When I plug in the amp cable the receive goes away. unplug cable it comes back . any help??

John n0snx

Flex 6300 using 1.3.8 When I plug in the amp cable the receive goes away. unplug cable it comes back...It just started doing this... no problems before using the Alpha amp... Hooked amp to different radio and it works fine... I think maybe the relay switching in the Flex has gone haywire  .I have cold booted the radio and still have the issue.. any help??  I am aware of the issue when first starting the Flex but this is different as it doesn't go back to receive after startup.

Mike va3mw

Is it the same PTT cable? The reason I ask is that to make sure the PTT cable you has isn't shorted.

Steve N4LQ

It does sound like you plugged it into the wrong jack...

James Kirk

The relay switching for an external amp is somewhat bonkers. It sometimes will key the amp when powered off and will then be normal when powered on. I believe Flex is aware of the problem. Not good in my opinion.

John n0snx

Same cable on both radios

John n0snx

it has been plugged into the same jack as it has always been and worked fine...

John n0snx

I am aware of the intermittent issue... but this is constant...

James Kirk

When it happens it is not intermittent in my case. It ceases when the radio turns on and occurs when the radio is off.

Steve N4LQ

Waitaminit....It occurs when the radio is off? 

John n0snx

guess I will just keep using my foot switch to key my amp like the OLD days

Ken W9IE

I had the "No Receive" Problem with my 6500 and called Alpha.

I thought it was a bad Vac Relay in the Amp..

They told me it was the cable and Sure Enough That was the problem.

Ken  W9IE

James Kirk

I should say the radio is on but SmartSDR is not running. The output of the control line is low keying the amp until the software is started then operation is normal.

Burch - K4QXX

I have this same issue with my 6300.  Turn on the radio and it keys amp until Smart SDR is running.  Then works as it should.

Steve N4LQ

Interesting...My amp is an Elecraft KPA-500. I can't tell if it's being keyed or not since there's no relay in it and nothing to indicate it's being keyed. I would have to use a vom to measure the resistance at the end of the amp key cable. 
This could explain why some report the issue and some don't.  
At this point I don't see how it could be a software problem because it happens before software is loaded. It reminds me of how rigs get keyed by serial ports as the pc boots up. 

KY6LA_Howard

The amp keying before SSDR loads is a known issue with the 6300 only and was entered into the bug tracker several months ago

Steve N4LQ

Too bad we can't have access to the schematic. 

Nigel

Good comment Steve, is there a reason for no schematic?  May be the PTT line is floating a little and needs to be tied to "high" with a 10K resistor?

Also is the station earth real good?

K1UO Larry

thanks Howard..  that explains why the preamp on the Pixel antenna kept being keyed off each time I tried to hook up the keying relay on the 6300 remotely before I went to the shack and started SSDR.  

KY6LA_Howard

The amp keying before SSDR loads is a known issue with the 6300 only and was entered into the bug tracker several months ago

KY6LA_Howard

The amp keying before SSDR loads is a known issue with the 6300 only and was entered into the bug tracker several months ago

Ernest - W4EG

You must be banging your head against a wall Dr. Howard.  

Dudley-WA5QPZ

John,

Make sure that you are connecting your Keying input of your amp to the "TX"  jack on the rear of the radio and not the "PTT"  connection .   The Keying and ALC connections are not next to each other.  

Dudley