++++++++++++++ From: James Hammons To: elecraft at mailman.qth.net Subject: [Elecraft] Rig drift Date: Sat, 28 Sep 2002 22:06:38 -0400 Reply-To: james-e-hammons at worldnet.att.net An easy accurate way to evauate dirft and frequency accuracy is to use the free program for PC's, BeaconSee. All it requires is a connection from the headphone jack to the line in of your soundcard. If you are set up for soundcard digital you are ready. This method just about eliminates errors in tuning and zero beating WWV, and it should work anywhere in the world. =20 Reading the setup instructions tell you to use lower sideband and tune 1kc high. With the K-2 it's easier to tune to the beacon using cw mode and set the center equal to your sideband frequency eg 600cps. Drift on SSB is not likely to be a problem anyway. If your frequency calibration is accurate you will see a line trace the beacons you can hear and see. Use the plug only partway in to see and hear. If the calibration is off the line will be above or below the center frequency. If there is drift the line will slope up or down as the frequency changes. These beacons are accurate. Often I can hear all of the beacons on 14,100 kc, on my 20m dipole. After the K2 warms up there will be a continuous line from all the beacons. =20 Most likely the line will not be exactly centered at your sidetone frequency. You can center it up with tuning knob and then you can try cw reverse and various filters and modes to see how they affect the frequency. You will be able to see the bandwidth of the various modes and see if the signal remains in the passband. The advantage of BeaconSee is the trace is over a long period of time. It is more than worth the effort to set up BeaconSee because it can be used to evaluate band conditions from you to the whole world. It gives good indication that your receive is up to snuff also. You can simulate normal operation by attaching your dummy load and going into tune for 10 minutes and then receive the beacon for 10 minutes. Don't use more power than you would for digital mode eq 5watts for the base K-2. CW and SSB do not use 100% power on average. You will overheat the finals if you use full power and it won't simulate CW or SSB power anyway. If you have the 160 meter option with the second receive antenna connector you won't have to change the output to the dummy load by hand, but otherwise you will have to switch to the second output or physically connect and disconnect the dummy load. Or you can punch in the frequency and pop over and see how normal operation has affected operation anytime. This is easiest if you mark the AF gain setting with a bit of masking tape. You will likely want to use Pre all the time so you can hear the weak ones. James ++++++++++++++++++ From: "Frank LaFranco W6NEK" To: Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Changes from 100 watts to 10 watts Date: Sat, 28 Dec 2002 12:13:31 -0800 Hello all, The statement that beacon station 4U1UN is operating on 28.200 MHz is an over simplification because the NCDXF beacon station referred to is only one of 18 beacon stations, spread through the world, which rotate transmitting on this assigned frequency. On 28.200 MHZ, the New York beacon station 4U1UN transmits 40 seconds past the hour for a period of 10 seconds. It then repeats the 10 second interval every 3 minutes. During that 3 minute period, 17 other NCDXF world wide stations are transmitting on this frequency. Each of them also transmit for 10 seconds. Therefore, in one 3 minute period, you have 18 worldwide beacons each transmitting ,one at a time, for 10 seconds. This is very useful for determining propagation openings to various parts of the world in real time. Each beacon will send its call sign (at 22WPM) followed by 4 one second carriers at 100W, 10W, 1W and 0.1Watt. In addition, the same 18 world wide beacons transmit on other HF bands. These include 20 meters (14.100 MHz), 17 Meters (18.110 MHz), 15 Meters (21.150 MHz), 12 Meters (24.930 MHz) and 10 Meters (28.200 MHz). If you tune to these frequencies, be sure to place your rig in CW mode to ensure you are listening to the displayed frequency. The NCDXF HF Beacon Network is a very valuable operating aid. For more info on this network go to: http://www.ncdxf.org/beacon.htm 73... Frank - W6NEK ----- Original Message ----- From: To: Sent: Saturday, December 28, 2002 8:08 AM Subject: [Elecraft] Changes from 100 watts to 10 watts > This is a critique of the Elecraft K2/100 > > Here are approximate changes on the NCDXF beacon > going from 100 watts to .1 watts. The station is 4U1UN > New York City on 28.200. Antenna is a 4 element beam. > > S9 100 watts > S8 10 watts > S5 1 watt > S3 .1 watt > > You are invited to listen to the NCDXF/ IARU beacon > network and listen for yourself the actual change in > signal level as the beacon goes fm 100 watts to 10 watts, 1 > watt and 100 mW, -- snip -- ++++++++++++++++ From: "Dave" To: "Tom" Cc: Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KI02 Interface software Date: Tue, 21 Jan 2003 17:39:13 -0000 Tom and Gang You might try BeaconSee: http://www.ip.pt/coaa/beaconsee.htm And Logger: http://www.qsl.net/kc4elo/ They are both free and work well on the K2. Bev, the author of BeaconSee has some K2 specific commands that I forwarded, having changed PCs at this end I lost the e-mail and settings. Kenwood commands will work but beware of needing to use VFO A on the K2 otherwise it changes band but doesn't set the correct frequency. Logger has the same issues with VFO A/B. 73's Dave, G4AON K2 #189 +++++++++++++++++