[Elecraft] K2 & HiCur message on 160 - 15, 12 & 10 OK.

[Don Wilhelm]

Steve,

Do you have the antenna connected to the ANT1 or ANT2 jack on the back 
or the top cover?
If you have the antenna connected to the BNC ANT jack on the lower rear 
panel, what you are seeing is typical.

If you have the antenna connected properly, then connect an external 
wattmeter between the KAT2 and a dummy load.  Set the power to 5 watts 
and the ATU menu parameter to CALP, then do a TUNE and observe the power 
both on the K2 display and the external wattmeter.  If the external 
wattmeter shows a high power (12 watts or more) while the K2 display 
shows only a low power (below 2 watts), then the wattmeter in the KAT2 
is not working properly, and damaged diodes is the most likely cause.

Being a QRP K2, there is a possibility that transformer T4 was wound for 
"best efficiency at 5 watts", so check that transformer for 3 turns of 
white wire - if it has only 2 turns, that behavior is 'normal' because 
above 5 watts the PA efficiency becomes worse.  Note that winding ratio 
should never be used for SSB at any power level, so with the KSB2 
installed the T4 winding should always be 2:3:1:1.

Increasing your power supply voltage to the point where the K2 display 
shows 13.8 volts or even up to 14.5 volts will help too.
Cal Cur should be set to 3.5 Amps normally - but not higher.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 9/5/2016 2:38 PM, SNielsen3 at nc.rr.com wrote:
> I have a K2 that just returned from a full going over, config, and realign.
>
> I am getting the HiCur warning real quick when I key it up.  40 through 15 meters will produce the message when the power setting is adjusted to 6.7 or higher.  On 160 and 80 the error kicks in at 5.3.  Lower power than that will not produce the message in same bands.  Bands 12 & 10 meters do not produce the error.
>
> I pressed display button until voltage showed.  Pressed tune, voltage dropped from 13.00 to 12.4.  Repeated same test, has same results.  The power cable is the same on that came from Elecraft.  I checked Cal Curr in menu.  It was set to 4.0.  I turned up to 4.5 and tried CW (letter E) again, resulting in same message "HiCur" at same places.  Turned Cal Curr setting to 3.5, and tried again.  Same results at same place.
>
> Radio is the 15 watt model that was built in upper 3000 serial numbers.  It has all the updates and latest firmware installed.  Also has the following options installed: KSB2, K160RX, KNB2, KAF2, KIO2, KAT2,  & KBT2.
>
> Power Supply is 30 amp Astron.  Weighs about 35 or 40 pounds (it seems), and nothing else is connected to the PS except K2.
>
> The antenna is an UltiMax end fed, 33' vertical wire.
>
> Everything else seems to work flawlessly.
>
> What else should I check to clear this HiCur error?
>
> Thank You and 73,  Steve
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