[Elecraft] K2 - Need help drafting an Upgrade Plan for early K2/10

[Daniel J Tosh]

I have just acquired a very early (SN 100) K2 with the following options..
- KNB2 Noise Blanker
- KBT2 Internal Battery (with dead battery)
- KSB2 SSB Adapter
- KAT2 Antenna Tuner

Basically the radio seams to be working but with a few anomalies like..
- AF Gain noise (sounds very much like what is described in the 
"Alternative Wiring.." modification writeup)
- CW all seems fine with about 12 watts out and "POWER" control works as 
described.
- On SSB the POWER control does not seem to vary the output power.
- On 80 and 40 meters when transmitting SSB at most any power level 
sometimes I get the HI CUR warning.
- The frequency seems to be about 50 Hz off.
- ATU seems to work fine.

The radio came with a Kenwood Dynamic Hand Mic (800 ohm).  It also seems 
to work but I have no way of knowing if it is the best fit for the K2.
As far as I can tell, no updates have been done to the radio.  The 
firmware shows as 1.04C and IOC of 1.02.

Rather than start troubleshooting each little issue I would like to put 
together a plan to bring everything up to spec and then upgrade from Rev 
A to B.  In the immediate future I want to add one more module, namely 
the K160RX and of course will need the right upgrade kit(s).

I have had enough kit assembly experience in the past that I THINK I can 
do the work, but I need help with a plan that puts all the steps in the 
right sequence, given the early version I have and the possible fixes 
that may be needed along the way.  I have the Revision B upgrade 
documentation but I need some hand holding as to what pieces I will need 
and in what order.  I really want to do this right and not mess up this 
nice radio.  At some point I may just decide I need to go the 
Builder-for-Hire route.  You get the idea!

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Dan

-- 
Daniel Tosh  N5GX
CCA# AC11-12619
www.n5gx.com

"I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen:
  not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else."
  C. S. Lewis