troubleshooting
Just curious. What does anyone recommend for a signal generator to use for this kind of diagnostic process. I am looking for something fairly low cost as I hope I won't be doing this very often. Eric wb7sde On Thu, Jul 17, 2014, at 02:55 AM, Rick Stealey wrote: Guy, thanks for the tip. I will give it a try. A relay in the kxv3 rev 2 failed, an Omron part. It is now obsolete. Elecraft sells a new rev 3 version of the kxv3 for $88 as an upgrade. You trade in your defective module. The failure occurred during the night that we had electrical storms so I assumed some solid state part in the rx path had probably gotten zapped. But we could inject a weak signal after the kxv3 and hear it, but not before it. Of course that sounds like a simple diagnosis, and it is when you are reading the final outcome, but not when your rig is spread out on the bench. From: k2av@gmail.com Date: Wed, 16 Jul 2014 16:06:24 -0400 Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 receiver troubleshooting To: rstea...@hotmail.com CC: elecraft@mailman.qth.net On Wed, Jul 16, 2014 at 10:58 AM, Rick Stealey rstea...@hotmail.com wrote: Thanks to all who offered helpful suggestions. They were all via email - you notice there were no helpful postings on the reflector. Anyway, it's working again and I'm a happy camper. I note you did not post what the actual solution was. You are the only source for that information. Just a reminder that the Elecraft reflector is not an Elecraft technical support email address. While Elecraft employees may post here from time to time to answer email on the reflector, there is no guarantee that Elecraft employees or Elecraft owners will answer a particular question. For Elecraft help from Elecraft employees one should use supp...@elecraft.com or k3supp...@elecraft.com with issues. These emails are answered during normal business days and hours. Reflector readers are not under contract to Elecraft to answer posts, nor is there a requirement that someone who does answer a reflector post must do so on the reflector. Personally, I rarely offer help across this or any other reflector any more, because it is too hard to keep track of helping email threads. I set up a new folder with an intelligent name for a corresponder with filters to put new mail from him/her in that folder. Not putting that help conversation on the reflector also avoids trash talk (both on and off reflector) from a certain kind of reflector user which otherwise is a real and ugly disincentive. I will sometimes convert to telephone conversations if the writing becomes too complex. All that goes on without a clue on a reflector I was there. I would say that it's up to the person who asked for help to post the eventual solution on the reflector. This makes the answer compact and only relates the answer that actually worked. And it cuts down on noise when someone is later searching archives for a solution. Clearly those who answered you off-reflector saw the post on the reflector and so it would seem to me that the Elecraft reflector worked well. But email correspondence is no match for a technical buddy with test equipment working right there with you on the physical equipment. :) As to the schematics, using the current Adobe Reader to display the schematic PDF's, the search function will find all the occurrences of a wire label very quickly. I have found Elecraft schematics **very easy** to navigate and use with Adobe Reader. I decidedly prefer Elecraft schems to the microscopic lines in the paper schematic of my FT1000MP, and having to pencil trace a wire as it snakes around the page. To find the KXV3, bring up the June, 2010 version of the K3 schematic PDF with a current Adobe Reader. Hit CTRL-F. This will bring up a blue find window at the upper right. Type in kxv3 and hit enter. You can repeat the search to see every instance of the characters kxv3 (case insensitive) anywhere in the PDF. Huge help in chasing stuff in PDF schematics. 73, and glad you found the trouble. Guy K2AV __ 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 e...@evross.com -- Eric Ross __ 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] K3 receiver troubleshooting
The answer was obvious and I was dense. Thank you, Eric, wb7sde On Thu, Jul 17, 2014, at 10:29 AM, Nr4c wrote: How about the XG3? Sent from my iPhone ...nr4c. bill On Jul 17, 2014, at 11:43 AM, Eric Ross e...@evross.com wrote: Just curious. What does anyone recommend for a signal generator to use for this kind of diagnostic process. I am looking for something fairly low cost as I hope I won't be doing this very often. __ 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] K3 receiver troubleshooting
Yesterday I posted about extremely low receiver sensitivity on my K3, at both the main antenna input and the receive input on the KXV3 module. A buddy helped me this morning and we found the problem. In doing the circuit diagnosis, and we are both somewhat experienced in technical matters, we became very frustrated with the Elecraft schematics. We found it very hard to signal trace through all the plugs and jacks. Signal points seem to end with a label, with no indication of where that label reappears. And although we found the problem it wasn't because we had the info we needed. For example, we never did find a schematic of the KXV3 module. It isn't in with the installation docs for the module, and if it is in among the K3 schematics it must be disguised somewhere. We found it was effective to take a probe from the signal generator and inject it at various points, looking at the IF output on a spectrum analyzer. But we had to do some guessing. Like is there really an amplifier on the IF output in the KXV3 like the block diagram shows? I don't think so. Thanks to all who offered helpful suggestions. They were all via email - you notice there were no helpful postings on the reflector. Anyway, it's working again and I'm a happy camper. Rick K2XT __ 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] K3 receiver troubleshooting
