K3 Twins, No Mic Audio...

[w1ve]

Hey Follks,

Gerry, W1VE here... Working with J, VY1JA, trying to get everything ready for Phone SS... CW has been working fine on the station.   I use my K3/0 on SSB with the K2LE remote all the time.
Both stations have exact same RRC config.  We have it set up for continuous RTP, full-duplex so VOX will work.

Whitehorse is a K3s to RRC.  I'm a K3/0 to RRC.

J has two sets of AUX/RJ45-to-1/8" mic + RCA PTT cables.  We have tried both.  Local Heil headset plugged into radio works fine. 
We double-checked jumpers... all the 2-pin ones are shorted and the IC-socket jumpers are set correct for K3.
Stumped.  Worried we have a bad RRC.  Transporting stuff to the Yukon is a nightmare.

Any ideas?

73, Gerry W1VE

[dj0qn]

Hi Gerry,

I think you are saying that it is not working on SSB. Here are some tips that will help you:

1) SSB is done in hardware and the RRC settings are only around audio quality (CODEC), etc. Therefore, one must look for any
     problem in the cabling or strappings.

2) If your K3/0 works fine on SSB with one station and not the other, then the problem lies with cabling at the other station's
     location. You have already double checked the cables and strappings, but the problem must lie one one of these. It is
     unlikely the RRC is defective.

3) The other thing to make sure is if the K3 is set correctly, e.g. for the microphone input in rear input, etc. If the cabling has been
     double checked, then you may wish to start there.

73,
Mitch DJ0QN / K7DX
     the rear

[VO1HP]

I have similar problem here with my K3 Mini and K3 Remote.  SSB was working but now it is not....With VOX turned on VOX does not key rig and if I push XMIT to key rig manually there is no SSB output.  Strangely though if I use M1-M4 voice messages they are transmitted OK using VOX or manual XMIT button.  .  Tried two headsets CM500 and Heil Pro.....same result.

Have triple checked MIC settings in MAIN...set to rPnl.H BIAS   

Working on it for two days....at a loss.   Something defective in either K3Mini or RR Control box??....Last SSB QSO was Dec 28 and had not tried again until wanted to use JT65 in TX DATA mode few nights ago and could not get any output.

Any help??

[dj0qn]

Frank,

Make sure both RRC's are set to have RTP set to "continuous" in order for VOX to work.

73,
Mitch DJ0QN / K7DX

[VO1HP]

Mitch

Thanks  Mitch for your reply

I have confirmed that both are set to CONTINUOS and FULL DUPLEX is YES.     I also opened the RR Control box to check if any red jumpers were out of place but they are all in place and jumpered correctly in the socket according to the manual.  SSB di work all OK with this headset.  Tried Heil Proset as well --- same result

Observations:
Memory M1_M4 will key rig and transmit audio whether VOX is ON or OFF. 
CM500 headset mike plugged into MIC on K3 Mini will not key VOX
CM500 headset mike plugged into MIC on K3 Mini will not transmit SSB audio when XMIT is pressed to key rig manually.
MAIN: MIC SEL > rP.H bias
MAIN: MIC+LIN > OFF
RR Radio Box:  PTT Activated by Keyer > OFF
RTP tx mode > CONTINUOS in both RR units
RR Control FULL DUPLEx > YES

Frank VO1HP

[dj0qn]

Frank,

Where have you plugged the CM500 in on the control side? Remember that the menu controls the radio side only if
the RRC is connected, so it is easy to mix them up. Looking at another way, try plugging a mic directly into the
control RRC if you have an RJ45 adapter.

73,
Mitch DJ0QN / K7DX

[VO1HP]

Thank you Mitch .    The mike is plugged into the MIC jack on the K3 Mini.   I have two headsets Heil Pro and CM500...they both worked previously when plugged into the MIC jack on the K3 Mini. 

I have an eight pin female to RJ45 for my microHam keyer and FT1000MP so can cludge up connections to see if it will work.

Can't understand what may have changed. SSB and JT65 connections worked before .    Main interest is in JT65 and that worked (since October)  when I plug in the PC sound card to the MIC and SPKRS jack on Mini.

[VO1HP]

I am thinking that my I/O settings are screwed up.  Could  that be why SSB audio not getting through the RR boxes...?

Here is what I have today:
IN0 mode 0
OUT0 mode 1
OUT0 mode 1
OUT1 mode 0
OUT1 mode 0
OUT2 mode 0
OUT2 mode 0

 I don't really understand what the 1's and 0's mean?  does 1 mean first selection in the pull dowm menu??   In case of OUT0 there are only TWO selctions...so what does "3" mean?

These are different from settings I had in October:...don't know how I got these.
IN0 mode 1
OUT0 mode 3
OUT0 mode 3
OUT1 mode 1
OUT1 mode 1
OUT2 mode 1
OUT2 mode 1

[dj0qn]

Frank, The I/O settings have no effect on audio.

