K2 Anomaly

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K2 Anomaly

Chuck Gehring
K2 Anomaly

I have experienced an anomaly; at least I think it is an anomaly on my K2.

When I am rotating the VFO knob the frequency display will disappear very
briefly and be replaced by my power output setting, then change back just a
quickly to the frequency display.

I have not been able to duplicate it with any degree of regularity; it just
happens and goes back to normal.  The rate of change on the VFO knob does
not seem to determine when this occurs.

It does not seem to have any effect on performance.  Has anyone else
experienced this, can anyone offer an explanation?

73, KI4DGH

Chuck Gehring
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RE: K2 Anomaly

n6wg
This must have been around a long time.
I have s/n 12, and have the same thing.
I just ignore it.  Would be nice to have
it cleared up though.
73, Bob N6WG
The Little Station with Attitude

-----Original Message-----
From: [hidden email]
[mailto:[hidden email]]On Behalf Of Chuck Gehring
Sent: Monday, November 28, 2005 7:06 PM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: [Elecraft] K2 Anomaly


K2 Anomaly

I have experienced an anomaly; at least I think it is an anomaly on my K2.

When I am rotating the VFO knob the frequency display will disappear very
briefly and be replaced by my power output setting, then change back just a
quickly to the frequency display.

I have not been able to duplicate it with any degree of regularity; it just
happens and goes back to normal.  The rate of change on the VFO knob does
not seem to determine when this occurs.

It does not seem to have any effect on performance.  Has anyone else
experienced this, can anyone offer an explanation?

73, KI4DGH

Chuck Gehring
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Re: K2 Anomaly

Bill Coleman-2
In reply to this post by Chuck Gehring

On Nov 28, 2005, at 10:05 PM, Chuck Gehring wrote:

> When I am rotating the VFO knob the frequency display will  
> disappear very
> briefly and be replaced by my power output setting, then change  
> back just a
> quickly to the frequency display.
>
> It does not seem to have any effect on performance.  Has anyone else
> experienced this, can anyone offer an explanation?

Two things. First, as you are turning the main tuning knob, it is  
quite possible you bump the power knob in the process. This will  
cause a power change.

Second, as you are turning the main tuning knob, the vibration to the  
rig may cause the power knob to move slightly, enough to signal a  
change in the K2 firmware.

I have this happen with the power and also the keyer speed,  
occasionally. I wouldn't worry about it.


Bill Coleman, AA4LR, PP-ASEL        Mail: [hidden email]
Quote: "Not within a thousand years will man ever fly!"
             -- Wilbur Wright, 1901

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RE: K2 Anomaly

Don Wilhelm-3
In reply to this post by Chuck Gehring
Chuck,

It is not confined to your K2, it does it on mine too - SN 00020 with all
the latest upgrades and most recent firmware.  I too cannot find any way to
duplicate it with certainty, and it is not really bothersome - just
surprising when it happens.  I guess it is just one of those 'interesting'
artifacts of the K2 firmware processing.

73,
Don W3FPR

> -----Original Message-----
>
> I have experienced an anomaly; at least I think it is an anomaly on my K2.
>
> When I am rotating the VFO knob the frequency display will disappear very
> briefly and be replaced by my power output setting, then change
> back just a
> quickly to the frequency display.
>
> I have not been able to duplicate it with any degree of
> regularity; it just
> happens and goes back to normal.  The rate of change on the VFO knob does
> not seem to determine when this occurs.
>
> It does not seem to have any effect on performance.  Has anyone else
> experienced this, can anyone offer an explanation?
>
> 73, KI4DGH
>
> Chuck Gehring

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RE: K2 Anomaly

Tom Hammond-3

>It is not confined to your K2, it does it on mine too - SN 00020 with all
>the latest upgrades and most recent firmware.  I too cannot find any way to
>duplicate it with certainty, and it is not really bothersome - just
>surprising when it happens.  I guess it is just one of those 'interesting'
>artifacts of the K2 firmware processing.

I've always figgered it was due to my having brushed one of the knobs with
my finger as I 'thumbed' the VFO knob around while tuning.

Tom   N0SS

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RE: K2 Anomaly

Ron D'Eau Claire-2
A few years ago that anomaly got a lot discussion along with the one in
which the code speed will suddenly pop up on the display.

IIRC, the most likely cause was that one of the DAC's that monitor the
controls and reports any change was right near a switch point, so very minor
variations on voltages or even just tiny changes in the response when it is
polled for data will sometimes cause it to report an change in the value by
one increment. Of course, the K2 is designed to display the change whenever
something like the power or keyer speed is changed, so it pops up on the LCD
for a moment.

