[Elecraft] PSK31 on the K2

[Julian G4ILO]

On 8/6/07, Igor Sokolov <ua9cdc at gmail.com> wrote:
> I have made brake up box for microphone/sound card connection with isolating
> transformers. I find K2 to be pretty poor performer on PSK31. Has it
> something to do with VFO stability of phase shift in the filters - I do not
> know. But weak signals coming from my IC765 get easyly decoded by the
> program while if I use K2 the same program can decode only solid signals. I
> am not pleased with SSB performance of K2 either. Especially on TX. Having
> said that it is pretty good as CW contest rig and is almost on the par with
> my main radio.
>
> 73, Igor UA9CDC
>

The K2 has been my only radio for many years and I have made more
PSK31 contacts than any other mode and I find the performance to be
excellent. I have never had any trouble decoding weak signals - except
for the day to day variations probably caused by the ionosphere,
especially in northerly regions - and find it gives a very clean
signal on transmit, IMD products -34dB when I measured using another
receiver. The only annoyance is the fact that the frequency jumps by a
few Hz when switching filters due to the limited resolution of the VFO
DACs.

I have also had complimentary reports on SSB (and it has always
sounded good when I monitor it, as well.)

I wonder if there is some problem with the SSB alignment on your K2.
Perhaps the radio is close to a magnetic field such as a transformer
which is modulating the VCO a little. When I made a power supply for
my K2 I had to use a toroidal transformer for this reason.

-- 
Julian, G4ILO K2 s/n: 392  K3 s/n: ???
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