[Elecraft] Johnson Rangers

[Ron D'Eau Claire]

You are so correct about your QRP comparison of the Johnson Ranger to
the 
K2.  There are a few minor points I'd like to make....

WB6TMY CFO #1000
K2 S/N 0838


Absolutely right! The PEP vs. Average vs. RMS power issues and
confusions were a part of growing up in Ham radio through the transition
to SSB. And to make things more confused we added speech compressors
(like that in the K2) that raise the "talk power" while keeping within
the PEP power capability of the rig.

Indeed, I believe that the difference between average power and PEP is
what justified raising the "legal limit" for American Hams from 1 kw
"d-c input" to 1.5 kw "PEP". 

But an r-f power meter in the hamshack??? Egad! I had the use of a Bird
as an electronic technician at Lockheed, but my Hamshack "wattmeter" was
a 40 watt light bulb! It was also my dummy load, Hi!

I am NOT an dedicated QRPer. I strive for "parity" with the other
station, within reason, as a way of being a gentleman on the bands. When
I'm working a QRO station and he is having trouble copying me, I like to
turn up the power to match him - or at least something close. Nowadays
100 watts seems to be the most common power level short of a kilowatt.
So it's nice to be able to turn up the power to that level at least if
conditions seem rocky - like they were during that SSB QSO with the Red
Oak Victory.  "Toroidguy" Mychael's loaning me his amp is just a
not-so-subtle reminder that Elecraft has a solution to that problem now.


The reason I love QRP is not for the "low power challenge" but because
my favorite QSO's are with builders and tinkerers, and these days the
majority of them are also QRP operators. So I think that it's as
important to be able to turn DOWN the power to be "neighborly" as it is
to be able to turn it up. 

Besides, for me, it's still a much bigger thrill to chew the rag with a
guy running 100 milliwatts with his Tuna Tin rig 500 miles away than it
is to grab that elusive DX-pedition out of a madhouse pileup. 

Ron AC7AC
K2 # 1289