Elecraft K3, RemoteRig, and K3 Utility

[w9ac]

First, the term "remote" below refers to the tower site.  The control site is where the op controls the K3/0 or K3-mini.

The main issue is in trying to access the K3 Utility on the PC sitting next to the remote K3 while RemoteRig is connected.  We can use VNCRemote or TeamViewer to access K3 Utility on the remote PC.  Most importantly,  I am not trying to flash the K3 remotely over the Internet.   We just want communication between the K3 Utilty and the PC via RemoteRig's spare COM1 port.

Specifically, what I am trying to accomplish is saving/recalling the K3 profiles with the K3 Utility so that the two ops using our remote site are not spending ten minutes tinkering our way out of the last guy's favorite settings.  It would have been great if the K3 had just enough internal storage to save profiles, even if for just two or three users.  But since that's not the case, we must rely on the K3 Utility to save/recall the profiles.  But RemoteRig gets in the way because it is attached to the K3's serial connector at the remote site.  As mentioned before, RemoteRig does have a spare COM1 serial port, supposedly for this purpose and CAT control.  Here's what I've done to date. 

1) All hardware flashed to the latest versions (K3 and RemoteRigs).   I am using the latest version of K3 Utility and also the beta version tried;
2) A high quality FTDI USB to serial COM port adapter connects between the PC and the RemoteRig's serial COM1 port. The USB and is assigned COM7 on the PC;
3) The PC has been checked to ensure the latest FTDI drivers;
4) On the remote side of the RemoteRig, there's a menu, "Serial Settings" to select different communication protocols for the RemoteRig's COM1 port (the port attached with the USB/serial converter). tried different settings;
5) Opening the K3 Utility and selecting COM7 should establish communication between the K3 Utility and the remote K3 THROUGH RemoteRig.  But it doesn't.  The K3 Utility keeps searching the port speed with no connection.
6) The RemoteRig manual seems to indicate it is possible to connect in such a way and even shows a picture detailing a device connected on RemoteRig's COM1. 

Has anyone had success in using the K3 Utility with RemoteRig connected at the same time?   

Paul, W9AC

[sm2o]

Hi have always used K3-Utility to change CW and RTTY memory contents in the K3 via COM1 in my own K3 twin setup. But I have not the latest K3 firmwares. RRC firmwares are the latest.
Updating the K3 firmware remotely is not possible.

73 de mike

[w9ac]

Mike, please let me know the RRC settings to make this work.  Elecraft Support says it cannot be done.

I do not want to flash anything via the Internet.  I only want to load K3 Utility profiles into the K3 so that remote users can have their favorite settings.  TeamViwer will be used to access the K3 Utility from the control/client location.  It will not be used over the Internet.

I am using a high quality FTDI cable (USB-to-Serial) between a Dell PC and RRC on COM1.  I am then assigning the FTDI interface as COM7.  So, COM7 is selected on K3 Utility for a path to the RRC COM1 port.  But, no communication so far.

Tnx!

Paul,

[W1UE]

Paul, I'm just curious as to why you want to do this remotely.  If you do it at the control site, you change the settings at the Control K3, which then causes the same settings to go to the remote K3.  I do it with N1MM+ all the time- sending commands to swap VFOs, changing antenna ports, etc.  It seems to me to be a lot more straightforward to do it at the Control site, then each op can maintain his settings on his own.  Dennis W1UE

[w9ac]

Simple:  We have multiple operators who access the same K3.  We each have our favorite settings for AGC, CW sidetone frequency, etc.  We want to load our profiles before each session so we're not spending 10 minutes fiddling our way out of the last op's settings. 

It's a shame the K3 was not designed to save a few profiles internally, rather than through K3 Utility software.  The way it *should* work is that the K3 at the remote site imports a user profile from the K3/0 or K3-Mini at power-up.  Or in the alternative, the K3 would handshake by S/N with the control K3/0 or K3-Mini and load a profile without a transfer of profile data over the Internet.  Either way would have been good.  That would have eliminated the problem.  In all fairness to Elecraft, they probably were not thinking about multiple user remote operations back in 2007-2008 when the K3 was designed.

Anyway, it appears Win4K3Suite has resolved the problem and we can now save/load user profiles from our control locations. 

On a different matter, I'm still having a severe high gain problem with the K3-Mini speaker amp.  As always, I'll need to slay this dragon on my own and redesign the feedback network.

Paul, W9AC

[w9ac]

Paul, I'm just curious as to why you want to do this remotely.  If you do it at the control site, you change the settings at the Control K3, which then causes the same settings to go to the remote K3.  I do it with N1MM+ all the time- sending commands to swap VFOs, changing antenna ports, etc.  It seems to me to be a lot more straightforward to do it at the Control site, then each op can maintain his settings on his own.  Dennis W1UE

Dennis, please let me know if N1MM is with you at the control point or at the remote site.  After re-reading your reply, maybe its on the control site PC with a connection to COM1 on the control RRC?  That sounds great if those settings can be saved for each op.  So, I may have misunderstood your reply.

Paul, W9AC

[K3TN]

On a different matter, I'm still having a severe high gain problem with the K3-Mini speaker amp.  As always, I'll need to slay this dragon on my own and redesign the feedback network.

Paul - I have two problems with my K3 Mini:

1. Low audio - audio coming out of the RRC is fine is I plug my headset there. But if I plug my headset into the K3/Mini, audio is 20 db down - I have to turn RF gain up to 9 o'clock vs. 3 o'clock, sounds crappy.

Elecraft first sent me a replacement I/O board which didn't work, so I set the Mini back to them - and they sent it back saying it works fine. It appears that the initial Mini's had a lot of digital noise getting on the audio, so they put some kind of bandpass filter on the audio that is the cause of the attenuation. They recommend cranking up the audio gain on the RRC. I'm not wild about that solution, should have just gotten a bare bones K3 instead of the Mini. For now, I am using the RRC audio vs. connecting headset to the Mini.

2. Distorted xmit audio. I'm using a wall wart for the Mini that is rated to handle stated Mini current needs but was getting high hum and distortion on the mini. Switched to feeding it from a 4 a 12v real supply, that seems to have dealt with the audio distortion.

Not everyone seems to be having or care about the low audio problem, so Elecraft has shown no interest in any new fix. Maybe if they come out with a K3S/Mini? I wish they would have stuck with the K3/0, I'm not impressed with the Mini in action.

73 John K3TN

[VO1HP]

I too would like to access my remote K3 using K3 Utility  ...I have the K3 Mini and the RR boxes...
I have the system interfaced to N1MM and also DXLab Commander and it works fine ...but same settings do not work using COM7 in  K3 Utility.

Frank VO1HP

[W1UE]

Frank- you want to contact the K3 at the remote site with the K3 Utility running on a computer at the Control Site?  If I got that right, I don't think the program is designed to do that.  Dennis W1UE

[sm2o]

Yes you can use K3 utility remote over com1 like any remote control program (HRD etc), but you cannot not update the K3-firmware remotely.

73 de mike