Category Archives: From the OM

Goodbye Solar Cycle 24

Posted on January 20, 2016 by robert

Goodbye Solar Cycle 24, you were fun while you lasted! Propagation is really impacting the K5P (Palmyra Island), VP8STI (South Sandwich Island), and VP8SGI (South Georgia Island), DXpeditions. I note that solar levels appear to be somewhat higher than when I … Continue reading →

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K1 Assembly Complete

Posted on January 1, 2016 by robert

I completed and installed the two coils in 50 minutes.  I then spent another 40 minutes doing the TX tests and alignment.  That brings the total time to 25.75 hours. The initial transmitter testing went well, with coils almost peaked … Continue reading →

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Goals for 2016 and 2015 in Review

Posted on January 1, 2016 by robert

I completed almost all my 2015 goals. Complete DXCC Challenge with 1000+ points YES (1136) Complete 30m and 12m DXCC (7BDXCC) (80m seems unlikely) Yes – Bonus did 80 too Complete 12m WAS (7BWAS) (a stretch to get DE and … Continue reading →

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Quad Hands — Helpful Holding Device

Posted on December 31, 2015 by robert

I’ve used a rather inexpensive “Helping Hand” source from China to help hold parts while I solder them.  That tool is a pain to use and not very effective.  So I’ve been looking for a replacement.  I ran across something … Continue reading →

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RX Alignment Completed

Posted on December 28, 2015 by robert

I completed the VFO work and all the RX alignment steps (calibration, filter alignment) in 50 minutes.  All the tests and alignment steps went quite well. The only problem I hear is obviously internal (hear it with antenna disconnected and … Continue reading →

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Another Surprise From the ARRL

Posted on December 17, 2015 by robert

I guess the January 2016 QST is hot off the press.  I received an express envelope with three pristine copies today as a courtesy for a brief piece in Technical Correspondence [pages 72 & 73]. My father was a journalist, … Continue reading →

Posted in From the OM, Gear, History | 1 Comment

K1 Assembly Burp #2

Posted on December 15, 2015 by robert

I had a chance to install a dozen components today, but it took about 50 minutes.  This was because the two adjustable caps (C13 & C20) as supplied do not match the manual description or silkscreen outline.  Elecraft specifies a particular … Continue reading →

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K1 RF Board Assembly Underway

Posted on December 10, 2015 by robert

It’s been about 5 days since I did any work on the K1.  This time of year it’s important to keep the family happy, and that means lots and lots of Christmas decorations.  I hate the thought of landfilling the … Continue reading →

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SCS DR-7400 Modem and the Icom IC-9100

Posted on December 6, 2015 by robert

I haven’t been able to get my Icom IC-9100 and SCS DR-7400 P4 modem to play nicely together.  No matter what I’ve tried, the modulation level was too high, showing substantial ALC action, which would lead to a distorted transmit … Continue reading →

Posted in Digital Mode, From the OM, Gear | 4 Comments

K1 Front Panel Completed

Posted on December 5, 2015 by robert

The Front Panel assembly had 75 components and took 265 minutes of assembly and verification time.  That works out to 3.5 minutes per component and 4.4 hours. At this point, I feel that I’m about halfway finished with the build … Continue reading →

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