Heat related issue
Locked
 
|
WB7FJG and N4SL activated their club call, W7MRG for
the Bumblebee event as BB #46. We hiked to a local bird sanctuary in Snohomish, WA and shot up an 88' CF doublet sloper with the two ends at 80' and 60'. Only worked 20m as the other bands were dead up here. We used a K2 and 5A-hr battery with the internal autotuner which, as always, worked freakin' GREAT! However, it was *hot* outside and the sun was hitting the K2's case until you could NOT place your hand on it - very hot! After an hour or so, everytime I sent anything using the built-in memory keyer, there was a loud CLICK in the headset/speaker about 250mS after the last character was sent. This didn't occur when using the internal keyer and a paddle, it did occur even when in TEST mode, transmitting no power output. T-R was set to 0.01. Also, when tuning, as the frequency was changed from 140xx.30 to 140xx.31 (in either direction) there was a loud click. Right on 14.060 there was very loud key-down signal with some warbling. When I got home, the radio once again worked perfectly as it always has before, so I'm certain this was an excessive heat issue (I've always used a tent or shade before). So, anyone else ever have this, is there some known thing I can change to 'fix' this 'problem'? It's SN4272 with all mods I know about in place (it's the K2/100 when in the main shack, the QRP with the ATU when a field unit). Just curious. 72, Steve N4SL __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] 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 |
|
|
Yeah Steve, there is a fix, it is called shading the Radio!
You probably exceeded the temperature limits of inside components. I had a tuner that kept getting out of adjustment at Field Day one year. Finally, I realized that the sun angle had changed to bear directly on the dark case and the inductor was heating up and changing value. Put some shade over the rig by moving it on table and everything went back to normal. GL, Stuart K5KVH _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] 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 |
|
|
In reply to this post by Steve L.-3
I didn't notice any performance related issues (radiowise, operator is another story) during Field Day due to heat, but I did at one point touch the top cover of the K2 and felt that it was quite hot with direct exposure to sunlight as well. My solution was to actually turn on the tabletop fan to cool the radio case. I'd been trying to "tough it out" and not use the fan, but when it came to the radio I figured whatever extra comforts could be afforded were acceptable! Fortunately the fan was running off 110V AC so it didn't give extra drain on the battery.
Next year I have prepared 4 solar cells (5 to 6W each) that can charge the battery or be used to run a DC fan if necessary! Chances are it'll be raining all weekend instead. 73, Mark, NK8Q >From: Stuart Rohre <[hidden email]> >Date: Tue Aug 02 14:12:43 CDT 2005 >To: [hidden email], [hidden email] >Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Heat related issue >Yeah Steve, there is a fix, it is called shading the Radio! > >You probably exceeded the temperature limits of inside components. > >I had a tuner that kept getting out of adjustment at Field Day one year. >Finally, I realized that the sun angle had changed to bear directly on the >dark case and the inductor was heating up and changing value. >Put some shade over the rig by moving it on table and everything went back >to normal. > >GL, >Stuart >K5KVH > > > >_______________________________________________ >Elecraft mailing list >Post to: [hidden email] >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: [hidden email] 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 |
|
|
The use of a fan does not violate any Field Day rules.
No electronics save Mil Spec is really built to sit out in the sun. Provide shade at least, and forced air cooling to give long life to your finals and components. Stuart K5KVH _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] 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: Re: Re: Heat related issue
|
|
In reply to this post by Steve L.-3
That is correct. As we read the rules, only the radio equipment needed to use the "emergency power" which in our case was battery. We did run a generator to operate one A/C unit in a black trailer and only because the long run of cable from up at the house had too much voltage drop causing the logging compuker to suffer during brownout conditions. Other amenities were operated off commercial mains, although they could have been run off a generator as well. Amenities mostly included the fan & beer cooler.
>From: Stuart Rohre <[hidden email]> >Date: Tue Aug 02 14:51:36 CDT 2005 >To: [hidden email], [hidden email], [hidden email] >Subject: Re: Re: [Elecraft] Heat related issue >The use of a fan does not violate any Field Day rules. > >No electronics save Mil Spec is really built to sit out in the sun. Provide >shade at least, and forced air cooling to give long life to your finals and >components. > >Stuart >K5KVH _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] 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 |
|
|
In reply to this post by Steve L.-3
I put a towel over my K2 when I noticed it getting hot in the sun, but
before it began to behave badly. No problems. Thanks for W7MRG on 20. Fred K6DGW Auburn CA CM98lw BB# 142 Steve L. wrote: > WB7FJG and N4SL activated their club call, W7MRG for > the Bumblebee event as BB #46. <deleted stuff> > However, it was *hot* outside and the sun was hitting > the K2's case until you could NOT place your hand on > it - very hot! > After an hour or so, everytime I sent anything using > the built-in memory keyer, there was a loud CLICK in > the headset/speaker about 250mS after the last > character was sent. This didn't occur when using the > internal keyer and a paddle, it did occur even when in > TEST mode, transmitting no power output. T-R was set > to 0.01. Also, when tuning, as the frequency was > changed from 140xx.30 to 140xx.31 (in either > direction) there was a loud click. Right on 14.060 > there was very loud key-down signal with some > warbling. _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] 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 |
|
|
In reply to this post by Stuart Rohre
Shade definitely can help. I had this happen during a field day a few years
ago with some older tube gear. It worked great all night. As soon as the sun came up and it started getting brutally hot again, the receiver heard less and less. When I got the receiver home after field day, out of curiosity I plugged it in - it worked as normal.. Still does. James Kern Network Administrator Kurt S. Adler, Inc. 1107 Broadway New York, NY 10010 212-924-0900 x222 (work) 212-807-0575 (fax) 908-451-6801 (cell) 800-209-7438 (pager) [hidden email] -----Original Message----- From: [hidden email] [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Stuart Rohre Sent: Tuesday, August 02, 2005 3:13 PM To: [hidden email]; [hidden email] Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Heat related issue Yeah Steve, there is a fix, it is called shading the Radio! You probably exceeded the temperature limits of inside components. I had a tuner that kept getting out of adjustment at Field Day one year. Finally, I realized that the sun angle had changed to bear directly on the dark case and the inductor was heating up and changing value. Put some shade over the rig by moving it on table and everything went back to normal. GL, Stuart K5KVH _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] 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: [hidden email] 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 |
«
Return to Elecraft
|
1 view|%1 views
| Free forum by Nabble | Edit this page |