KX1 #01638 is alive

[thomaskd]

Elecraft KX1 #01638 is up and running.  Some basic testing of the 20M and 40M bands into a watt meter show that I am getting the expected 3-4 watts out.  I will do more testing once I get the ATU built and installed.

The build went great and there were no real problems except that I put one cap in wrong (swapped a 103 for a 104) but when I found it later, it turned out to be about the easiest one that could be changed.  I got lucky there.  The directions were easy to follow and I like the tests that verify my work.  

I fired it up this morning and listened to some of the mayhem that is CQWW  DX this weekend.  (When it slows down tomorrow I might try to make some contacts with the KX1).  Then I moved up the band and listened to some SSB.  With just a short piece of wire tossed out the first floor window across the deck I was able to hear a mobile station in the UK chatting with a guy in North Carolina.  Then I moved further up the band and listened to Radio Sweden!  This thing is going to be great.

I was thinking of getting the 30M/80M board for Christmas.  I am not sure that I will wait that long.

I really enjoyed the build process and am afraid if I try the K2 that a neighbor owns, I will be building one of those soon as well.

73 and see you on the air.

Keith KB3ILS
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[Darwin, Keith]

I'm working on the KPA100.  It has 2 ceramic trimmer caps.  The installation instructions say to orient them with their flat side as pictured on the silk screen.  The only problem is both ends are flat?  Which is the true flat side, the big flat side or the small flat side?
 
- Keith N1AS -
- K2 5411.ssb -
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[Don Wilhelm-3]

Kieth,

The larger flat side is the one you should line up with the silk-screen on
the PC board.  Unless the trimmers have been recently changed, the smaller
'flat-side' is only the width of the solder lead from the capacitor.  The
general shape of the trimmer capacitor should match the trimmer body as
closely as possible.

For the KPA100, the orientation will not really make much difference.  The
wattmeter trimmer does not have a grounded side and must be adjusted with an
insulated tool and the capacitor on the 4 MHz oscillator is not critical
except that it should be adjusted to a frequency greater than 4 MHz so it
does not interfere with reception on the high end of 75 meters.  What that
amounts to is - If you install them backwards, you may never notice a
problem.

73,
Don W3FPR

> -----Original Message-----
>
> I'm working on the KPA100.  It has 2 ceramic trimmer caps.  The
> installation instructions say to orient them with their flat side
> as pictured on the silk screen.  The only problem is both ends
> are flat?  Which is the true flat side, the big flat side or the
> small flat side?
>
> - Keith N1AS -
> - K2 5411.ssb -
>

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[Doug Person]

This is interesting.  If these are the same blue plastic trimmers as
used on the K2, I put the smaller side on the flat side of the outline
because it looked more like the outline that way.  The ceramic trimmers
are round on the big side and flat on the small side.  The plastic
trimmers are flat on the big side with slightly rounded corners but also
flat on the small side which is also the protrusion away from the center
of the adjustment screw which is similar to the protrusion on the
ceramic trimmers.  Could this make a difference in the K2?

73, Doug -- K0DXV

Don Wilhelm wrote:

> Kieth,
>
> The larger flat side is the one you should line up with the silk-screen on
> the PC board.  Unless the trimmers have been recently changed, the smaller
> 'flat-side' is only the width of the solder lead from the capacitor.  The
> general shape of the trimmer capacitor should match the trimmer body as
> closely as possible.
>
> For the KPA100, the orientation will not really make much difference.  The
> wattmeter trimmer does not have a grounded side and must be adjusted with an
> insulated tool and the capacitor on the 4 MHz oscillator is not critical
> except that it should be adjusted to a frequency greater than 4 MHz so it
> does not interfere with reception on the high end of 75 meters.  What that
> amounts to is - If you install them backwards, you may never notice a
> problem.
>
> 73,
> Don W3FPR
>
>  
>> -----Original Message-----
>>
>> I'm working on the KPA100.  It has 2 ceramic trimmer caps.  The
>> installation instructions say to orient them with their flat side
>> as pictured on the silk screen.  The only problem is both ends
>> are flat?  Which is the true flat side, the big flat side or the
>> small flat side?
>>
>> - Keith N1AS -
>> - K2 5411.ssb -
>>
>>    
>
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>
>
>  

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[Mike Markowski]

[hidden email] wrote:
> Elecraft KX1 #01638 is up and running.

Congratulations, Keith!

> I really enjoyed the build process and am afraid if I try the K2 that
> a neighbor owns, I will be building one of those soon as well.

Could you stop by and try out my k2 before Christmas?  I hope to get
Wayne's kickback in time to do some Christmas shopping...  :-)

73,
Mike  ab3ap
(Keith's neighbor)

> 73 and see you on the air.
>
> Keith KB3ILS
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[Don Wilhelm-3]

Doug,

If the trimmer capacitors have one side grounded (as in the K2 or K1
bandpass filter trimmer capacitors) then a simple ohmmeter check will tell
which way they sould be oriented - the rotor should be grounded.  Check the
PC board to determine which side is connected to ground and then check the
capacitor to determine which terminal is connected to the adjustment screw.
The adjustment screw should be connected to the grounded side on the PC
board - that philosophy takes away any ambiguity in the particular form
factor of the capacitor itself - it will help eliminate any discrepancies
caused by parts substitutions.  Part substitutions are a fact to be reconed
with in todays world of parts selection.  The best solution is to be
familiar with the various possibilities that can exist  for the physical
implementation of a particular part.  Relying on any particular
characteristic such as color is dangerous practice because the manufacurer
of the part can change the color at will.  Be familiar with the markings on
components and rely on the 'standard' markings rather than an obscure
identification by color or some other parameter.

73,
Don W3FPR

> -----Original Message-----
>
> This is interesting.  If these are the same blue plastic trimmers as
> used on the K2, I put the smaller side on the flat side of the outline
> because it looked more like the outline that way.  The ceramic trimmers
> are round on the big side and flat on the small side.  The plastic
> trimmers are flat on the big side with slightly rounded corners but also
> flat on the small side which is also the protrusion away from the center
> of the adjustment screw which is similar to the protrusion on the
> ceramic trimmers.  Could this make a difference in the K2?
>
> 73, Doug -- K0DXV
>

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