[Elecraft] "discovering" Elecraft

[Sherman Banks (W4ATL)]

>Perhaps a more pleasant thread than the 100/10 battle would be
>to recount how you discovered Elecraft, as the List ends 2002...

I agree...this is a more pleasant thread!

I had always wanted to build my own HF transceiver, and with the demise of
Heathkit I thought I would be relegated building a small low performance QRP
kit or maybe homebrewing something over a matter of years.  I saw Elecraft
display the prototype K2 at the Dayton hamfest in '98 (I think) and I
thought, man, what a cool rig.  But I could not really justify the purchase.
Nor was I really into QRP.

Well, after thinking about it for a while, I just decided to get it and
build it. I was the first one to purchase a K2 at the 2001 Dayton Hamfest.
Only because the credit card machine wasn't working yet at the start and I
had cash in hand on Friday morning. I learned from the previous year that
they sell out fast at Dayton!

After building the K2 I learned the joy of ragchewing with other QRP folks
on CW.  With the 100W PA option I have a home rig to use to bust through
pileups for the DX contacts and in a matter of minutes I have a portable
station to carry with me into the field.  It's a lot of fun!

73 de W4ATL
S/N 2075