Re: [Elecraft] K2-S-Meter Alignment question
Gary Marks wrote: > The forth step says: Turn RF Gain fully counter-clockwise. Adjust the > VFO knob until bargraph segment 9 lights, then turn it a bit more > counter-clockwise until segment 10 just turns on (right-most > segment). > > Question: Should this have said RF Gain instead of VFO knob ? > Turning the VFO does nothing while turning the RF Gain knob performs > what the instructions say. Even if you're in "CAL S HI"? You might need to turn AGC off (hold PRE/ATT and AGC) before you start CAL S HI and CAL S LO. -- "Nosey" Nick Waterman, G7RZQ, K2 #5209. use Std::Disclaimer;[EMAIL PROTECTED] Please sponsor me! http://www.justgiving.com/noseynick Anything worth doing is worth doing badly. -- G. K. Chesterton ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
RE: [Elecraft] Funny power measurements
I did fail to point out that by doing these measurements, you will only be verifying that the K2 firmware is capable of controlling the power to within 10% by its ALC control algorithms. As long as the power is kept below the maximunm that the transmit chain will produce, the Power Control ALC will keep the output level within those 10% bounds, and in the process compensate for any weak points in the transmit chain (such as a mistuned bandpass filter). I believe the K2 is unique in the way it controls the power output, and the method used will compensate for gain variations through the transmit chain as long as it is operating below the maximum gain limits. So Fran, your measurements will really only be testing the ability of the firmware to track the requested power setting. If your goal is to test the gain variation through a band (i.e. checking the bandpass filter bandwidth), you will have to either operate the K2 at max power or disable the Power control ALC and use a fixed amount of BFO injection for your test. 73, Don W3FPR > -Original Message- > > Fran, > > You are correct in leaving the KAT2 out of the picture for that > measurement - unless the KAT2 is in a bypass state. The addition of extra > tuning elements (the tuner L and C values) can create a tuning > peak that is > unaccounted for in the relationship that you are trying to > verify. Too many > variables cause un-needed confusion. > > If you have a 10X probe for the 'scope you can make accurate RF Voltage > measurements. Check the probe and 'scope calibration first, most 'scopes > have a built-in calibrator that can allow you to check that a nice clean > square wave is displayed (if not adjust the compensating cap in > the probe), > and also check that the vertical deflection is correct based on > the internal > calibrator. > > Apply the 10X probe at the dummy load location rather than at the signal > generator (K2) end for the better accuracy. > > Be aware of the frequencies that you will be testing and the specified > frequency limits of your 'scope and probe. With my 100 mHz 'scope and my > 150 MHz rated probes, I find the 'scope displayed peak to peak voltage is > correct through 15 meters and it drops off noticably at 10 > meters. This is > a frequency factor of approximately 5 (100 MHz to 20 MHz) where I > can depend > on the displayed voltage being accurate. Check your equipment > before simply > believing that it is telling you what you are seeing - > instruments sometimes > 'tell falsehoods' - know your equipment, and trust it only to the extent > that it has proven itself. > > Once you know that you have good RF Voltage measurements, it is a simple > matter to compute the power. The standard method of first > converting to RMS > voltage and then calculating will work, but you can also use formula > reduction to do it all in one 'fell swoop' - the reduced formula for power > from resistance and peak to peak voltage is: Power = (Vp-p)squared/8R, so > for a 50 ohm load, it is a easy matter on most calculators to obtain the > square of the peak to peak voltage and divide by 400. A 40 volt peak to > peak RF Voltage will be 4 watts of power into a 50 ohm load. The > derivation > of this relationship is an "exercise left to the student" . > > You may want to do calculation of the potential error values too. > You should > be aware that the potential percentage error of your power > calculation will > be proportional to 2 times your ability to correctly read the peak to peak > voltage and also directly proportional to the tolerance of your > dummy load. > The net of all that is to say you will have to read the RF voltage > carefully. A reading of 40 volts p-p will be 4 watts, but if your reading > is in error by 1 volt (2.5%), the error (at that power level) will be 0.2 > watts (or 5%) - the percentages will hold true for all power levels, the > actual error value will have to be computed for any particular level. > > All that is not to say that such measurements are bad - indeed quite the > opposite, for I consider this method to be the best available for the > equipment I have. It is just valuable to be able to quantify how far off > the mark your readings and results can be due to whatever variables are > beyond our control or abilities - that is why it is important to > understand > the limits of whatever equipment may be used in the measurements - we then > know whether any 'problems' are real or are the result of measurement > tolerances. > > If your goal is to have less than 10% power output variation across each > band, I would expect that you could achieve that for all bands > except for 10 > meters (10 meters is quite broad). The K2's power controlling > ALC will also > be a factor, and can contribute to a raw variation of up to 10% > in addition > to your potential measurement error. You can minimize the K2 power ALC > error by taking many readings at the same frequency (I would say averaging > 10 re
