[Elecraft] K2: K2 #6996 is dead - please help!

[zendoc at netspace.net.au]

Hi All,

K2 #6998 has had a short life.  Working  perfectly with KSB2/KDSP2/KNB2 all
installed until tonight.

I decided to tweak one of the BFO settings, connected the frequency counter to
the control board and was about to connect it to the BFO test point on the RF
board, when I dropped the tip into the vicinity of Q6/Q7 - can't say exactly
where it landed, but I heard a click and the K2 went dead.  I waited a few
minutes and powered up again, thinking the resetting fuse might have tripped. 
Now the K2 starts, the Elecraft initialisation appears, the frequency readout
appears, and by this time (3 seconds or so) the self-resetting fuse gets hot and
the K2 shuts down. 

I guess I have a short.  No visible evidence of where - I took the K2 apart to look.

Resistance tests on the front board and control boards are all OK.

Resistance tests on the RF board are no longer normal:

Q7 base resistance to ground = 538ohm (ref 2.5 - 3.0kohm)
Q7 collector  resistance to ground = 400ohm ( ref > 500ohm)


Other measurements:

Q6 base resistance to ground = 119 ohm,  collector 475 ohm,  emitter short to ground

Q8 base resistance to ground = 538ohm,  collector 473 ohm,  emitter short to ground.

I'd be grateful for any advice how to proceed from here.


This is in the category of bad things to happen!  And the KPA100 is nearly
finished :(

Thanks and 73,

John
VK7JB






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