[Elecraft] K2 SSB, "Hi Cur" message on PTT

[Don Wilhelm]

Brian,

Don't do a "re-boot" of the K2, it is not likely to solve anything and 
will only lose your menu settings including the filter and PLL data.
You have an intermittent somewhere, most likely on the KSB2 board.  I 
have (only once or twice) seen an intermittent connection in the carrier 
balance pot itself that could cause such "strange happenings".  I would 
suggest starting with re-flowing the solder on the KSB2 board in the 
area of the carrier balance and balanced modulator stages, then 
"crossing the fingers" that it does not re-occur.

The unfortunate part about intermittents is that it has to fail (and 
stay failed) for one to troubleshoot it properly.

73,
Don W3FPR

Brian Machesney wrote:
> Doug,
>
> I have owned and used my K2/100 on SSB and CW for almost 10 years, but it
> has been relegated to "second radio" duty since getting my K3 a year ago.
>
> I've been getting the K2 ready for a DXpedition for the last few days and I
> have noticed a similar symptom to what you describe, as part of a
> more-general syndrome that I can't explain and that is very unnerving.
>
> The primary problem is that I frequently turn on the K2 in USB mode but I
> can't get any output. Speaking into the mic simply doesn't produce any
> output, doesn't move the ALC meter and doesn't produce anything I can hear
> on the K3. Even though it all worked together fine the previous day.
>
> As part of the diagnosis procedure, I removed the mic plug from the front
> panel and shorted the PTT pin to the adjacent GND pin - I was going to see
> if touching the MIC pin in this configuration would create output and
> indicate a faulty line from the mic itself. Lo and behold, shorting the PTT
> and GND pins produced a *strong* carrier, whose output I could vary with the
> POWER control.
>
> Since this didn't produce the expected result (to say the least!), I
> remembered that the "dot" side of the paddle would act as PTT, so I plugged
> in a paddle and got the same behavior.
>
> Just for grins, I switched to CW and everything worked as expected.
>
> Switching back to USB, it too now works as expected.
>
> At some point in this procedure, I saw both the Hi Cur and the PA Hot
> warnings, but both are gone now.
>
> Don - any thoughts on what's going on here? Do I have to do a "reboot" of
> the radio?
>
>   
>