K2 & HiCur message on 160 - 15, 12 & 10 OK.

[Steve-KI4EZL]

CONTENTS DELETED

The author has deleted this message.

[Don Wilhelm]

Steve,

Do you have the antenna connected to the ANT1 or ANT2 jack on the back
or the top cover?
If you have the antenna connected to the BNC ANT jack on the lower rear
panel, what you are seeing is typical.

If you have the antenna connected properly, then connect an external
wattmeter between the KAT2 and a dummy load.  Set the power to 5 watts
and the ATU menu parameter to CALP, then do a TUNE and observe the power
both on the K2 display and the external wattmeter.  If the external
wattmeter shows a high power (12 watts or more) while the K2 display
shows only a low power (below 2 watts), then the wattmeter in the KAT2
is not working properly, and damaged diodes is the most likely cause.

Being a QRP K2, there is a possibility that transformer T4 was wound for
"best efficiency at 5 watts", so check that transformer for 3 turns of
white wire - if it has only 2 turns, that behavior is 'normal' because
above 5 watts the PA efficiency becomes worse.  Note that winding ratio
should never be used for SSB at any power level, so with the KSB2
installed the T4 winding should always be 2:3:1:1.

Increasing your power supply voltage to the point where the K2 display
shows 13.8 volts or even up to 14.5 volts will help too.
Cal Cur should be set to 3.5 Amps normally - but not higher.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 9/5/2016 2:38 PM, [hidden email] wrote:

> I have a K2 that just returned from a full going over, config, and realign.
>
> I am getting the HiCur warning real quick when I key it up.  40 through 15 meters will produce the message when the power setting is adjusted to 6.7 or higher.  On 160 and 80 the error kicks in at 5.3.  Lower power than that will not produce the message in same bands.  Bands 12 & 10 meters do not produce the error.
>
> I pressed display button until voltage showed.  Pressed tune, voltage dropped from 13.00 to 12.4.  Repeated same test, has same results.  The power cable is the same on that came from Elecraft.  I checked Cal Curr in menu.  It was set to 4.0.  I turned up to 4.5 and tried CW (letter E) again, resulting in same message "HiCur" at same places.  Turned Cal Curr setting to 3.5, and tried again.  Same results at same place.
>
> Radio is the 15 watt model that was built in upper 3000 serial numbers.  It has all the updates and latest firmware installed.  Also has the following options installed: KSB2, K160RX, KNB2, KAF2, KIO2, KAT2,  & KBT2.
>
> Power Supply is 30 amp Astron.  Weighs about 35 or 40 pounds (it seems), and nothing else is connected to the PS except K2.
>
> The antenna is an UltiMax end fed, 33' vertical wire.
>
> Everything else seems to work flawlessly.
>
> What else should I check to clear this HiCur error?
>
> Thank You and 73,  Steve
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>
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> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
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>

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[Guy Olinger K2AV]

If the voltage drops from 13 to 12.4 with only a 3 amp draw on a 30 ampere
Astron, you likely have a severe power problem somewhere.

Measure the voltage on the Astron output terminals when you key the K2. If
the drop is present at the Astron, then you have a severe Astron problem.
If not then you most likely have a severe problem with power cord, power
connector, etc. Gone bad, not fully inserted, whatever. Always rule out
mechanical stuff before tearing apart the radio or shipping it back to Big
E. Wires and connectors are mechanical things that wear out. Do not ever
trust wires and connectors. Expect them to go bad. They will.

I have seen a male "F" connector for RG-6 stuff that did NOT have the
threads grooved. Owner came within half a phone call and three cuss words
of sending a RX switch box back to manufacturer accusing them of using
non-standard female F connector jacks on the box's back plane.

Never, ever trust wires and connectors. They are necessary, but they are
also your covert enemy. They have atomic level situational detectors and
know when you are in a contest, or taking your only shot at a new country
you have been chasing for a quarter century, or otherwise emotionally
vulnerable, and thus gleefully fail at times of maximum impact.

My low power K2 drops the 30 amp Astron from 14.4 to 14.3 when I key it at
10 watts. I have changed the internal settings to obtain 14.4 volts out.
Better supply voltage for just about every "12 volt" gizmo in the shack.
But that's totally different subject.

73, and good luck,
Guy K2AV



On Mon, Sep 5, 2016 at 2:38 PM, [hidden email] <[hidden email]>
wrote:

> I have a K2 that just returned from a full going over, config, and realign.
>
> I am getting the HiCur warning real quick when I key it up.  40 through 15
> meters will produce the message when the power setting is adjusted to 6.7
> or higher.  On 160 and 80 the error kicks in at 5.3.  Lower power than that
> will not produce the message in same bands.  Bands 12 & 10 meters do not
> produce the error.
>
> I pressed display button until voltage showed.  Pressed tune, voltage
> dropped from 13.00 to 12.4.  Repeated same test, has same results.  The
> power cable is the same on that came from Elecraft.  I checked Cal Curr in
> menu.  It was set to 4.0.  I turned up to 4.5 and tried CW (letter E)
> again, resulting in same message "HiCur" at same places.  Turned Cal Curr
> setting to 3.5, and tried again.  Same results at same place.
>
> Radio is the 15 watt model that was built in upper 3000 serial numbers.
> It has all the updates and latest firmware installed.  Also has the
> following options installed: KSB2, K160RX, KNB2, KAF2, KIO2, KAT2,  & KBT2.
>
> Power Supply is 30 amp Astron.  Weighs about 35 or 40 pounds (it seems),
> and nothing else is connected to the PS except K2.
>
> The antenna is an UltiMax end fed, 33' vertical wire.
>
> Everything else seems to work flawlessly.
>
> What else should I check to clear this HiCur error?
>
> Thank You and 73,  Steve
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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
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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]