Mini-module kits
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Would the Noise generator, two tone test oscillator or the 3 band receive test oscillator be a good purchase? Which would you buy first, second, etc? I am going to start building a K2 soon that is partially assembled. I am looking at using the K2 primarily for CW, but would any of the other options be a nice addition? Mike AI4NS _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com |
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The 3 band (or one band one that I have) receive calibrator is very handy
for use with any radio. Noise generators are easy to build from scratch and don't need to be calibrated. Two-tone osc won't do any good for a cw only rig. 73 - Mike WA8BXN _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com |
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In reply to this post by Mike Short
Mike,AI4NS asked:
Would the Noise generator, two tone test oscillator or the 3 band receive test oscillator be a good purchase? Which would you buy first, second, etc? I am going to start building a K2 soon that is partially assembled. I am looking at using the K2 primarily for CW, but would any of the other options be a nice addition? ----------------------------------------------------- If you're not going to be using SSB, the two-tone oscillator is of little value. Its purpose is to evaluate SSB. The noise generator can be handy. You can get the same thing by simply hooking an antenna to your rig and tuning to a clear frequency so all your hear is wide band (so-called "white") noise. Sometimes its more convenient to have a little box to hook to your rig that does the same thing. That's what the noise generator does. The 3-band receive test oscillator is a real handy gadget if you want to measure the ability of a CW receiver to "hear" compared to others or compared to its own specifications. Of the three, I'd say it was the most valuable by far. It gives you two fairly accurate output levels on fixed (crystal controlled) frequencies in the 80, 40 and 20 meter bands. One output level is handy for setting the S-meter function to a sensitivity similar to many other receivers. The other level is used for measuring the signal-to-noise to noise ratio of your receiver on each band. That allows you to understand how well the receiver is working. Complete instructions for doing that and for estimating the Minimum Discernable Signal (MDS) of your receiver are included with the oscillator. The only other equipment needed, other than the receiver itself, is a DMM or other sensitive meter for measuring the voltage produced by the receiver at the phones or speaker jack. Ron AC7AC _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com |
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In reply to this post by Mike Short
Mike,
Of the mini-modules - for the purposes of building and aligning the K2, I would recommend first the dummy load (if you do not have a good dummy load already), second the Noise Generator for aligning the K2 filters (in conjunction with Spectrogram), and third the XG1 or XG2 for measuring the receiver sensitivity. The two tone test generator would be used for evaluating the transmitted SSB signal, but it is of little use for a CW transmitter. All the mini-modules are useful at one time or another, so if you want a complete set, by all means order them all. However, you can (and likely should) consider them as part of your test equipment arsenal - buy what you need as you need it if your ham radio budget is limited, but if there are no budget considerations, buy them all, they will come in handy at some time during your K2 alignment and checkout process. Keep in mind that these mini-modules are not required to build and align the K2. Elecraft has made the alignment process quite usable with only a DMM, a dummy load, and the K2 display - extra equipment is not required, but it can make the task a bit easier (but only if you understand how to use the test equipment you have on your bench). As an example, I consider my DMM, dummy loads, oscilliscope, noise generator, and frequency counter the most valuable instruments on my workbench for working on K2s - my signal generators are not usually required, but are nice in some instances - the K2 has a built in frequency counter and Elecraft has provided instructions on their website for setting the reference oscillator accurately so the frequency readout can be trusted, so you don't really need the frequency counter, and the RF Probe (parts supplied with the K2 kit) can easily substitute for the oscilliscope for the purpose of aligning and testing the K2. What I am trying to say is that your test equipment decision should be guided by your budget and your long term interest in homebrew experimenting, if the K2 is your only project and your budget is limited, just a DMM and a dummy load will do the job for you. 73, Don W3FPR > -----Original Message----- > > Would the Noise generator, two tone test oscillator or the 3 band receive > test oscillator be a good purchase? Which would you buy first, > second, etc? > I am going to start building a K2 soon that is partially assembled. > > I am looking at using the K2 primarily for CW, but would any of the other > options be a nice addition? > > Mike > AI4NS > > _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com |
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