Dear Contesters....
I own one of these fine radios. They are excellent for a kit and they will
only get better as the guys in Aptos keep perfecting the firmware driving
these fine rigs. I have "played" in several contests with the rig and can
give you some feedback. There are many other guys who have operated more
in a contest with them than I, but I will tell you want I know.
The K2 receiver is better an ICOM746. The 746's RX will die with strong
overload of signals, but the K2 does not do that at all. There is NO
crystal filter per se' in the little rig, but it does have a not of
"homebrew" crystal filters that are switched in. All filters are
programmable for SSB and CW. You get to program in 4 different settings
for each mode. All of this can be set in software. The filters also have
very good shape factors. I recently sold the 746 and got a FT1000MP. I
must say that the MP beats it, but it is really close as far as I am
concerned. The K2 has numbers from the ARRL Lab that will stand up against
the 1000MP.
Although the rigs is small (about the size of a 706) it is well laid out
for operation. I would not use the internal memory keyer for contesting
but it has not trouble hooking up to NA, CT, or the likes. The rig will
put out a healthy 14 watts with the P/S set at 15 volts. Band switching is
via push button and even the internal tuner remembers what the last
settings are.
SSB is very good on the rig. I run my Heil HC5 on the rig and get very
good reports. Settings for the rig include a RF processor which can go to
4:1 compression...all controlled by software.
Elecraft will be coming out with two great items for the rig...a 100 watt
amp...and a I/O interface for computer control based on the Kenwood
programming language..with a few twists.
If you get a change to see one...don't miss it. It is an amazing little radio.
One more comments...it was also great fun to build too. It was ham radio
again in the 60s and 70s where you actually built something you put on the air.
73
Lee K2 owner - SN 1056
>At 09:47 PM 3/22/01 EST, K4tmc@aol.com wrote:
>...
> >QRP Power column - Impressions of the Elecraft K2 Transceiver (anyone using
> >this as a serious contest rig?)
>
>The numbers in the QST review are breathtaking, and now that Elecraft has
>released a 100-watt companion amp to go with the K2 I suspect it's only a
>matter of time. I'd want to try the ergonomics of such a small radio, but
>oh my isn't the price right!
>
>
>
>73, Pete N4ZR
>Contesting is!
>
>The World Contest Station Database
>is waiting for your input at
>http://www.qsl.net/n4zr
>
>
>
>--
>CQ-Contest on WWW: http://lists.contesting.com/_cq-contest/
>Administrative requests: cq-contest-REQUEST@contesting.com
--
CQ-Contest on WWW: http://lists.contesting.com/_cq-contest/
Administrative requests: cq-contest-REQUEST@contesting.com
|