K2 assembly question

[Soaring Eagles]

Actually 2 questions:

1. I made the first power up and everything went just like the manual.
However, the preamp is marked on. The manual doesn't say which way it
should be and I thought I'd check before I got too much farther.

2. I'm confused about soldering the RF probe. I can't seem to find a good
way to position and solder the RG174 cable ends to the banana plugs.
There's just a slight dimple at the end of the plugs and I can't figure a
good mechanical way to connect them before soldering.

Thanks for any help!

K2 #5757 (in build process)
KX1 #1517 (4 bander)

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[Doug Person]

Everybody needs one of these little dodads with the two alligator clips
mounted on ball joints.  Radio Shack used to have them.  I have two and
use them constantly.  That's how I did my probes.  I also use it to hold
a string of solder.  This way, I can hold the board and iron to the
solder and anchor one or two pins of a multi-pin device.  Better than a
third arm.

73, Doug -- K0DXV

Soaring Eagles wrote:

> Actually 2 questions:
>
> 1. I made the first power up and everything went just like the manual.
> However, the preamp is marked on. The manual doesn't say which way it
> should be and I thought I'd check before I got too much farther.
>
> 2. I'm confused about soldering the RF probe. I can't seem to find a
> good way to position and solder the RG174 cable ends to the banana
> plugs. There's just a slight dimple at the end of the plugs and I
> can't figure a good mechanical way to connect them before soldering.
>
> Thanks for any help!
>
> K2 #5757 (in build process)
> KX1 #1517 (4 bander)
>
> _______________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Post to: [hidden email]
> You must be a subscriber to post to the list.
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> Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
>
>

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[KB5DXY]

Doug Person wrote:
> Everybody needs one of these little dodads with the two alligator
> clips mounted on ball joints.  Radio Shack used to have them.  
Radio Shack still carry this item. Kronus Helping Hands , Cat#
0-87259-879-9. I have seen them in the stores locally.

Larry
KB5DXY
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[Richard Kent]

1. I made the first power up and everything went just like the manual.
However, the preamp is marked on. The manual doesn't say which way it
should be and I thought I'd check before I got too much farther.

On mine the preamp was always on even when it did not exist yet.

2. I'm confused about soldering the RF probe. I can't seem to find a good
way to position and solder the RG174 cable ends to the banana plugs.
There's just a slight dimple at the end of the plugs and I can't figure a
good mechanical way to connect them before soldering.

I cheated here. I bought a crimp on BNC for RG/174 and terminated the coax.
I already use a BNC to banana plug adaptor for my voltmeter for other
reasons. This just made the probe compatible with my system. However, this
does make for a solid connection.

Richard Kent WD8AJG K2 5296

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[Don Wilhelm-3]

Richard,

The preamp does not have to exist for the display to indicate that it is ON.
The microprocessor controls the display indication.  You should be able to
tap the PRE/ATT button and switch from the attenuator to the preamp to OFF
for both.

Sounds like you solved your RF Probe problem just fine.  Normally the shield
would be connected to a piece of wire about 3 inches long - the coax center
conductor solders to into the cup (dimple) of the red banana plug and the
black banana plug is soldered to the wire connected to the coax braid.  At
least that is the way I do it.  I also use a bit of heat shrink at the
junction of the braid and the wire just to make things neat, but whichever
way you get the connections made, it should work FB.

73,
Don W3FPR

> -----Original Message-----
>
> 1. I made the first power up and everything went just like the manual.
> However, the preamp is marked on. The manual doesn't say which way it
> should be and I thought I'd check before I got too much farther.
>
> On mine the preamp was always on even when it did not exist yet.
>
> 2. I'm confused about soldering the RF probe. I can't seem to find a good
> way to position and solder the RG174 cable ends to the banana plugs.
> There's just a slight dimple at the end of the plugs and I can't figure a
> good mechanical way to connect them before soldering.
>
> I cheated here. I bought a crimp on BNC for RG/174 and terminated
> the coax.
> I already use a BNC to banana plug adaptor for my voltmeter for other
> reasons. This just made the probe compatible with my system. However, this
> does make for a solid connection.
>
> Richard Kent WD8AJG K2 5296
>

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