[Elecraft] [K2]: Low Transmitter Output

[Les Rabe]

  I've spent the last 4 weeks or so with a problem I noticed in 
Alignment and test Part III on page 78 of the manual.  I've been 
monitoring some of the posts here which have been very helpful in 
keeping me on the right track with the debugging.  My own K2 would only 
produce 1/2 watt of output when I tuned L1 and L2.

I finally realized that the current was stopping right at Q6, and after 
having spent the last 4 weeks trying to find bad solder joints and 
poorly tinned toroid leads I grabbed some courage and pulled Q6 out of 
the circuit and tested it.  It was shorted.

My question is this:  What should I test to assure myself that I won't 
just burn out the new part?  It is perhaps possible that Q6 was bad all 
along or damaged during construction, but it is also possible that 
something in the circuit caused the failure.  R50 was also bad.  There 
were no sparks, smoke or burning smell anywhere when the rig was turned 
on and I haven't found any damage to suggest a major electrical event.

Thanks.

Les
AB9WN