On 7/16/2014 7:58 AM, Rick Stealey wrote: They were all via email - you notice there were no helpful postings on the reflector. Something that is very disappointing to all of us on the list. __ 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] Elecraft] K3 receiver troubleshooting
Thanks to all who offered helpful suggestions. They were all via email - you notice there were no helpful postings on the reflector. Anyway, it's working again and I'm a happy camper. So Rick.. now that you are happy what was the trouble that you found?? Bill - K6WLM __ 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] K3 receiver troubleshooting
Also how did you fix it? Tom - wa4ta Date: Wed, 16 Jul 2014 09:59:20 -0700 To: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Elecraft] K3 receiver troubleshooting From: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Thanks to all who offered helpful suggestions. They were all via email - you notice there were no helpful postings on the reflector. Anyway, it's working again and I'm a happy camper. So Rick.. now that you are happy what was the trouble that you found?? Bill - K6WLM __ 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 wa...@hotmail.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] K3 receiver troubleshooting
The schematics in the PDF document are completely searchable - right down to the individual part numbers, named signals and connector pins. 73 from Ian GM3SEK __ 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] K3 receiver troubleshooting
On Wed, Jul 16, 2014 at 10:58 AM, Rick Stealey rstea...@hotmail.com wrote: Thanks to all who offered helpful suggestions. They were all via email - you notice there were no helpful postings on the reflector. Anyway, it's working again and I'm a happy camper. I note you did not post what the actual solution was. You are the only source for that information. Just a reminder that the Elecraft reflector is not an Elecraft technical support email address. While Elecraft employees may post here from time to time to answer email on the reflector, there is no guarantee that Elecraft employees or Elecraft owners will answer a particular question. For Elecraft help from Elecraft employees one should use supp...@elecraft.com or k3supp...@elecraft.com with issues. These emails are answered during normal business days and hours. Reflector readers are not under contract to Elecraft to answer posts, nor is there a requirement that someone who does answer a reflector post must do so on the reflector. Personally, I rarely offer help across this or any other reflector any more, because it is too hard to keep track of helping email threads. I set up a new folder with an intelligent name for a corresponder with filters to put new mail from him/her in that folder. Not putting that help conversation on the reflector also avoids trash talk (both on and off reflector) from a certain kind of reflector user which otherwise is a real and ugly disincentive. I will sometimes convert to telephone conversations if the writing becomes too complex. All that goes on without a clue on a reflector I was there. I would say that it's up to the person who asked for help to post the eventual solution on the reflector. This makes the answer compact and only relates the answer that actually worked. And it cuts down on noise when someone is later searching archives for a solution. Clearly those who answered you off-reflector saw the post on the reflector and so it would seem to me that the Elecraft reflector worked well. But email correspondence is no match for a technical buddy with test equipment working right there with you on the physical equipment. :) As to the schematics, using the current Adobe Reader to display the schematic PDF's, the search function will find all the occurrences of a wire label very quickly. I have found Elecraft schematics **very easy** to navigate and use with Adobe Reader. I decidedly prefer Elecraft schems to the microscopic lines in the paper schematic of my FT1000MP, and having to pencil trace a wire as it snakes around the page. To find the KXV3, bring up the June, 2010 version of the K3 schematic PDF with a current Adobe Reader. Hit CTRL-F. This will bring up a blue find window at the upper right. Type in kxv3 and hit enter. You can repeat the search to see every instance of the characters kxv3 (case insensitive) anywhere in the PDF. Huge help in chasing stuff in PDF schematics. 73, and glad you found the trouble. Guy K2AV __ 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] K3 Receiver troubleshooting
My K3 suffered a sudden loss of sensitivity this morning. Yes, there was lightning last night. The antenna input was grounded in an antenna switch but the receive antenna port was connected to a Beverage. It appears to be normal in every other way. Transmitter ok. Receiver functions work, like preamp, attenuator. But the level is down 60 db. It is the same on both the antenna jack and the receive antenna port on the KXV3. I have some lab equipment (HP sig gen, spectrum analyzer) and made some quick checks but I need a sanity check: With -40 dbm into the receive antenna port the S meter is S7. With -30 dbm input, The spectrum analyzer connected to the IF output shows -80 dbm. I'm assuming this is WAY off, and should approximate the level of the input signal. So I think I can safely assume the problem is not in the IF or downstream, but a likely culprit would maybe be a switching diode in the receive path? Any ideas? Rick K2XT __ 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