Ron AC7AC


-----Original Message-----
From: [hidden email]
[mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Tom Hammond
Sent: Monday, November 28, 2005 8:37 PM
To: [hidden email]; Chuck Gehring; [hidden email]
Subject: RE: [Elecraft] K2 Anomaly



>It is not confined to your K2, it does it on mine too - SN 00020 with
>all the latest upgrades and most recent firmware.  I too cannot find
>any way to duplicate it with certainty, and it is not really bothersome
>- just surprising when it happens.  I guess it is just one of those
>'interesting' artifacts of the K2 firmware processing.

I've always figgered it was due to my having brushed one of the knobs with
my finger as I 'thumbed' the VFO knob around while tuning.

Tom   N0SS

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Re: K2 Anomaly

Paul Heller-2
In reply to this post by Chuck Gehring
Chuck Gehring wrote:

>When I am rotating the VFO knob the frequency display will disappear very
>briefly and be replaced by my power output setting, then change back just a
>quickly to the frequency display.
>
Mine did that a few times this weekend while transmitting - I wasn't
touching the knob, just sending CW with an external keyer, and every now
and then the power output display would replace the frequency display
for just a moment.  I chalked that off to RF getting into the rig (I did
have the amp on for the contest) - I had rearranged equipment quickly
before the contest and didn't really have things grounded well.  I've
since rearranged equipment again and the problem hasn't reappeared.

/Paul
 W3PH

--

 /Paul Heller
  [hidden email]
  http://www.his.com

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Re: K2 Anomaly

Rolf Moberg, OH6KXL
> Chuck Gehring wrote:
>
>> When I am rotating the VFO knob the frequency display will disappear very
>> briefly and be replaced by my power output setting, then change back

Mine K2 #4759 has done it a couple of times. I cannot remember whether
is was a tx or rx situation.

Rolf Moberg
oh6kxl
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RE: K2 Anomaly

Masleid, Michael A.-2
In reply to this post by Chuck Gehring
--- and so, if you want the problem to go away, move the control
just a touch to get it away from the switch point.  On the other
hand, if you want the value to pop up from time to time, move the
control to the switch point.  Of course, that's like dropping a
penny on edge, it never sticks when you want it too.

Michael AB9GV

-----Original Message-----
From: [hidden email]
[mailto:[hidden email]]On Behalf Of Ron D'Eau Claire
Sent: Monday, November 28, 2005 11:21 PM
To: 'Tom Hammond'; [hidden email]; 'Chuck Gehring';
[hidden email]
Subject: RE: [Elecraft] K2 Anomaly


A few years ago that anomaly got a lot discussion along with the one in
which the code speed will suddenly pop up on the display.

IIRC, the most likely cause was that one of the DAC's that monitor the
controls and reports any change was right near a switch point, so very minor
variations on voltages or even just tiny changes in the response when it is
polled for data will sometimes cause it to report an change in the value by
one increment. Of course, the K2 is designed to display the change whenever
something like the power or keyer speed is changed, so it pops up on the LCD
for a moment.

Ron AC7AC


-----Original Message-----
From: [hidden email]
[mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Tom Hammond
Sent: Monday, November 28, 2005 8:37 PM
To: [hidden email]; Chuck Gehring; [hidden email]
Subject: RE: [Elecraft] K2 Anomaly



>It is not confined to your K2, it does it on mine too - SN 00020 with
>all the latest upgrades and most recent firmware.  I too cannot find
>any way to duplicate it with certainty, and it is not really bothersome
>- just surprising when it happens.  I guess it is just one of those
>'interesting' artifacts of the K2 firmware processing.

I've always figgered it was due to my having brushed one of the knobs with
my finger as I 'thumbed' the VFO knob around while tuning.

Tom   N0SS

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RE: K2 Anomaly

Ron D'Eau Claire-2
--- and so, if you want the problem to go away, move the control just a
touch to get it away from the switch point.  On the other hand, if you want
the value to pop up from time to time, move the control to the switch point.
Of course, that's like dropping a penny on edge, it never sticks when you
want it too.

Michael AB9GV

----------------------------''

Right! Or quit staring at the display while operating <G> I don't even react
on the very rare occasion when it happens now.

>From Vic's comments it sounds like some pots are noisy anyway. He and the
other's are quite right: a noisy pot would cause that display action as
well.

That's different from the original "noisy audio pot" problem that was a
major thread here about four years ago. There isn't a "well known audio pot
problem" other than that one, at least nothing that's been reported here. I
do recall some pots with loose ferrules that became sloppy (the knob
wobbled) and noisy. Also some of the early K2 knobs had to be pushed onto
the shafts with a great deal of force if the splines on the pot shafts
weren't sanded first. A good way to make a pot become 'wonky' is to put a
lot of stress on the shaft. But those were definitely exceptions, not the
rule.