Try one more thing: turn bias off and use the bias adapter that came with the CM500- I had trouble with
my K3 bias with my CM500 and had to use it that way, so maybe that will solve your problem.

73,
Mitch DJ0QN / K7DX

[VO1HP]

Mitch   Thanks again....Just tried that but it is not the issue....still no SSB with separate bias supply for CM500

[VO1HP]

I have discoveries  regarding my SSB audio output problem with my K3 Remote setup.  I reset both  RR BOXES to their DEFAULT PROFILES:

1.)  Issues are same for Yamaha CM500 and Heil Proset

2.)  With headsets plugged into the MIC and SPKRS jack on K3 Mini

I can now get SSB audio and power out if I set mike gain at 30 and COMPRESSION at 25. 

3.) Below 25DB COMP power out falls off dramatically. 

4.) At 0 COMP there is 0 power output no matter where the mike gain is set.

5.) In MAIN:MIC SEL... rP.H BIAS....I can turn BIAS OFF and the mikes in each headset still work.  Turning BIAS on again doesn't change anything with the mikes.

6.) I used the external BIAS box that came with the CM500 and turned off internal rig BIAS....result is that the CM500 gives same audio level whether I use the BIAS box or not ...there is no difference with BIAS box in and out of the line terms of rig output when Mike gain is 30 and COMP is 25.

7)  The VOX does not work.  Have RTP Tx Mode set to CONTINUOUS in both RR boxes and also have FULL DUPLEX set YES.

I am using the PTT jack provided on the back panel of the K3 Mini.

Running COMP at 25 is too high....and I wonder why its has to be like that.  Did not have to set it that high when first setup the remote .  Something has changed.   Can you see anything relative to the BIAS that may not be right.?

Frank VO1HP
www.vo1hp.ca

[dj0qn]

Frank,

It doesn't make sense that there is no difference between using the bias adapter for the CM500 and not. This
indicates something deeper is wrong somewhere, but I am not what that could be. I would focus on figuring
out where this problem is. Make sure however that the battery in the little box is fresh and try it again, just in
case. Mine never lasted very long, even when it was not used.

If you can't find the problem and the battery is not a solution, then I suggest putting this question on the Elecraft
reflector or directly to Brandon, since this appears to be a K3/0 issue. You can verify this before doing so by plugging
a microphone directly into the RRC MIC jack.

Also don't turn full duplex on, that is unnecessary and will just drive you crazy.

73,
Mitch DJ0QN / K7DX

[VO1HP]

Mitch

I discovered that CODEC INPUT ATTENTUATION parameter was set to YES in the Remote box.  How it got set to YES is unknown to me.  This didn't look right to me.... so I set it to NO  and also set the default values for CODEC OUTPUT GAIN and CODEC INPUT GAIN in both boxes.  I re- adjusted CODEC INPUT GAIN in the CONTROL box to 40 and may reduce it further upon more monitoring.

I now have SSB audio working again using both headsets...the Heil and the CM-500.!   The problem was the CODEC INPUT ATTENTUATION was turned on....I don't know how it got turned on or when.

I feel like a clutzh not having noticed this before.  I guess its an issue of understanding what all these settings are actually for.   It would have been helpful if there was a reference table listing out what the various settings are addressing.

Now that SSB is working and there is nothing wrong with the headsets I experimented with turing the BIAS OFF and then ON in the MAIN:MIC SEL rP.H  BIAS parameter in the K3 Mini.  Both headsets work whether BIAS is ON or OFF !...there is no change whatsoever!.  This is telling me that if both mikes require bias in order to work then the function of taping "2" on the K3 is not actually turning BIAS OFF....it is merely changing the display. Maybe this is something for Elecraft to address

Anyway thanks for your help and interest in replying to my posts.  I am very happy the issue is solved with help and comments from a number of people including yourself.  Your thoughs helped me correct the issue.

73 Frank VO1HP

[dj0qn]

Glad you got it working, Frank. You are only the second person I have ever seen screw this
setting up ;-)

Note that the K3/0 menu does not control the K3/0 when connected to the radio side, it only
changes the menu on the radio side. Make sure the two sides are not connected, then the menu
will control the K3/0. Maybe that is your problem.

73,
Mitch DJ0QN / K7DX

[VO1HP]

I could see in my remote webcam that the radio was on FP.H BIAS and needed to be on rPH BIAS ....the Mini was opposite selection rPH
I disconnected the Mini and set it to FPH then powered down and reconnected...then changed menu on Mini to rPH and could see the K3 changed now to rPH BIAS.

Plugged in mike with fingers crossed and VOILA...SSB working!   So how did mini and K3 get on opposite settings ...no idea but at least working again for now.

Thanks for the tip.