K-1 Poor Receive, New Build
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Just finished my new K-1 build and seem to be having way too much noise on receive.
I used my TS-590s into a dummy load at it's minimum output of 5w on one side of the room and the K-1 into another dummy load on the other for signal generation and freq alignment (the 590 has a freq stabilizer installed). All the alignments went well and the K-1 fine tuned with full output power on both boards. I have (40/20) installed now and a (30/17). However, the noise levels with and without an antenna connected are identical. It's more hard of hearing than I am. I've read some previous posts regarding receiver sense and the possibility of a bad Q10. I was wondering if the recommendations would be the same in my case. Should I remove Q10 and see if that does the trick? I was hoping to take the rig on vacation with me. If the replacement doesn't make it before I leave, would it be ok to take the rig with me and replace the transistor when I return? Thanks for the advice. I love this little rig and want it to run well. Joe, KH7AX. Hawaii County |
Re: K-1 Poor Receive, New Build
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Joe,
It might help if you described the noise. Is it a broadband hiss, some sort of squeal, etc? I no longer have my K1 but I seem to recall there can be some hiss in the audio. And how does it sound with an antenna connected? It could be that the noise you are hearing is drowned out by band noise and signals, and so is of no real consequence. 73, Phil W7OX On 3/16/15 2:37 AM, KH7AX wrote: > Just finished my new K-1 build and seem to be having way too much noise on > receive. > I used my TS-590s into a dummy load at it's minimum output of 5w on one side > of the room and the K-1 into another dummy load on the other for signal > generation and freq alignment (the 590 has a freq stabilizer installed). > All the alignments went well and the K-1 fine tuned with full output power > on both boards. I have (40/20) installed now and a (30/17). > However, the noise levels with and without an antenna connected are > identical. It's more hard of hearing than I am. I've read some previous > posts regarding receiver sense and the possibility of a bad Q10. I was > wondering if the recommendations would be the same in my case. Should I > remove Q10 and see if that does the trick? I was hoping to take the rig on > vacation with me. If the replacement doesn't make it before I leave, would > it be ok to take the rig with me and replace the transistor when I return? > > Thanks for the advice. I love this little rig and want it to run well. > > Joe, KH7AX. Hawaii County > > > > -- > View this message in context: http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/K-1-Poor-Receive-New-Build-tp7600322.html > Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com. > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:[hidden email] > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > Message delivered to [hidden email] > ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to [hidden email] |
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In reply to this post by KH7AX
Thanks for your help Phil.
Yes it's broadband noise with another small higher pitched tone in the mix that does not include any of the assortment of other odds and ends you commonly hear when tuning up and down the band except for one very strong broadcast carrier right down close to 7.000 that's in our area. So if the signal is strong enough, as that carrier and also the 5 watt tone from my ts590 into the dummy load, it will get through. The noise level is the same whether or not the antenna is connected. Connecting the antenna, any antenna, bringsSo something is definitely wrong. |
Re: K-1 Poor Receive, New Build
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I don't have the schematic in front of me, but I had this same problem when I did my build, and I finally traced it down to a diode that I somehow failed to install. Usual signal tracing applies -- you have audio, so work your way back, stage by stage, until the signal disappears :). Most of the time, just touching a screwdriver to a part in the signal path is enough to let you know where the path is in-tact, and where it's broken! On Mon, 16 Mar 2015, KH7AX wrote: > Thanks for your help Phil. > Yes it's broadband noise with another small higher pitched tone in the mix > that does not include any of the assortment of other odds and ends you > commonly hear when tuning up and down the band except for one very strong > broadcast carrier right down close to 7.000 that's in our area. So if the > signal is strong enough, as that carrier and also the 5 watt tone from my > ts590 into the dummy load, it will get through. The noise level is the same > whether or not the antenna is connected. Connecting the antenna, any > antenna, bringsSo something is definitely wrong. > > > > -- > View this message in context: http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/K-1-Poor-Receive-New-Build-tp7600322p7600333.html > Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com. > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:[hidden email] > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > Message delivered to [hidden email] > Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to [hidden email] |
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In reply to this post by KH7AX
Not sure what I'm to do next. The path isn't "broken" with strong signals coming through. Wish I was back in my ET shop aboard ship.
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Re: K-1 Poor Receive, New Build
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In reply to this post by KH7AX
Joe,
Yes, a shorted Q10 will cause the audio to be muted all the time. The K1 will operate without Q10 installed, so that is your first troubleshooting tactic. However, without Q10, the receive audio will not mute when in transmit - just something to be aware of when evaluating the effects. If removing Q10 does not solve the RX problem, you will have to resort to Receive Signal Tracing in the back of the K1 manual. You will need a strong signal source and an RF probe to do that tracing. The Elecraft signal generators do not have sufficient output for that testing - I would recommend building the oscillator shown in the manual - the crystal should be within the tuning range of your K1. 73, Don W3FPR On 3/16/2015 5:37 AM, KH7AX wrote: > Just finished my new K-1 build and seem to be having way too much noise on > receive. > I used my TS-590s into a dummy load at it's minimum output of 5w on one side > of the room and the K-1 into another dummy load on the other for signal > generation and freq alignment (the 590 has a freq stabilizer installed). > All the alignments went well and the K-1 fine tuned with full output power > on both boards. I have (40/20) installed now and a (30/17). > However, the noise levels with and without an antenna connected are > identical. It's more hard of hearing than I am. I've read some previous > posts regarding receiver sense and the possibility of a bad Q10. I was > wondering if the recommendations would be the same in my case. Should I > remove Q10 and see if that does the trick? I was hoping to take the rig on > vacation with me. If the replacement doesn't make it before I leave, would > it be ok to take the rig with me and replace the transistor when I return? > > Thanks for the advice. I love this little rig and want it to run well. > > Joe, KH7AX. Hawaii County > > > > -- > View this message in context: http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/K-1-Poor-Receive-New-Build-tp7600322.html > Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com. > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:[hidden email] > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > Message delivered to [hidden email] > ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to [hidden email] |
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Thanks for getting back to me Don. I’m a bit confused. The rig aligned and I am hearing the signal my ts590 sends over the noise that I’m talking about. Won’t I be finding this same signal also with the RF probe if I’m already listening to it come through the speaker? Or are you saying that it should be louder than what I’m hearing and with the probe I could make better measurements? I don’t have the capability to attenuate what the 590 puts into that dummy load below 5 watts. Thanks for your patience!! I appreciate it immensely. Joe C.
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