[Elecraft] Want Pro test/alignment Insts. for K2

[Ron D'Eau Claire]

I enjoy digging around in circuits to see how they work too, and taking
meaningful measurements is a BIG part of that. But doing so in a working =
rig
won't necessarily make it "better".=20

Keep in mind that those great receiver spex the ARRL and others =
published
are with a K2 set up like you see in the manual. I can guarantee you =
that a
lot of hours of the development effort were spent in devising the most
simple alignment procedures possible that were sure to produce the =
correct
results. What you are seeing is not what it'd call "kludgy" but =
something
very "elegant". The elegance is in the very simplicity of the procedures
that produces such reliable and accurate results.=20

A key part of a good design is reproducibility. Kit designing is =
especially
tough in this department. The engineers know that they won't get to set =
up
post-production tests to ensure that each rig meets all the specs before =
it
leaves a "factory". They have to create a design and formulate setup
procedures that can be carried out by the builder and which will result =
in a
rig that meets ALL the specifications as published.

I've built a lot of rigs in my Ham "career", but few that I'd pass on to
another builder expecting that he/she would certainly have equal =
success.
More often, my HB rigs are "one of a kind" that I 'tinkered' into good
working order. Someone designing a rig to be manufactured or kitted =
cannot
be so casual.=20

I've got a lot of HB test equipment myself, including one of those great
Hayward RF Power meters. That's a great way to learn about making
measurements. I would suggest that the next step for someone who wanted =
to
build up a home lab and who wanted to hone their system measurement =
skills
would be to build up the signal generators and auxiliary equipment =
needed to
run system tests on the K2: MDS, bandwidth, 2nd order intercept - all =
the
specs you find in the book. When you can do that, you can evaluate any =
rig
and see where you might like to make improvements or just to confirm =
that
the manufacturer is right in the specs. You won't need any special
instructions beyond the skills you already have.=20

It's a good pursuit, and one a lot of us who like to build as much as
operate cultivate to the limit of our understanding and resources.=20

Ron AC7AC
K2 # 1289


-----Original Message-----
Another issue:  The K2 alignment instructions seem "kludgy".

The K2 is a superior design which deserves the best.

I am not enthusiastic about spending 100 hours (realistic for me) =
building
the K2, and then being led through potentially "compromised" test and
alignment, when I plan to have quality test equipment on hand to do =
"Pro"
level testing and alignment.

Have a 50 Mhz dual trace Tech Tronics scope, ARRL 1N34A RF probe, =
precision
freq counter, DVM, Traditional style Simpson VOM, Heath Audio generator, =
Oak
Hills Watt meter,and I will borrow an HP "lab" calibrated signal  =
generator
from Mike, AI8Z.

Am completing the Hayward power meter that has super precison across a =
wide
range of dBm.  Have HP 48 GX equasions for expressing power in dBm or
milivolts or miliwatts.

What if my Rcvr Lo output is a mite "low"?  What is "low"? How would I =
know?

Are there instructions for a truly professional alignment of the K2
somewhere using good test equipment?...
Tnx et 73s,

VE1CHS