Elecraft K1 - Manual (Page 55)

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E
LECRAFT
Basic K1 Operation
Self-Test: A number of tests are done at power-up. If you see an
error message (such as E 4 2 ), refer to Troubleshooting.
Band and Frequency Display: When you turn on the K1 or tap
B A N D , the current band and operating frequency will be displayed.
For example, if the last band used was 40 meters and the VFO was
set to 7025.3 kHz, the LCD would show 7 , then 0 2 5 , and finally
2 5 . 3 .
Changing Bands: To change bands, tap B A N D quickly two or
more times.
Receiver Setup
Display Mode: Holding D I S P L A Y alternates between three
receive-mode displays: frequency (default), S-meter, and
voltmeter. For normal operation, use frequency or S-meter mode.
(In S-meter mode, the frequency is re-displayed automatically
whenever the VFO is moved.)
AF GAIN: Adjust the AF GAIN control for comfortable headphone
or speaker volume. The sidetone volume can be set higher or lower
in relation to receiver audio using the S T L menu entry.
Crystal Filter Selection: Filter FL1 (usually the widest filter) is
selected on power-up. Holding
X F I L cycles through the filters. Use
narrower filters to reduce interference from nearby stations.
Attenuator: Holding A T T N switches in about 14 dB of attenuation.
This may be useful if extremely strong signals are causing receiver
overload. The receiver has sufficient sensitivity to allow the
attenuator to be left in at all times, if necessary. If you turn the
attenuator on when the display is in S-meter mode, an extra bar is
added to the S-meter display to compensate. (Note: You can disable
LEDs to save current using the L E D menu entry.)
Transmitter Setup
Display Mode: During transmit the LCD normally shows a
bargraph (1 bar per watt). If you select supply voltage display mode
(using
D I S P L A Y ), the power supply or battery voltage will be
shown, flashing slowly. In TUNE mode, power is shown in watts
(see below). SWR can be displayed if the KAT1 ATU is installed.
Setting Power Output: Approximate power output can be set
using the O U T menu entry (0 . 1 to 7 . 0 watts). Anytime you
change the power level or change bands, you’ll see power start out
near zero, then go up while you send the first few characters of
CW. This is due to the transmitter’s ALC (automatic level
control). Caution: When working into non-50-ohm loads, the
power display may not be accurate.
TUNE Mode: To put the transmitter into TUNE mode (key-
down), press the
W P M + and W P M - switches simultaneously. At 5
watts, the display would show P 5 . 0 . (It is normal for this number
to vary over as much as several tenths of a watt.) While in TUNE
mode, you can change power output using
W P M + and W P M - .
Keyer Test Mode: It is possible to completely disable the
transmitter to do keyer or message buffer testing (page 55).
QSK Delay and Sidetone: The QSK delay is set with the T - R
menu entry. Sidetone volume and pitch are set using the S T L and
S T P menu entries, respectively.
Transmit Offset: The transmit offset should be matched to your
selected sidetone pitch using C13 on the RF board. This is normally
accomplished during alignment (page 47).
Transmit Frequency Limits: Some countries require transmit to
be disabled outside of specified amateur bands. Your K1 may include
such limits encoded in firmware. In this case, if you key the
transmitter with the VFO set outside the usable range, you’ll see
E n d on the LCD.