[Elecraft] [K2] HI CUR ok?

[Douglas Hagerman]

I was out this morning trying some antenna configurations at the park, ten different setups, one one of them gave me a HI CUR error. It was on 20 meters with 10 watts and with the current limit set at 2.5 amps, left over from when I was working on the radio a few days ago. The SWR was 1.2 into a 49 foot wire using the KAT2 tuner.

Am I correct in understanding that high current in the power amplifier is not bad in and of itself, as long as it stays below the point where it damages the transistors? In other words, if the power setting is high (here, 10 watts) then with a good antenna the PA will see high current just as part of normal operation? And that the goal is to set the limit high enough (3.5 A) so that the error doesn’t occur AND the transistors don’t burn out?

Sorry for asking these questions that were probably answered in 2002 or thereabouts!

Doug, W0UHU.