++++++++++++++++++++ From: "Dan Barker" To: "Elecraft" Subject: FW: [Elecraft] K2 Alignment Date: Wed, 23 Jan 2002 17:27:17 -0500 View this in a fixed font, or it's gonna look BAD. Mode FL1 BF1 FL2 BF2 FL3 BF3 FL4 BF4 CWn 1.5 13.70 1.0 13.52 0.6 13.41 0.3 13.33 dm .60 .42 .31 .33=20 CWr 14.55 14.83 14.70 14.58=20 dm -.15 .53 .40 .38=20 LSB 2.2 13.60 13.90 13.90 13.90 =20 dm .70 .90 .90 .90 USB 15.60 15.60 15.20 15.10 dm -.80 -.40 -.30 -.20=20 dm=3DDelta Manual example on pps 86. Or in other words, quite a bit. The radio is unusable with "book specs". = The passband falls to near zero around 1K, and I'm aiming for a .6 KHz = Offset. Moving BF1 to show 0.2-2.0 on Spectrogram makes it all sound = clean (on CW, anyhow). I set each filter to straddle the 600 Hz mark in = Spectrogram using background noise, zero beat WWV on wide, and fine = tuned for the same tone on each filter. It never took much. This K2 = hears magnificently. Kudos to Elecraft. As to Sideband, I've not a clue. = There's no "tone" to tweak towards, and it all sounds like Mickey Mouse = anyhow. As to your suggestion to start over, I've done that, multiple times. Of = course, the missing steps are easy to overlook. I don't know if they = matter at all or are important. So, when I'd finish the CAL PLL step the = wrong band, 30 M (where I was zerobeating WWV), I'd have to do it over = on 40 M (because the book's eratta sheet said so) just to be sure. Then = reset the BFO's to the book specs, then back to Spectrogram, then back = to 30 M to see WWV. I can't believe the CW setup is so easy and the SSB = is so tough to tune. There are references in the Spectrogram = instructions not to "let the BFO frequency inside the filter passband", = whatever that means (I know what it means, I just don't know how to = determine it's happened). But I KNOW when I'd return to the CAL FIL after finishing and then = noticing that sideband was not working, the LSB numbers would be in the = high 15's, and USB in the high 13's, even tho I'd set them the other way = around. Either I did it wrong about 4 times in a row, or the CWr = flummoxes the LSB CAL FIL process. Anyhow, the final time through, I = mentally added the two necessary steps in K2ManRevC, in addition to the = two errata on pps 98: page 86 (CAL FIL Example): Step 8.5 Switch back to CW Normal by hodling CW Rv before proceeding = on to LSB settings. page 98 (Calibration to WWV): =20 Step 7.5: BAND +/- to 40 Meters. (I know it's in the text on step 8. to = "Re-run CAL PLL on 40 m only", but I kept missing it. A separate step = makes it easy to remember. Note to Elecraft. If you guys want to try to duplicate this, I probably = skipped the beginning of step 9. "Tab BAND+ to return to the filter = bandwidth display". You can change modes with the display set to Freq., = and I most likely did that. Could that possibly matter?=20 You guys do read these posts, no? Dan Barker WG4S / K2 #2456 -----Original Message----- From: Ken Wagner, K3IU [mailto:k3iu at arrl.net] Sent: Wednesday, January 23, 2002 10:30 AM To: Dan Barker Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K2 Alignment At 09:22 AM 1/23/02, you wrote: >However, the SSB filters came out all wrong about 4 times. I finally=20 >noticed that they were reversed. Hi Dan: I'm not sure exactly how you got to the place that you are with the = filter=20 alignment. However, I'm SURE that if you follow the directions in the=20 manual for the initial setup, you will not be that far off. You = commented=20 that your CW settings were fairly far off of the manual recommended=20 settings. I guess I'm wondering... "How far??". I just checked my = settings=20 for FL2(1.0khz), FL3(0.4khz), and FL4(0,1khz). (I've got FL1 set up = using=20 the SSB board filter for general tuning so I haven't included FL1 = data).=20 These are my readings. Oh... I am using firmware version 2.01f. With=20 respect to the Normal/Reverse function, I'm fairly confident that = nothing=20 changed from the original firmware. Filter / Normal or Reverse / BFO Freq in manual / BFO Freq in my K2 FL2 / Norm / 4913.1 / 4913.31 (Manual initial setup is for 0.7khz, mine = is=20 1.0 khz) FL2 / Rev / 4914.3 / 4914.34 FL3 / Norm / 4913.1 / 4913.16 FL3 / Rev / 4914.3 / 4914.28 FL4 / Norm / 4913.0 / 4913.07 FL4 / Rev / 4914.2 / 4913.23 If your settings are more than a couple hundred hz different than the = book=20 values for a CW-only K2, you might consider starting again at Step = One...