FW: K2 MARS mod

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FW: K2 MARS mod

Dan Barker
Ron: did you check the output frequency? The way I understand the K2 design,
if you select a freq it can't do, it'll do something anyhow. 100W on the
wrong freq is not particularly useful<g>.

(Of course you know better than this, but you didn't say and I had to ask!)

Dan / WG4S / K2 #2456

<snip>
My K2/100 puts out full power on all of these frequencies.
</snip>

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RE: K2 MARS mod

Ron D'Eau Claire-2
Dan WG4S wrote:

Ron: did you check the output frequency? The way I understand the K2 design,
if you select a freq it can't do, it'll do something anyhow. 100W on the
wrong freq is not particularly useful<g>.

(Of course you know better than this, but you didn't say and I had to ask!)

---------------------------------

GOOD CATCH Dan! You are so right. The K2 PLL just stops changing frequency
when it hits a tuning limit. I was thinking of output LP filter issues and
not what the PLL might do.

In my case, it actually transmits on all of these frequencies except 4872:

3308 kHz

4872 kHz - actual 4048 kHz

7633.5 kHz

13927 kHz

My K2's PLL stops at 4048. Most of them will tune higher, but I don't know
how much higher.

Thanks!

Ron AC7AC


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RE: K2 MARS mod

Mike Morrow-3
In reply to this post by Dan Barker
Jay wrote:

>Radios with wideband (1.8-30 MHz) receivers can sometimes be modified
>by or for valid MARS stations

It is likely that someday NTIA compliant radios will be required for MARS.  MARS stations that participate in SHARES nets already need to meet specs.  The Civil Air Patrol has committed to NTIA compliance, so it has an interesting official web site with listings of what commonly available gear meets the specs (frequency stability and spurious output are two important criteria):

https://ntc.cap.af.mil/comm/equipment/hf_equipment.cfm

Were I choosing a radio specifically for MARS/SHARES/CAP/USCGAux/etc., I'd want it to meet NTIA specs and have HF general coverage transmit capability.  It's not all that onerous...the rig will need a frequency reference at least as good as a TXCO.  Even an old TS-50S with SO-2 TXCO meets specs, for example.   Alinco and most Yaesu rigs do not.  The Elecraft K2 does not.

>Hambands-only radios, even if they cover a  few hundred Khz
>above or below the hamband limits miss out on a lot.    

Most Army and Navy-Marine Corps MARS frequencies are just outside the ham bands, so a lot of *older* (without microprocessor control of frequency) ham-band-only gear will work well there.  The K2 shouldn't have much problem operating on these systems either (until NTIA compliance is required).  That is NOT true of Air Force MARS and CAP, whose frequencies are often way outside ham bands.

Modern (last 20 years) ham band transceivers with microprocessor control of frequency usually stop transmitting at the exact official band edges unless a "general coverage transmit" mod is made.

>Glad to answer Army MARS questions (not frequencies) off-list.

Why not frequencies?  I've heard some of the MARS coordinators telling their nets to use frequency designators when specifying frequencies, but that is nonsense.  MARS activities haven't the slightest classification.  When I was in MARS (20 years worth, split between Navy and Army MARS beginning in 1968) we were happy to have people listen in on our frequencies and perhaps become members.  We would even pass out brochures at ham fests with net times and frequency info on it.

Every MARS organization *banned* Morse operation about ten years ago, even including training nets and repeater IDs.  What a way to ruin the outfit!

73,
Mike / KK5F
ex-USN-USMC N0LTD, ex-USA AAT6UI
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RE: K2 MARS mod

Brian Mury-3
On Tue, 2005-06-21 at 15:14 -0400, Mike Morrow wrote:
> MARS activities haven't the slightest classification.

... and even if they did, security through obscurity is no security at
all.

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RE: K2 MARS mod

Thom LaCosta
In reply to this post by Mike Morrow-3
On Tue, 21 Jun 2005, Mike Morrow wrote:

> Every MARS organization *banned* Morse operation about ten years ago, even including training nets and repeater IDs.  What a way to ruin the outfit!

MARS, at least in my experience is about as realistic as tent-stretchers and/or
polka-ddot paint.

I queried each service a few months ago, asking them if they could either tell
me what frequencies I would have to use, OR asking them if they could tell me if
my Elecraft K2 would work on the required frequencies:


Service Comments
ARMY Can not disclose frequencies, request forwarded to Maryland
                 MARS for action - No action
NAVY     Maryland Director told me that the K2 wouldn't work because it
    was low power and that Navy MARS used digital modes.
AIR FORCE No reponse from National or Maryland

73,Thom-k3hrn
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