Re: Elecraft: K2 Audio Problem
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Re: Elecraft: K2 Audio Problem
 
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Well, I checked my audio, 40m, antenna disconnected,
quiet room, no PreAmp or Attenuation, found no difference between AGC On & Off. RF Gain max (fully clockwise); AF gain has to be basically full clockwise to get semi-decent audio (internal speaker, or external via rear audio jack). PreAmp On helps crank it up. Have not checked speaker wiring, will do that as soon as I can and report back. Only major bummer I've run into w/my K2, S/N 5601, so far. But given that this sounds like a somewhat common problem, I'm thinking I'll need to get an amplified speaker. Perhaps Elecraft needs to look into and address the issue? 72 de N8PVZ ---bernie BTW, I had the rig built for me, and the builder did an overall excellent job, so I think the audio issue is somewhat unlikely to be an assembly problem. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com _______________________________________________ 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 |
RE: Re: Elecraft: K2 Audio Problem
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Bernie,
Do you have the KDSP2 installed? If so, there is a gain stage in the KDSP2 that can give your audio a boost. Check the KDSP2 manual. 73, Don W3FPR > -----Original Message----- > > Well, I checked my audio, 40m, antenna disconnected, > quiet room, no PreAmp or Attenuation, found no > difference between AGC On & Off. RF Gain max (fully > clockwise); AF gain has to be basically full clockwise > to get semi-decent audio (internal speaker, or > external via rear audio jack). PreAmp On helps crank > it up. Have not checked speaker wiring, will do that > as soon as I can and report back. Only major bummer > I've run into w/my K2, S/N 5601, so far. > But given that this sounds like a somewhat common > problem, I'm thinking I'll need to get an amplified > speaker. Perhaps Elecraft needs to look into and > address the issue? > > 72 de N8PVZ > ---bernie > > BTW, I had the rig built for me, and the builder did > an overall excellent job, so I think the audio issue > is somewhat unlikely to be an assembly problem. > > > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around > http://mail.yahoo.com > _______________________________________________ > 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 > -- > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.5.432 / Virus Database: 268.16.7/619 - Release Date: > 1/7/2007 6:29 PM > No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.432 / Virus Database: 268.16.7/619 - Release Date: 1/7/2007 6:29 PM _______________________________________________ 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 |
RE: Re: Elecraft: K2 Audio Problem
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In reply to this post by Bernard Gaffney, N8PVZ/QRP
Bernie, are you looking for lots of noise from the K2 audio with the antenna
*disconnected*? Reading your message below, that sounds like it might be the case. My K2 is fairly quiet with no antenna. I like that the K2 does not have an excess amount of internally-generated noise. I grabbed my sound level meter and made some measurements with both the RF and AF gain full "up" right at the speaker (put the sound meter mic right against the top of the rig over the speaker) and the AGC OFF so see how much audio it can produce. On 10 meters (the band with the least local QRN) with no antenna connected and the preamp On (normal on 10 meters) the sound level is 103 dB with the AGC off. Checking the QRN level with the AGC On indicates about S4. The S-meter is calibrated to show no bars with the antenna disconnected and S9 with 50 uV at the antenna. (Remember, that 103 dB is *at* the speaker. It's a more reasonable 68 dB about 2 feet away where my ears usually are when operating the K2.) Connecting an antenna to the K2 jumps that background up from 103 dB to 126 dB at the speaker. At that level I'd not want to stay in the room with the rig more than a few seconds! The noise hurts at arm's length away. Down on 40 meters the QRN level is about S-6. At full volume, AGC off, it pegs my noise level meter at 126 dB. Without an antenna the noise level at the speaker is about 93 dB compared to 103 dB on 10. That's because I have the preamplifier turned off on 40. Of course the bandwidth makes a huge difference when listening to noise. Those are levels of normal band QRN coming through the SSB filter. Over the years there have been a number of perfectly credible reports of *some* K2s having audio that was often reported as "anemic". I've never seen a good reason for that reported here, nor do I recall anyone discovering an assembly problem that cause it either. Ron AC7AC -----Original Message----- Well, I checked my audio, 40m, antenna disconnected, quiet room, no PreAmp or Attenuation, found no difference between AGC On & Off. RF Gain max (fully clockwise); AF gain has to be basically full clockwise to get semi-decent audio (internal speaker, or external via rear audio jack). PreAmp On helps crank it up. Have not checked speaker wiring, will do that as soon as I can and report back. Only major bummer I've run into w/my K2, S/N 5601, so far. But given that this sounds like a somewhat common problem, I'm thinking I'll need to get an amplified speaker. Perhaps Elecraft needs to look into and address the issue? 72 de N8PVZ ---bernie BTW, I had the rig built for me, and the builder did an overall excellent job, so I think the audio issue is somewhat unlikely to be an assembly problem. _______________________________________________ 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 |
RE: Re: Elecraft: K2 Audio Problem
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Come on Bernie I told ya road trip time.....take a tour around the bottom of
