4 k2 menus

Submitted by Jerry Neufeld, VE3QSO
E-mail: ve3qso@rac.ca
Phone: 613-828-0959

Notes

1. Because of the design of the K2 transceiver, one rarely needs to visit the menus once set up. In fact, it is quite possible that the default settings will be appropriate in your case, thus requiring no sighted assistance. For those who wish to make changes via the primary and secondary menus in the rig without assistance, the KRC2 morse code readout device or something equivalent to it will be required. Before attempting to go into the menus on your own, your KRC2 should be running and one of the four buttons, normally key 2, should provide you with a full readout of the K2 display.

2. The Primary menus are those you will most frequently use. You may either simply view the contents with no intent to modify them, what I will call simple display mode, or you may go one step further into edit mode to affect your changes. The procedure is simple but potentially confusing if you forget which mode you are in. To view the last Primary menu accessed, tap but do not hold the menu key, the bottom left-most key in the six-pack on the left-hand side of the front panel. Now tap the display readout button on the KRC2 to find out in which menu you are and to hear the current status of that menu. In most cases because of space restrictions on the K2 display, the name of the menu will be abbreviated e.g. STL for sidetone level, INP for input mode for a paddle or a straight key. While you can use the main tuning knob to scroll through the menus, visually-impaired users will find it much preferable to step forward or back one menu at a time by tapping either the band-up or band-down keys. Continuing to go in one direction will bring you full circle to your starting point. To illustrate how to make a change in a parameter, locate the STL sidetone volume level in simple display mode. Once there as determined by the KRC2 display readout, locate the K2 menu button again and press and hold. You should now hear a steady tone. Although you can use the band-up key to increase the volume level or the band-down key to reduce it, the increment or decrement will be so small as to be scarcely noticeable. In this situation, rotate the main tuning knob to affect a sharper change. Once at a desirable level, tap the menu key to return to simple display mode, then tap it again to exit the menus. Note: it is important that you remember to tape the menu key twice when entering the menus in the normal manner since failure to do so may cause some confusion later. Viewing and changing Primary menus is just that simple, provided the KRC2 is performing appropriately.
To go to the Secondary menus as listed below, tap the menu key as before, then tap the display key, the top right-most key of the six-pack. The last-accessed Secondary menu will now be displayed and readable with the KRC2. To exit simple display mode and the Secondary menus, tap the menu key. To exit edit mode of the Secondary menus, tap the menu key twice as before. To go back to the Primary menus from the Secondary menus, tap the display key.

3. When either primary or secondary menus are brought up, the K2 will display the last parameter visited or edited. While this is convenient most times, rather than proceeding backwards or forwards menu by menu to reach the one you wish, you might wish to go immediately to menu 1 as appears in the lists below as a convenient reference point. I use programmable keys 1 & 2 to do this, 1 to take me immediately to sidetone volume edit and 2 to take me to SLCH squelch level in the secondary group, those rarely needed. Following is a segment of the menus list that tells you how to program the PF keys, 7 & 8 on the numeric pad.

Programmable Function Switches (PF1/PF2)
The PF1 and PF2 switches (below RIT and XIT, respectively) can
be programmed as direct edit shortcuts to any two menu entries of
your choice, including secondary menu entries. Two
special functions can also be assigned to PF1 or PF2: Fast Play and SCAN RESUME.
To program PF1 or PF2: Enter the menu and scroll to PF1 or
PF2, then change the parameter to the desired entry. Exit the
menu.
To use PF1 or PF2: HOLD one of these switches to activate the
selected menu shortcut, then change the menu parameter (which
will be underlined) using the VFO knob or BAND-up/BAND-down buttons. Note: Understand that this will place you in edit rather than simple display mode as described in the previous note. To
return to normal operation, tap any switch or the keyer paddle.
Exceptions: the FPon, SCAN and RANT functions take effect
immediately.
Using PF1 or PF2 as secondary menu shortcuts: Enter the
menu and scroll to PF1 or PF2 in the manner described in note 2 above. To switch to the secondary menu
entries, tap DISPLAY. (Tapping DISPLAY again will return to the
primary menu entries.) Select the desired parameter, then exit the
menu.

