K2: A couple of minor issues
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Good evening,
I have been enjoying my newly-built "K2 twins" over the last few weeks (K2 #7225), but so far, only on 20M and 17M - there's been no propagation on the higher bands, and I'm currently antenna-challenged on 30M and down. I measure full power out from the KPA100 with my LP-100, and the KAT100 works well into a fairly marginal antenna. I'm getting good audio reports using the MH2 mic. 1. Four times, I've seen the LCD go into the "power adjustment" screen just as I start to adjust the frequency. As I continue to turn the knob, the display goes immediately back to frequency. I'm using an after-market CNC'd aluminum knob with a "bearinged" dimple. It's the same diameter as the stock knob, but a bit heavier, and it is just rubbing the felt washer. I wondered the first time this happened if this was maybe a static discharge as I touched the knob, but I didn't feel or hear anything. The last couple of times, I thought it might be a mechanical issue due to the interference of the encoder and front-panel board(s). Any ideas? 2. I set the filters with the N-Gen and Spectrogram, using the instructions on Don's website. The filters work as I expect them to, but at times there is a loud, high-frequency hiss on SSB filters 2-4 that is rather annoying. Can I just play with the position of the signal in each pass-band to help this, or is there something else I should look at? The signal I want to hear is audible in all four filters, so I think they're set properly - I just want to improve them if I can. 3. I am using an external, amplified speaker, made for mobile use, because the K2's audio seems a bit low. Is this normal? This solution is fine with me; I just want to "hear" what other folks have experienced. Thanks in advance, 73, Jim KO5V ______________________________________________________________ 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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Jim,
The K2 will sometimes display the Power or Speed when the VFO is turned. It does not happen frequently, but does show up when the MCU is busy doing "its" thing. It only comes on for an instant and only occasionally. So conclude that "it just does that" and ignore it, there is nothing wrong. As for the high frequency hiss on SSB filters FL2 to FL4, look carefully at the width of those filters using Spectrogram. Adjust the filter width of FL2 to be about 200 Hz less than FL1, FL3 200 Hz less than FL2, etc. For many K2s, the filter width displayed by the K2 is much greater than the displayed width. Set the filter widths using LSB mode - first set the low frequency end of the filter between 300 and 500 Hz. Then reference the high frequency end of FL1 (the OP1 filter). Place a Spectrogram marker 200 Hz below the high frequency end of FL1 (the frequency of the cursor is displayed in the panels at the bottom of the Spectrogram display). Adjust FL2 high frequency end to place the "corner" at the marker. Set a marker 200 Hz lower and do the same with FL3 - similar for FL4. Now, switch to USB and adjust the BFO settings to place the filter passbands properly (low frequency end between 300 and 500 Hz). That should produce good filters without as much high frequency hiss. The K2 audio amplifier is by design "wimpy" to reduce current draw for those operating portable on batteries. An amplified speaker should be able to make up for that low audio. 73, Don W3FPR On 1/30/2019 7:02 PM, Jim KO5V wrote: > Good evening, > > I have been enjoying my newly-built "K2 twins" over the last few weeks (K2 #7225), but so far, only on 20M and 17M - there's been no propagation on the higher bands, and I'm currently antenna-challenged on 30M and down. I measure full power out from the KPA100 with my LP-100, and the KAT100 works well into a fairly marginal antenna. I'm getting good audio reports using the MH2 mic. > > 1. Four times, I've seen the LCD go into the "power adjustment" screen just as I start to adjust the frequency. As I continue to turn the knob, the display goes immediately back to frequency. I'm using an after-market CNC'd aluminum knob with a "bearinged" dimple. It's the same diameter as the stock knob, but a bit heavier, and it is just rubbing the felt washer. I wondered the first time this happened if this was maybe a static discharge as I touched the knob, but I didn't feel or hear anything. The last couple of times, I thought it might be a mechanical issue due to the interference of the encoder and front-panel board(s). Any ideas? > > 2. I set the filters with the N-Gen and Spectrogram, using the instructions on Don's website. The filters work as I expect them to, but at times there is a loud, high-frequency hiss on SSB filters 2-4 that is rather annoying. Can I just play with the position of the signal in each pass-band to help this, or is there something else I should look at? The signal I want to hear is audible in all four filters, so I think they're set properly - I just want to improve them if I can. > > 3. I am using an external, amplified speaker, made for mobile use, because the K2's audio seems a bit low. Is this normal? This solution is fine with me; I just want to "hear" what other folks have experienced. > > Thanks in advance, > > 73, Jim KO5V > > > > > ______________________________________________________________ > 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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On 1/30/2019 4:28 PM, Don Wilhelm wrote:
>> I am using an external, amplified speaker, made for mobile use, >> because the K2's audio seems a bit low. > The K2 audio amplifier is by design "wimpy" to reduce current draw > for those operating portable on batteries. An amplified speaker > should be able to make up for that low audio. I have no problem with the K2 audio volume sitting arm's length away. Most of the time the AUDIO gain pot is at the 10-o-clock position. YMMV. 73 de K2ASP - Phil Kane Elecraft K2/100 s/n 5402 From a Clearing in the Silicon Forest Beaverton (Washington County) Oregon ______________________________________________________________ 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 Jim KO5V
Thanks again Don. I'm perfectly happy to accept that the MCU "just does that".
