K2 portable problems

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K2 portable problems

Stan AE7UT
Imtrying to use my K2 in Yellowstone and was a flogging last night.
I kept getting a warning "H. rEFL" then "PA HOT".  All at about 50 degrees.
A quick look on my iPad makes me think this is from being too cold.
I'm in a tent with no heater.   I'm really new to K2s but again from my reading
It seems  can reset the temp and keep going.   I only have this iPad to research it
So any quick help wold be nice.    It really seems strange that being cold would
Shut me Down.  It's very frustrating to put up a station and not get up and running.

Thanks for any help you can be.     Hope to use your sage advice and be operating tonight.


73
Stan ae7UT
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Re: K2 portable problems

Don Wilhelm-4
Stan,

Take a look at the CAL TPA menu setting.  When the KPA100 has been
unused for a while, set that menu parameter to the ambient temperature
in degC.
If you had power on the K2 when the temperature dropped below freezing,
that would have caused CAL TPA to become messed up - it wraps around
when the temperature goes below 0 degC - starts at 255 and decreases
from there - so the K2 *thinks* the temperature is hot when in fact it
is very cold.

If you want to operate in cold temperatures, I would suggest that you
temporarily set the CAL TPA parameter to 10 degC above the ambient
temperature - sure under normal conditions, the fan will come on much
earlier than it would normally, but if you are operating in a cold
environment, the fan will most likely stay off anyway.  Don't forget to
reset it when you get the KPA100 back to the shack.

That may or may not cure the Hi REFL messages.  That is usually a result
of a coax or antenna problem.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 7/24/2012 10:10 AM, Stanton A. Bailey wrote:
> Imtrying to use my K2 in Yellowstone and was a flogging last night.
> I kept getting a warning "H. rEFL" then "PA HOT".  All at about 50 degrees.
> A quick look on my iPad makes me think this is from being too cold.
> I'm in a tent with no heater.   I'm really new to K2s but again from my
> reading
>

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Re: K2 portable problems

Guy, K2AV
In reply to this post by Stan AE7UT
Sounds much more like your antenna was nowhere near resonant, or if you had
a tuner, it was switched off.  Describe your antenna situation.   73, Guy.

On Tue, Jul 24, 2012 at 10:10 AM, Stanton A. Bailey <[hidden email]>wrote:

> Imtrying to use my K2 in Yellowstone and was a flogging last night.
> I kept getting a warning "H. rEFL" then "PA HOT".  All at about 50 degrees.
> A quick look on my iPad makes me think this is from being too cold.
> I'm in a tent with no heater.   I'm really new to K2s but again from my
> reading
> It seems  can reset the temp and keep going.   I only have this iPad to
> research it
> So any quick help wold be nice.    It really seems strange that being cold
> would
> Shut me Down.  It's very frustrating to put up a station and not get up and
> running.
>
> Thanks for any help you can be.     Hope to use your sage advice and be
> operating tonight.
>
>
> 73
> Stan ae7UT
>
>
>
> --
> View this message in context:
> http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/K2-portable-problems-tp7559732.html
> Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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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Re: K2 portable problems

Stan AE7UT
In reply to this post by Stan AE7UT
Running a ZS6BKW at 40 ft with 50 ft of coax.
   It was running FB during the day with multiple great
contacts.   It was trans great and I was listening on a net
Then it started doing this.  

Thanks for the help!
Stan
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Re: K2 portable problems

Stan AE7UT
In reply to this post by Stan AE7UT
I'm headed off hiking now.   I do have a simple dipole im going
To try.   With the ZS6BKW it is certainly non resonant or could
Be a RFI issue.    I'll also try a different length coax.

Stan
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Re: K2 portable problems

Stan AE7UT
Thanks so much for all your help!
I did just as you said -reset the temp- and it worked perfectly
I  don't know if I could have done it withou all your input both
here and direct replies

,TYVM
Stan AE7UT