4.
As I have done for the Table of Contents in the operation manual, I have placed qq numbers for ease of location of sections with the find command.

K2 Menus

qq001 Primary Menu Functions
qq002 Secondary Menu Functions
:::

To access the menu: Tap MENU. The display will show the
menu entry last used, with an underline.You can scroll to a desired menu
entry by turning
the VFO knob or by tapping the BAND + and BAND - switches.

To modify a menu entry's parameter: Hold EDIT to move the
underline to the parameter, rather than the menu entry name. In
the case of LCD , the parameter can be DAY or NITE . Change
the parameter using the VFO knob or BAND+ / BAND- . When
you're finished, tap MENU to return to scrolling. Another tap of
MENU will return you to normal operation.

DISPLAY Switch Usage in EDIT Mode: The DISPLAY switch
is used to access supplemental parameters when editing certain
menu entries (marked "*" at right). You will normally not need to
change these settings. Entries which use DISPLAY include:
Entry DISPLAY witch Usage in EDIT mode
STL Selects the sidetone source, U6 - 25 or U8 - 4 . Use
U8 - 4 (default).
T - R Specifies "8R" behavior, 8r hold or 8 r nor .
"Hold" mode (default) holds the 8R line low during
the user-programmed QSK delay.
INP Selects auto-detect mode, ADETOn (default) or
ADETOff.

EDIT Shortcut: If the menu entry you want to change is the last
one used, you don't need to tap MENU; just hold EDIT. Change the
parameter as usual, then exit by holding EDIT once more.
:::

qq001 Primary Menu Functions

STL: sidetone level (volume): 0-255 (Tone Source)
ST P: sidetone pitch: 0.40 to 0.80 kHz in 10 Hz steps
T-R: QSK delay: 0.00 to 2.55 sec. (8R Mode)
RPT: CW message repeat interval: 0 to 255 seconds
INP: CW input selection (Auto-detect on/off): PDLn (internal keyer/norm.

w/auto-detect12) PDLr (internal keyer/reversed w/auto-detect) HAND (hand key
or external keying device)
6. IAB: iambic mode: A or B
7. SSBA: SSB audio level (mic gain): 1 , 2 , 3 , or BAL
8. SSBC: SSB speech compression level: 1 - 1 through 4-1 ; in RTTY/data
mode, a separate compression level is provided, and the menu entry is SSBCr
9. LCD: DAY (backlight off, bargraph bright) or NITE (backlight on, bargraph
normal)
10. GRPH: LED bargraph selection: OFF , DOT , BAR (OPT BATT overrides GRPH
BAR , forcing DOT mode)
11. OPT: receiver optimization: PERFormance or BATTery
12. ATU: ATU operating mode
13. RANT: RX antenna: OFF or ON , per-band (page 100)
14. CAL: calibration submenu

The CAL menu provides the following functions:

FCTR: Frequency counter
CALFCTR displays the frequency of the signal at P6 on the
Control board during alignment.
CUR: Programmable transmit current limit
CALCUR allows you to set a safe maximum transmit current.
The recommended setting is 3.50 A. A lower setting may be
appropriate if you're using 5 watts or less, or if your power supply
has a lower current rating.
TPA: PA temperature set (see KPA100 manual)
SLO: S-meter zero set
S HI: S-meter full-scale sensitivity set
S-meter Calibration (CAL SLO, CAL S HI)
To set the S-meter zero level:

Disconnect the antenna.
Make sure the RF GAIN control is fully clockwise (max gain).
Select CALSLO in the menu.
Turn the VFO knob until the left-most bargraph segment is

just barely turned off.
5. Exit CAL mode by tapping MENU.
To set S-meter sensitivity:

