As I have blogged in the past I have been taking part in the CWops mini weekly contests. It gives me some nice practice for an hour. Things have been going very well using N1MM+ contest software. Until my last CWops contest. N1MM+ uses macros to send your call and the contest exchange, you just push the key for the designated macro and you are off to the races. Well up until my last contest this was how it was working....then not so much.
I pressed the key to send my exchange, the Icom 7610 went into transmit and N1MM+ sent "Mike NB" (my name and province) BUT this time the radio got locked in a transmit loop and sent the exchange over and over. The only way to stop it was to turn the power off on the radio. I was not sure if it was a software glitch with N1MM or what. I continued and the issue did not come back...well for a little while that is. This time I sent my call sign and it was locked in a transmit loop!
When these anomalies happen I always try to look back at what I had changed since the last time it was working just fine. The first thing that came to mind was just before the contest I updated N1MM, so I loaded a previous version. (always keep them in a desktop folder for the just in case moment) I then went back into the contest and within short time it happened again with a transmit loop.
There were no other changes that were made so instead of using the macros in N1MM I sent using my Key....old-style contesting. Doing this I had no issues at all so then I used my wireless keyboard. There was no issues using that so next, I used my old USB keyboard. and no issues with that.
Things are narrowing down to my Lenovo pro 2 keyboard as the issue. Since the issue only happens during transmit I am guessing it's an RF issue with the keyboard. I had some spare rf chokes and I placed them at the USB connector end of the keyboard and that did the trick. Funny thing I had been using this keyboard for over 2 weeks in contests without issue. But that is how RF works and I am glad that I am still able to use my Lenovo keyboard and have no more issues.
6 comments:
Hello Mike, had similar issues with a cheap chinese keyboard. Even winding the cable with ferrite didn't help. My issue was that the keyboard wasn't working during transmit, it completely locked. So I could not enter any callsign while talking. Something you don't want to have running in a contest. In the end I just connected my old logitech keyboard on the keyboard port (not on USB). No issues after that. The only problem I have now is that it is almost twice as big as the chinese one and needs a lot of space on the desk. Well every advantage has a disadvantage. Strange you didn't have issues before? Is it on one particular band? I guess your coax is equipped with a choke against RFI? 73, Bas
Good afternoon Bas, yes its all good now with the keyboard and funny thing the other smaller USB keyboard I have there is not issue with it. The only difference is my Lenovo keyboard with the chokes on it is connected via the front USB port on my pc tower. The other keyboard that has no issues is connected to the rear of the PC. The only issue with the other keyboard is I have to press real hard on the keys. This gives me problems once the CW I am entering in the keyboard goes about 30wpm. when that happens my fingers are flying along the keyboard and sometimes I just don't press hard enough and end up missing a letter or 2.
On the coax I do have a good quality 1:1 isolation balun and that seems to do the trick as in the past I used to have a light in the office here turn on when I transmitted and that was solved with the balun.
73 and have a good week.
Mike
VE9KK
Hi Mike, I had some wireless-keyboard problems during transmit and luckily it stopped when I fitted an MFJ-915 Line Isolator. Strange how your problems 'suddenly' appeared after a trouble-free period.
73, Tom, M7MCQ
Good morning Tom very nice to hear from you, yes and this is not the first time (nor will it most likely be the last)that I have had an issue just pop up. I guess when you are dealing with RF all bets are off.
73,
Mike
VE9KK
Hi Mike, since I got a good RF choke on my coax, the RFI problems are almost solved. Even with 100 watts no more problems. Sometimes an update is not always the solution of software. I always keep an older version in case something goes wrong with the update. 73 Paul
Good afternoon Paul, I do have a nice quality isolation balun on the coax and it really solved lots of my issues. I fully agree about keeping old versions of programs. I have a file folder on my desktop one for each program were I store the old versions.
Have a great day and thanks for stopping by,
73,
Mike
VE9KK
Post a Comment