RE: [Elecraft] Funny power measurements
Fran, You are correct in leaving the KAT2 out of the picture for that measurement - unless the KAT2 is in a bypass state. The addition of extra tuning elements (the tuner L and C values) can create a tuning peak that is unaccounted for in the relationship that you are trying to verify. Too many variables cause un-needed confusion. If you have a 10X probe for the 'scope you can make accurate RF Voltage measurements. Check the probe and 'scope calibration first, most 'scopes have a built-in calibrator that can allow you to check that a nice clean square wave is displayed (if not adjust the compensating cap in the probe), and also check that the vertical deflection is correct based on the internal calibrator. Apply the 10X probe at the dummy load location rather than at the signal generator (K2) end for the better accuracy. Be aware of the frequencies that you will be testing and the specified frequency limits of your 'scope and probe. With my 100 mHz 'scope and my 150 MHz rated probes, I find the 'scope displayed peak to peak voltage is correct through 15 meters and it drops off noticably at 10 meters. This is a frequency factor of approximately 5 (100 MHz to 20 MHz) where I can depend on the displayed voltage being accurate. Check your equipment before simply believing that it is telling you what you are seeing - instruments sometimes 'tell falsehoods' - know your equipment, and trust it only to the extent that it has proven itself. Once you know that you have good RF Voltage measurements, it is a simple matter to compute the power. The standard method of first converting to RMS voltage and then calculating will work, but you can also use formula reduction to do it all in one 'fell swoop' - the reduced formula for power from resistance and peak to peak voltage is: Power = (Vp-p)squared/8R, so for a 50 ohm load, it is a easy matter on most calculators to obtain the square of the peak to peak voltage and divide by 400. A 40 volt peak to peak RF Voltage will be 4 watts of power into a 50 ohm load. The derivation of this relationship is an "exercise left to the student" . You may want to do calculation of the potential error values too. You should be aware that the potential percentage error of your power calculation will be proportional to 2 times your ability to correctly read the peak to peak voltage and also directly proportional to the tolerance of your dummy load. The net of all that is to say you will have to read the RF voltage carefully. A reading of 40 volts p-p will be 4 watts, but if your reading is in error by 1 volt (2.5%), the error (at that power level) will be 0.2 watts (or 5%) - the percentages will hold true for all power levels, the actual error value will have to be computed for any particular level. All that is not to say that such measurements are bad - indeed quite the opposite, for I consider this method to be the best available for the equipment I have. It is just valuable to be able to quantify how far off the mark your readings and results can be due to whatever variables are beyond our control or abilities - that is why it is important to understand the limits of whatever equipment may be used in the measurements - we then know whether any 'problems' are real or are the result of measurement tolerances. If your goal is to have less than 10% power output variation across each band, I would expect that you could achieve that for all bands except for 10 meters (10 meters is quite broad). The K2's power controlling ALC will also be a factor, and can contribute to a raw variation of up to 10% in addition to your potential measurement error. You can minimize the K2 power ALC error by taking many readings at the same frequency (I would say averaging 10 readings should be sufficient). If you do not average, and you read the RF voltage to within 1 volt, you could state that a 15% variation in readings would indicate that the 10% spec is met. 73, Don W3FPR > -Original Message- > > I am using a 50 ohm load that is intended to be used to convert test > equipment from hi-impedence input to 50 ohms. It is labled 50 ohms and > measures 50 ohms with my DMM. It should be purely resistive and I do not > have any equipment to prove that it is. > > The need to load it properly using the KAT2 was only because I wanted the > KAT2 in-circuit for improved forward power measurement within the K2. I > knew that it would need to load things to cancel itself out. > > Based upon what Ron, Don and Jack have said, I guess that I should remove > the KAT2 and RF probe and try something similar to what I tried > last time I > attempted to understand how well this radio tracks against the published > specifications. > > Would it be reasonable to just place a short piece of coax > between the load > and an O'Scope, measure the peak-to-peak voltage, divide by > 2*SQRT(2) and go > from there? > > Would this require knowing the coax velocity factor and dealing > with prioper > lengths
Re: [Elecraft] Fwd: KAT100-1 Measurements?
