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K2 hollow sound and low power output

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Rick Wheeler

K2 hollow sound and low power output

I have a K2 No. 2005 (owned and built since new) with the outboard ATU/100 watt setup. I rearranged my shack and have been fighting RFI. I believe it had to do with the routing of the power cables. I think (hope that is!) have fixed it. A bad Anderson connector (internally loose) on the 100 watt side may have contributed to the problem. BUT...

Strange things did (I assumed were RFI caused) happen such as the radio keying up itself and when I attempted to tune the radio using the tune button it frequently would try to tune using high power (well over 20 watts).

A couple of things have now happened. Power output is drastically reduced (10 maybe 20 watts) with a long hello or whistle AND the K2 now has a distinctively hollow sound (same with headphones too). The background noise on an empty frequency sounds as if it is coming from the end of a 10 foot tube. SSB reception is somewhat distorted too.

I tried a factory reset (4,5,6 and power on) with no result.

Regards,

Rick
K4LX
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Don Wilhelm-4

Re: K2 hollow sound and low power output

Rick,

Did you record ALL your menu settings (including the filter settings)
before you did the Master Reset, and have you restored all of those menu
settings after the reset?

If the answer is NO, then you have some calibration and filter setting
work ahead of you.
Go to my website www.w3fpr.com and take a look at the K2 Dial
Calibration article - those are the steps you must follow. But your
situation is different than most, so before doing anything else, put the
internal counter probe into TP2 and set the SSB FL1 filter to OP1 (it is
currently at 2.20 which is the variable filter default) - then set the
BFOs for LSB and USB FL1 to whatever frequencies produce the passband
placement with the low frequency corner at approximately 300 Hz. Once
that is done, start with the K2 Dial Calibration instructions using WWV
(or other standard frequency station) to properly adjust C22 on the
Control Board.

After you get the filters and dial calibration correct, then we can talk
about how to diagnose your other K2 ills.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 12/10/2011 7:56 PM, Rick Wheeler wrote:

> I have a K2 No. 2005 (owned and built since new) with the outboard ATU/100 watt setup. I rearranged my shack and have been fighting RFI. I believe it had to do with the routing of the power cables. I think (hope that is!) have fixed it. A bad Anderson connector (internally loose) on the 100 watt side may have contributed to the problem. BUT...
>
> Strange things did (I assumed were RFI caused) happen such as the radio keying up itself and when I attempted to tune the radio using the tune button it frequently would try to tune using high power (well over 20 watts).
>
> A couple of things have now happened. Power output is drastically reduced (10 maybe 20 watts) with a long hello or whistle AND the K2 now has a distinctively hollow sound (same with headphones too). The background noise on an empty frequency sounds as if it is coming from the end of a 10 foot tube. SSB reception is somewhat distorted too.
>
> I tried a factory reset (4,5,6 and power on) with no result.
>
> Regards,
>
> Rick
> K4LX
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>

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Don Wilhelm-4

Re: K2 hollow sound and low power output

In reply to this post by Rick Wheeler

Rick,

It sounds to me that once you get over the menu setting situation and
have all your proper options set into the menu, you should then look at
the KPA100 wattmeter circuits to discover what the TUNE problems are -
the resolution of that question may cure other problems.

I am headed for California in the morning to visit with the XYL's family
and to attend the Elecraft Christmas party. Pardon me if I do not
respond to requests - this is vacation time for me, and I may or may not
have my email with me. I will be back home Dec 21 and handle any
requests at that time (and also write the bills from the vacation :-( .

73,
Don W3FPR

On 12/10/2011 7:56 PM, Rick Wheeler wrote: