[Elecraft] K2#2032

Bruce Rattray [email protected]
Sun Apr 7 01:27:00 2002


I have done the pre-install for the options for my K2 and moved on to
install the heak sink and get ready for the next alignment starting on
page 71.
I did the ohmmeter check of the collectors to ground from Q7 & Q8 and all
was well...I had finger tightened the nuts on the finals and thought a
gentle tightening with my pliers was in order; nothing hard just snug...
...hooked up my dummy load and my Astron power supply and set the POWER
control fully CCW...
...turned the Astron supply ON and then turned the K2 ON...during the next
second or so, I noticed no green lcd and the voltage meter on the Astron
took a dive down, the current meter took a jump up, so I switched the K2
off as quickly as I could react...
...did the collector to ground check again on Q7 & Q8...a short to
ground...[heart pounding and that ol sinking feeling in the pit of my
stomach]...arrrrgh...whimper...
...unhooked everything and backed off the Q7 & Q8 nuts and re-tightened
them finger itght only...
...hooked everything back up...took in a breath of air...turned on the
Astron supply and then turned on the K2...the LCD lite normal...Elecraft
was displayed and then the 40 mtr frequency popped up...whew...
...so it looks like "finger tight only" is the word for the finals...the
thermal pads and shoulder washers look ok but I'll check again in the
morning..oh, I did the collector to ground check again before turning the
power on again and the short was gone...
 ...question is, did my short condition blow the finals?...it's late so
I'll wait until tomorrow and then see how the alignment goes...I'm sure it
will tell me if anything is permanently wrong, like blown finals...

..72/73 - Bruce (VE5RC+VE5QRP) QRP-C#1  QRP-L#886  ARCI#9683  Zombie#272
            A-1 Operator Club - 10/10# 944 - QRP Borg#1  - Whiner#10 -
            - VE5QRP SOC#11 - VE5RC SOC#12 - oo#148 - K2#2032 - COG#15 -
          "QRP! How sweet it is!"        "I am da man wit "DAH" paddle!"