Thanks for additional the info on the filters. I'll try what you suggest, and report back. The amplified speaker is a fine solution for me. I figured the K2's audio amp wasn't designed to be powerful - I just wanted to hear someone say it. 73, Jim KO5V -----Original Message----- >From: Don Wilhelm <[hidden email]> >Sent: Jan 30, 2019 5:28 PM >To: Jim KO5V <[hidden email]>, Elecraft List <[hidden email]> >Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K2: A couple of minor issues > >Jim, > >The K2 will sometimes display the Power or Speed when the VFO is turned. > It does not happen frequently, but does show up when the MCU is busy >doing "its" thing. It only comes on for an instant and only >occasionally. So conclude that "it just does that" and ignore it, there >is nothing wrong. > >As for the high frequency hiss on SSB filters FL2 to FL4, look carefully >at the width of those filters using Spectrogram. Adjust the filter >width of FL2 to be about 200 Hz less than FL1, FL3 200 Hz less than FL2, >etc. > >For many K2s, the filter width displayed by the K2 is much greater than >the displayed width. > >Set the filter widths using LSB mode - first set the low frequency end >of the filter between 300 and 500 Hz. Then reference the high frequency >end of FL1 (the OP1 filter). Place a Spectrogram marker 200 Hz below >the high frequency end of FL1 (the frequency of the cursor is displayed >in the panels at the bottom of the Spectrogram display). Adjust FL2 >high frequency end to place the "corner" at the marker. Set a marker >200 Hz lower and do the same with FL3 - similar for FL4. > >Now, switch to USB and adjust the BFO settings to place the filter >passbands properly (low frequency end between 300 and 500 Hz). > >That should produce good filters without as much high frequency hiss. > >The K2 audio amplifier is by design "wimpy" to reduce current draw for >those operating portable on batteries. An amplified speaker should be >able to make up for that low audio. > >73, >Don W3FPR > > > >On 1/30/2019 7:02 PM, Jim KO5V wrote: >> Good evening, >> >> I have been enjoying my newly-built "K2 twins" over the last few weeks (K2 #7225), but so far, only on 20M and 17M - there's been no propagation on the higher bands, and I'm currently antenna-challenged on 30M and down. I measure full power out from the KPA100 with my LP-100, and the KAT100 works well into a fairly marginal antenna. I'm getting good audio reports using the MH2 mic. >> >> 1. Four times, I've seen the LCD go into the "power adjustment" screen just as I start to adjust the frequency. As I continue to turn the knob, the display goes immediately back to frequency. I'm using an after-market CNC'd aluminum knob with a "bearinged" dimple. It's the same diameter as the stock knob, but a bit heavier, and it is just rubbing the felt washer. I wondered the first time this happened if this was maybe a static discharge as I touched the knob, but I didn't feel or hear anything. The last couple of times, I thought it might be a mechanical issue due to the interference of the encoder and front-panel board(s). Any ideas? >> >> 2. I set the filters with the N-Gen and Spectrogram, using the instructions on Don's website. The filters work as I expect them to, but at times there is a loud, high-frequency hiss on SSB filters 2-4 that is rather annoying. Can I just play with the position of the signal in each pass-band to help this, or is there something else I should look at? The signal I want to hear is audible in all four filters, so I think they're set properly - I just want to improve them if I can. >> >> 3. I am using an external, amplified speaker, made for mobile use, because the K2's audio seems a bit low. Is this normal? This solution is fine with me; I just want to "hear" what other folks have experienced. >> >> Thanks in advance, >> >> 73, Jim KO5V >> >> >> >> >> ______________________________________________________________ >> 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 Jim KO5V
Thanks Phil. Maybe I'm just a bit deaf (but I don't think the rig is!). Usually, if the other guy isn't 59+, I have to have the AF Gain pot at between 2 and 3 o-clock. With the amplified speaker, the setting is similar to yours. The rig is on a flat table top, in the middle of a room and away from a wall, so maybe that's part of the problem too.
73, Jim KO5V "I have no problem with the K2 audio volume sitting arm's length away. Most of the time the AUDIO gain pot is at the 10-o-clock position. YMMV. 73 de K2ASP - Phil Kane Elecraft K2/100 s/n 5402 From a Clearing in the Silicon Forest Beaverton (Washington County) Oregon" ______________________________________________________________ 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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