[Elecraft] K2 and KPA100 Observations

[Unifiedtx at aol.com]

Has anyone experienced the ALC not kicking in when using the MH-2 mike on 
PTT.  I have found If I put the display in ALC while using PTT, the ALC kicks in 
after about one word.  ALC seems to kick in on VOX after a few words 
automatically without any coaxing or proding.  Before ALC takes hold I get a forward 
power modulation reading (RMS) of around 50 watts indicatd on voice peaks with 
power set at 100 watts.  The
SSB output at 100 watts on an average reading wattmeter should show a 
modulation needle reading in the neighborhood of 15-25 watts forward (assuming SWR 
1:1).      

Another observation was that the KPA100 resistor R13, 100 ohm 3 W, becomes 
somewhat hot if external power (using two power cords and connections) is 
supplied simultaneously to the K2 and the KPA100 with power set to 11 watts.  I 
noticed this when I accidentally used a separate power supply to the K2 while 
setting the bias to the 2SC2879's.  Maybe R13 was put right in front of the fan 
for a reason.  R13 cools down when the power is set to 10 watts or less and the 
KPA100 is bypassed.  I don't think R13 gets hot if the external power to the 
K2 is removed.  I am not going to use an external power connection to the K2 
any more while in the K2/100 configuration.

I would appreciate any comments, especially on the ALC topic.  Roy Morris  
W4WFB