K2 Multiple Birdies Suddenly Appeared. Help!

[Brian Wruble]

Hi Guys:

I had my K2 (S/N 2528) opened up to replace the thermal pads on Q7 and Q8.
This was in the aftermath of installing the KPA100 option.  Everything
worked fine for a few weeks after installing the KPA100, but I needed to
change out the pads as the old ones had gotten "threadbare".  I am pretty
sure I didn't have this problem before I did that, but I am not 100%
positive.        

Suddenly, I have birdies all over the place, on almost every band, and
spaced out across the bands.  The birdie is clearly associated with the KIO2
interface that is part of the KPA100.  When I unplug the digital cable
either from the PC or from the back of the K-2, the birdies disappear.
However, I still have the birdies even if I shut down the PC, another PC in
the shack, and both monitors.  I have them when I move to battery power.  I
have tried shutting down everything in the area, with no change.

I tried placing rf suppressing toroids and split rings on the line to the PC
with no effect.  I have changed COM ports with no success.  Unplugging the
KAT100 makes no difference.  

The birdies are at times steady and at times pulsating --- whoop whoop whoop
--- about 2 per second.  The pattern can change based on what I am doing on
the PC.  But, the birdies are there with the PC totally shut down, monitor
as well.  It acts like the KIO2 (the one that is built into the KPA100 is
generating it's own oscillations, but only with the control cable connected.

The configuration of my K2:

KPA100
KAT100
KNB2
KDSP2
K160RX
K60XV

Any thoughts much appreciated.  Thanks.

de Brian W3BW


_______________________________________________
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/elecraft   
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm
Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com

[W9DHI]

Brian do you have the freq. counter lead still plugged into test point
2...it's been mentioned before, especially with the KPA100 installed that
you could create problems.  However I've been under the impression that the
problems would be on the cleanliness of the transmitted signal...just a
thought.


Gregg R. Lengling, W9DHI, Retired
Administrator http://www.milwaukeehdtv.org
K2/100 S#3075 KX1 S# 57
Member:  ARRL, RSGB, RCA, WERA and ORC
 


-----Original Message-----
From: [hidden email]
[mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Brian Wruble
Sent: Tuesday, August 10, 2004 9:37 AM
To: 'Elecraft Discussion List'
Subject: [Elecraft] K2 Multiple Birdies Suddenly Appeared. Help!

Hi Guys:

I had my K2 (S/N 2528) opened up to replace the thermal pads on Q7 and Q8.
This was in the aftermath of installing the KPA100 option.  Everything
worked fine for a few weeks after installing the KPA100, but I needed to
change out the pads as the old ones had gotten "threadbare".  I am pretty
sure I didn't have this problem before I did that, but I am not 100%
positive.        

Suddenly, I have birdies all over the place, on almost every band, and
spaced out across the bands.  The birdie is clearly associated with the KIO2
interface that is part of the KPA100.  When I unplug the digital cable
either from the PC or from the back of the K-2, the birdies disappear.
However, I still have the birdies even if I shut down the PC, another PC in
the shack, and both monitors.  I have them when I move to battery power.  I
have tried shutting down everything in the area, with no change.

I tried placing rf suppressing toroids and split rings on the line to the PC
with no effect.  I have changed COM ports with no success.  Unplugging the
KAT100 makes no difference.  

The birdies are at times steady and at times pulsating --- whoop whoop whoop
--- about 2 per second.  The pattern can change based on what I am doing on
the PC.  But, the birdies are there with the PC totally shut down, monitor
as well.  It acts like the KIO2 (the one that is built into the KPA100 is
generating it's own oscillations, but only with the control cable connected.

The configuration of my K2:

KPA100
KAT100
KNB2
KDSP2
K160RX
K60XV

Any thoughts much appreciated.  Thanks.

de Brian W3BW


_______________________________________________
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/elecraft   
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm
Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com


_______________________________________________
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/elecraft   
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm
Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com

[Brian Wruble]

No it is not connected.  Thanks for the quick response --- it reached me
before my own post reached me!  Brian

-----Original Message-----
From: W9DHI [mailto:[hidden email]]
Sent: Tuesday, August 10, 2004 9:41 AM
To: 'Brian Wruble'; 'Elecraft Discussion List'
Subject: RE: [Elecraft] K2 Multiple Birdies Suddenly Appeared. Help!

Brian do you have the freq. counter lead still plugged into test point
2...it's been mentioned before, especially with the KPA100 installed that
you could create problems.  However I've been under the impression that the
problems would be on the cleanliness of the transmitted signal...just a
thought.


Gregg R. Lengling, W9DHI, Retired
Administrator http://www.milwaukeehdtv.org
K2/100 S#3075 KX1 S# 57
Member:  ARRL, RSGB, RCA, WERA and ORC
 


-----Original Message-----
From: [hidden email]
[mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Brian Wruble
Sent: Tuesday, August 10, 2004 9:37 AM
To: 'Elecraft Discussion List'
Subject: [Elecraft] K2 Multiple Birdies Suddenly Appeared. Help!

Hi Guys:

I had my K2 (S/N 2528) opened up to replace the thermal pads on Q7 and Q8.
This was in the aftermath of installing the KPA100 option.  Everything
worked fine for a few weeks after installing the KPA100, but I needed to
change out the pads as the old ones had gotten "threadbare".  I am pretty
sure I didn't have this problem before I did that, but I am not 100%
positive.        

Suddenly, I have birdies all over the place, on almost every band, and
spaced out across the bands.  The birdie is clearly associated with the KIO2
interface that is part of the KPA100.  When I unplug the digital cable
either from the PC or from the back of the K-2, the birdies disappear.
However, I still have the birdies even if I shut down the PC, another PC in
the shack, and both monitors.  I have them when I move to battery power.  I
have tried shutting down everything in the area, with no change.

I tried placing rf suppressing toroids and split rings on the line to the PC
with no effect.  I have changed COM ports with no success.  Unplugging the
KAT100 makes no difference.  

The birdies are at times steady and at times pulsating --- whoop whoop whoop
--- about 2 per second.  The pattern can change based on what I am doing on
the PC.  But, the birdies are there with the PC totally shut down, monitor
as well.  It acts like the KIO2 (the one that is built into the KPA100 is
generating it's own oscillations, but only with the control cable connected.

The configuration of my K2:

KPA100
KAT100
KNB2
KDSP2
K160RX
K60XV

Any thoughts much appreciated.  Thanks.

de Brian W3BW


_______________________________________________
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/elecraft   
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm
Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com




_______________________________________________
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/elecraft   
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm
Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com