K2/100 Separates

[Robert Cochrane]

I am considering increasing the power of my bells and whistles QRP K2
to 100w.  (Seems a long time to the next sunspot maximum and I am growing old).

Don and Lyle have given very helpful advice on building the power amp
and auto tuner into a separate unit and I would like to follow this course.

Lyle does of course rightly add "at your risk" headers to his page.

My question is why there is no Elecraft kit of parts and stepwise
instructions to provide for this requirement - it seems to be an
obvious component of a modular system which can be used in the shack
and mobile.  A "factory approved" set of instructions and components
fills a market need.

Rob M0RAC
K2 3314

Robert A Cochrane
7 Lawn Terrace
Blackheath
London SE3 9LJ   UK

Tel [phone]
Mob [phone]


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[Don Wilhelm-3]

Rob,

I would guess that Elecraft folks are not ready to put up with the headaches
that could arise with the AUXBUS timing should someone want to put a 10 or
15 foot cable on a remote KPA100/KAT100-2 combination.  At the moment, those
folks have their hands full and do not have time to test it properly.  So if
I were in their shoes, I would not put out instructions for doing anything
that has not been adequately tested - the Elecraft name and reputation do
depend on the results.

That certainly should not limit an individual from trying it, if it doesn't
work, one can always revert to the 'standard' installation.  There are a
growing number of us who have mounted the KPA100 externally, and within the
implementation limits of those success stories, we can say what we have
found to work - my connecting cables are about 2 feet long, I can't speak
for anything longer and I don't have the KAT100-2 here, only the external
amp.

In my opinion, the 'kit of parts' to mount the KPA100 externally is in the
box of parts for the KAT100-2 - the KPA100 will plug nicely into the
provided connectors on the KAT100-2 board (except for the KPA100 speaker).

73,
Don W3FPR

> -----Original Message-----

> I am considering increasing the power of my bells and whistles QRP K2
> to 100w.  (Seems a long time to the next sunspot maximum and I am
> growing old).
>
> Don and Lyle have given very helpful advice on building the power amp
> and auto tuner into a separate unit and I would like to follow
> this course.
>
> Lyle does of course rightly add "at your risk" headers to his page.
>
> My question is why there is no Elecraft kit of parts and stepwise
> instructions to provide for this requirement - it seems to be an
> obvious component of a modular system which can be used in the shack
> and mobile.  A "factory approved" set of instructions and components
> fills a market need.
>
> Rob M0RAC
> K2 3314
>
> Robert A Cochrane
> 7 Lawn Terrace
> Blackheath
> London SE3 9LJ   UK
>
> Tel [phone]
> Mob [phone]
>

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[Michael E. Dobson]

There is one additional component that Don forgot and that is the
replacement of one of the miniature RFC chokes on the KIO2 with a
toroid equivalent.  I have suggested to Elecraft that they revise the
KIO2 to use a toroid at that location to prevent problems with people
(like me) who simply plugged everything into a KAT100-2 without
benefit of any instructions other than the knowledge that it was
easily done.  It worked fine for me for two years when a surge on the
KIO2 lines between the K2 and the external KPA100 blew out the
miniature RFC.  Four turns through an FT23-43 and a quick solder job
and I was back in business.  AFAIK, that is the only "gotcha" to
watch out for with remoting the KPA100.  There were even instructions
for building the Y-cable to interconnect the base K2, the KPA100 and
your computer in either the KIO2 or KPA100 manual.

73,
Mike WA3KYY

At 07:09 PM 3/8/2006, Don Wilhelm wrote:

>Rob,
>
>I would guess that Elecraft folks are not ready to put up with the headaches
>that could arise with the AUXBUS timing should someone want to put a 10 or
>15 foot cable on a remote KPA100/KAT100-2 combination.  At the moment, those
>folks have their hands full and do not have time to test it properly.  So if
>I were in their shoes, I would not put out instructions for doing anything
>that has not been adequately tested - the Elecraft name and reputation do
>depend on the results.
>
>That certainly should not limit an individual from trying it, if it doesn't
>work, one can always revert to the 'standard' installation.  There are a
>growing number of us who have mounted the KPA100 externally, and within the
>implementation limits of those success stories, we can say what we have
>found to work - my connecting cables are about 2 feet long, I can't speak
>for anything longer and I don't have the KAT100-2 here, only the external
>amp.
>
>In my opinion, the 'kit of parts' to mount the KPA100 externally is in the
>box of parts for the KAT100-2 - the KPA100 will plug nicely into the
>provided connectors on the KAT100-2 board (except for the KPA100 speaker).
>
>73,
>Don W3FPR
>
> > -----Original Message-----
>
> > I am considering increasing the power of my bells and whistles QRP K2
> > to 100w.  (Seems a long time to the next sunspot maximum and I am
> > growing old).
> >
> > Don and Lyle have given very helpful advice on building the power amp
> > and auto tuner into a separate unit and I would like to follow
> > this course.
> >
> > Lyle does of course rightly add "at your risk" headers to his page.
> >
> > My question is why there is no Elecraft kit of parts and stepwise
> > instructions to provide for this requirement - it seems to be an
> > obvious component of a modular system which can be used in the shack
> > and mobile.  A "factory approved" set of instructions and components
> > fills a market need.
> >
> > Rob M0RAC
> > K2 3314
> >
> > Robert A Cochrane
> > 7 Lawn Terrace
> > Blackheath
> > London SE3 9LJ   UK
> >
> > Tel [phone]
> > Mob [phone]
> >
>
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>You must be a subscriber to post to the list.
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>
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[Mark - W5EZY]

I have my KPA100 & KAT100 in a separate EC2 case and
it all works perfectly. I used the instructions of
KI6WX to assemble mine:
  http://home.pacbell.net/johngreb/KI6WX.html
If you follow these instructions to a T, you'll be
very pleased.

If anyone is interested, I will be posting the sale of
this great setup momentarily.  I'm ready to build
another K2; I'm having solder withdrawals!

73,
Mark Baugh
W5EZY
Grenada MS

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[Don Wilhelm-3]

Folks,

There has been considerable discussion and interest on this topic, and I
believe there is one point that should be addressed:

The resistor that is shown in the KI6WX instructions is not needed if your
KPA100 is recent or has the upgrade kit installed.  Those instructions were
written before the upgrade.  If your KPA100 has a jumper for R23 and L18,
and C82 is not populated then you have the upgraded KPA100.

The last time I looked, Lyle Johnson had a note about this in his document.
Perhaps it doesn't matter if the resistor is added anyway, but I am
uncertain - maybe John KI6WX can chime in here with a comment.

73,
Don W3FPR

> -----Original Message-----

>
> I have my KPA100 & KAT100 in a separate EC2 case and
> it all works perfectly. I used the instructions of
> KI6WX to assemble mine:
>   http://home.pacbell.net/johngreb/KI6WX.html
> If you follow these instructions to a T, you'll be
> very pleased.
>
> If anyone is interested, I will be posting the sale of
> this great setup momentarily.  I'm ready to build
> another K2; I'm having solder withdrawals!
>
>

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