[Elecraft] Spoke too soon... K2 problem

[Roger Marrotte]

Steephanie,

Also check for an open with RFC15 on the bottom of the main board.  The
leads are easy to break inside.  I did it and had the same symptoms.  If
it's open (unsolder one end to check with an ohm meter) you can run without
it until you get a replacement.  That's what I did and I was REAL careful
putting the replacement in.  Works like a chemp now.

Roger, W1EM

Subject: [Elecraft] Spoke too soon... K2 problem


Well I was too quick when I said I was done.

I've got a problem in my K2 that is really noticable in CW, although  
it is there in all modes.  When tuning a CW or plain carrier signal,  
instead of getting just a single pure tone, there is a second tone in  
there modulating with the original one.  It makes the CW tones sound  
like a buzz instead of what they should sound like.

With both the K1 an K2 side by side, both of them plugged into dummy  
loads, I can turn on my XG2 and move it near the two dummy loads, and  
on the K1 it sounds like it should, a single pure tone, like a bell.   
On the K2 it sounds like a raspy buzz.  What's worse is when I key  
the K2, the CW it is sending has that same raspy buzz in it, sounds  
terrible on the K1.

The second tone 'follows' the frequency tuned, what I mean is if I  
tune up 50 or 100 Hz from the XG2 signal, so the pitch goes up, it's  
a higher-pitched buzz, and likewise if I tune down 50 or 100 Hz it's  
a lower pitched buzz - not two distinct tones.

I have to sheepishly admit that I heard it when I did the 40M  
receiver test, back in alignment part 2.  It was about 1 or 2 am and  
I was using the XG2 as a signal source, and I heard the raspy sound  
and I assumed that my XG2's battery was dying and making it oscillate  
wierd.  I never thought to check if the XG2 was working properly and  
that the fault might be in the K2.

So, I know the fault must lie in something that was installed before  
the end of RF board assembly step 2, that is common to both transmit  
and receive.

Any suggestions as to where to look, based on these symptoms, would  
be most appreciated.

Thanks and 73 de Stephanie
va3uxb
K2 # 5311 / K1 # 2132