And, of course, in 25,000 pots out there so far on >5,000 K2's, there's sure
to be some defective ones.

The fact that mine are quiet after five years of regular use shows us all
what anecdotal evidence is worth: it accurately describes my experience but
may not have any bearing on what others experience. For example, did I ever
tell the story of the time I worked Germany from Oregon loading 1 watt into
a wet noodle? (HI!)

Ron AC7AC


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Re: K2 Anomaly

VR2BrettGraham
In reply to this post by Chuck Gehring
The pots that are used frequently on my K2 have gone flaky.

This includes the AF GAIN control, which _does_ have the
mod.

Flakiness in the POWER control can be rather dangerous if
the K2 is driving something that does not want to be driven
too hard.

As changing the front panel pots is something I do _not_
consider to be acceptable (even as preventative maintenance),
anybody have any experience with potential replacements
that stand up better to use?

73, VR2BrettGraham

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Re: K2 Anomaly

VR2BrettGraham
In reply to this post by Chuck Gehring
I now have the rig jumping from VFO A to VFO B, in addition to phantom
displays of power level (the latter more likely to happen shortly after
stopping spinning the VFO).

These do _not_ necessarily happen during transmit, or during transition
from transmit to receive or vice versa, so unlikely to be RFI.

The VFO A to VFO B switch happened twice this morning - both
times during period of receive & with no operator interaction with the rig.

73, VR2BrettGraham

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RE: K2 Anomaly

Don Wilhelm-3
A switch from VFO A to VFO B is unrelated to any pot sitting at a
switchpoint.
You should be looking for some other cause of this 'flakiness' - something
is causing the microprocessor to execute a routine that it should not - it
could be coming from a glitch on the pushbutton matrix, a bad solder joint
at the switch that is just now showing up, or even RF getting into the K2 -
these are just a few things immeditaely off the top of my head.

You might try loosening the microprocessor a bit and reseating it.  It is
possible for slight corrosion to develop at the socket to IC pin pressure
connection, and the wiping action created by re-seating the socketed chips
can often make the problem disappear - it certainly will not hurt anything
to re-seat the uP.

73,
Don W3FPR

> -----Original Message-----
>
> I now have the rig jumping from VFO A to VFO B, in addition to phantom
> displays of power level (the latter more likely to happen shortly after
> stopping spinning the VFO).
>
> These do _not_ necessarily happen during transmit, or during transition
> from transmit to receive or vice versa, so unlikely to be RFI.
>
> The VFO A to VFO B switch happened twice this morning - both
> times during period of receive & with no operator interaction
> with the rig.
>
> 73, VR2BrettGraham
>

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RE: K2 Anomaly

VR2BrettGraham
Don:

>A switch from VFO A to VFO B is unrelated to any pot sitting at a
>switchpoint.

Yes, they are unrelated.  Same thread, different message mentioned
noisy pots.  I replied to both as they are both of interest here.

>You should be looking for some other cause of this 'flakiness' - something
>is causing the microprocessor to execute a routine that it should not - it
>could be coming from a glitch on the pushbutton matrix, a bad solder joint
>at the switch that is just now showing up, or even RF getting into the K2 -
>these are just a few things immeditaely off the top of my head.
>
>You might try loosening the microprocessor a bit and reseating it.  It is
>possible for slight corrosion to develop at the socket to IC pin pressure
>connection, and the wiping action created by re-seating the socketed chips
>can often make the problem disappear - it certainly will not hurt anything
>to re-seat the uP.

If it happens again I might be able to get a feel for something I do
before that might bring it on (like VFO knob spin, then stop & perhaps
in a moment or two the power display comes up on its own), but since
the rig is being polled for frequency info about every second I think this
might be another AuxBus timing thing.

I gave everything socketed a push last time the covers were off & reseat
the CPU next time I'm in there.

73, VR2BrettGraham

> > -----Original Message-----
> >
> > I now have the rig jumping from VFO A to VFO B, in addition to phantom
> > displays of power level (the latter more likely to happen shortly after
> > stopping spinning the VFO).
> >
> > These do _not_ necessarily happen during transmit, or during transition
> > from transmit to receive or vice versa, so unlikely to be RFI.
> >
> > The VFO A to VFO B switch happened twice this morning - both
> > times during period of receive & with no operator interaction
> > with the rig.
> >
> > 73, VR2BrettGraham

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