[Elecraft] K2 high current on 15 meters

[Brett Gazdzinski]

Don,
Thanks for the tips.
I did check the parts, they were/are correct.

I am ashamed to admit (as a former quality control inspector  of circuit 
boards)
that I missed an unsoldered relay pin, on the 40 meter low pass filter relay 
I think it was, one pin on the end was not soldered.

15 meters now does full power at just under 3 amps.

When I had the problem and was testing, I had put the current limit up to 
3.5 amps, and the rig would trip the self resetting fuse inside, I thought 
it was rated for 3 amps???
Not sure if it was the fuse or something else, but the rig would do a quick 
reset...

Anyway, the rig now seems to work fine in every respect, the receive seems 
better than 6065 was, no missing parts, a very nice kit indeed!

I just ordered the antenna tuner and ssb option, the high power tuner and 
100 watt amp comes later.

Brett
N2DTS




---- Original Message ----- 
From: "Don Wilhelm" <w3fpr at embarqmail.com>
To: "Brett Gazdzinski" <Brett.gazdzinski at verizon.net>
Cc: <elecraft at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Thursday, January 22, 2009 1:01 AM
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K2 high current on 15 meters


> Brett,
>
> Check the components in the 15/17 m Low Pass Filter carefully.  Examine 
> C218, C219, C220, C221 and C222 for correct values.  Then count the number 
> of turns on L23 and L24.  Count the number of times the wire passes 
> through the center of the core rather than the turns around the outside.
>
> Go ahead and set the CAL CUR to 3.50 amps.  If you add the KPA100, you 
> must increase the setting to 3.50, and with the higher gain using the new 
> transistor at Q6 it is often necessary to increase the CAL CUR limit - it 
> does no harm to increase it.
>
> 73,
> Don W3FPR
>
> Brett Gazdzinski wrote:
>> I built K2 #6673 last week, and everything works well, except for a high 
>> current warning on 15 meters. The current is set at 3 amps.
>>
>> Things seem fine up to about 10 watts, above that, the current goes up 
>> and the power out stays the same.
>>
>> In doing the initial receiver alignment, 15 and 17 meters did not have a 
>> peak like the other bands did when adjusting the band pass filters, 17 
>> meter power out seems fine.
>>
>> I checked that the correct components are in the correct places, and have 
>> the correct values, and that the solder is good, could I have a bad 
>> relay?
>>
>> The adjustments for 15 and 17 meters do peak the power output, and not at 
>> the end of their adjustments...
>>
>> Not a big issue, but I don't remember 6065 acting that way, I don't think 
>> I ever got the high current warning on that K2.
>>
>> Brett
>> N2DTS
>>
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