Disconnect the antenna.
Turn the RF GAIN control fully counter-clockwise (minimum

gain).
3. Select CALSHI in the menu.
4. Turn the VFO knob until the right-most bargraph segment is just
barely turned off.
5. Exit CAL mode by tapping MENU .
Note: The S-meter must be recalibrated anytime the AGC threshold
is changed.
PLL: VFO linearization
The CALPLL function automatically calibrates VFO fine-tuning13.
You can repeat CALPLL at any time, although this should not
normally be necessary. One reason you might re-run CALPLL is
after calibrating the frequency counter. In general, you'll need to re-run
CALPLL and
CALFIL anytime you change the setting of C22 (Control board),
which is used to align the 4 MHz crystal oscillator.
To Linearize the VFO:

Remove the top cover. The bottom cover must be installed.
Allow a 10-minute warm-up period at room temperature.
Connect the internal frequency counter cable to TP1 (VCO).
Exit the menu if you were using it.
Switch to 40 meters and set the VFO anywhere in the 7000-7100

kHz range.
6. Use the menu to activate CALPLL.
7. When calibration is completed (4-8 minutes), you'll hear a short
alert tone and see E n d on the LCD. You can then tap any
switch to return to normal operation.
FIL: Filter settings
This section explains how to use CALFIL to select the
bandwidth and BFO settings. An example appears on the next
page. The Elecraft web site provides information on other filter
setup methods, including a method that uses a personal computer
sound card. For a discussion of how the crystal filter and BFO
settings are related.
Basic CAL FIL Setup

Connect the frequency counter test cable to TP2 (BFO).
Set AF GAIN high enough to hear some background noise.
Switch to a band between 160 m and 17 m. (The sideband is

inverted on 15 m and above, which may be confusing during
filter setup.)
4. Select CW mode using MODE . If a bar appears above the C,
the K2 is in CW Reverse mode; hold CWRV to select CW
Normal mode.
5. Tap XFIL until FL1 is selected.
6. Tap MENU and scroll to CAL . Hold EDIT to move the
underline to OFF , then scroll until you see CALFIL .
Finally, hold EDIT again to activate the filter display.
After selecting a CAL function, hold EDIT to activate it.

15. PF1/PF2: programmable functions; can be assigned to any menu function,
SCAN , or FPon (Fast-Play)
:::

qq002 Secondary Menu Functions

To access the secondary menu, tap MENU, then tap DISPLAY.
You'll see SEC. All secondary menu functions are listed and
described here.

