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Ever have things go bonkers just at the wrong time?
7 February 2022 | by 
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.
8 Responses to “Ever have things go bonkers just at the wrong time?”
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Mike, I sure hope the choke solves your RF issues. I wound a choke with 8 turns of coax around a 2 liter soda bottle neat where the RG8 coax enters my shack, then fastened it into the coil with plastic wire ties and threw the soda bottle away and that got rid of my RF feedback problem. One day I moved that coiled coax about 2 feet from where it was lying on the floor and started getting RF feedback again! I moved it back to the previous spot on the floor and the RF feedback disappeared! Weird huh? One of the worst things that have happened to me was one time when I was using my Vibroplex Vibrokeyer Deluxe single-lever paddle and while I was sending the entire key suddenly fell apart all over my desk! It shocked me at first, but then I got tickled at what had just happened! You had to have been there to understand, but I like to have never stopped laughing! Every time I would get calmed down and would think about it again I’d burst out laughing all over again. I broke out my trusty Allen wrench and reassembled my key. That took me a little while! Thanks for sharing your story and very 73 de Cliff, KU4GW.
Good afternoon Cliff and thanks for stopping by to read the post and leave a comment. Yes the choke solved my issue and I have had no issues since. I do have a 1:1 balun on the feed-line as well and this also is a great help. I have heard about winding a certain amount of coax loops to form a choke as well. I just don’t have the coax in the shack to do that. That sure is something about the Vibroplex key! Great that you were able to get it back together and working again.
73 and have a great what is left of the weekend.
Mike
VE9KK
I’d b looking for why there’s now RF in the shack.
Mike, Remember when we transmit we are creating a field of RF power that can affect items within that field. Moving Coax or antennas outside can sometimes effect things inside our shacks. While moving things inside can move into stronger fields from the transmitted signals (antennas or coax). RFI is a strange event to deal with because so many things interact in the RF field.
Today I found out my USB keyboard I’m using is affected by 10m RF. Requires me to reboot the PC to reset. I too will be looking in to a ferrite or two to solve my new RFI. GUD DX 73 Mike KB5UKT
Good morning Mark, thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment. Well, I have an Endfed antenna and they are well known as a compromise antenna as well as one that can give you RFI. My space limitations do not allow me to have a nice beam or vertical antenna just no room for radials.
73,
Mike
VE9KK
Good morning Mike very nice to hear from you, yes very true RF is a very funny animal for sure. I am not able to move the antenna and as for the coax it has not moved but having said that….that means nothing. In the past, I did have a light turn on when I was on 40m but now for some reason, I have no issue. Not sure why but that is the joy of RF. Hope you find your RF chokes and get the issue solved.
73,
Mike
VE9KK
I know this is an oldish thread but it is very much my situation that first arose this weekend during the CQ WPX contest. I work the CWT’s every Wednesday, using N1MM, and a end fed antenna. I use a wireless keyboard. I have had this setup for a number of years.
When I went to try 10 m the PC went crazy. What makes me think it is the keyboard is that the first thing that happened is the callsign box filled up with random characters before the PC locked up and went to sleep.
The only thing I can think of is this may have been the first time I used CW on 10 m.
Thing is that it is a wireless keyboard so it is kind of impossible to use a ferrite.
I saw somewhere that some wifi keyboards use 30 MHz which would be an easy fix – use a different one – which I will try. My station is remote and use the rigpi – but that is hard to contest with serial numbers.
Any other ideas?
73, Kevin, W4RKU
Good morning Kevin very nice to hear from you and thanks for stopping by to read the post and leave a comment. I had my share of wireless keyboards and the reason I went back to a regular keyboard was during a long contest I would have the keyboard battery die on me and that became a real pain. As for RFI and your wifi keyboard I do have a question….maybe I missed something your comment but did you now say your were operating remote? If so I am not sure how RFI is affecting you? Now having said that I am not sure how the rigpi works but for remote operation is not your rig and antenna somewhere else and your connection is via LAN with a PC?
73,
Mike
VE9KK