[Elecraft] Yet another Alignment question

[Don Wilhelm]

John,

I believe you are asking about the bandpass filters - if not ignore all I
say.

There has been a condition where the 20 meter trimmers need some 'running
in' before they will work properly.  Just put a metal screwdriver into the
slots and twist them fully in both directions several times (maybe 20 to 40
times).  Then re-do the 20 meter alignment (and possibly 30 meters).

The manual has you align the 30 meter inductors initially by receiving 20
meters with the trimmers set at their midpoints, then adjust the inductors
on 30 meters, and finally adjust the capacitors on 20.  I can only guess at
the logic of doing the first part - that there may be 2 tuning peaks
apparent on 30 meters,, or something like that, I really have not looked
into it -just do it in that order.  Bottom line - follow the manual steps,
they will get the job done.  The inductors must be properly set before you
peak the trimmer capacitors for any bandpass filter pair of bands.
20 and 30 meters are a pair, 15 and 17 are a pair, 10 and 12 are a pair.
You may align any pair without affecting the other pairs, and for all pairs,
adjusting the capacitors will affect only one band, but adjusting the
inductors changes the setting for both bands of the pair.

73,
Don W3FPR

----- Original Message ----- |
| I have ran thru the alignment procedures a couple of times so far. The
| reason for doing it more than once is because the 20M band has to have the
| volume almost all the way clockwise to hear anything. With very strong
| signals I might get away with close to half throttle. At this point I am
not
| sure about 15M, 12M and 10M, because I haven't heard much there. 40M and
80M
| are what I would have expected from all the bands, which is somewhere
around
| a quarter turn on volume.
|
|<SNIP>
| 1: 20M was surprising strong when peaking L8 and L9, and again with C21
and
| C23.
|
| 2: C23 seemed to be erratic. Slight pressure changes to it with the tuning
| tool made wild swings in signal.
|
| 3: When I had finished up 20M is back in the dump.
|
| I was under the impression that the order of the alignment was rigid, that
| it had to be done precisely in the order listed in the alignment
procedures,
| but last night I noticed in the troubleshoot chart, item 120, that I
should
| try peaking just the affected bands.
|