Thanks very much to all who have replied!!! Here is the average of the measurements for the archive: On July 23, 2006 03:48 pm, Darrell Bellerive wrote: > > Would someone be so kind as to take some measurements of the KAT100-1 > Antenna Tuner: > > The horizontal distance between the center of the Antenna 1 SO239 connector > (J5) and the center of the Antenna 2 SO239 connector (J6). 1.41" +/- 0.03" Note that this is also the distance from the center of the Antenna 1 SO239 connector (J5) and the center of the Input SO239 connector (J4) > The horizontal distance, parallel to the back panel, from the center of the > Antenna 2 SO239 connector (J6) to a projection of the outer edge of the > left side panel. In other words, how far in is the center of the Antenna 2 > SO239 connector from the outside edge of the left side panel? To clarify the left panel is the panel as viewed from the front of the KAT100-1. The measurement does not include the height of the screw heads. 0.83" +/- 0.08" > The horizontal distance, parallel to the back panel, between the center of > the Antenna 1 SO239 connector (J5) and the vertical center line of the > ground screw (E1). 2.33" +/- 0.08" >From the Input SO239 connector (J4): 0.92" +/- 0.08" The slight error range in measurements will easily be accommodated by the short coax and ground wire connections of about 1 1/2 to 2 inches in length. Thanks again and 73, Darrell VA7TO K2#5093 -- Darrell Bellerive Amateur Radio Stations VA7TO and VE7CLA Grand Forks, British Columbia, Canada ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
[Elecraft] K2 #5630 Lives!
It's such a great feeling, so I know you all will put up with a little celebrating. I got #5630 to the 40m transmitter alignment stage a couple of weeks ago. By then, all it had needed was reheating a cold joint that had kept the backlight off, and one additional 1 pF capacitor to drop the low end of the BFO a little. But, on the 40m alignment, the rig performed great at 2 watts and I thought I was home free, though I had the stray thought that I would be better off if it did not work right off the bat. That way, I would get to troubleshoot and actually learn more about the radio than by just assembling it. It didn't take long to get my wish. The thing just couldn't develop any more power than about two watts even when more was requested. I started fretting about my torroids which I thought I had wound and tinned extremely carefully. Well, I got out my DMM and my 'scope and started measuring voltages and tracing as time allowed. I very quickly managed to slip on Q6 with my probe and short open R50, in spite of knowing this was a danger. I emailed Scott and he sent me another resistor in no time. He also assured me that I was now a member of a none-too-exclusive club, which made me feel only a little better. Replacing that, I was pleased to see that I was back from no power to 2 watts, and it was then that I managed to hunt down an open RFC 13. I have no idea how it got that way, since it hadn't been overheated, I didn't think, but it was definitely open. Scott sent one of those upon request too, and I was pleased to find it waiting when I got home from a long weekend today. I didn't expect it to solve the whole power problem, but it sure did. I aligned the whole rig and finished putting it together and it works FB on all bands. I can't believe what I can hear. The XYL isn't letting me stay up any later, but I plan to give the rig a workout tomorrow, and then to get to work on all the bags and boxes of options that I have lying around, but I am one happy man! Great rig, great company, great reflector! 73, Oscar, WV1C ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
RE: [Elecraft] Funny power measurements
Sure, Fran, an O'scope is a good way to measure the voltage. I'd suggest a good 10:1 probe on that scope instead of driving the vertical input directly. Many scopes have a 50-ohm termination at their input that can throw the readings way off since the rig would see 25 ohms looking into both of the scope and dummy load in parallel. Also, the scope termination is not designed to dissipate any power and you'd likely destroy it with any significant power. The 10:1 probe isolates the scope from the dummy load. Divide the Vp-p reading you measure with the scope by 2.82 to get Vrms and go from there: (Vrms)^2/50 = watts. Ron AC7AC -Original Message- Okay, I guess I left out some critical details from my original post. I am using a 50 ohm load that is intended to be used to convert test equipment from hi-impedence input to 50 ohms. It is labled 50 ohms and measures 50 ohms with my DMM. It should be purely resistive and I do not have any equipment to prove that it is. The need to load it properly using the KAT2 was only because I wanted the KAT2 in-circuit for improved forward power measurement within the K2. I knew that it would need to load things to cancel itself out. Based