K2 and Digital Modes

[Gary McKelvie]

Hi to the List,

I'm thinking of buying the kit for the K2 with the 100 watt PA. I
will mainly be operating on Digital modes such as PSK 31 MFSK 16 RTTY
and Hellschreiber. I will be using a Tigertronics SL 1+ interface but
was wondering if there are any known problems with the K2 and any or
all of these modes before I buy the Kit and start building.

Regards
Gary G7USC

Gary McKelvie
G7USC
Web : www.garym.org.uk
Mobile : [phone]
MSN Messenger : [hidden email]
So Long and Thanks for all the Fish

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[Tom Hammond-3]

Gary:

>I'm thinking of buying the kit for the K2 with the 100 watt PA. I
>will mainly be operating on Digital modes such as PSK 31 MFSK 16
>RTTY and Hellschreiber. I will be using a Tigertronics SL 1+
>interface but was wondering if there are any known problems with the
>K2 and any or all of these modes before I buy the Kit and start building.

The KPA100 is a nice 100W amp, BUT it is NOT rated for 100% duty
cycle in digital (continuous-duty carrier) modes. In fact, were it
me, I'd probably not run it at more than about 40W output if I was
using it on a digital mode.

You COULD probably run it at somewhat higher output IF:

  1) You remoted the KPA100, as MANY(!) have done, to a separate EC2
     enclosure, AND

  2) IF you took steps to BLOW A LOT of air across the heatsink.

At higher continuous duty output power levels, I'd want to pass a
LOT of air across both the TOP and the BOTTOM (between the PC board
and the heatsink) of the heatsink.

Cheers,

Tom Hammond

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[Don Wilhelm-3]

There is no known problem for using the K2 with any of the soundcard
interfaces as far as I know.  Most interface boxes allow for configuring
  to the proper microphone cabling (even if they offer special cables).
  And the K2 can be configured to use most any microphone wiring scheme.

The K2 audio that is fed to the interface card is quite another
decision.  The headphone jack and the external speaker jacks are easy
candidates, but will vary with the setting of the AF Gain control (easy
enough to adjust by looking at the waterfall display background color),
but if you want an independent fixed audio output, my K2 Fixed Audio
board is one solution.  See my website > http://w3fpr.qrprqdio.com
(I no longer have kits, but I still have a few boards available).
For the K2/100 the board can be mounted between the front panel and the
control board.

73,
Don W3FPR


Gary McKelvie wrote:

> Hi to the List,
>
> I'm thinking of buying the kit for the K2 with the 100 watt PA. I will
> mainly be operating on Digital modes such as PSK 31 MFSK 16 RTTY and
> Hellschreiber. I will be using a Tigertronics SL 1+ interface but was
> wondering if there are any known problems with the K2 and any or all of
> these modes before I buy the Kit and start building.
>
> Regards
> Gary G7USC

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[KJ3D-2]

Hi Don,

FYI:  Your page link is misspelled (as is misspelled, probably - I never can
remember how many s's).

Tom

-----Original Message-----
From: [hidden email]
[mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Don Wilhelm
Sent: Sunday, April 08, 2007 8:54 AM
To: Gary McKelvie
Cc: [hidden email]
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K2 and Digital Modes

There is no known problem for using the K2 with any of the soundcard
interfaces as far as I know.  Most interface boxes allow for configuring
  to the proper microphone cabling (even if they offer special cables).
  And the K2 can be configured to use most any microphone wiring scheme.

The K2 audio that is fed to the interface card is quite another decision.
The headphone jack and the external speaker jacks are easy candidates, but
will vary with the setting of the AF Gain control (easy enough to adjust by
looking at the waterfall display background color), but if you want an
independent fixed audio output, my K2 Fixed Audio board is one solution.
See my website > http://w3fpr.qrprqdio.com (I no longer have kits, but I
still have a few boards available).
For the K2/100 the board can be mounted between the front panel and the
control board.

73,
Don W3FPR


Gary McKelvie wrote:

> Hi to the List,
>
> I'm thinking of buying the kit for the K2 with the 100 watt PA. I will
> mainly be operating on Digital modes such as PSK 31 MFSK 16 RTTY and
> Hellschreiber. I will be using a Tigertronics SL 1+ interface but was
> wondering if there are any known problems with the K2 and any or all
> of these modes before I buy the Kit and start building.
>
> Regards
> Gary G7USC

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[Don Wilhelm-3]

Sorry,  Morning fumble-fingers. Try instead  http://w3fpr.qrpradio.com

73,
Don W3FPR


KJ3D wrote:

