Elecraft K3 Owner's Manual - Manual (Page 65)

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impedance. Allow heat sink to cool. Reduce power if necessary. Make sure the CONFIG:PA TEMP menu
entry is calibrated (allow heat sink to cool to room temperature, then compare menu reading to actual).
• ALC OFF is displayed on VFO A during transmit : Set CONFIG:TX ALC to ON . ALC should only be
turned off during band-pass filter alignment (do not adjust filters without consulting Elecraft support).
• Can’t transmit in CW mode: (1) Make sure the key or keyer paddle is plugged into the correct jack.
(2) You must have VOX selected ( VOX icon on) in order to use hit-the-key CW. (3) You may be in S P L IT
mode, with VFO B set for a voice or data mode. Tap A /B or use B S E T to check VFO B’s mode.
• Can’t key external amplifier in CW mode: Some amplifiers require a longer delay from keyline activation
to first RF. See CONFIG:TX DLY. (Caution: Long TX DLY settings may affect keyer timing.)
• Key clicks in QSK CW mode with an external amplifier:. This may be due to a slow amplifier relay (use
CONFIG:TX DLY) or incorrect application of external ALC (see CONFIG:EXT ALC and pg. 27).
• Can’t use the mic in voice modes: You may be in S P L IT mode, with VFO B set for CW or data mode
rather than a voice mode. Tap A /B or use B S E T to check VFO B’s mode.
• No power output: You may have routed RF through the KXV3’s XVTR IN/OUT jacks, either by switching
to a transverter band, or by setting CONFIG:KXV3 to TES T . Also try redoing TX GAIN cal (pg. 49).
• Relay heard switching during keying: If this happens only above a certain power level, transmit signal
leakage may be activating the carrier-operated-relay circuitry on either the KXV3 module (RF I/O) or the
KRX3 (sub receiver). You must improve isolation between transmit and receive antennas or decrease output
power. If a relay switches during keying even at very low power levels, it could be due to: (1) SPLIT
operation with different bands and/or modes, or the receive VFO tuned outside any ham band; or (2) VFO A
is tuned such that a relay switches during T/R due to incorrect VCO calibration (re-run VCO CAL).
Receive
• HI RFI warning: A high-power transmitter may be coupling into the K3’s antenna in receive mode. The
warning occurs when the ANT1 or 2 input signal exceeds about 1 to 2 W. Also see CONFIG:RFI DET.
• HI SIG warning: An extremely strong, sustained signal (e.g., a broadcast station’s carrier) may be causing
excessive post-mixer amplifier current when operating on the present band. The K3 will automatically turn
the preamp OFF, and in extreme cases will also turn the attenuator ON.
• HI CUR or SP KRS=1 warning: HI CUR may indicate a shorted left speaker channel; the K3 will
reduce AF gain. SPK RS=1 may indicate that CONFIG:SPKRS is set to 2 , but a mono external speaker
plug is in use, shorting the right speaker channel to ground. The K3 automatically sets SPKRS to 1 .
• No received signal: Check (1) receiver being squelched (if RF/SQL controls are assigned to squelch via
CONFIG:SQ MAIN or SQ SUB, rotate squelch controls fully counter-clockwise); (2) RF GAIN too low
(set RF gain controls fully clockwise); (3) bandwidth too narrow (set WIDTH or tap
X F IL , and also
verify filter configuration settings); (4) switching to an open receive antenna on the KXV3 (RX ANT IN);
(5) switching the KAT3 to an open antenna jack; (6) CONFIG:REF CAL parameter not adjusted properly;
(7) CONFIG:KXV3 may be set to
TES T , which routes all RF through the XVTR IN/OUT jacks.
• Received signal level too low: (1) Try setting CONFIG:AF GAIN to HI ; (2) check headphone and speaker
plugs and cables; (3) make sure that CONFIG:RX EQ settings are either flat or have not been set for a large
amount of cut; (4) recheck filter configuration, including CONFIG:FLx BW, FLx GN, and FLx FRQ; (5)
verify that CONFIG:REF CAL is properly adjusted; (6) make sure RF GAIN is set to maximum.
• Spurious signals (“birdies”): All high-dynamic range receivers exhibit some birdies. Most will be
inaudible with an antenna connected. If you find a birdie that’s audible above normal band noise, see the
CONFIG:SIG RMV menu entry. Autonotch may be useful for removing birdies in voice modes.
• VFO tuning noise: If you hear a weak “ticking” noise on some bands while tuning the VFO, even with an
antenna connected, refer to CONFIG:VCO MD (VFO Tuning Noise Reduction).