K1 tuning rate... is 150 kHz too wide?

[Peter Wang-8]

I'm considering getting a K1, this question of 80 vs. 150 kHz VFO
tuning width is a bit disconcerting.

I'd like to set it up for 150, but worry that the rate will be too
fast, too fatiguing to use.

Does anyone out there use 150 kHz and LIKE it? Did anyone out there
try 150 kHz and hate it and switch to 80 kHz?

My use will be mostly desktop, not in the field.

73,
Pete  KF5ND
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[EricJ-2]

I tried 150khz and didn't like it at all. The tuning was WAY too fast for
me, and it didn't add any portion of the CW bands that is of any use. It was
an easy change so I'm glad I tried it. 80 khz even seems a tad fast when I
first use it after the K2, but after a few minutes it's a great compromise.
It is slow enough to make tuning a pleasure and fast enough that rapid QSY
from the bottom of the band to the QRP freq is convenient. There is no way I
would consider going back to 150 khz.

I use my K1 at home, car camping and day packing. Regardless, the 150 khz
range makes the tuning too fast. It's a great rig. For CW ragchewing at
home, I prefer it to my K2. It's more pleasing to my ear for some reason
even when used with the same speaker or phones.

Eric
KE6US
www.ke6us.com

-----Original Message-----
From: [hidden email]
[mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Peter Wang
Sent: Thursday, August 04, 2005 10:51 AM
To: elecraft
Subject: [Elecraft] K1 tuning rate... is 150 kHz too wide?

I'm considering getting a K1, this question of 80 vs. 150 kHz VFO tuning
width is a bit disconcerting.

I'd like to set it up for 150, but worry that the rate will be too fast, too
fatiguing to use.

Does anyone out there use 150 kHz and LIKE it? Did anyone out there try 150
kHz and hate it and switch to 80 kHz?

My use will be mostly desktop, not in the field.

73,
Pete  KF5ND
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[Erik Linder]

Peter Wang wrote:
> Does anyone out there use 150 kHz and LIKE it? Did anyone out there
> try 150 kHz and hate it and switch to 80 kHz?

I first built it with 150 kHz, but changed to 80 after a few weeks.
The VFO was not exact enough for my taste.
And besides that, I did not use the upper part of the 150 kHz span anyway.

I vote for 80, but your milage may vary...

73 de SM0RVV ./Erik
K1 #1978
K2 #4904 (just the speaker left to do, yipeee!)
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[Art - W6KY]

SM0RVV, Erik has it right. Starting at 0.70 on
most bands you are fighting the digital modes anyway.
I actually wouldn't mind a mod to make the total
spread variable. I am very rarely above 0.25 on
any of the bands. That way you could switch to
25kHz (example) total and have some real fine tuning.
......
Note:  North American QSO Party (NAQP) CW contest
this weekend. 12 hours totalstarting at 1800 UTC Sat.
Great chance to WAS in just a few hours.
Lots of BIG stations listening for QRP sigs...
73, Art W6KY

--- Erik Linder <[hidden email]> wrote:

> Peter Wang wrote:
> > Does anyone out there use 150 kHz and LIKE it? Did
> anyone out there
> > try 150 kHz and hate it and switch to 80 kHz?
>
> I first built it with 150 kHz, but changed to 80
> after a few weeks.
> The VFO was not exact enough for my taste.
> And besides that, I did not use the upper part of
> the 150 kHz span anyway.
>
> I vote for 80, but your milage may vary...
>
> 73 de SM0RVV ./Erik
> K1 #1978
> K2 #4904 (just the speaker left to do, yipeee!)
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>

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[Mike Morrow-3]

Pete wrote:

>I'm considering getting a K1, this question of 80 vs. 150 kHz VFO
>tuning width is a bit disconcerting.

I hold the minority view that 150 kHz span (you'll actually get closer to 180 kHz) works just fine.  The tuning is pretty linear at about 18 kHz per turn across the entire tuning range.

I like being able to tune all of the US 40m Morse band.  That *alone* would make me choose the wider span.  I also like being able to tune down to 10 MHz WWV on the 30m band.

I use some felt between the front panel and the back of the VFO knob to provide a little resistance.  The VFO pot is too easy to turn otherwise.  That's a problem with the 180 kHz span, for certain, but also even for the 80 kHz option.

If I were in a region with a restricted 40m Morse band, I'd choose 80 kHz.

Mike / KK5F
K1 #175 (November 2000)


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[John Gabbard]

The same reason holds for 80 mtrs as does for the 30 mtr band.Personally, I
like all the coverage I can get.Your chioce Peter...John  KF7OM   K1 #1734
I think its the same VFO as my Wilderness Sierra.(similar)??
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mike Morrow" <[hidden email]>
To: "Peter Wang" <[hidden email]>; "elecraft" <[hidden email]>
Sent: Thursday, August 04, 2005 2:25 PM
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K1 tuning rate... is 150 kHz too wide?

> Pete wrote:
>
>>I'm considering getting a K1, this question of 80 vs. 150 kHz VFO
>>tuning width is a bit disconcerting.
>
> I hold the minority view that 150 kHz span (you'll actually get closer to
> 180 kHz) works just fine.  The tuning is pretty linear at about 18 kHz per
> turn across the entire tuning range.
>
> I like being able to tune all of the US 40m Morse band.  That *alone*
> would make me choose the wider span.  I also like being able to tune down
> to 10 MHz WWV on the 30m band.
>
> I use some felt between the front panel and the back of the VFO knob to
> provide a little resistance.  The VFO pot is too easy to turn otherwise.
> That's a problem with the 180 kHz span, for certain, but also even for the
> 80 kHz option.
>
> If I were in a region with a restricted 40m Morse band, I'd choose 80 kHz.
>
> Mike / KK5F
> K1 #175 (November 2000)
>
>
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[Mike Morrow-3]

A compromise configuration is possible that makes tuning less cramped on the low end of a band on a K1 that has been built for 170 kHz VFO span:

(1)  On the 30m band filter board, use the 18.1 MHz hetrodyne crystal (normally installed when a 80 kHz VFO span is used) instead of the specified 18.0 MHz unit.  Both crystals are supplied with filter board kits.  This will cause 10.1 MHz to be the low end of VFO tuning instead of 10.0 MHz.
(2)  Solder another 100 kohm resistor in parallel with R19 at the VFO pot terminals, for an effective resistance of 50 kohm at R19.  This will alter the linearity of VFO tuning such that the kHz per turn will typically be about 13 kHz per turn at the low end of the band, while at the high end of the band tuning will be more than 22 kHz per turn.

This will result in spreading out the CW band at the low end where most activity is, and cramping it at the high end where only occasional CW operation will likely take place.

However, I personally don't use this configuration because I want to be able to receive WWV at 10 MHz, and I like the nearly linear tuning rate.

73,
Mike / KK5F
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[Mike WA8BXN]

Another way is to use a tiny DPDT switch to insert series resistance with
the pot, either on one side or the other giving you two overlapping smaller
tuning ranges at the flip of a switch.

72/73 - Mike WA8BXN
 
 
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