K3 "Donald Duck" 20 meters & above

[Gil WA5YKK]

  I'm making slow progress in getting my QTH ready for playing with the
new rigs, and since I've experienced a problem with my K2  now sounding
like "Donald Duck" on SSB,  all bands 20 meters and above, I'm wondering
if something went sour in a  circuit, or if there's  a simple
realignment I need to  do? After the initial alignment with help from an
expert, it was doing fine, but I either bumped something while making a
change,  or fouled up a circuit.
   Does anyone have a simple solution,  or is this a case of  sending
the box  in for the experts, since I don't have time for days, weeks, or
a month  to figure it out.
  It was a surprise to be unable  to clear up the  USB voices one  day,
listening on 20 through 10  meters, then got excellent results on 40  &
80 meters! Now, the guessing and consternation sets in.

Thanks for any suggestion aside from "use as a doorstop or stick to CW
only".

Gil WA5YKK

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[Darwin, Keith]

Ah, I think you're just describing SSB.  It makes everyone sound like
Donald Duck.

OK, joking aside, I remember with my K2, there was a LOT of change in
sound that happened during filter alignment.  If the alignment
parameters were off by just a bit the SSB audio would be dark & muffled
or thin and harsh.  My guess is that you didn't have the filter
parameters set quite right.

With the K3, you have the option (which I took) of going factory
assembled.  No Donald Ducks in my rig.

Of course, that is because I stick to CW only. :-)

- Keith N1AS -
- K3 711 -  

-----Original Message-----
From: [hidden email]
[mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Gil WA5YKK
Sent: Friday, February 13, 2009 12:38 PM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: [Elecraft] K3 "Donald Duck" 20 meters & above


  I'm making slow progress in getting my QTH ready for playing with the
new rigs, and since I've experienced a problem with my K2  now sounding
like "Donald Duck" on SSB,  all bands 20 meters and above, I'm wondering
if something went sour in a  circuit, or if there's  a simple
realignment I need to  do? After the initial alignment with help from an
expert, it was doing fine, but I either bumped something while making a
change,  or fouled up a circuit.
   Does anyone have a simple solution,  or is this a case of  sending
the box  in for the experts, since I don't have time for days, weeks, or
a month  to figure it out.
  It was a surprise to be unable  to clear up the  USB voices one  day,
listening on 20 through 10  meters, then got excellent results on 40  &
80 meters! Now, the guessing and consternation sets in.

Thanks for any suggestion aside from "use as a doorstop or stick to CW
only".
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[Don Wilhelm-4]

Gil,

The subject says K3, but the body of your post says K2.
If it is the *K2*, what is the possibility that you have the USB BFOs on
the wrong sideband?   Or did you leave the internal counter probe in TP2
as many builders do and changed the SSB filter settings inadvertently
while working with something else in the menu?
Also note that the BFO used for USB on 15, 12, and 10 meters is the same
as that used for LSB on the bands below 15 meters.  You said 20 meters
and above - does that mean you were able to hear USB signals on 15, 12
and 10 meters?  If you were unable to tune 15 meter USB stations
correctly, but can receive LSB on the lower bands just fine, you have
something more wrong than filter alignment - and I can't think of what
that cause may be.

If you do have a K2 and are unsure of the filter alignment, you may want
to check out my website www.w3fpr.com and review the article on K2 Dial
Calibration - filter alignment is covered in part 3 of that article.

73,
Don W3FPR

Gil WA5YKK wrote:

>   I'm making slow progress in getting my QTH ready for playing with the
> new rigs, and since I've experienced a problem with my K2  now sounding
> like "Donald Duck" on SSB,  all bands 20 meters and above, I'm wondering
> if something went sour in a  circuit, or if there's  a simple
> realignment I need to  do? After the initial alignment with help from an
> expert, it was doing fine, but I either bumped something while making a
> change,  or fouled up a circuit.
>    Does anyone have a simple solution,  or is this a case of  sending
> the box  in for the experts, since I don't have time for days, weeks, or
> a month  to figure it out.
>   It was a surprise to be unable  to clear up the  USB voices one  day,
> listening on 20 through 10  meters, then got excellent results on 40  &
> 80 meters! Now, the guessing and consternation sets in.
>
> Thanks for any suggestion aside from "use as a doorstop or stick to CW
> only".
>
> Gil WA5YKK
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
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>
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