[Elecraft] K2 and digital modes

[Fred Jensen]

Matt Patterson wrote:
> Wondering if others are using their K2 on PSK31 and RTTY?  I made my
> first PSK31 contact on the K2 last night and the guy said I had a nice
> clean signal but I'm curious what settings on the K2 everyone else uses
> when running these modes.  I'm afraid I may have my RF gain set to high
> on the rig or my audio out set to high on the PC.  On my TS-2000 you
> would increase the volume until the ALC meter just barely started
> registering then you knew you were good to go. Is there something
> similar I can do on the K2? 

I began using my K2/100 for RTTY contesting some time ago, and it is 
awesome!  There is a 4th bank of filter settings for RTTY ... you have 
to enable them in the menu.  Then, when you cycle through the XFILs, you 
get C, L, U, r.  I use a 400 Hz setting most, occasionally 200 Hz.

My setup is really minimalist.  Writelog+MMTTY.  Line Out goes to a mic 
connector [tie both hot leads to the mic input pin].  Headphones Out 
goes to Line In with an in-line phone jack bridged across for my 
headphones.  Enable VOX in the menu to key the radio when you send the 
AFSK tones.

I set my MARK frequency in MMTTY to 1200 Hz.  The standard 2125 Hz way 
too high for me to hear.  I was limiting the power to about 50W, but I 
finally velcro'd a muffin fan to the top of the KPA100 heat sink, and 
everything stays cold even at 85W now.

I did finally put a 1:10 divider into the cable to Line In and covered 
it with shrink tube since the K2 audio was a little hot for the Windows 
Audio Mixer-thingy when I had the AF gain up where I could hear weak 
signals, but it all worked without it too, just a little touchy setting 
the sound card input level.

I can print signals I can't hear in the phones and can barely discern on 
the MMTTY scope display.

73,

Fred K6DGW
- Northern California Contest Club
- CU in the 2008 Cal QSO Party  4-5 Oct 08
- www.cqp.org