K2 build coming along.... Just a couple questions.....

[Vern Kollas]

First off, hello to everyone on the list and thanks in
advance for all the help you have given me in deciding
to buy/build a K2.  I purchased the K2 about a month
ago when Elecraft was running the "Dayton Special".  I
got the K2, SSB module and the KPA100 option with the
Heil headset.  Anyway....  The build is going along
quite well , but I just wanted to add a couple of
observations for the group to ponder just to verify I
am on track with the build and if I need to check
anything BEFORE I move on to the final assembly of the
RF board.

Here are my observations so far:

Alignment & Test part 1, everything worked first time
on!!  The only thing I saw was in adjusting the AGC
Threshold is that I had to turn R1 ALL the way to one
end to get the 3.80V suggested level.  To me, this
doesn't seem to leave much room for change later, but
still falls into the suggested value.  Any thoughts
here that I should keep in mind for later here???

Alignment & Test Part 2, Again here, everything falls
into the "typical" ranges. My question here for
everyone is regarding C22.  I have read in the
archives about everyone's experience in how to obtain
the best calibration, but no one has mentioned their
final frequency read out in the counter.  Mine reads
3999.98 REGARDLESS of how I adjust C22.  I have moved
it throughout its entire range and the frequency never
changes.  However, even with this frequency, the other
calibration steps in this section ALL fall into the
proper ranges.   Is this something I should be
concerned with right now, or will it "correct" itself
once construction is complete and I go to do a final
alignment?  Also, is it then safe to assume that if
the reference is off, will it then throw off the VCO
alignment and affect the VFO linearization later??  

If so, then my other observations would make sense.
Once I completed all the Alignment steps in this
section, I hooked the K2 up to my HF dipole and
started comparing what signals the K2 could hear
compared to my FT-857.  The differences that I did
notice here were that that displayed frequency is
below what the Yeasu would show, and that the S-meter
didn't show the same signal strength.  I did hook up
my XG2 that I built while waiting for the K2 and I do
get an S9 on BOTH the  '857 as well as the K2 at the
50uV range(as it should) and the '857 shows an S3 at
the 1uV level and the K2 shows an S2, so this test
show both radios to be about the same there, but an
"on air" signal was different.

Anyway... Sorry for the long post, but I find that
more details tend to help get better answers.  Thanks
for letting me ramble here and of course thanks for
your thoughts as I make my way through this wonderful
journey of building the K2.

73!!

Vern -- KC8YOH

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