[Elecraft] 3544 working?

[Ron D'Eau Claire]

The bands may be poor, but if the K2 is working properly you should hear =
a
significant increase in background noise when you attach the antenna. If =
the
background doesn't get a lot stronger when you connect the antenna,
something is wrong with the K2 or the antenna.

Up on 10 meters the increase won't be as great since background
"atmospheric" noise is much lower on the higher bands. There are times =
on 20
meters when the band is exceptionally quiet that you won't exactly be =
blown
off of your seat when you hook up the antenna, but on 40 and below the
increase in background ought to be very obvious.=20

Right now (4 p.m. local) in northwest Oregon, there isn't much to be =
heard
in the way of signals on 40 meters, but with the preamplifier off, =
pulling
the antenna off of the K2 drops the background level at least two bars =
on
the S-meter. I'm in an area with a rather low background QRN level =
compared
to a lot of the cities I've lived near.=20

If you aren't seeing that sort of change in the "S-meter" response when =
you
remove the antenna, then you have a problem in the antenna or K2 front =
end.
If you are seeing a solid "drop" in the S-meter level but don't hear =
much in
the speaker or phones, you have an issue in your audio.

If that's the case, try unplugging the internal speaker. Wiring its plug
backwards will really "kill" the audio. If that's the case, pulling the =
plug
should make the audio in the phones come alive!=20

Ron AC7AC
K2 # 1289

-----Original Message-----

Well K2 #3544 is finished in time for FD weekend. Only one problem.

The receiver is so quiet and the bands are so bad I am not real sure it
actually IS working. I can hear a few SSB signals on 40 meters, but I =
have
to crank the AF and RF all the way up and use the preamp to hear them!  =
I
have a hard time even hearing any HISS!  VERY quiet receiver!  I had to
crank up the sidetone to make sure the AF amp was=20
working!

Anyone else have this experience? Will my K2 get louder when (or if) the
bands get better or is your audio generally low?

=20
Keith M. Hamilton, W8GX
 K2 #3544  &  K1 #1167 _______________________________________________
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