[Elecraft] K1 Questions - Recent Build

[Mike Morrow]

Bruce wrote:

>1) The front panel "offset" pot alters the RX frequency even when 
>RIT is off.

That is abnormal.  When RIT is OFF, the RIT pot should cause NO change.

Front Panel board Q2 must be turned on by the OFFSET signal from FP-U1 to disable RIT.  I'd check the connections and traces from Q2 to R3, R4, and R5, and from Q2 to pin 40 of U1.  Also, Q2 can be damaged by static electricity, and if that has happened, RIT would not be disabled when it should be.

>2) What are your thoughts on the battery option offered by Elecraft?

I used the KBT1 for 18 months, but pulled it when I decided I didn't like internal chemical leakage sources in my K1 (there's no leakage barrier in the KBT1), plus I like the full-sized speaker of the K1 without KBT1 installed (the KBT1 forces use of a micro-speaker).  I use an external 10-AA cell battery pack with 2700 mA-Hr cells, which has the advantage of significantly higher voltage than the 8-AA cell KBT1.

>3) Is there a small bail or support that anyone has used to raise the  
>front of the RX up a bit?

I wish.  Someone tried to market something plastic about six years ago, but I don't think the product sayed on the market long.

>4) Noise blanker, how well does it work?

It seems to work OK on the type of noise generated by spark plugs and motor commutators.  For the type of power line noise I usually run across, it's of little effect.

>I understand an LED can be used in place of one of the caps, can  
>someone speak to the difference this makes?

The LED raises **even higher** the level that the noise pulse must reach for the KNB1 to respond to it.  It will not help at all, but actually make the KNB1 less effective, to go to this high noise threshold option when noise at low or modest levels is being experienced.  I'd say it would be very very unusual to have a situation in which the high threshold option would have anything but an adverse effect.

Mike / KK5F
K1 #175 (11/2000)