[Elecraft] [K2] lack of sensitivity...?

[Andrew Moore]

Gil - ATU on the K1 shouldn't make a difference.

Only thing that comes to mind other than proper alignment is it sounds like
a problem I had during construction of my K2.  Post follows:



+++++++++++++++++
Date: Mon, 02 Jun 2003 13:22:31 -0400
To: elecraft at mailman.qth.net
From: Andrew Moore <andrew.m.moore at verizon.net>
Subject: [Elecraft] 40m low sig: problem solved

Thanks for all the responses to my troubleshooting questions.

Further tracing brought me to C6 (4.7 pF) at the back edge of the board,
which the manual states should be installed across the two outer pins of
the three-pin jumper block.  I interpreted "two outer" to mean the two
adjacent pins near the "outer" side of the board edge -- i.e. in the
direction of the side panel instead of the center of the edge.

40 meters is incredibly noisy at my location right now, so I still hear no
signals, but the noise level has com'll assume I'm in good shape now --
will listen to some real signals tonight.  I've never been so happy to hear
noise on the band!

Thanks N0SS for the terrific lesson in quick and dirty signal tracing.

--Andrew, NV1B
CFO 963



On Thu, Aug 30, 2012 at 2:03 AM, Gil G. <gil at keskydee.com> wrote:

> Hello,
>
> I knew this title would grab some attention ;-)
>
> Well, since my K1 worked so well, I decided to build a K2.
> It took me 30 hours over three days. Everything works, but…
>
> First, the receiver is pretty deaf on 20m. Not much static at all, faint
> signals.
> I plugged in my K1 on the same wire, and what I could barely hear on 20m
> on the K2 came in full blast on the K1.
> The preamp helps a little, but not much.
> On 40m, the score is closer, but still advantage to the K1 over the K2
> with preamp on.
> I can use FL1 and FL2, but with 3, the signal is very attenuated, with 4
> (200Hz), usually gone.
> The other bands, I haven't listened enough yet to make a diagnosis… I can
> hear more static than on 20m.
> I have set the filters as indicated in the manual.
>
> The K1 has the ATU, would that make such a difference?
> I use a 35.5ft wire with 13ft counterpoise, directly out the BNC via a
> binding post.
>
> By the way, I do get full output power on the K2 on all bands.
> I precisely peaked all bands on receive, then on transmit with my QRP
> wattmeter.
>
> Any advise?
>
> Thanks!
>
> Gil.
> --
> New site: http://radiopreppers.com
> PGP Key: http://keskydee.com/gil.asc
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:Elecraft at mailman.qth.net
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>