I have done the TX voltage checks without the filter and noise blanker boards mounted. Everything was fine just like when I finished the assembly. So no help there.
K1
The Elecraft K1 is a small multiband CW transceiver kit with 7 watts of output, full QSK, variable IF width, audio derived AGC, and built-in antenna tuner. I have built mine for the 40, 30, 20, and 17 meter bands during the spring in 2006. Be sure to check out my pictures of the K1.
K1 Noise Blanker and Blown Final?
I finished the KNB1 noise blanker today and installed it in the K1. When finished, I connected the K1 to my ATX-1080 set to the 40 meter band. I put the OHR WM-2 wattmeter and the T1 antenna tuner in between the K1 and the antenna. First I tried to put the T1 into bypass mode, but I wasn’t quite sure whether the yellow LED meant bypass on or tuner on… Later I found out that green led means tuner on, yellow led means bypass on.
K1 Final Assembly
Yesterday evening I mounted to top and bottom panels, including the little speaker. That more or less finishes the standard K1.
K1 Transmitter Alignments
I was just about to panic when I first set the K1 into TUNE mode. I have hooked up the K1 to my variable power supply, set the current limiter to 1 amps (as instructed by the manual), turned the K1 on and set it into TUNE mode. The only thing that happened was that the K1 turned off and the current limitin led on my power supply was lighting up, meaning that the K1 wanted more current then it was given.
K1 RF Board Part 2
I have finished mounting all the transmitter parts on the RF board yesterday. The only part missing are the two transformers, T3 and T4.
K1 Filter Realignment
I have played some more with the filter board. I decided not to worry too much about it because the trimmers will be altered again during transmitter alignment, but here are the alignment results so far:
Conclusion on the Filter Alignment
I have tried to use my other dummy load on the FT-817. It did indeed reduce the signal strength in the K1 quite a lot. This may sound a bit strange but it is not. You know, the DL-1 dummy load kit from Elecraft is an open dummy load, meaning that it is not in an enclosure, thus the RF signal is radiated from it. My other dummy load, on the other hand, is built into a piece of cooling metal and looks much more radiation closed than the DL-1 does.
New Attempt on the Filter Alignments
Nice surprise as I came home from work today: The replacement FT37-61 core for the noise blanker has arrived! That was fast. I sent the email on the 2. or 3. got a reply on the 3. and received the new core on the 7. All the way from USA.
K1 Filter Board Alignments
I have hooked up the FT-817 to a dummy load in order to perform the receiver tests on the K1. The first tests consist of aligning the trimmer capacitors on the filter board. To begin with I used the DL-1 dummy load.
K1 VFO Checks
The VFO range check is perfect. Without needing to do any modifications, not even squeezing or sopreading the turns on L1, I have a VFO range between 2.993 MHz and 3.094 MHz. The VFO seems as stable as a VFO of this kind can get. There is a frequency shift of 1 kHz down if … Read more