[Elecraft] Need help tracing signal

[Tom]

Hi gang,

 I'd like to ask the advice of some of you gurus out there, if you guys
don't mind.

I have a K2 (s/n 1103) and lately have been heck-bent on trying to figure
out what makes it work (yea, I know Wayne and Eric do).  I don't think
anything in particular is wrong with it, but I thought I'd like to trace the
signal through the receiver to see if I can get a better understanding of
things (well, any understanding I get will be a better one than I already
have.)

The troubleshooting section of the manual tells us how to build a RF probe,
which I did.  It seems to work fairly well, but this raises my first
question.  Can I use the probe that came with my oscilloscope?  I like the
idea of using the DMM as it is easier for me to read than the scope.

The troubleshooting section also tells us how to make a simple signal
generator.  Now, I could build this, except that it calls for a 50 to 100
ohm variable resistor, which I don't have and either does Radio Shack (I
least I don't see it there).

What I do have is the Ft. Smith Marker/Generator, which puts out a signal
every 5 kHz including (I suppose) 10 MHz.  When I measure this signal with
the RF probe which I built, its reading well over 2 Vrms.  The K2's
troubleshooting section is talking in the 0.14 Vrms range.  So I have much
more output than is called for.

So, dear gurus, what do I do?  I can breadboard the K2's suggested signal
generator and use a bunch of fix resistors in series and parallel (that
sounds kind of crazy).  Or can I put a fixed resistor in series with the
output of the Marker/Generator and then use a pot that I have, in the 25K
range, to get the output down to 0.14 Vrms or so. (Oh, and it calls for a
non-inductive pot - how do I tell that?)

Or, can I just use the marker/generator as is with the 2.x Vrms and adjust
my expected readings through the receiver accordingly (this seems to be the
easiest).

I appreciate your help, I don't think I've ever come away from this list
without a satisfactory answer to whatever I've asked (except maybe when I
asked to be bumped up on the list for shipping my DSP module).

Thanks in advance

Tom
WB2QDG
K2 s/n 1103


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