K2 grounding

[Jeff Kinzli]

Hey Guys,

Having just finished my first K2 (#5945) I'm looking for
best-practices on grounding it properly in the shack.

This is going to be used at home, rarely, if ever, portable.

At first, I'm going to use a 12V battery to power it, and will get a
Samlex PS in the near future for when I do the KPA100 in a few weeks.

Anyhow, since the K2 doesn't have a ground lug I'm wondering how is
the best way to ground this. I'm using a balanced antenna (vertical
dipole) at the moment.

I've looked through the manual and the list archives but don't find
too much in terms of details of this subject. If anyone is willing to
spell it out for me, that'd be great :)

On my old TS830 I just had a ground lug on the rear, that went via a
short wire to earth ground, however there doesn't seem to be such a
provision on the K2 in it's stock form.

Thanks for any ideas.

Jeff
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[Mark Bayern]

The KPA100 has a ground lug.

Mark   AD5SS
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[wrmoore]

My K2 (#337, QRP only) has a ground post.  I may have come with one of the
options - not sure.

73,
Randy, KS4L

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[Joseph Reed-2]

Your K2 must have the KAT-2, and the ground lug is attached to that.

Joe N9JR

----- Original Message ----
From: Randy Moore <[hidden email]>
To: [hidden email]
Sent: Monday, January 22, 2007 1:09:16 PM
Subject: RE: [Elecraft] K2 grounding


My K2 (#337, QRP only) has a ground post.  I may have come with one of the
options - not sure.

73,
Randy, KS4L
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[Richard Kent]

Having just finished my first K2 (#5945) I'm looking for
Jeff wrote,
I've looked through the manual and the list archives but don't find
too much in terms of details of this subject. If anyone is willing to
spell it out for me, that'd be great :)

On My K2 I installed a ground lug in the spot where the one is when a the
KAT2 is installed. I had one that fit in my junkbox. You could use a screw
and nut and a wing nut instead. You will remove it when the KAT2 is
installed.

Rick Kent WD8AJG K2 5296  

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[Don Wilhelm-3]

Jeff,

If you are using a tuner in your antenna line, ground that instead of the K2
0 the K2 will be grounded by the coax connection.

Grounding the case of ham equipment can be for one of 2 reasons - first
concern is an AC safety ground, but that is not required with DC powered
equipment, that safety ground should be accomplished in any power supply
that is connected to the AC mains.  The second reason is to establish a good
RF ground.  The tuner is the best place in the shack to place this RF ground
point, and not necessarily the transceiver - actually the best place to
establish the RF ground is at the antenna feedpoint (at the antenna itself).

For any who attempt to solve any form of lightning protection - the shack is
definitely NOT the proper place to do that - extensive buried ground rods
and interconnecting wires to dissipate the charge is the only real way to
handle lightning surges - couple that with surge protectors on the incoming
antenna lines.  Attempting to make a 'lightning protection' ground in the
shack is an exercise in futility and can present a danger to occupants of
the shack should lightning strike nearby.

In short, the K2 does not really need to be grounded.
If you want to add a ground, there is a hole in the top cover labeled GND
which you could use to ground the enclosure.  If you add the KAT2, that hole
will have a ground post installed as part of the KAT2 assembly.

73,
Don W3FPR

> -----Original Message-----
>
> Having just finished my first K2 (#5945) I'm looking for
> best-practices on grounding it properly in the shack.
>
> This is going to be used at home, rarely, if ever, portable.
>
> At first, I'm going to use a 12V battery to power it, and will get a
> Samlex PS in the near future for when I do the KPA100 in a few weeks.
>
> Anyhow, since the K2 doesn't have a ground lug I'm wondering how is
> the best way to ground this. I'm using a balanced antenna (vertical
> dipole) at the moment.
>
> I've looked through the manual and the list archives but don't find
> too much in terms of details of this subject. If anyone is willing to
> spell it out for me, that'd be great :)
>
> On my old TS830 I just had a ground lug on the rear, that went via a
> short wire to earth ground, however there doesn't seem to be such a
> provision on the K2 in it's stock form.
>
> Thanks for any ideas.
>
> Jeff
>

--
No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.5.432 / Virus Database: 268.17.4/644 - Release Date: 1/22/2007
7:30 AM

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[Jeff Kinzli]

Thanks Don, and everyone who replied.

I don't plan to use a KAT2, and I like Don's explaination. Much appreciated.

Cheers, 73,

-J

On 1/22/07, Don Wilhelm <[hidden email]> wrote:

> Jeff,
>
> If you are using a tuner in your antenna line, ground that instead of the K2
> 0 the K2 will be grounded by the coax connection.
>
> Grounding the case of ham equipment can be for one of 2 reasons - first
> concern is an AC safety ground, but that is not required with DC powered
> equipment, that safety ground should be accomplished in any power supply
> that is connected to the AC mains.  The second reason is to establish a good
> RF ground.  The tuner is the best place in the shack to place this RF ground
> point, and not necessarily the transceiver - actually the best place to
> establish the RF ground is at the antenna feedpoint (at the antenna itself).
>
> For any who attempt to solve any form of lightning protection - the shack is
> definitely NOT the proper place to do that - extensive buried ground rods
> and interconnecting wires to dissipate the charge is the only real way to
> handle lightning surges - couple that with surge protectors on the incoming
> antenna lines.  Attempting to make a 'lightning protection' ground in the
> shack is an exercise in futility and can present a danger to occupants of
> the shack should lightning strike nearby.
>
> In short, the K2 does not really need to be grounded.
> If you want to add a ground, there is a hole in the top cover labeled GND
> which you could use to ground the enclosure.  If you add the KAT2, that hole
> will have a ground post installed as part of the KAT2 assembly.
>
> 73,
> Don W3FPR
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> >
> > Having just finished my first K2 (#5945) I'm looking for
> > best-practices on grounding it properly in the shack.
> >
> > This is going to be used at home, rarely, if ever, portable.
> >
> > At first, I'm going to use a 12V battery to power it, and will get a
> > Samlex PS in the near future for when I do the KPA100 in a few weeks.
> >
> > Anyhow, since the K2 doesn't have a ground lug I'm wondering how is
> > the best way to ground this. I'm using a balanced antenna (vertical
> > dipole) at the moment.
> >
> > I've looked through the manual and the list archives but don't find
> > too much in terms of details of this subject. If anyone is willing to
> > spell it out for me, that'd be great :)
> >
> > On my old TS830 I just had a ground lug on the rear, that went via a
> > short wire to earth ground, however there doesn't seem to be such a
> > provision on the K2 in it's stock form.
> >
> > Thanks for any ideas.
> >
> > Jeff
> >
> --
> No virus found in this outgoing message.
> Checked by AVG Free Edition.
> Version: 7.5.432 / Virus Database: 268.17.4/644 - Release Date: 1/22/2007
> 7:30 AM
>
>

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