General Comments and HELP!

[w1ve]

I am trying to get two K3s running with RemoteRig; we bought the boxes from Elecraft.

A couple of general observations:
 - The documentation does not mention ANYTHING about the requirement to put the remote K3 into TERM mode.  Not even a pointer to some other doc.
   I realize this is a general purpose solution, but unless I asked someone else, I would have has no idea about this.

 - Why is there no theory of operation section?  It would be much easier to diagnose issues if everything was not a black box.
   there is no rocket science technology here -- just a well designed solution -- so why not document how it all works so it will
   help with troubleshooting?


Where we are stuck:

We did not initially connect the K3s locally due to geography.  However, we did bring them together and test this past weekend.
we get the same results locally as we did remotely.  I followed all instructions.
My issue is that the remote K3 frequency display is frozen.   When you push and hold the menu button to go to TERM, the display freezes at the menu item that was selected while you were holding the button down.   The remote controls all aspects of the local K3 -- but the frequency display does not update.

The only post on this forum that relates to this problem says that it is a communications issue.  Yet, I'm running exactly what is specified, with the correct cables supplied by Elecraft.  These are two K3s with the latest 4.67 firmware.  The same problem occurs when the boxes are directly connected via a local switch or over the internet.

I'm not sure what to try next.  Can anyone enlighten me?

Frustrated but excited to get this going,

73, Gerry W1VE

[sm2o]

I assume you refer to the Elecraft documentation. You never need to push the TERM button, probably beacuse of that it's not mentioned. If the Remoterig boxes are setup correct which they already are if you have bought them from Elecraft and you have the baudrate set to 38400 in the K3s the Remotrig box will set the Control K3 in TERM mode. And when you press PWR ON the connection will be established. You don't say what is happening when you press the PWR button ? You can also look at the Status page in the Control RRC to see i f everything is OK.

/mike

[w1ve]

Hi Mike,

Well I wish it was the case as you say.

We bought everything from Elecraft. We have the cables connected correctly.   When we press the power button on the remote K3, the controlled K3 turns on, and we get audio.  However, the remote K3 never goes into TERM mode itself.   If we put it in TERM mode by holding MENU for 5 seconds, the controlled K3 can be fully controlled, but the remote K3 frequency display PC is frozen.

I guess my reason for frustration is the documents don't explain clearly what SHOULD happen.  Maybe the operational aspects have changed across versions, because more than 2 remoterig owners with K3s have told me I have to press TERM to get it to work.

Mike, if you pm or email me (gerry@w1ve.com)  I'd be happy to provide you the details or login and the RRC status page; maybe a 2-second look by you will figure this puzzle out for us?

73, Gerry W1VE

[sm2o]

I  use the K3 twin daily myself so Im aware of how great it should work. To me it sounds like you have no serial communication at all. As you have bought it from Elecraft and the cables are a little different from ours I think you better contact Brandon at Elecraft he's very helpfull and Im sure he will help you.
73 de Mike

[w1ve]

Thanks Mike, I'll try Brandon.  However, if the remote radio can completely control the controlled radio, would their not be communication?   It can do every front panel function -- just not send the display back to the remote.

73, Gerry

[sm2o]

Then it looks like there is no serial transfer from back to the controlled radio. What does the status pages says in each RRC ?

/mike