1. SLCH Squelch level
Squelch defaults to OFF. You can set the threshold to 1-10,
corresponding to the S-meter's bargraph segments. Transmitting
holds squelch open for about 10 seconds.
2. RATES RATE switch selections
Tuning Rate Selection (RATES)
The RATES menu entry lets you specify how the RATE switch
works. The four options are:
3N3 rates, normal order (10/50/1000 Hz steps)
3R3 rates, reverse order (1000/50/10 Hz steps)
3C3 rates, CW optimized (10/20/1000 Hz steps)
22 rates (10/50 Hz steps only)
3. DOT Dot/space ratio (keying weight)
Keying Weight (DOT)
DOT sets the internal keyer's dot/space ratio (keying weight). The
range is 0.90-1.40, roughly 90% to 140% of "normal" weighting.
The default is 1.1
4. FPLY Fast Play switch selections
Fast-Play CW Messages (FPLY)
CW messages are normally played by tapping MSG, then 0-8 .
During contests, some operators prefer to have one-touch access,
which we refer to as Fast-Play.
To use Fast-Play: First, program PF1 or PF2 as FPon for use in
turning Fast-Play mode on/off. Next, use the FPLY menu entry to
select a switch group. For example, if you have FPLY2-5
selected, you can use 2,3,4, and 5 for Fast-Play. (The TAP
functions of these switches won't be available in CW mode; HOLD
functions are unaffected.) When Fast-Play is on, the letter F will
replace the mode letter c once every few seconds as a reminder.
A tap of any Fast-Play switch will play its message buffer one time.
To auto-repeat, you must still use MSG.
5. PORT RS232 interface on/off (Port Test)
RS232 Interface Setup (PORT)
Use the PORT menu entry to turn on 4800-baud RS232
communication. When PORT is ON , tapping DISPLAY sends an
"FA" command (VFO A frequency) for test purposes. Refer to the
KIO2 or KPA100 manual for details.
6. SPLT SPLIT, RIT, XIT configuration
SPLIT/RIT/XIT Configuration (SPLT)
Normally, the K2's SPLIT, RIT, and XIT selections stay the same
as you switch from one band to the next. To have these selections
stored on a per-band basis and retained when power is off, set
SPLT to PER(per-band).
7. Po2810/12 meter SSB power output limit
10 and 12 m Power Limit in SSB/RTTY Modes (Po28)
The highest distortion-free single-sideband power output level may
be less than 15 watts, especially on 10 and 12 m. We recommend
leaving Po28 at 10.0 watts. (Does not apply to CW mode.)
8. RTTY RTTY (data) mode control
RTTY/Data Mode (RTTY)
RTTY/Data mode (mode letter lower-case r ), if enabled, provides
four independent crystal filter settings for use with data modes. To
enable RTTY/Data mode, set the RTTY menu parameter to ON.
The MODE list will then include C,L,U and r. r-NORMAL mode
uses lower sideband, and r -REVERSE (with a "bar" over the r ) uses
upper sideband. To select r -REVERSE, hold the CWRV switch.
(FINE RIT is also very useful in data modes).
Filter configuration (CALFIL): r mode defaults to the same
settings as LSB and USB. Use CALFIL (on 17 meters or below) to
modify the r -mode filter bandwidths or BFO settings as needed.
Speech compression (SSBCr): The SSBC menu entry will
change to SSBCr when r mode is selected. A setting of 1-1 (1:1,
or speech compression off) is recommended for RTTY/data.
9. RTC Real-time clock control
Real-Time Clock (RTC)
If RTC is set to ON and a KAF2 or KDSP2 option is installed, the
DISPLAY switch can access a time or date display. (The KDSP2
also provides DSP features which are accessible via the DISPLAY
switch.) Refer to the KAF2 or KDSP2 manual.
10. RIT RIT/XIT offset range (up to +/- 4.8 kHz)
RIT/XIT Range Selection (RIT)
RIT is used to select one of four RIT/XIT OFFSET ranges. If the
selected range is +/- 1 . 2 kHz or higher, the RIT/XIT annunciators
flash whenever RIT or XIT are turned on.
11. ACC Accessory output control
Accessory Outputs (ACC)
This menu entry can be used in conjunction with the Elecraft KRC2
programmable band decoder to control equipment external to the
K2. Refer to the KRC2 manual for details.
12. D19 Leave at default (n ) unless K60XV option installed
Extended VFO Range (D19)
Leave D 1 9 set to the default, n (no), unless you have installed
varactor diodes D19 and D20 in conjunction with the K60XV
option (60 meters plus low-level transverter I/O). At that time the
parameter should be set to Y .
Note: Do not install D19 and D20 until the K60XV option is
installed.
13. PAK2/100 final stage mode selection (Fan Mode)
K2/100 Mode Selection (PA)
