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K2 IF Alignment Question

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SABorns

K2 IF Alignment Question

The peak when adjusting L34 during IF alignment is at the top rather than
the l to 1 1/2 turns in mentioned in the manual. Has anyone else encountered
this?

73 Steve K8IDN

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Dan Barker

RE: K2 IF Alignment Question

You are not adjusting for the peak, you are adjusting for the maximum
signal/noise. It does not occur at the peak signal. Unless you are using
Spectrogram or some such, it is a trick to do by ear.

That said, if your best S/N is at the top, I haven't a clue if you have a
problem<g>.

Dan / WG4S / K2 #2456

-----Original Message-----
From: [hidden email]
[mailto:[hidden email]]On Behalf Of [hidden email]
Sent: Saturday, July 01, 2006 12:57 AM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: [Elecraft] K2 IF Alignment Question

The peak when adjusting L34 during IF alignment is at the top rather than
the l to 1 1/2 turns in mentioned in the manual. Has anyone else
encountered
this?

73 Steve K8IDN

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Joe-aa4nn

Re: K2 IF Alignment Question

Are we speaking of the same L34? Mine "peaked" at nearly the top,
not a turn or so from the top. As I remember I was peaking for the
loudness of the noise; nary a signal around.
de Joe, aa4nn
-----------------------------------------------------------
----- Original Message -----
From: "Dan Barker" <[hidden email]>
To: <[hidden email]>
Sent: Saturday, July 01, 2006 6:49 AM
Subject: RE: [Elecraft] K2 IF Alignment Question

> You are not adjusting for the peak, you are adjusting for the maximum
> signal/noise. It does not occur at the peak signal. Unless you are using
> Spectrogram or some such, it is a trick to do by ear.
>
> That said, if your best S/N is at the top, I haven't a clue if you have a
> problem<g>.
>
> Dan / WG4S / K2 #2456
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [hidden email]
> [mailto:[hidden email]]On Behalf Of [hidden email]
> Sent: Saturday, July 01, 2006 12:57 AM
> To: [hidden email]
> Subject: [Elecraft] K2 IF Alignment Question
>
>
> The peak when adjusting L34 during IF alignment is at the top rather
> than
> the l to 1 1/2 turns in mentioned in the manual. Has anyone else
> encountered
> this?
>
> 73 Steve K8IDN
>

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Don Wilhelm-3

RE: K2 IF Alignment Question

The 'peak' on L34 is very broad and difficult to discern. It ideally should
be adjusted for the best signal to noise ratio.

If you use the 7000 KHz 'birdie' (no antenna connected), you can usually
hear the signal peak especially if you listen for the noise to minimize. A
Spectrogram display will also show it if you look for the maximum signal
amplitude that is also consistent with minimum noise.

Yes look first for the peak at the 1 to 1 1/2 turns from the top, but if you
are unable to discern it, just set the slug at 1 turn from the top and let
it go at that.

73,
Don W3FPR

> -----Original Message-----
>
> Are we speaking of the same L34? Mine "peaked" at nearly the top,
> not a turn or so from the top. As I remember I was peaking for the
> loudness of the noise; nary a signal around.
> de Joe, aa4nn
> -----------------------------------------------------------
> > You are not adjusting for the peak, you are adjusting for the maximum
> > signal/noise. It does not occur at the peak signal. Unless you are using
> > Spectrogram or some such, it is a trick to do by ear.
> >
> > That said, if your best S/N is at the top, I haven't a clue if
> you have a
> > problem<g>.
> >
> >
> > The peak when adjusting L34 during IF alignment is at the top rather
> > than
> > the l to 1 1/2 turns in mentioned in the manual. Has anyone else
> > encountered
> > this?
> >
> > 73 Steve K8IDN
>

Wyn Hughes

Re: K2 IF Alignment Question

In reply to this post by SABorns

I also found this procedure slightly confusing when I was going through it yesterday. The manual tells you to use a DMM to measure AC volts in the speaker out socket as an alternative to by ear assessment. I could measure the audio volts out ok but it did not tell me anything about the signal to noise ratio. I found that the 'birdie' on about 7000 is easier to detect if you have the tuning steps set to fine (0.1 or 0.01 khz) as otherwise you can tune right past it if the step is set to 1 khz. In the end I settled for just leaving the slug turned about 1 turn in, the birdie sounded quite loud and clear at that setting. Turning it further did seem to bring up the noise slightly.

73,
Wyn VR2AX

Are we speaking of the same L34? Mine "peaked" at nearly the top,
not a turn or so from the top. As I remember I was peaking for the
loudness of the noise; nary a signal around.
de Joe, aa4nn
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Ian Stirling, G4ICV, AB2GR

Re: K2 IF Alignment Question

In reply to this post by SABorns

On Saturday 01 July 2006 00:57, [hidden email] wrote:
> The peak when adjusting L34 during IF alignment is at the top rather than
> the l to 1 1/2 turns in mentioned in the manual. Has anyone else encountered
> this?
>
> 73 Steve K8IDN

Steve,

It seemed like that to me too. I used Spectrogram a couple
of days ago having read back to 1999 the Elecraft list
archives about tuning L34.
Mine behaves strangely. The noise decreases as it
approaches the top and then increases at some point, having
not reached the top. But screwing it in to lower it doesn't
decrease the noise. I have to turn it in a couple of times
until the noise is obvious, then unscrew it to the best
low noise I've seen and just believe it's the best - it
seems to be approachable only by unscrewing towards the top.

I read in the archives that some K2s need a 150 pF
capacitor in place of the current 180 pF.
It's not a well defined alignment procedure, especially
with the guru, Don Wilhelm saying,
" just set the slug at 1 turn from the top and let
it go at that"

Ian, G4ICV, AB2GR, K2 #4962
--

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