Re: [Elecraft] Info 080 message started with RF Alignment and Test, Part II
I guess I said it wrong - I was referring to the VCO Test in Part 2 for the RF Board. After the PLL Reference Oscillator Test, I changed bands to 80 meters and was about to adjust frequency to 4000.10 when the Info 080 message popped up again. As I stated, when using CAL FCTR the frequency I found at this point (after the Info 080 message had appeared) was around 10800.00 - slightly above the 8 to 10 MHz range specified. However, it was fairly stable. After attempting another 456 reset this afternoon, the Info 080 message persists, just like it did before, with the same 0.00 frequency reading, and the same last character that looks like a 2 missing one segment (not a c). Additionally, something I didn't mention before but had happened before as well, when the Info 080 message appears at this stage, the LCD appears to default, or revert, to the day setting - the green backlight goes out. It just feels like a hardware issue to me, from what I've experienced with computer troubleshooting in the past. The same exact problems appeared at the same exact point in the tests...and everything else, test wise, had worked fine up until this point. The problem for me is that I'm not nearly knowledgeable enough about the circuits involved, or what individual components in the circuits do, to know where the actual issue lies... -- View this message in context: http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/Info-080-message-started-with-RF-Alignment-and-Test-Part-II-tp7564545p7564703.html Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] Info 080 message started with RF Alignment and Test, Part II
Well I thought I was going to be coming on to post what I'd found with the VFO problem...but now, the Info 080 is back. As far as the VFO, I discovered that if I removed the two screws that connect the control board and front panel board (so that they're not drawn snug to each other), the VFO works. It almost seems like the back of the optical encoder board is somehow shorting to the control board? I don't know...I put a couple pieces of electrical tape on the back of the encoder board and gently connected the two together with the screws and the VFO was still working. At that point, I went back to the Part 1 tests and alignment, and started working through Part 1 and Part 2 again. Everything was once again fine up until the exact same point - when I switched bands to the 80 meter band, before tuning to 4000.10, the Info 080 message popped up again. I said several things I won't say here, then proceded to do the frequency counter check anyways just to see where I am. I didn't actually make a note of the value but the frequency was somewhere around 10800, a range of 8 to 10 MHz is specified so this would be marginally acceptable (?) I guess. Just out of curiousity, I went ahead and checked the voltage on the left end of R30 (as described in the next step) and found it to be almost exactly 0.00 V - and adjusting the slug inductor made no difference. Prior to the reappearance of the Info 080 message (but before the VFO working again), I had checked this value, and again didn't write down what the exact numbers were, but I had some sort of reading and was able to make adjustment over a wide range using the slug inductor. Finally, I tried restarting the radio (figuring I knew what would happen), and the Info 080 message appeared immediately at startup, and I noticed that relay activity is one again nonexistant. Now I'm rather discouraged. I didn't check further but I wouldn't be surprised if I'm once again seeing the same problems with voltages on U1 and such. Knowing the little bit I know about computer troubleshooting, it seems that I can narrow the problem down to something that's resulting from the switch from 40 meters to 80 meters while doing frequency counter checks...but I have no clue at all what that problem could be. My best guess, since relay activity comes and goes with the Info 080 message, and these problems start when I change bands during these tests, is still some sort of problem with U1, as I've been over solder connections several times. -- View this message in context: http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/Info-080-message-started-with-RF-Alignment-and-Test-Part-II-tp7564545p7564649.html Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] Info 080 message started with RF Alignment and Test, Part II
I can't really say for sure that every one of my soldering connections is perfect, there may be one or a couple in there that are still flaky (which is all it would take, obviously). However as far as I can tell, I don't have a consistent problem with soldering. The connections are all shiny, solder flows from the component lead out to the edges of the pads, not in little balls (the few times I've had one of these happen I've taken care of it when it happened). I don't have an iron that I can specifically select a temperature on but it's a 50 watt iron that is adjustable - I have it set probably around 80-85% of full power. I've found if I go higher I actually tend to end up with discolored spots on boards at times - but I don't know the exact temperature. (I thought I vaguely remembered that a 50 watt iron usually was 800 degrees? Maybe not though.) I've used two different types of solder in the process - the first was the end of a spool from Radio Shack that was 60/38/2 silver bearing, and the spool I'm on now is also Radio Shack but 60/40. I still really lean towards the fact that the problem reappeared at the exact same point, down to the precise button press (switching to 80 meters while in CAL FCTr), suggesting that there's a problem with a component. It just seems that since the problem didn't appear randomly along the way but at the same exact moment, it wouldn't just be a solder connection. A poor solder connection would be prone to going out at any moment and the odds of it doing it the exact same time? -- View this message in context: http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/Info-080-message-started-with-RF-Alignment-and-Test-Part-II-tp7564545p7564673.html Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] Info 080 message started with RF Alignment and Test, Part II