upon what Ron, Don and Jack have said, I guess that I should remove the KAT2 and RF probe and try something similar to what I tried last time I attempted to understand how well this radio tracks against the published specifications. Would it be reasonable to just place a short piece of coax between the load and an O'Scope, measure the peak-to-peak voltage, divide by 2*SQRT(2) and go from there? Would this require knowing the coax velocity factor and dealing with prioper lengths of coax based upon wavelength (half or quarter) at the different frequencies? I ask these questions because last time I tried using my Scope to make these measurements, the measurements were obviously incorrect because they indicated that my rig was way more than 100% efficient. What I expect is that I can make apropriate measurements at 3 points on each band and see that I get no more that 10% variation across said band and from band-to-band. I expect that I have a problem on 10 Meters because I am getting a HiCur indication at 3 amps when set for 10 watts, so something needs changing there. However, until I have trustable measurements on the other bands, I expect that untangling the issues will be impossible. Help from the experts is needed on how to make such measurements without fancy RF power meters. Obviously a purely resistive 50 ohm load is the first requirement, and I believe that I have that. 73, Fran ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] Funny power measurements
Okay, I guess I left out some critical details from my original post. I am using a 50 ohm load that is intended to be used to convert test equipment from hi-impedence input to 50 ohms. It is labled 50 ohms and measures 50 ohms with my DMM. It should be purely resistive and I do not have any equipment to prove that it is. The need to load it properly using the KAT2 was only because I wanted the KAT2 in-circuit for improved forward power measurement within the K2. I knew that it would need to load things to cancel itself out. Based upon what Ron, Don and Jack have said, I guess that I should remove the KAT2 and RF probe and try something similar to what I tried last time I attempted to understand how well this radio tracks against the published specifications. Would it be reasonable to just place a short piece of coax between the load and an O'Scope, measure the peak-to-peak voltage, divide by 2*SQRT(2) and go from there? Would this require knowing the coax velocity factor and dealing with prioper lengths of coax based upon wavelength (half or quarter) at the different frequencies? I ask these questions because last time I tried using my Scope to make these measurements, the measurements were obviously incorrect because they indicated that my rig was way more than 100% efficient. What I expect is that I can make apropriate measurements at 3 points on each band and see that I get no more that 10% variation across said band and from band-to-band. I expect that I have a problem on 10 Meters because I am getting a HiCur indication at 3 amps when set for 10 watts, so something needs changing there. However, until I have trustable measurements on the other bands, I expect that untangling the issues will be impossible. Help from the experts is needed on how to make such measurements without fancy RF power meters. Obviously a purely resistive 50 ohm load is the first requirement, and I believe that I have that. 73, Fran ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
RE: [Elecraft] QSK revisited
Hi Raj, Tnx for the info from your tests. I find I really like QSK when I'm trying to work DX, like with the current 4O3T operation. But when I am running stations in a contest I do not use QSK. Too rough on the ears using QSK all the time. But with good QSK you can pick out your call right away when 4O3T came back without guessing or asking for repeats. Even at the speeds 4O3T was using on the high bands it sounded good and you can hear between the elements without pops with the TS950SDX and Acom 2000A. I made the R17 mod plus I set T-R to I believe .01 or .02 which got rid of the pops. It sounds quiet. Just can't hear between the elements. But that is okay since I use the K2 for Dxpeditions. N2TK, Tony -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Rajiv Dewan, N2RD Sent: Monday, July 24, 2006 2:00 PM To: elecraft Subject: [Elecraft] QSK revisited After my last email on comparing QSK implementations in the K2 and the Yaesu FT-1000MP and the comments from knowledgeable people on this forum, I decided to measure carefully and to make more careful notes on what I heard. I setup a K2 and an MP to transmit at the same frequency into dummy loads. To test the K2, I transmitted continuously on the MP at a level where the K2 showed a steady S9 signal. While this was being received by the K2, I set up my keyer to transmit the letter v at different speeds on the K2. I listened to the K2 and analyzed