K2 Birdies

[Geoffrey Mackenzie-Kennedy-2]

Hi  K2ers,

Has anyone got any comments to make about internally generated birdies in
the K2?  I have only just had a look at what my K2 produces because during a
QSO with a JA on 40m Long Path a few mornings ago, who was playing chicken
at 7.0000 plus gnat's eyebrow, I was getting constant QRM - unkeyed
carrier - and  he was weak weak. Much blue smoke about guys who dont use
dummy loads. Brain finally arrived and remembered a comment in the manual
about a weak birdie at 7 Mhz. So, put a dummy load on the K2/100 and indeed
QRM was from the birdie. So went looking for other birdies in case K2 needed
re-alignment. I found:

Scratching noises at 3524 and 3572  as tuning was varied (all freqs are to
nearest kHz)
Plop and constant  at 3590   (sounds like a PLL locking and then letting go
as tuning knob is moved)
A good plop at 3990            (PLL only holding for a small shift in
tuning)
Healthy one at 4000               ( to be expected)
Twins at 7000
Twins at 10.170
Twins at 14.171
A good plop at 14.350
S9 Plop and constant at 14361  (grateful that it is out of band)
Twins at 18.172
Twins at 28.000
Good plop at 28.277
Single carrier at 29.483

Have not done any number crunching yet, but I suspect that the "Twins" have
something to do with  +/- 4 Mhz oscillators +/- something else. The "plops"
worry me a bit. Dont want to plop on transmit. All the birdies that are
in-band are strong enough to cause "QRM".

Are these birdies found in all K2s, or have I not got something properly set
up?

73,       Geoff  GM4ESD

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[G3VVT]

Had a quick check with my K2 serial No.4168 for birdies:
 
All 80m frequencies quoted below 4000 nothing on any mode. I did have  moving
interference with a poor tone on 3857 of S1 drifting HF + a  broadcast
station on 3891 of S0. Appear to be external pickup despite having a  BNC 1/2W term
on the K2 antenna socket.
 
4000     Yes at S1
7000     Yes at S0
10170    Yes on CW at 10172.4 at S0
                        LSB  at 10172.5 at S0
                        USB  clear
14171    Yes on 14172 CW/LSB at S0
                        14167  USB at S0
14350    Yes on CW transit only 14351.19 to  14351.20
                        LSB  transit only 14351.38 to 14351.39
                        USB  transit only 14353.38 to 14353.39
14361    Yes on CW transit only 14361.19 to  14361.20
                        LSB  appears abruptly 14361.40 and disappears same. S7
                        USB  appears abruptly 14363.38 and disappears same. S7
18172    Yes on 18172.40 CW at S0
                        18172.50  LSB at S0
                        18167  USB at S0
28000    Yes on all modes at S0
28277    Yes on CW 28275.80 at S0
                        LSB  28277.70 at S0
                        USB  28275.60 at S0
29483    Yes on CW 29480 at S0
                        LSB  clear
                        USB  29481.40 at S0
 
All measurements were taken with the pre-amp on. Apart from the strong  
birdie at 14361 of S7 and the internal 4000kHz clock in the K2, all were very  weak
and failing to move the S meter.
 
I think if you scrutinise most radios for the amateur market you will find  
such slight imperfections somewhere, though I would suspect that the K2 is  a
lot better than some. At the end of the day with all such items it is a  
trade-off between the cost the consumer is willing to  pay against perfection at any
price.
 
Bob, G3VVT
K2 #4168
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[Mike Harris-9]

G'day,

#1400 revision "A" matches this +/- calibration:

| 4000     Yes at S1
| 7000     Yes at S0
| 10170    Yes on CW at 10172.4 at S0
|                         LSB  at 10172.5 at S0
|                         USB  clear

                          USB at 10167.3 at S0

| 14171    Yes on 14172 CW/LSB at S0
|                         14167  USB at S0
| 14350    Yes on CW transit only 14351.19 to  14351.20
|                         LSB  transit only 14351.38 to 14351.39
|                         USB  transit only 14353.38 to 14353.39
| 14361    Yes on CW transit only 14361.19 to  14361.20
|                         LSB  appears abruptly 14361.40 and disappears
same. S7
|                         USB  appears abruptly 14363.38 and disappears
same. S7
| 18172    Yes on 18172.40 CW at S0
|                         18172.50  LSB at S0
|                         18167  USB at S0
| 28000    Yes on all modes at S0
| 28277    Yes on CW 28275.80 at S0
|                         LSB  28277.70 at S0
|                         USB  28275.60 at S0
| 29483    Yes on CW 29480 at S0
|                         LSB  clear
|                         USB  29481.40 at S0

Mike VP8NO (G3VUI)
#1400

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