[Elecraft] re: K2

[Ron D'Eau Claire]

I have found it impossible to reliably set my BFO frequency in the proper
place for SSB operation using only Spectrogram. Spectrogram is invaluable
for the first adjustment. I can get close with it, but to have audio that I
like, it's necessary to do the last step recommended in the KSB2 manual:
make the fine adjustments listening to my own signal. Not the "monitor", but
my actual signal on an auxiliary receiver. 

Either that or work a buddy I trust and do the final adjustment "on the
air".  

I found that the adjustment is much more critical using the stock 2.1 kHz
SSB filter bandwidth. While that bandwidth is ideal for maximum "talk power"
when signals are not strong, if the passband is just a little too low, the
audio sounds muffled. If it is too high the audio sounds "pinched", missing
important low frequencies. 

I later opened up the bandwidth to 2.6 kHz bandwidth with the SSBCAPKIT.
That made the BFO alignment a lot less critical, but I still found that
actual listening tests for the final adjustments were essential. 

Ron AC7AC

-----Original Message-----

It might be that in addition to low ratings caused by improper alignment,
some of the low ratings are from people who push the ALC too hard when using
SSB. One bar just flickering is plenty enough for my K2/100 #3255 which has
none of the 'official' modifications installed.

73,
Geoff
GM4ESD
 .

DW Holtman  <tubestuff at comcast.net> wrote on
Friday, February 08, 2008 at 2:29 PM

> Hello,
>
> If you would have read the rest of the E-Mail, I commented that the 
> majority of the low ratings were for the K2/100 dealing with SSB. That 
> was my question, not the reviews on the K2 QRP version of E-Ham.
>
> Best,
> DW Holtman
> WB7SSN