the sound using Spectrogram. I then did the whole thing with the MP as the device under test. The details of the test, the results, and images of the Spectrogram screenshots can be found at http://rajiv.dewan.info/qsk/ My subjective opinion is that the K2 is great if all one is interested in is inter-character or inter-word reception. In fact, the hang time is so well calibrated that it is very silent and easy on the ears. This is especially important for long contests. Inter-element reception is very demanding. For this purpose, I prefer the Elecraft K2 while transmitting up to 20wpm. At 25wpm or greater, the K2 essentially does not receive between elements. At 30 wpm Yaesu still has a usable QSK implementation but the extra noise is tiring. I do not think I could stand the noise from 30wpm or faster for long during a long contest. Hang time can be increased (Menu item 7-4 increased from 5 to 7 or 10ms) to where the QSK would be essentially be useless between elements but would serve some purpose to detect signals between words. With the increased hang time, where inter-element QSK is essentially disabled, I prefer the K2 as the Yaesu remains noisier. I will have to try even larger hang times and compare the sound. Hope you find this interesting, Raj, N2RD K2#5613 -- Rajiv Dewan, N2RD [EMAIL PROTECTED] FN13fc -- ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
[Elecraft] Re: [fpqrp] July RFTB Summary
Fred Fred Fred Fred Fred Fred Fred Fred Fred Fred Fred Fred Fred Fred Fred Fred Fred Fred Larry Makoski W2LJ wrote: Here are the official results: K3DCB Fred 3360 WA8THK Perry 1920 NØJRN Jerry 1800 K4BAI John 1722 K4TWJ Dave 1392 NØARScott 1173 K7TQRandy 1008 W9NXKent780 K4KOGreg720 W2LJLarry 700 NG7ZPaul442 NZØZRyan440 KA2KGP Tom 420 KW4JS John400 NU8SDennis 390 KD2MX Paul280 WB8LZG Gregg 240 W5ESE Scott 225 W8DIZ Diz 154 AA5CH Brad147 WA3OFF Dave105 K4CZBarry90 N2JJF Denis90 W1PID Jim 90 W9ILF Ivin 65 K3OQJeff 64 KB2NB Bill 48 WA8HSB John 48 N5WVR Cathy36 KB3KYZ Jose 27 N2COD Mike 15 KB9BVN Brian12 AA7DX Dick 12 WB8ABE Phil 0 K6BBQ Rem 0 Once again, thanks to all who participated! I look forward to hearing you all in August. 72/73 es "oo" Larry W2LJ Flying Pig #612 ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] K2-S-Meter Alignment question
I should have done as in the first stepafter entering the menu again and selecting CAL S HI, I should have done: Hold "EDIT" a second time to activate it. That sentence wasn't in the manual and I'm just learning the procedures with this rig. Everything checked out OK. On to Assembly, Part II. THANKS Gary You missed one prior step - enter the menu and edit 'CAL S Hi' first, and then the VFO knob should work as described - you should see a display like 'S HI 018' (the number will change as you rotate the VFO knob). 73, Don W3FPR -Original Message- Under S-Meter Alignment: The forth step says: Turn RF Gain fully counter-clockwise. Adjust the VFO knob until bargraph segment 9 lights, then turn it a bit more counter-clockwise until segment 10 just turns on (right-most segment). Question: Should this have said RF Gain instead of VFO knob ? Turning the VFO does nothing while turning the RF Gain knob performs what the instructions say. ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
RE: [Elecraft] K2-S-Meter Alignment question
Gary, You missed one prior step - enter the menu and edit 'CAL S Hi' first, and then the VFO knob should work as described - you should see a display like 'S HI 018' (the number will change as you rotate the VFO knob). 73, Don W3FPR > -Original Message- > Under S-Meter Alignment: > > The forth step says: > Turn RF Gain fully counter-clockwise. Adjust the VFO knob until > bargraph segment 9 lights, then turn it a bit more > counter-clockwise until segment 10 just turns on (right-most segment). > > Question: Should this have said RF Gain instead of VFO knob ? > Turning the VFO does nothing while turning the RF Gain knob > performs what the instructions say. > > ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] K2-S-Meter Alignment question
No this is the VFO knob... turning the VFO knob when calibrate the S HI and S Lo paramater should be use to adjust the bar led display for proper receivng indication. If turning the VFO knob does nothing, you should probably have something wrong... Gary Marks a écrit : Under S-Meter Alignment: The forth step says: Turn RF Gain fully counter-clockwise. Adjust the VFO knob until bargraph segment 9 lights, then turn it a bit more counter-clockwise until segment 10 just turns on (right-most segment). Question: Should this have said RF Gain instead of VFO knob ? Turning the VFO does nothing while turning the RF Gain knob performs what the instructions say. Comments please.. Gary WD8ICX K2 #5609 ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com __ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
[Elecraft] OT - Sony ICF-6800W repair or RIP
