[Elecraft] re:K2/100 and KAT100 odd behavior

[Dave Sergeant]

K8AC wrote:
>Here's an odd one I ran into last evening while operating in the 160 
>CW contest.  The problem I observed was that if everything was tuned 
>properly for the bottom end of the band (say, 1805) then moving 
>higher up in the band, around 1845, resulted in a temporary high 
>output situation.

Using my barefoot K2 with KAT2 in the contest this weekend I got a 
similar effect. On Topband I use a 30ft base loaded vertical 
(actually a modified Butternut HF2V) which is a relatively narrow 
band antenna. Normally I only need to use around 30kHz of the band, 
but of course this weekend the CW went right up to 1880 and beyond. 
Up there the match varies so it is understandable that the KAT2 
tuning (tuning out the residual mismatch) changes.

I found if I moved up the band the indicated power on the K2 meter 
changed from my 5W setting clearly because the match had changed. If 
I moved the power set knob and retransmitted it would go back to the 
5W point (I did not retune the KAT2). Moving the power knob and 
changing the demanded power tells the K2 it needs to do a recalibrate 
of the power output and it is then reset. Changing up and down on the 
band buttons will also kid it into doing a power recalibrate, but I 
couldn't find any other simple way - in the end I just gave the power 
knob a slight touch which was enough to kid the micro to recalibrate.

I had fun in the contest, even though it was a real struggle with 
QRP. Many a time stations just couldn't get my call, but there again 
you call the same station an hour later and he gets it 100% first 
call. 144QSOs in 30 countries for a claimed score of 20,370 points.

73 Dave G3YMC

dsergeant@btinternet.com
http://www.btinternet.com/~dsergeant