I installed the KTBT1 internal battery at the beginning of June and have had no
problems with the radio -- until tonight.
Tonight, the frequency would jump by 1-20+ KHz without warning. One moment I'd
be on 7044.2Khz and then suddenly I was on 7023.8. It was definitely frequency
change and not just the display. The frequency would sometimes jump back and
sometimes not jump back. Tapping on the radio's case did seem to help, but it
also caused problems. Prior to this, the radio was rock steady with regard to
holding frequency.
After some experimentation, I found that the problem was especially sensitive
to the KBT1 being touched, so I completely removed the KBT1 and put the old
cover back in place. The problem has now completely gone away.
I'm guessing that either one of the KBT1 leads had shifted position and was
interfering with the frequency board, or else that the big hunk of metal that
is the KBT1 was somehow touching or causing interference with one of the
boards. It is curious because the radio has been sitting on my desk for the
last 1-1/2 weeks without having been moved -- and yet when I was carrying it to
different places during Field Day it never gave me a problem.
I've decided to not re-install the KBT1 and instead convert it to an external
battery holder. I already feed the K1 with a PowerPole-mounted input lead, so
my thinking is that I can just put some PowerPoles on the leads of the KBT1 and
attach it to the input line instead of my power supply (i.e., cheap Radio Shack
wallwart) whenever I want to operate off the grid.
Is there any hole in my logic there? Can I successfully feed the KBT1 through
the normal power jack on the back of the radio, or does the KBT1 really require
its own special attachment to the radio through the Aux 12V attach point?
As a second question -- does anybody have any suggestions for an appropriate
enclosure for the KBT1 so that I can carry it around?
Thanks.
Jon
KB1QBZ
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