=20 i.e., band less than 15 meters, CW normal mode, then reverse, then LSB,=20 then USB. Once you get these set up initially, then you can go to=20 Spectrogram for the fine tuning. Good Luck. 73, Ken K3IU K2 #920 ++++++++++++++++++ Reply-To: "Don Wilhelm" From: "Don Wilhelm" To: "Dan Barker" , "Elecraft" Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K2 Alignment Date: Wed, 23 Jan 2002 18:15:57 -0500 ----- Original Message ----- ... As to Sideband, I've not a clue. There's no "tone" to tweak towards, and it all sounds like Mickey Mouse anyhow. -------------------------------------- Dan, Setting SSB with Spectogram is relatively easy Just set the BFO so that the filter passband is wherever you want it in the audio spectrum (the frequencies at the bottom of the Spectogram display). First select the filter width that you want to work with - somewhere between 1500 Hz and 2300 Hz is about right. If you have the OP1 filter (SSB adapter filter) you do not set its width, just set the BFOs - and that setting should be fined tuned for your voice on transmit. Mine worked FB with the settings suggested in the SSB adapter manual. The normal variable bandwidth filter has a lot of passband ripple at the wider settings, and I found that due to that ripple, I actually had to set the width to 1200 to give me a passband that was closer to 1600 Hz wide. After setting the filter width, proceed to set the BFO - you adjust the passband position to correspond with the audio range you want to hear rather than 'centering' the signal in the passband (or you can think of it as actually centering the whole range of audio frequencies as a band if you prefer - say 300 to 2300 Hz) You likely want about 300 Hz to be the lower frequency of the passband for best intelligibility - so set a Spectogram marker at 300 Hz and adjust the BFO until the rising (left) edge of the displayed passband crosses that marker. You actually want to place the marker somewhere on the slope of the passband. I would suggest at about 6 dB down from the peak of the passband. Then take a look at the high frequncy end and see how the audio matches with your selected filter width - if it is not right, adjust the width. 73, Don Wilhelm - Wake Forest, NC W3FPR home page: http://www.qsl.net/w3fpr/ QRP-L # 485 K2 SN 0020 mailto: w3fpr at arrl.net +++++++++++++++++++ From: Don Wilhelm [mailto:w3fpr at peoplepc.com] Sent: Thursday, January 24, 2002 4:59 PM To: Dan Barker Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K2 Alignment Dan, Since you seem to be CW oriented, I would wager that you do not have the = SSB module. If that is the case, USB will sound a lot worse than LSB with the = varible bandwidth filter. The reason is that the filter has a reasonably good = slope on the low frequency end (as viewed on Spectogram in LSB mode) while the high frequency end can be quite 'ratty' and have a slow slope. When you switch to USB, the picture on Spectogram 'turns around' (that is what = was the low freq audio becomes the high freq end and what was the high end becomes the low end), resulting in a lot of ripple within the lower frequency half of the decoded audio spectrum. One way to help this situation is to make the filter width more narrow. = Use Spectogram and LSB mode to observe the shape of the high end of the passband, and narrow the filter width to minimize the ripple consistent = with a usable passband. Because of the slow slope with wide filter settings = you may find filter widths as low as 1500 Hz to be quite usable for SSB reception. It may also be necessary to do the final BFO settings for = USB 'by ear' for the best deciphering of USB signals. 