[Elecraft] Zero beat WWV

[Don Wilhelm]

Dave,

If you have WWV properly tuned at 9999.99 (when in SSB mode), that is 
only 10 Hz off frequency, and is well within the range of error to be 
expected with the K2.  The digital quantizing error is about 20 Hz.

The K2 always displays the frequency of the carrier - so when tuned 
properly to WWV, you will hear (or see on Spectrogram) the tones 
demodulated (as you have done), but when switching to CW, you should 
hear the carrier at the pitch you have set for the sidetone.

When listening to WWV in CW mode it is easy to mistake one of the tones 
they transmit for the carrier.  At the times they transmit a 600 Hz 
tone, you will be able to hear discrete signals at 9999.40, 10,000.00 
and 10,000.60 since it is an AM signal transmitting a 600 Hz tone. (You 
can hear one signal at the carrier minus the transmitted tone pitch, the 
carrier itself, and another signal at the carrier plus the tone pitch.) 
  If the CW filter is narrow enough, you will hear each of these signals 
as separate signals in the receiver - you must be careful to identify 
the actual carrier.  Using the wrong one will create a large apparent 
error in your dial readout.  It is best to tune WWV during the minutes 
they do not transmit a tone - tune the carrier to your sidetone pitch 
and the dial should read correctly.

Just adjust the CW BFOs so the passband is centered at your chosen 
sidetone pitch (using a noise input, NOT a single signal) - and set the 
dial calibration in LSB or USB, then believe that the K2 will take care 
of the offset for you.  On CW, the dial readout will be the carrier 
frequency of the station you are listening to and will also be the 
frequency you will transmit on.

73,
Don W3FPR

David Wilburn wrote:
> I have setup Spectogram, and have 500 & 600 Hz markers setup.  I then 
> set the K2 to 10000.00, in U mode, and adjust the frequency until I have 
> either 500 or 600 Hz depending on which minute it is (odd minutes being 
> a 600 Hz tone and even being a 500 Hz tone, even though this seems 
> backwards of how it should be).
> 
> I then used this zero beat reference, and the procedure on page 101 of 
> the K2 manual so that I have it down to U or L mode is zero beat at 
> 9999.99.
> 
> I notice the calibration on page 101 of the K2 manual says to use U or L 
> mode.  My question, is how much should the offset be when I go to CW 
> mode?  I am trying to track down why my CW RX frequency is so far from 
> my USB frequency (was 1500 Hz off at one point). I have it better, but I 
> am sure the issue is with how I did the alignments.