If you have the KPA100 option installed, the P A menu entry
shows the 100-watt stage's operating mode. While editing the P A
parameter, tapping DISPLAY selects the fan mode (nor, LoHi,
Hi). For more details, refer to the KPA100 manual (Appendix G of
the K2 owner's manual, which is supplied with the KPA100 kit).
14. TRN1-3/4-6 Transverter band setup (Parameter)
Transverter Bands (TRN1-TRN6)
Six user-definable bands are provided for use with transverters. Once
enabled individually using the TRN1-3/4-6 menu entries, these
bands will appear in the band rotation following 10 meters. You can
use Elecraft XV-Series transverters and most other transverter
types with the K2.
Transverter switching: Up to six Elecraft XV-Series transverters
can be controlled automatically using the K60XV option (60 meter
adapter and low-level transverter I/O). Refer to the K60XV manual
for further details.
Transverter configuration: These bands are set up using the
TRN1-3/4-6 menu entries. First, tap MENU, select the secondary
menu (SEC) using DISPLAY, and scroll to TRN1,2, or 3.
(Tapping ANT1/2 switches to TRN4-6.) Next, hold EDIT to
highlight the first parameter. You can then tap DISPLAY to rotate
through the parameters. Finally, change parameters as needed using
the VFO knob or BAND+/BAND-. Changes take effect when you
exit EDIT mode.
ON/OFF Set to ON to enable this transverter band
RF Transverter operating frequency (0-999
MHz; GHz digits not used)
IF K2 band to use as the I.F. (7, 14, 21, or 28
MHz)19
OFS Display offset (+/- 9.99 kHz); calibrate
based on transverter oscillator offset, if any
OUT Power output limit, L0.01-L1. 27 mW
(requires K60XV) or H00.0-H12.7 watts;
can reduce setting using POWER control
ADR Elecraft XV-Series transverter selection
address (see K60XV manual)
Using transverter bands: When you switch to a transverter band
(using BAND+/BAND-), the message TRN1, 2 or 3 is flashed.
The LCD shows up to 999 MHz by shifting one place to the right.
Note: If you select 10 Hz tuning steps with RATE, the hundreds of
MHz digit will briefly disappear so you can see the 10-Hz digit.
Direct Frequency Entry on transverter bands is in-band only. For
bands over 99 MHz, the first digit is made part of the prompt. For
example, on a transverter band in the 430 MHz range, you'd see
- - - - 4 when you hold BAND+ and BAND- together to initiate
Direct Frequency Entry. To get to 432.100 MHz, you'd then enter
32100.
Controlling transverter relays: The 8R HOLD feature can
prevent excessive transverter relay switching in CW mode. To
change the 8R HOLD setting, locate the T-R menu entry (primary
menu), edit the parameter, and tap DISPLAY to select 8rhold.
(This is the default setting and is recommended for use in all
operating modes, whether or not transverters are used.)
Using the K60XV option with transverters: In addition to 60
meter coverage, the K60XV option provides a low-level, split
RX/TX path transverter interface. This interface can be selected on
a per-transverter-band basis by adjusting the OUT field for an
output value in milliwatts (L0. 01-L1.27). In T U N E mode, power
in mW is displayed, plus LP for "low power" (e.g. P1.00LP).
The K60XV also provides a buffered relay keying output, and logic
outputs for transverter switching. Additional control capabilities are
available with the Elecraft KRC2 programmable band decoder.
(Refer to the K60XV and KRC2 manuals.)
ATU considerations: Use caution when connecting both a
transverter and an HF antenna to the KAT2: you could
accidentally transmit at high power into the transverter. For
example, suppose that you have TRN1 set up for an I.F. of 14
MHz and a 1.0-watt power limit. If you switch the K2 to 14 MHz--
where there is no power limit--you must remember not to transmit
into the KAT2 antenna jack that is connected to the transverter.

DISPLAY Switch Usage in EDIT Mode: The DISPLAY switch is
used to access supplemental parameters when editing certain menu
entries (marked "*" above). You will normally not need to change
these settings. Entries which use DISPLAY include:

Menu Entry DISPLAY Usage
PORT Sends an RS232 test message if PORT is ON
PA Selects PA fan mode (see KPA100 manual)
TRN1-6 Selects transverter parameter
D19 Selects PA low-pass filter to use on 60 meters.
PA60 = 80 (80 m filter) or PA60 = 40 (40/30 m
filter). See instructions in K60XV manual.

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