Elecraft K1 - Manual (Page 51)

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E
LECRAFT
11. Operation
This section explains how to set up and operate the K1. We suggest
you read the first few pages as an overview, then follow the
tutorial, which starts on page 54 (Basic K1 Operation). There's also
a Quick Reference, Appendix G, which shows the locations of
front-panel controls and describes each of the menu entries.
Connections
Power Supply
You can use any 9-15 V DC power supply; current drain is about
0.5-1A on transmit. A mating DC power connector is provided
with the kit. Use an in-line 2A fuse when operating from a
battery or power supply that does not include its own fuse.
Low Battery warnings: If your battery (or power supply) voltage
drops below about 9 V, you’ll see a brief B A T L O message flashed
on the LCD once every 5 minutes (approx.). This voltage level was
chosen to be compatible with an 8-cell NiMH or NiCd battery back.
Other battery types may have a different end-of-life
voltage; check the voltage using BAT display mode often.
12-V gel-cell batteries must be recharged at 10.5-11.0 V.
Headphones or External Speaker
The front-panel headphone jack can accommodate either
headphones or an external speaker, with an impedance of 8 ohms
or higher. A stereo plug or mono/stereo adapter is required,
unless you modify the RF board (see 2
nd step on page 31).
Keying Device
Any type of hand key, bug, or external keyer can be plugged into
the KEY jack, or you can connect a paddle and use the K1's built-in
memory keyer. In all cases, you must use a stereo plug with the
keying device (a suitable plug is provided with the kit). It is also
possible to connect both a keyer paddle and another keying device
at the same time; see Keying Device Selection (page 55).
Antenna
Any well-matched, unbalanced (usually coax-fed) antenna can be
used with the K1. With non-resonant antennas or balanced
feedlines a suitable balun and/or antenna tuner will be required. If
you have the KAT1 automatic antenna tuner option installed, you
can connect a wide range of random length or non-resonant
antennas directly to the K1 and use them on one or more bands.
Power setting accuracy with internal RF detector: Power
readings using the K1's built-in RF detector (D15) are only accurate
when the SWR is low. If you use a poorly-matched load, you should
check your power output with an external wattmeter. In some cases
a high-SWR load can result in excessive current drain.
Power setting accuracy with KAT1: If you have the KAT1
installed, power output display will be much more accurate under all
SWR conditions, since the tuner provides its own calibrated SWR
bridge/wattmeter.