Lake Michigan and come up this side and we'll have that puppy working before the first beer is gone. -----Original Message----- From: [hidden email] [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Ron D'Eau Claire Sent: Tuesday, January 09, 2007 5:29 PM To: 'Bernard Gaffney, N8PVZ/QRP'; [hidden email] Subject: RE: [Elecraft] Re: Elecraft: K2 Audio Problem Bernie, are you looking for lots of noise from the K2 audio with the antenna *disconnected*? Reading your message below, that sounds like it might be the case. My K2 is fairly quiet with no antenna. I like that the K2 does not have an excess amount of internally-generated noise. I grabbed my sound level meter and made some measurements with both the RF and AF gain full "up" right at the speaker (put the sound meter mic right against the top of the rig over the speaker) and the AGC OFF so see how much audio it can produce. On 10 meters (the band with the least local QRN) with no antenna connected and the preamp On (normal on 10 meters) the sound level is 103 dB with the AGC off. Checking the QRN level with the AGC On indicates about S4. The S-meter is calibrated to show no bars with the antenna disconnected and S9 with 50 uV at the antenna. (Remember, that 103 dB is *at* the speaker. It's a more reasonable 68 dB about 2 feet away where my ears usually are when operating the K2.) Connecting an antenna to the K2 jumps that background up from 103 dB to 126 dB at the speaker. At that level I'd not want to stay in the room with the rig more than a few seconds! The noise hurts at arm's length away. Down on 40 meters the QRN level is about S-6. At full volume, AGC off, it pegs my noise level meter at 126 dB. Without an antenna the noise level at the speaker is about 93 dB compared to 103 dB on 10. That's because I have the preamplifier turned off on 40. Of course the bandwidth makes a huge difference when listening to noise. Those are levels of normal band QRN coming through the SSB filter. Over the years there have been a number of perfectly credible reports of *some* K2s having audio that was often reported as "anemic". I've never seen a good reason for that reported here, nor do I recall anyone discovering an assembly problem that cause it either. Ron AC7AC -----Original Message----- Well, I checked my audio, 40m, antenna disconnected, quiet room, no PreAmp or Attenuation, found no difference between AGC On & Off. RF Gain max (fully clockwise); AF gain has to be basically full clockwise to get semi-decent audio (internal speaker, or external via rear audio jack). PreAmp On helps crank it up. Have not checked speaker wiring, will do that as soon as I can and report back. Only major bummer I've run into w/my K2, S/N 5601, so far. But given that this sounds like a somewhat common problem, I'm thinking I'll need to get an amplified speaker. Perhaps Elecraft needs to look into and address the issue? 72 de N8PVZ ---bernie BTW, I had the rig built for me, and the builder did an overall excellent job, so I think the audio issue is somewhat unlikely to be an assembly problem. _______________________________________________ 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 _______________________________________________ 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 |
RE: Re: Elecraft: K2 Audio Problem
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I hope Bernie takes you up on it, Gregg! I'd love to see one of the 'anemic'
units myself. One of the people who has worked on one (I think he might own it) is Tom, N0SS, but I never heard if he found a solution. Ron AC7AC -----Original Message----- Come on Bernie I told ya road trip time.....take a tour around the bottom of Lake Michigan and come up this side and we'll have that puppy working before the first beer is gone. _______________________________________________ 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 |
RE: Re: Elecraft: K2 Audio Problem
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In reply to this post by Gregg R. Lengling
Bernie,
In the past, I have complained about 'weak' audio on my K2 SN 00020, but I have since modified T7 to the newer turns ratio of 20:7, and I no longer complain - yes, there is not as much raw audio power as found in some other transceivers, but the K2 will 'blow your ears off' if the gain is turned up too far. T7 is one thing you may want to check - the 20 turn (red) winding should be connected toward the IF amplifier chip - if it is reversed, the audio will be quite 'anemic'. If you find T7 connected correctly, about the only other thing that can cause weak audio is improperly aligned IF filters. The use of Spectrogram is highly recommended. If you have questions about how to set the filters, check the last part of the K2 Dial Calibration information on my website http://w3fpr.qrpradio.com or look at the information on the Elecraft website. The last freeware version of Spectrogram is available on Tom Hammond's website www.n0ss.net , and is more than adequate for the task. 73, Don W3FPR > -----Original Message----- > > Come on Bernie I told ya road trip time.....take a tour around > the bottom of > Lake Michigan and come up this side and we'll have that puppy > working before > the first beer is gone. > > -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.432 / Virus Database: 268.16.8/621 - Release Date: 1/9/2007 1:37 PM _______________________________________________ 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 |
RE: Re: Elecraft: K2 Audio Problem
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In reply to this post by Ron D'Eau Claire-2
Hi Ron (and Bernie)
At 05:53 PM 1/9/2007, Ron D'Eau Claire wrote: >I hope Bernie takes you up on it, Gregg! I'd love to see one of the 'anemic' >units myself. > >One of the people who has worked on one (I think he might own it) is Tom, >N0SS, but I never heard if he found a solution. Yes, I did work on my K2 (s/n 0008) to try to improve what I felt was lo AF output. I don't think it was ever quite as bad as Bernie portrayed his as being.. mine was just a bit 'impotent'.. so to speak... I solved my problem with a Motorola Amplified speaker... NO PROBLEMS NOW!!! For me, I think some of my perceived problem was that the speaker points up, rather than forward... from my 'barefoot' (no ext. spkr) K2, I can obtain adequate, though probably not what I'd call 'loud', output with the AF Gain set to 11 o'clock or so... 73, Tom N0SS _______________________________________________ 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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