> Hi Don,
>
> FYI:  Your page link is misspelled (as is misspelled, probably - I never can
> remember how many s's).
>
> Tom
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [hidden email]
> [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Don Wilhelm
> Sent: Sunday, April 08, 2007 8:54 AM
> To: Gary McKelvie
> Cc: [hidden email]
> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K2 and Digital Modes
>
> There is no known problem for using the K2 with any of the soundcard
> interfaces as far as I know.  Most interface boxes allow for configuring
>   to the proper microphone cabling (even if they offer special cables).
>   And the K2 can be configured to use most any microphone wiring scheme.
>
> The K2 audio that is fed to the interface card is quite another decision.
> The headphone jack and the external speaker jacks are easy candidates, but
> will vary with the setting of the AF Gain control (easy enough to adjust by
> looking at the waterfall display background color), but if you want an
> independent fixed audio output, my K2 Fixed Audio board is one solution.
> See my website > http://w3fpr.qrprqdio.com (I no longer have kits, but I
> still have a few boards available).
> For the K2/100 the board can be mounted between the front panel and the
> control board.
>
> 73,
> Don W3FPR
>
>
> Gary McKelvie wrote:
>> Hi to the List,
>>
>> I'm thinking of buying the kit for the K2 with the 100 watt PA. I will
>> mainly be operating on Digital modes such as PSK 31 MFSK 16 RTTY and
>> Hellschreiber. I will be using a Tigertronics SL 1+ interface but was
>> wondering if there are any known problems with the K2 and any or all
>> of these modes before I buy the Kit and start building.
>>
>> Regards
>> Gary G7USC
> _______________________________________________
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> Post to: [hidden email]
> You must be a subscriber to post to the list.
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>
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>
>

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[dave.wilburn]

The good news is that digital modes do not require a lot of power.  I
worked Israel on 50w, and Seattle of 15w from the east coast of
Virginia.  You can an additional fan, I believe Tom shows it on his page.

David Wilburn
[hidden email]
K4DGW
K2 #5982


Tom Hammond wrote:

> Gary:
>
>> I'm thinking of buying the kit for the K2 with the 100 watt PA. I will
>> mainly be operating on Digital modes such as PSK 31 MFSK 16 RTTY and
>> Hellschreiber. I will be using a Tigertronics SL 1+ interface but was
>> wondering if there are any known problems with the K2 and any or all
>> of these modes before I buy the Kit and start building.
>
> The KPA100 is a nice 100W amp, BUT it is NOT rated for 100% duty cycle
> in digital (continuous-duty carrier) modes. In fact, were it me, I'd
> probably not run it at more than about 40W output if I was using it on a
> digital mode.
>
> You COULD probably run it at somewhat higher output IF:
>
>  1) You remoted the KPA100, as MANY(!) have done, to a separate EC2
>     enclosure, AND
>
>  2) IF you took steps to BLOW A LOT of air across the heatsink.
>
> At higher continuous duty output power levels, I'd want to pass a
> LOT of air across both the TOP and the BOTTOM (between the PC board and
> the heatsink) of the heatsink.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Tom Hammond
> _______________________________________________
> 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
>

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[k6dgw]

Gary McKelvie wrote:
> Hi to the List,
>
> I'm thinking of buying the kit for the K2 with the 100 watt PA. I will
> mainly be operating on Digital modes such as PSK 31 MFSK 16 RTTY and
> Hellschreiber. I will be using a Tigertronics SL 1+ interface but was
> wondering if there are any known problems with the K2 and any or all of
> these modes before I buy the Kit and start building.

I switched my RTTY contesting to my K2, primarily to take advantage of
the RX filters.  I have a splitter in the headphone cord that feeds the
audio input on the computer, and the computer audio output directly
feeds the mic jack.  I juggled the audio input level in Windoze so I can
run with the AF gain on the K2 at about half-scale.  I use amplified
headphones [I'm generally deaf and my hearing aids don't work with
phones] and that gives me a comfortable listening level.  WriteLog/MMTTY
keys the TX via the serial CAT port.

It works way better than just great.  I centered my RTTY filters around
1.1KHz, and set them for about 1.0KHz, 800Hz, 400Hz, and 250Hz
bandwidth.  I rarely use anything but 400Hz.  The K2 RX and filtering is
so superior to what I had with the FT-847, there isn't even a reasonable
way to compare them.

Digital modes are 100% duty cycle when transmitting, and the KPA100 heat
sink got very hot, even at 50-60W.  I mounted an old 12VDC computer
muffin fan on top of the HS with a little bit of sticky backed Velcro,
and now at 100W, the HS stays cool to the touch.

I haven't tried PSK31 or other modes.  Maybe I'll get around to them,
but don't hold your breath :-)  Oh, in order to get the RTTY filters to
show up in the K2 menu, you have to turn them on.  Apparently, they are
off when the K2 comes out of the box.

73,

Fred K6DGW
- Northern California Contest Club
- CU in the 2007 CQP Oct 6-7
- www.cqp.org
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