Elecraft XV Transverter Owner's Manual User Manual
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If you are switching from split transmit and receive antennas to a
common antenna, do the following:
Remove jumper W2. W2 is next to the outline for K2 directly
behind connector J8 (AUX) in the upper left corner of the RF
PCB.
Remove jumper W3. W3 is also near relay K1.
Install relay K1. Be sure it is sitting solidly against the PCB
when you solder it. Solder all five pins. Do NOT trim the relay
pins on the bottom side of the PCB.
Remove the two screws you replaced at each end of the RF amplifier
module. Be sure the flat washers are in place between the module and the
PCB. If necessary adjust their position so the screws will drop through
them when the bottom cover is replaced.
Set the bottom cover in place and drop the two long screws back
through their holes. Replace the lock washers and nuts on the top of the
PCB to hold the screws and hardware in place. Do not tighten the nuts
yet.
Replace the four black screws at the corners of the bottom cover and
tighten them.
Tighten the nuts at each end of the RF module. Inspect the RF
module to ensure that both flat washers are between the module and
bottom of the PCB (See Figure 14). Remove the cabinet side panel, if
necessary, to get a clear view of the RF module hardware.
Replace the top cover and tighten all four corner screws.
If you have configured your transverter for a common transmit and
receive antenna, connect it to the ANT connector (J1). If you have
configured your transverter for separate transmit and receive antennas:
Connect the transmit antenna to the ANT connector (J1).
Connect the receive antenna to the AUX connector (J8).
Reducing Receive Gain to Preserve System Dynamic
Range
Although your Elecraft transverter has a very low noise figure, it can be
improved by using an external pre-amplifier at the antenna to overcome
the losses in your transmission line. If you use an external preamplifier,
you may want to reduce the overall gain to preserve the dynamic range
of the receive system. You can reduce the receive gain about 12 dB by
removing an amplifier stage in the transverter.
i
The following procedure will destroy MMIC U1 in the
transverter. If you decide to restore the transverter to its original
configuration, order a replacement MMIC from Elecraft.
Remove the four screws at the corners of the top cover and remove
the cover to gain access to the top of the RF PCB.
Locate MMIC U1 on the RF PCB. It is in the upper left quadrant to
the right of the Power Cal potentiometer.
Use sharp diagonal cutters to clip off the leads to U1 and remove it.
Inspect the PCB to be sure the solder pads for U1 are not shorted. If
necessary use a desoldering tool to remove the remnants of the leads and
excess solder to be sure there are no solder bridges between the pads.
Use your DMM to identify the two pads for U1 that are not
grounded. They are the pads closest to the back panel and the pad
opposite, closest to the front panel.
Install a short jumper across the pads that are not grounded. Be sure
the jumper is not shorted to any other pads.
Replace the top cover and tighten the screws.
Optional Feet and Bail Attachment
A bail and feet that elevates the front of the transverter to a convenient
viewing angle is available as an optional accessory from Elecraft.
Contact Elecraft or visit
www.elecraft.com
to order the feet and bail.