[Elecraft] NGEN - is it working?

[Nick Waterman]

John D'Ausilio wrote:
> Noise increase should be unmistakable. Make sure the MMIC isn't in
> backwards :)

I was wondering if I'd mounted it "upside down", but as both the top and
bottom leads are grounded, it looks as though, as long as the slanted
lead is towards the centre of the board, I can't realistically get it wrong.

> If you have a key attached and happened to transmit
> into it, just order replacement MMIC (get 3, about $10 delivered :)
> from Elecraft.

I'm an SSB guy, don't know CW YET. I don't have a key, I do have a PTT
switch, but only recently... Basically...

I built NGEN, XG1, DL1 without being able to test them. I built the K2
and had no PTT or key connected. I transmitted into DL1 for the bandpass
filter tweaking, but did no other transmitting until after building
KSB2. I can be just about positive I've never transmitted into NGEN...
And even if I had, it definitely wouldn't have been the FIRST thing I'd
done to it, and as far as I can tell, NGEN has never worked, or at least
not noticably.

I'll try testing with AGC off, NGEN connected, and XG1 sat nearby on the
bench so I have a signal to compare with my noise or lack thereof.

If it still doesn't work, can I be fairly confident that it's the MMIC,
or might it be the Zenner D2? Or indeed anything else? There's no "cheap
and dirty signal tracing" or table of voltages for NGEN, is there?

-- 
"Nosey" Nick Waterman, G7RZQ, K2 #5209.
use Std::Disclaimer;    sig at noseynick.net
Half the people you know are below average.