re:K2 - Strange problem

[g3ymc]

Stewart G3RXQ wrote:

I am wondering if any other K2 user has experienced the following.

>NO receive when NOT on transmit.

>VERY occasionally I get the my K2 stuck on  what seems to be
>transmit.

>If I press the MODE button to select the VOX function the display
>shows SPCH 0.2 then returns to the frequency display with the mode
>(U or L) flashing. With no microphone connected and the POWER
>control fully ACW their is no received audio out of the speaker.
>Therefore one would think that the K2 is stuck on transmit. However,
>I am able to select other VOX delays, RIT, XIT etc. These functions
>are normally locked when on transmit with either VOX or PTT. If I
>power my K2 OFF then ON sometimes I can get the same problem, but
>more often than not the problem goes away. Because of the very
>intermittent nature of the fault it will be really difficult to
>track down. PTT operation always works fine.  

Well this has happened to me just once. On Friday evening I was
downstairs and my station was all set up ready to start CQWW
upstairs. I was aware of what seemed to be someone tuning up -
seconds of tuning audio - but didn't bother to look in the shack.
When I came up a bit later just before getting some pre-contest
shuteye I found that the K2 had no audio and no signals. Not sure
what else was wrong, but it may indeed have been in transmit mode.
Panicking of the worst, I switched it off then on, and all seemed OK
again. I did speculate that the audio stage had overheated from the
tuning chap's loud audio and it needed a power up reset, but that is
pure speculation. The K2 continued to work perfectly for the whole of
the contest (40 hours of operating (!!) and the rig powered up right
through to the end), but you can imagine it got the adrenalin going
here....

As for the contest, running 5W QRP, I had 837 QSOs, 210 total band
countries (77 countries overall) and 50 band zones. Claimed score is
298,062. 10m didn't really open and conditions were not that
brilliant, but there was plenty of DX around to work.

Mention has been made of abbreviated CW - A for 1, T for 0, and N for
9 are universal. U for 2 is less common but also used. EA8ZS was
taking it to the limit and sending VV for 33 which is pushing it a
bit as it sounded like 44 (but there are only 40 zones in CQWW!) and
you already had to train your ear not to misread the S in his call as
an I.... When using logging software it is academic as it puts in the
correct zone for you anyway. Use of abbreviated numbers in contests
with serial numbers causes no end of problems however...

73 Dave G3YMC

http://www.davesergeant.com

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[Dan Barker]

I didn't have those annoying arithmetic problems! If you just operate less,
the math gets easier.

band Q's Countries Zones
7      3         2     2
14     6         1     1
28     3         2     2

8 USA contacts. So I guess the score would be (12+8)*(5+5)= 200.

Easy math<g>. Added bonus, 39 more hours than you for Honey-Dues. 10 was
loud here, Sunday late.

Dan / WG4S / K2 #2456

<snip>
Dave Sergeant

As for the contest, running 5W QRP, I had 837 QSOs, 210 total band
countries (77 countries overall) and 50 band zones. Claimed score is
298,062. 10m didn't really open and conditions were not that
brilliant, but there was plenty of DX around to work.
</snip>

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