In 1981 I bought my first "real" receiver (a Sony ICF-6800W) after saving my money bagging groceries for an eternity after school and weekends. What absolute heaven for a radio geek in the making! My love and understanding of ham radio really started with this receiver, the culmination of which has been building my K2 (topic). Unfortunately, a near lightning strike disabled the 6800 in the mid-80's, and it's been sitting quietlly with me since, still in mint condition on the outside but only the FM module functioning on the inside. Given its age I understand this is a very longshot, but I'm wondering if anyone could recommend someone qualified who might be able to take a look (for $ of course) and either serve as a performing surgeon or (more likely) pronouncing mortician. The beast is very complicated and well beyond my ability to deal with, and Sony Customer Service has been zero help. Thought I'd take a chance and see if anyone had any ideas they might e-mail me. Thanks much. John / K0YQ ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
[Elecraft] OT: FS - Pace Model MBT-100 Desoldering Station
I have for sale, one used Pace Model MBT-100 desoldering station. This unit is complete with an original Pace manual, one used .040 desoldering tip, 3 brand new .040 desoldering tips, 1 brand new .060 desoldering tip (for BIG wires and pads) and a brand new VisiFilter element. The filter element in the VisiFilter is renewable, unlike earlier Pace models in which you had to replace the entire in-line filter rather than just the element. This unit was used in a fairly clean environment by an aviation electronics repair station. It has some scratches on the faceplate but is fully functional. It is switchable for 110/220 VAC and comes complete with power cord and handpiece. Vacuum pump is operated by button on the heated handpiece. Tip temperature is controlled by dial on the main unit. There is also an adjustable low pressure air outlet (not heated) on the front panel of the unit. Excellent unit for through-hole PC board rework. Asking $175 shipped anywhere in the US. Canada/Overseas, $175.00 USD plus whatever actual shipping costs are. VAT/Customs Duty will be the responsibility of the purchaser and I will not understate value for customs purposes. Serious enquires off the reflector please to minimise bandwidth. I'll take certified check, money order or Pay Pal. (Pay Pal add 3 percent as that's what they charge me). Jim Sheldon - W0EB [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
[Elecraft] K2-S-Meter Alignment question
Under S-Meter Alignment: The forth step says: Turn RF Gain fully counter-clockwise. Adjust the VFO knob until bargraph segment 9 lights, then turn it a bit more counter-clockwise until segment 10 just turns on (right-most segment). Question: Should this have said RF Gain instead of VFO knob ? Turning the VFO does nothing while turning the RF Gain knob performs what the instructions say. Comments please.. Gary WD8ICX K2 #5609 ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
[Elecraft] F/S K1 w/4 bands & ATU
I'm anxious to sell so I've lowered the price. Nicely built and in excellent physical and electrical condx late serial # (21xx) K1 with 40, 30, 20 and 15 meter band filters, KAT1 ATU and new lighted display option included. Also includes nice homebrew tilt bale. Pix/more info please contact me off line (w6ur at arrl dot net). Price: $399.00 delivered/insured CONUS (postal money order only please). Thanks for reading, Lou - W6UR ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
[Elecraft] K2 and ESD
My ESD concerns started when I had completed my K2. There were occasions upon turning on my K2 that my finger approaching the VFO knob would cause my K2 to lock up. (BTW, the rig was well grounded.) As it turns out, it was my finger approaching the mike connector that caused the problem. I suspended two small springs between the two mike connector mounting screws to ground the floating mike connector and eliminate the ESD. ESD is very real for sure! Thank goodness, grounding the mike connector cured this problem. Roy Morris W4WFBNo virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.394 / Virus Database: 268.10.4/396 - Release Date: 7/24/2006 ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
[Elecraft] Re: Elecraft Digest, Vol 27, Issue 25
