K2 Binocular Core

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K2 Binocular Core

k6dgw
In final stages of K2 build (winding last toroids).  I remember a
comment passing through the reflector a week or two ago about winding
the binocular core differently than outlined in the manual.  Before I
get to it, thought I'd ask if this was something I should do?  Maybe the
comment wasn't about a K2.

73,

Fred K6DGW
Auburn CA CM98

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RE: K2 Binocular Core

Ron D'Eau Claire-2
The recommendation is to "interleave" the two windings instead of simply
wrapping the white windings on top of the greens windings. That should
improve the coupling slightly. Wind it so the green wire runs over and under
the white wire.

The K2 should make the full 10 watts on all bands as long as you wind it per
the instructions, but some K2's just barely make the 10 watts on 10 meters
and the Elecraft builders are famous for tweaking and prodding for an extra
few milliwatts! It's sort of part of the genetic makeup of a habitual
builder/tinkerer <G>.

Ron AC7AC

-----Original Message-----

In final stages of K2 build (winding last toroids).  I remember a comment
passing through the reflector a week or two ago about winding the binocular
core differently than outlined in the manual.  Before I get to it, thought
I'd ask if this was something I should do?  Maybe the comment wasn't about a
K2.

73,

Fred K6DGW
Auburn CA CM98


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Re: RE: K2 Binocular Core

Tom Mc
In reply to this post by k6dgw
Also - I have been having trouble getting 10 Watts on 10 meters so I asked Gary about it (he's the Elecraft repair guru).  He said the same thing about interleaving T4 but he also said to make sure T2 is wound correctly, and while I was at it to check T1.  When I popped the lid, I wasn't at all impressed with my rendidtion of T2, so I e-mailed the "Toroid Guy" and he was kind enough to send me T1, T2 and T4.  

So once I get them in I'll let you know the results...For me T2 was very tuff to wind and then mount (and upon further inspection, it looks it!)

Tom
WB2QDG
K2 1103

----- Original Message -----
From: Ron D'Eau Claire <[hidden email]>
Date: Monday, September 27, 2004 12:00 pm
Subject: RE: [Elecraft] K2 Binocular Core

> The recommendation is to "interleave" the two windings instead of
> simplywrapping the white windings on top of the greens windings.
> That should
> improve the coupling slightly. Wind it so the green wire runs over
> and under
> the white wire.
>
> The K2 should make the full 10 watts on all bands as long as you
> wind it per
> the instructions, but some K2's just barely make the 10 watts on
> 10 meters
> and the Elecraft builders are famous for tweaking and prodding for
> an extra
> few milliwatts! It's sort of part of the genetic makeup of a habitual
> builder/tinkerer <G>.
>
> Ron AC7AC
>
> -----Original Message-----
>
> In final stages of K2 build (winding last toroids).  I remember a
> commentpassing through the reflector a week or two ago about
> winding the binocular
> core differently than outlined in the manual.  Before I get to it,
> thoughtI'd ask if this was something I should do?  Maybe the
> comment wasn't about a
> K2.
>
> 73,
>
> Fred K6DGW
> Auburn CA CM98
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Post to: [hidden email]
> You must be a subscriber to post to the list.
> Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.):
> http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraftHelp: 
> http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htmElecraft web page:
> http://www.elecraft.com

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RE: K2 Binocular Core

Ron D'Eau Claire-2
In reply to this post by k6dgw
I'd like to add an addendum to my earlier post on this subject:

I happened to talk with Eric today and he said they don't really recommend
"interleaving" the wires on the binocular core although it doesn't seem to
hurt and may help.

I was just upgrading an older K2 for a buddy and noticed that it only
produced about 7 watts on 10 meters. I pulled T2 and rewound it with the red
winding spaced out over 85% or so of the core and the green secondary spaced
out over almost all of the red winding (the green wire wraps between
adjacent red turns for as long as  it goes - it's a smaller winding than the
red wire one), then carefully dressed the leads so the green turns didn't
get jumbled up in a bunch and the core was about 2mm off of the board. That
produced the full 10 watts on 10 meters and up to 15 watts on some of the
lower bands.

Neatness counts! It's easy to make the green windings jumble up on that coil
if you pull on the leads when soldering them. Besides, it should be spaced
slightly off of the board. I put a little piece of scrap plastic as a spacer
under the coil until it was soldered, then slid the spacer out.

Gary at Elecraft has an excellent photo of a properly-wound T2 on the
Elecraft web pages. Look under Builder's Resources/Troubleshooting Tips -
the second from the bottom of the list I believe.

Ron AC7AC



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RE: K2 Binocular Core

Brian Mury-3
In reply to this post by Ron D'Eau Claire-2
> The K2 should make the full 10 watts on all bands as long as you wind it per
> the instructions, but some K2's just barely make the 10 watts on 10 meters
> and the Elecraft builders are famous for tweaking and prodding for an extra
> few milliwatts! It's sort of part of the genetic makeup of a habitual
> builder/tinkerer <G>.

I've been using a power cord from my PK232 that had a plug that fit my
K2. It was pretty small gauge (the TNC doesn't draw much current), and
was meant to be temporary, but I never got around to replacing it.

Yesterday I finally got around to making a power cord with some larger
gauge wire. The voltage drop when transmitting decreased, decreasing
current draw for a given power level. My transmit current on some bands
was very close to 3.5A, and I would occasionally get the "Hi Cur"
message. My worst current draw is now around 2.8A.

What does this have to do with power? I seem to be getting a bit more
power out of it! My best band is 80M, where I can get 17 to 18 watts!

BTW, the wire I used is 18 gauge. That and 10 gauge are what I happen to
have lying around, and the 10 gauge wouldn't fit through the plastic
shell on the power plug... I will use it for the KPA100.

--
73, Brian
VE7NGR

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Re: K2 Binocular Core

n6wg
Brian
When the K2 sees a bit more collector voltage, you have two things going for
you.
with more voltrage available, it takes less current for the same power (E x
I=W).
Also, with a bit more collector voltage, the PA is a bit more efficient,
requiring a bit less current for the same output power.
73, Bob N6WG

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