[Elecraft] K2/100 overheating?

N4KS stuberkenneth at yahoo.com
Tue May 23 15:17:25 EDT 2017


My bias current settings are:
275 mA (power knob set fully CCW)
475 mA (power knob set to 11 watts)
Target 875 mA total (with the 400 mA added per the instructions) In CW test mode, I set bias control R6 to show a reading of 875 mA

Current draw:
12W = 6.6A
40W = 10.0A (note: peaks at 14W then steps down to 12W)
120W with Power set full CW
Checked all of the diodes for proper orientation.

Fan is orientated correctly with label out. my fan pulls the air OUT. There seems to be some confusion regarding the direction of air flow. Others advised it should be pushing air in. With the fan setting in "normal" mode, it goes directly to high speed when it kicks in. I should think it would go to low speed first and then step up to high speed if the temperature increases.
Balanced and calibrated the wattmeter. 

I checked Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 DC voltages in RX and TX. All are good according to the Voltage Chart provided in the manual.
I had to order a new Fan, because of a mistake I made. It should be here by the end of the week. I will provide temperature data when it is reinstalled.
73, Ken N4KSk2/100

--------------------------------------------
On Fri, 5/19/17, Don Wilhelm <donwilh at embarqmail.com> wrote:

 Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K2/100 overheating?
 To: "N4KS" <stuberkenneth at yahoo.com>, "elecraft at mailman.qth.net" <elecraft at mailman.qth.net>
 Date: Friday, May 19, 2017, 6:02 PM
 
 Ken,
 
 Did you set the bias properly?  What is the
 current draw at 12 watts?
 Did you properly
 balance and calibrate the wattmeter?
 Are all
 the diodes oriented properly?  Check against the parts
 layout 
 near the back of the manual.
 
 Make certain the fan is
 mounted with the label out and that the red wire 
 is in the +hole and the black one in the
 -hole.
 The fan should exhaust the hot air. 
 Cooler air flows in at the front of 
 the
 heatsink.
 
 73,
 Don W3FPR
 
 On
 5/19/2017 8:01 AM, N4KS via Elecraft wrote:
 >  I recently added the KPA100 to my K2.
 The heat sink gets VERY hot at any power level above 11
 watts (that's when the amp kicks in). The fan is running
 at high speed and pulling air OUT of the box. Just wondering
 if this is normal.
 


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