Johnny -- I know the transverter output is on the ICOM 756 PRO II is -20dBm//22mv (0.01 mw) when the power level is minimum and about -1.5 dBm (0.707 mw) or so when it is maximum. You must enable the transverter mode by apply a positive volage (2 to 13.8 vdc) to the ACC (ACC2 pin 6) jack. I have not measured this on my ICOM 7800 (not at home QTH this week) -- however the ARRL test of the ICOM 7800 measured the transverter output at -3.3 dBm (.46mw) on 10 meters. http://ham.srsab.se/pdf/ic7800extended.pdf Typical ICOM manual onlys give the lower limit which is the same for the 756 Pro II and 7800. So the 1 mw setting should be OK. 73 Paul W4MAY K2 SN 5627 From: "Don Wilhelm" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Reply-To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "johnny" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, Subject: RE: [Elecraft] XV144 input level selection Date: Sun, 23 Jul 2006 22:54:13 -0400 Johnny, Re-check that output level because it seems quite low. 22mV into a 50 ohm load is only 9.7 uW power. I would expect something more on the order of 1 mW and upward. 73, Don W3FPR > -Original Message- > The transverter output level of my IC7800 is 22mv. Could any of > you advise which input level I should select for the XV144? 1 mW > or 251 mW? > > TNX & 73 > > Johnny Siu VR2XMC > ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
[Elecraft] CS25M on 4 watts
No big deal for many of you, I'm sure, but I was surprised to get a call back from CS25M in Portugal on my recently completed KX1. I'm not a backpacker and have no need of a KX1 but decided to build it because I already have a K1 and a K2. I've been surprised at how much fun it is to use the little KX1 and its quirky paddle. I could fire up the K2 but it's been fun to just see what I can do with the KX1. I'd recommend it to anyone who's either looking for a project and already has a K2 or someone who can't afford a K2 but wants the thrill of building an Elecraft kit. Craig NZ0R K1 #1966 K2/100 #4941 KX1 #1499 ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] ESD question
On Monday 24 July 2006 13:35, Ron D'Eau Claire wrote: > All it takes to be as safe as sitting at the bench with a wrist > strap on is to touch a ground *before* touching anything else, and keep > touching that ground again and again before touching other things. That is how I built my K2 and numerous CMOS and HCMOS projects. I have been using my 15 Watt Antex soldering iron since 1970 and continue to use it in the USA using a voltage doubling and mains isolating (not an autotransformer) transformer. I feel that my projects and I are safe. Ian, G4ICV, AB2GR, K2 #4962 -- ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
[Elecraft] QSK revisited
After my last email on comparing QSK implementations in the K2 and the Yaesu FT-1000MP and the comments from knowledgeable people on this forum, I decided to measure carefully and to make more careful notes on what I heard. I setup a K2 and an MP to transmit at the same frequency into dummy loads. To test the K2, I transmitted continuously on the MP at a level where the K2 showed a steady S9 signal. While this was being received by the K2, I set up my keyer to transmit the letter v at different speeds on the K2. I listened to the K2 and analyzed the sound using Spectrogram. I then did the whole thing with the MP as the device under test. The details of the test, the results, and images of the Spectrogram screenshots can be found at http://rajiv.dewan.info/qsk/ My subjective opinion is that the K2 is great if all one is interested in is inter-character or inter-word reception. In fact, the hang time is so well calibrated that it is very silent and easy on the ears. This is especially important for long contests. Inter-element reception is very demanding. For this purpose, I prefer the Elecraft K2 while transmitting up to 20wpm. At 25wpm or greater, the K2 essentially does not receive between elements. At 30 wpm Yaesu still has a usable QSK implementation but the extra noise is tiring. I do not think I could stand the noise from 30wpm or faster for long during a long contest. Hang time can be increased (Menu item 7-4 increased from 5 to 7 or 10ms) to where the QSK would be essentially be useless between elements but would serve some purpose to detect signals between words. With the increased hang time, where inter-element QSK is essentially disabled, I prefer the K2 as the Yaesu remains noisier. I will have to try even larger hang times and compare the sound. Hope you find this interesting, Raj, N2RD K2#5613 -- Rajiv Dewan, N2RD [EMAIL PROTECTED] FN13fc -- ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] ESD question
I've done a lot of work servicing electronics in the "field", far from bench resources. All it takes to be as safe as sitting at the bench with a wrist strap on is to touch a ground *before* touching anything else, and keep touching that ground again and again before touching other things... Another trick is to touch the person's hand before you touch the part they are handing you, then touch ground before you touch your work surface or assembly to re-establish ground. 73, Lyle KK7P ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
RE: [Elecraft] ESD question
