K2 SSB Question

[info4mjs]

Hi,

I was trying to get my K2 on the air and am running into a bit of difficulty.

The K2 transmits fine on CW.  The K2 receives fine on SSB (and CW), both USB and LSB and the filters have been set up per the kit instructions.  When I depress the MH2 transmit button and speak into it, the signal sounds fine on my test receiver.  I noticed, however, that there is virtually no RF output.  I have tried a couple of different audio settings in SSBA and SSBC to no avail.

Any ideas will be appreciated.

Thanks

Mike, WA1SEO
K2 4788
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[Mike Markowski]

Mike,

I don't have an answer for you, but wanted to say I *think* I am
experiencing the same thing.  I have an old Bird model 43 watt meter
hooked up - not at all the thing to be testing phone output with - and
see one unexpected thing.  SSB sounds fine on my test rcvr on 40m and
80m, 100 W into dummy load, where I see peaks of maybe 20 to 25 W when
speaking into the mic.  But on other bands I see about 2 W!  However,
whistling into the mic gives me about 80 W or so on all bands, and a
quick tune at 100 W gives about 100 W.  At least the amp is ok, so maybe
I'm seeing the greater emphasis on lower frequencies in LSB popping the
meter up a bit more than USB?  That's quite a difference though.  I hope
to get a scope hooked up to better test it.  I just finished my 100 W
amp over the weekend and am trying to make sure all is well.  I did have
a short 20m psk31 qso and was putting out 30 W, same as the power
setting.  But I still wonder at that 20W/2W difference...  The bands
were awful this weekend and prevented better testing.  In any case, I'll
be interested to see what you learn.  I'm using the MD2 mic, by the way.

Mike  AB3AP
K2 4834

Mike Stricker wrote on 05/13/05 21:00 ET:

> Hi,
>
> I was trying to get my K2 on the air and am running into a bit of
> difficulty.
>
> The K2 transmits fine on CW.  The K2 receives fine on SSB (and CW),
> both USB and LSB and the filters have been set up per the kit
> instructions.  When I depress the MH2 transmit button and speak into
> it, the signal sounds fine on my test receiver.  I noticed, however,
> that there is virtually no RF output.  I have tried a couple of
> different audio settings in SSBA and SSBC to no avail.
>
> Any ideas will be appreciated.
>
> Thanks
>
> Mike, WA1SEO K2 4788

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[Mike Markowski]

Ok, gang, please ignore my previous post and rack it up to simple
paranoia.  I finished my 100 W stage Saturday, tried to make a few
QSOs Sunday and failed during the abysmal band condx.  I felt
fairly sure I must've have messed up something while installing the
amp.  *BUT* today after work I had a solid phone QSO on 20m between
here (Pennsylvania) and Texas with a fellow K2 owner, though he was
on a Collins at 900 W today.  We had 30 minutes with no fading and
a great chat.  It's likely coincidence, but he said I was the first
QSO all afternoon he'd been able to maintain for more than a few
minutes.  I followed this up with a psk31 qso just to be sure all
is well.  Paranoia cured!  Now...do I sell my other rig which is
getting very little use since the K2 showed up??  :-/

Mike WA1SEO, maybe your experience is the same as mine - just a
misinterpretation?  If you have access to a scope, that would
let you know for sure what's happening.  Short of that, the good
ol' "whistle test" to a dummy load will be helpful as well.

73,
Mike  AB3AP
Avondale, PA

On Mon 16-May-05 at 1149 EDT, Mike Markowski wrote:
>
> [...] SSB sounds fine on my test rcvr on 40m and
> 80m, 100 W into dummy load, where I see peaks of maybe 20 to 25 W when
> speaking into the mic.  But on other bands I see about 2 W! [...]
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