Manual File Transfer
If it is inconvenient for you to access the internet from the computer attached to your K3,
but you have access to another computer that can access the internet, you may update your K3 firmware in two phases:
- Use an internet browser or FTP client
program to copy firmware files from Elecraft's file server to a removable storage device such as a USB "keychain" flash memory device.
- Take the removable storage device to the computer that is connected to the K3.
Use the K3 Utility to send firmware from files on the removable storage device to the K3.
An up-to-date K3 Utility version may be required to send new firmware to the K3.
If the internet-connected computer is not conveniently close to the K3, consider copying
the current K3 Utility setup program file to the removable storage device so that it is available
to be installed on the computer connected to the K3.
- Start your favorite internet browser, such as Microsoft Internet Explorer or mozilla Firefox.
- Navigate to ftp://ftp.elecraft.com/K3/firmware.
The directory names (K3/firmware) are case-sensitive.
- Mount the removable storage device (plug the USB keychain drive into an available USB port).
- Create a new folder (e.g., mkdir \K3Firmware) on the removable storage device to receive firmware files.
- Copy all the files from the Elecraft FTP server K3/firmware folder to the folder you created on the removable storage device.
Some internet browsers permit you to select multiple file names and drag them to a Windows Explorer window opened to the target folder.
- Take the removable storage device to the computer that is connected to the K3.
- Click the K3 Utility Browse button and navigate to the firmware folder on the removable storage drive.
- Send firmware to the K3 from that folder.
- Mount the removable storage device (plug the USB keychain drive into an available USB port).
- Create a new folder (e.g., mkdir \K3Firmware) on the removable storage device to receive firmware files.
- Change Directory (e.g. cd \K3Firmware) to make your new folder the current directory.
- Start the Windows FTP client program.
- Open a connection to Elecraft's file server (open ftp.elecraft.com).
- Log in with user name anonymous. Use your e-mail address as the Password.
- Navigate to the K3/firmware directory (cd K3/firmware). The names are case-sensitive.
- List all the items in that directory (dir).
- Specify binary transfer mode (bin).
- Get all the files (mget *). Reply "Y" as prompted.
You need all the .HEX files and the hfwnotes.rtf file.
- Close the FTP program (quit).
- List the directory (dir) of the new folder to verify that you have all the expected files.
- Take the removable storage device to the computer that is connected to the K3.
- Click the K3 Utility Browse button and navigate to the firmware folder on the removable storage drive.
- Send firmware from that folder to the K3.