[Elecraft] Tuning Clunks was:K2 compared to others rigs

[Darrell Bellerive]

First of all let's be sure we are all on the same page. Please define 
"Clunks" vs. "Clicks".

While it would be best to find a total cure for the problem, anything that 
reduces the severity or frequency of them would be most welcome.

Darrell  VA7TO

On March 25, 2007 03:16 am, Geoffrey Mackenzie-Kennedy wrote:
> This might be a tough nut to crack in terms of the surgery required. From
> a quick thus limited investigation into this "clunk" problem in my K2  I
> am reasonably certain that the lack of shielding to protect the VCO and
> Reference, together with the lack of suitable interface filtering , is
> responsible. I don't think that the BFO is directly involved but I could
> well be wrong. In my K2 the "clunks" appear, as you say, in the presence
> of strong signals, and are found on every band that I have been able to
> check so far, 40m is perhaps the worst case. What appears to happen is
> that the strong incoming signals leak into the VCO / Reference area, and
> when their composite level exceeds some value, which is frequency and
> leakage dependent, attempt to take over control of the VCO which results
> in "clunks". The frequency separation between "clunks" is not always 5kHz
> but does seem to be related to the frequencies of the incoming signals
> which are attempting to take over. I must stress that I have not had the
> opportunity yet to undertake an in depth investigation, but I am very
> aware of the leakage between the front end and the VCO / Reference from
> earlier work with my K2. "Clunks" should not be confused with "Clicks"
> whose cause(s) are quite different!
>
> Here the received individual carrier levels of the BC stations above 7100
> kHz can approach -10dbm / -5dbm with an antenna looking East, and there
> are many of them. It is not uncommon for my K2's LO system to lock onto
> one of these carriers, and only let go after the receiver has been
> retuned about 1 kHz.
>
> 73,
> Geoff
> GM4ESD
>
> Darrell Bellerive <va7to at yahoo.ca> wrote:
> >I agree that the synthesizer "tuning clunks" every 5 kHz in the presence
> > of strong signals needs to be addressed.
> >
> > I know that Elecraft found that muting the receiver to eliminate these
> > noises was worse than the noises, but there must be a solution to at
> > least lessen these "tuning clunks."
> >
> > On March 24, 2007 03:25 am, Dave-Boat Guy wrote:
> >> A bare-bones K2 is a fine radio, although there are
> >> still a couple of unresolved issues, like the tuning
> >> clunks you hear on crowded bands, due to the
> >> synthesizer.  I'm still puzzled why it hasn't been
> >> addressed.
>

-- 
Darrell Bellerive
Amateur Radio Stations VA7TO and VE7CLA
Grand Forks, British Columbia, Canada