Ok, some news to report! First off, I checked all suggested solder points and basically reheated them all just to be sure, although none really seemed suspect. Figured might as well give them a once over. Started the radio up again and no change...was about to sleep on it again, then figured it wouldn't hurt anything to give it another 456 reset. Surprise, after the Info 201 on restart, the Elecraft message pops up with no Info 080...and I have relay activity again. Changing bands also gives me relay sound with each change, and still no Info 080. I am also now seeing 5.44 V on pin 28 so it seems that U1 is actually ok. Soo...there's the good news. Now, for the bad. The resistance between pin 28, U1 and pin 40, U6 is unchanged...still too low. And another odd thing that I thought was just a result of my problems with the Info 080 message...the VFO knob is having no effect, whether it's changing the frequency or trying to scroll through menus. Previously it worked fine. I'm missing the nut to secure the shaft for the VFO controller to the front panel, but by fitting the VFO knob to the shaft snugly to the front panel, it worked fine before (I planned to email and get a replacement sent at some point but didn't want that one thing holding up my build). I probably have more soldering to check there, but should I be worried about the low resistance value I'm seeing? -- View this message in context: http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/Info-080-message-started-with-RF-Alignment-and-Test-Part-II-tp7564545p7564590.html Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] Info 080 message started with RF Alignment and Test, Part II
Ok that's what I'd thought about the resistance value there - the note (on Info 080 troubleshooting, in builder resources) had said that the resistors should be 470 ohm, and that the range should be 900-1000 ohm. However all through the manual those resistors are referred to as 100 ohm, which is what I have installed at those points, and my measured resistance value of around 198 ohm would be just about dead on. So no concern there. Just have to figure out what my VFO knob problem is now - checked solder points on the small optical encoder board and then gave it another shot, and it's still not working. Just as before with the sudden appearance of the Info 080 message, there's probably one solder point somewhere that's flaky and it's causing my problem. -- View this message in context: http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/Info-080-message-started-with-RF-Alignment-and-Test-Part-II-tp7564545p7564638.html Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] Info 080 message started with RF Alignment and Test, Part II
I will check and reheat soldering points as suggested, probably later this evening when I'm back home from work, and post how things go. Thanks for the quick suggestions! -- View this message in context: http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/Info-080-message-started-with-RF-Alignment-and-Test-Part-II-tp7564545p7564568.html Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
[Elecraft] Info 080 message started with RF Alignment and Test, Part II
Hi all - Started build of my K2 a few weeks back and have been slowly progressing. I must say I'm not an overly experienced builder - I've built a number of smaller kits, the largest being an MFJ shortwave regen receiver and one of the Ice Tube clocks you can find online - but all of my builds thus far have ended with success. Through Part 1 of the RF board tests, all was well. Upon reaching the part 2 tests, things appeared to be fine as well (4 MHz Oscillator Calibration checked out ok, and PLL Reference Oscillator Range Test was fine as well). However when I proceded to the VCO Test, the problems started - with the first appearance of the Info 080 message. I've had no luck in fixing the problem since. Here's what I've found/checked: 1.) X2 on the control board is the proper crystal - I was able to hear it on another receiver and zero-beat it by adjusting C22 2.) Resistance between pin 28, U1 (RF board) and pin 40, U6 (control board) is 197 to 198 ohms - well below the 900 to 1000 it should be 3.) Voltage on pin 28 of U1 (RF) is 0.14 V (close to 0, certainly nowhere near the 5-6 V range) - this apparently indicates that U1 is not programmed AND that the Aux Bus is open, although I've had no luck figuring out where the problem is with the Aux Bus 4.) Checked voltage on pin 32 of the MCU (U6, control board) and found it to be exactly 5 V - checks haven't indicated any problems with the MCU I can find 5.) I currently have no relay sound at startup. I did previously (even with the first few startups of the Part 2 tests) however sometime after these problems started, the relay activity stopped. 6.) Checking pins 1 and 20 of U1 on the RF board both give me 6 V 7.) Measuring pin 28 of U1 to ground with power off gives me a high resistance value I attempted a 456 reset as I've seen mentioned elsewhere - this seemed to do no good as following the 10 seconds of Info 201 message, instead of the Elecraft message, I got the Info 080 message again. Pressing any button to continue past that results in a display of 0.00 and what looks like part of the number 2, NOT the c to indicate CW mode. I assume this is a result of U1 not properly communicating with U6 at this point. Any suggestions? At this point I'm fairly certain I have a fried (or unprogrammed) U1, but I suspect I've got some other problem as well. (I have been using an anti-static mat and wrist strap while building, however my soldering iron itself isn't grounded and perhaps should be.) I'm quite the novice in terms of electronics so I can't really interpret the numbers I'm seeing other than to compare them to the baselines and see where things aren't correct. Not totally discouraged at this point, but definitely distressed... Thanks in advance for your help! -- View this message in context: http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/Info-080-message-started-with-RF-Alignment-and-Test-Part-II-tp7564545.html Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