That's a great ESD story Mike. I can almost hear the groans that must have erupted when that little spark hopped over to the I.C. Even being installed on the board couldn't save that one. Mats and straps are wonderful, and should be as much a part of any workbench as a soldering iron and good lighting. But it doesn't always have to be exotic mats and straps. If that fellow had simply touched a ground before poking at the board, there would have been no spark and no damage. I've done a lot of work servicing electronics in the "field", far from bench resources. All it takes to be as safe as sitting at the bench with a wrist strap on is to touch a ground *before* touching anything else, and keep touching that ground again and again before touching other things. It needs to be an unpainted metal ground. An equipment case connected to the mains safety ground is FB. An earth ground is too. Consciously practice until it becomes second nature to touch a ground first, just we learned to pick up the soldering iron by the handle without thinking about it . Several folks mentioned having a metal strip on their bench that they can touch before touching parts. That works beautifully, provided one remembers to touch it! My wrist strap has a clip where the ground wire attaches so it can be quickly removed when getting up. I quit using the clip to remove the ground wire after I found myself working at the bench wearing the wrist strap and realized that I hadn't reattached the ground wire. So I take the whole thing off now. It's obvious when I don't have it on. The best safety systems in the world are useless unless we develop the habits that ensure we use them! Ron AC7AC ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] ESD question
Dave wrote: > ...We > were always told that static damage isn't always immediately obvious and > that parts may be been stressed and suffer from premature failure at a > future date. > > 73 Dave, G4AON As an example, a coworker and I were doing final testing of a prototype board we had just finished. He came back into the lab, forgot to ground himself on a dry January day, and pointed at a chip on the board while talking - and of course it was the expensive $500 chip. We both heard and saw the little lightning bolt between his finger & the IC! Everything seemed fine after extensive, careful testing & we were relieved. But a couple months after the board was fielded for testing strange errors kept occurring, and after much frustrating debugging we learned that the zapped chip was the culprit. Going through that once was more than enough. So I was very glad to build my K2 on an anti-static mat with grounded wrist strap! Mike ab3ap ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] ESD question
Paul VE1DY wrote "Do I really need the mat" It's your personal choice, however when I worked in the electronics industry we had wooden benches with anti-static mats on them. I admit the static risk is low, the cost of damage to a part in something as complex and expensive as a K2, doesn't seem worth even a low risk. We were always told that static damage isn't always immediately obvious and that parts may be been stressed and suffer from premature failure at a future date. 73 Dave, G4AON ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
[Elecraft] SteppIr and K2
Hello, I'd love to hear from anyone who has controlled a SteppIr from the K2. Hope to have mine OTA this weekend, would like to avoid any potential pitfalls. Hope to play in IOTA, but really hope to work a lot of Elecrafters in the NAQP CW Party. 73, Julius n2wn ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
[Elecraft] Weller Pyropen
Hi, Has anyone had any experience using the Weller Pyropen (original not the piezo version). I picked one up recently (without manual) and am trying to figure it out. Looks like it may be usable for SMD/T removal and maybe antenna work. Cheers, Julius n2wn ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
[Elecraft] XV144 input level selection - working with IC7800
Hi Don, From page 3, specifications, of the XV144 Owner manual, the I.F. iput power range is from -20dBm to +39dBm. According to operation manul of IC7800, the transverter terminal output level is -20dBm (or 22mV). Does this mean that I.F. output of my IC7800 can still drive the XV144 to the designed power level of 20 watts? Looking for your advice. TNX & 73 Johnny Siu VR2XMC From: "Don Wilhelm" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Reply-To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "johnny" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, Subject: RE: [Elecraft] XV144 input level selection Date: Sun, 23 Jul 2006 22:54:13 -0400 Johnny, Re-check that output level because it seems quite low. 22mV into a 50 ohm load is only 9.7 uW power. I would expect something more on the order of 1 mW and upward. 73, Don W3FPR > -Original Message- > The transverter output level of my IC7800 is 22mv. Could any of > you advise which input level I should select for the XV144? 1 mW > or 251 mW? > > TNX & 73 > > Johnny Siu VR2XMC > ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