73, Don Wilhelm - Wake Forest, NC W3FPR home page: = http://www.qsl.net/w3fpr/ QRP-L # 485 K2 SN 0020 mailto: w3fpr at arrl.net +++++++++++++++++++++ Date: Thu, 24 Jan 2002 16:41:26 -1000 From: John Buck To: Dan Barker Cc: Elecraft Subject: Re: FW: [Elecraft] K2 Alignment (Muddy SSB) The K2 sound with the SSB module and the usb/lsb Receive sound equalization mod. along with the 2nd Xfil mod is definitely not muddy. I do also like the high frequency roll off that the KAF2 module adds even when the narrow filter is not selected. I did not like my audio until I added the XFIL mod. But the sound is great now. John KH7T ++++++++++++++++++++++ From: DolfinDon at aol.com Date: Thu, 14 Feb 2002 09:01:36 EST Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K2 BFO Frequencies To: K4IA at aol.com, elecraft at mailman.qth.net In a message dated 2/14/2002 7:41:02 AM Central Standard Time, K4IA at aol.com writes: I think I am OK now although I have an issue because my tone changes upwards when going from F1/F2 to F3/F4. That I know isn't right but I am not quite sure what to do with it. ------------------- Hi There are probably other methods but here is the way I do it. Set a Spectrogram marker at your sidetone frequency. Center the bandpass for each filter on that marker for CWn and CWr. Now with the antenna disconnect find the internal birdie at around 7.000 MHz. Go out of menu to normal and adjust the VFO so the birdie on the Spectrogram display is on top of the marker. Now without touching the VFO go into cal filter and make a small adjustment to each filter so the birdie is on top of the marker for each filter in CWn and CWr. When all is set up properly you can zero beat a CW signal and switch between filters or CWn or CWr with no change in tone. Don Brown KD5NDB ++++++++++++++++++++++ From: BobDobson at aol.com Date: Thu, 2 May 2002 20:08:22 EDT To: elecraft at mailman.qth.net, support at elecraft.com Subject: [Elecraft] FYI: Gotcha on K2 transmitter adjustment Today after getting my KSB2 SSB adapter working, I decided to perform (for no particular good reason) a realignment of the transmitter section. By the KSB2 is functioning perfectly, as is the MH2 (Heil) microphone. I discovered quite by accident that at least for the 20 meter output power adjustment on page 74, it is possible to set C21 and C23 so that you get a peak output power, but it peaks at 3-4 watts instead of the more robust 10+ watts. By twiddling around, I was able to rediscover the other (correct) peak. I don't know if anyone else has discovered this little albeit minor headache, but it may be worth mentioning in the next iteration of the assembly manual. The only outward symptom was normal power output on all bands except 20m, where maximum output was 3-4 watts. Just shows to go you: if there's a wrong way to do something, I'll figure it out! 73, Bob WA4FOM ++++++++++++++++++ To: lhlousek at nvbell.net, elecraft at mailman.qth.net Date: Tue, 16 Jul 2002 10:37:37 -0700 From: k6se at juno.com Subject: [Elecraft] K2 Alignment Hi, Lou, If your K2's VFO is accurate on some bands and not accurate on others, it might be that you detuned the 4 MHz oscillator to make the VFO read more accurately on, say 10 MHz WWV. The 4 MHz oscillator should be set precisely to 4000.000 kHz and never be touched again. Do a CAL PLL after setting the oscillator to 4000.000 kHz and accept whatever small dial readout error there is on WWV. To eliminate the pitch change on CW when you change filters, use the following procedure: When doing CAL FIL (and before tuning in an alignment signal - i.e., use background noise), use Spectrogram to center all CW filters (CWN and CWR) at the pitch you have your sidetone set to. Setting a marker in Spectrogram at this audio frequency will help you to visually center the passbands. Select the narrowest CW filter (FL4) and tune in a steady signal (such as the 7 MHz birdie) using the VFO knob so that the signal is peaked in the center on the passband display on Spectrogam, i.e., at the sidetone frequency marker. Never touch the VFO knob again during this alignment procedure. Select the next-widest CW filter (FL3) and if the signal is not at the same tone as above (aligned with the sidetone frequency marker), adjust the BFO to align it with the marker (i.e., the same tone as in the narrowest filter). Repeat the above paragraph for FL2 and FL1 in that order. Repeat all of the above steps for the other CW sideband. Do a CAL PLL. The main object is to use FL4 (the narrowest filter) when tuning in a signal and use it as your "reference" when calibrating the BFO for the other CW bandwidths. When completed, you'll find that the CW pitch does not change when selecting a different filter nor does it change whan you switch to the opposite CW sideband. Actually, the widest three CW filters may be aligned in any order so long as the signal is tuned in to be centered in the passband while using the narrowest filter. Hope this helps. 73, de Earl, K6SE +++++++++++++++++++++