‰  NOW 40 WPM  ‰  TEXT IS FROM JUNE 2015 QST  PAGE 58‰
KEY CLICKS.  THIS MODIFICATION WILL BE INCLUDED IN EK1A KITS GOING FORWARD.
THE INSTRUCTIONS WITH OUR KIT INCLUDED A MODIFICATION TO ALLOW THE EK1A TO
TRANSMIT ON 30 METERS.  WE TRIED THE MOD, BUT A SPECTRAL SWEEP SHOWED THE
SECOND HARMONIC TO BE ONLY 26 DB BELOW THE FUNDAMENTAL.  THIS IS FAR
STRONGER THAN THE 43 DB REJECTION OF HARMONICS AND SPURIOUS SIGNALS
REQUIRED BY FCC PART 97, SO AN EXTERNAL FILTER WOULD BE REQUIRED TO USE THE
EK1A ON 30 METERS.  WE REMOVED THE MODIF

ANTENNA JACK IS A BNC CONNECTOR, AND THERES ALSO A COAXIAL DC POWER JACK.
A PUSH BUTTON ENGAGES THE BUILT IN 19 DB AS MEASURED IN THE LAB ATTENUATOR.
CONSTRUCTION KIT CONTENTS INCLUDE ONE PLASTIC BAG OF PARTS, A FRONT AND
BACK PANEL, A SATIN FINISHED ALUMINUM ENCLOSURE, AND TWO CIRCUIT BOARDS.
DOCUMENTATION CONSISTS OF PDF VERSIONS OF THE CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATING
MANUALS ON A MINIATURE CD.  WE WERE HAPPY TO SEE THE LCD DISPLAY BOARD WAS
COMPLETE AND REQUIRED NO SOLDERING.  EVEN BETTER, THE MAIN CIRCUIT BOARD
HAD ALL OF ITS TINY SURFACE MOUNTED PARTS INSTALLED, SO THERE ARE ONLY 22
THROUGH HOLE PARTS TO SOLDER AND THREE TOROIDS THAT NEEDED WINDING.
OVERALL, PETE FOUND THAT BUILDING THE EK1A IS NOT TOO DIFFICULT.  THE
CONSTRUCTION MANUAL DOES NOT HAVE STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS.  INSTEAD,
THERE ARE COLOR PHOTOS WITH BRIEF INSTRUCTIONS OF WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
FOR EXAMPLE, AFTER BRIEFLY EXPLAINING HOW MANY TURNS OF WIRE MUST BE
WRAPPED AROUND THE TOROIDS, THE NEXT STEP IS PLEASE INSTALL ALL OTHER PARTS
EXCEPT Q9 AND Q10.  THE INSTRUCTION FOR INSTALLING THE ELECTROLYTIC
CAPACITORS WAS TO NOTE THE RIGHT DIRECTION.  NO MENTION WAS MADE ABOUT THE

TO THE RIGHT OF HE DISPLAY ARE TWO RED PUSHBUTTONS.  WHEN PRESSED
MOMENTARILY, THE TOP PUSHBUTTON V/MEM/SAV TOGGLES BETWEEN THE VFO AND A
MEMORY CHANNEL.  TO STORE A MEMORY CHANNEL, ROTATE THE VFO KNOB TO THE
DESIRED FREQUENCY.  THEN PRESS AND HOLD THE V/MEM/SAV BUTTON FOR 3 SECONDS
TO STORE THE FREQUENCY IN THE NEXT AVAILABLE MEMORY CHANNEL.  WHEN PRESSED
MOMENTARILY, THE BOTTOM PUSHBUTTON RIT/SET TOGGLES BETWEEN THE RIT RECEIVER
INCREMENTAL TUNING AND THE SPEED OF THE BUILT IN ELECTRONIC KEYER.  WHEN
RIT IS ENGAGED, THE RECEIVED FREQUENCY CAN BE MOVED UP TO 82 KHZ HIGHER OR
LOWER THAN THE TRANSMITTING FREQUENCY BY ROTATING THE TUNING KNOB, USEFUL
FOR SPLIT OPERATION.  WHEN THE RIT/SET BUTTON IS PRESSED AND HELD FOR TWO
SECONDS, THE CW SPEED IS DISPLAYED AND CAN BE ADJUSTED BY ROTATING THE
TUNE/STEP KNOB.  KEYING IS SEMI BREAKIN, AND DELAY IS NOT ADJUSTABLE.  THE
FREQUENCY TUNING STEP IS SELECTED BY MOMENTARILY PRESSING THE TUNE/STEP
KNOB.  PRESS IT ONCE TO SELECT 10 HZ, PRESS IT AGAIN TO SELECT 100 HZ, AND
A THIRD PRESS SELECTS 1 KHZ STEPS.  PRESSING AND HOLDING THE KNOB FOR TWO
SECONDS SELECTS 100 KHZ STEPS.  THE REAR PANEL OFFERS A 1/8 INCH STEREO
PHONE JACK FOR CONNECTING AN EXTERNAL CW KEYER, STRAIGHT KEY, OR PADDLES
FOR THE INTERNAL KEYER.  IF A KEY OR PADDLE IS PLUGGED IN, THE KEYING
DEVICE IS AUTOMATICALLY DETECTED WHEN THE TRANSCEIVER IS TURNED ON.  THE
‰  END OF 40 WPM TEXT  ‰  QST DE W1AW  ƒ