[Elecraft] So many mods; so little time

Sat Jul 6 21:11:02 2002

You ask good questions Peter.

I'm sure that you are not the only new builder to be worried about that
and wonder if you could ever build a complete K2 that works well. You
can. It just LOOKS a lot more complicated than it really is...  And the
great variety of modifications that have been suggested only make it
look even worse! 

For now, IGNORE the Mods!

Buy your K2 and build it according to the manuals FIRST.  Go ahead and
get any other of the accessory modules, like the Noise Blanker, Single
Sideband module, Antenna Tuner, etc., that you want. The manuals are
very well organized and lead you through the building process
step-by-step. 

FIRST you build the basic K2, and the manuals will take you through
tests as you go to be sure you haven't made any mistakes. If you do make
a mistake, you will catch it quickly so you don't have to troubleshoot
the entire radio looking for it. Once you have the basic 10-watt CW K2
running, you then add the modules one by one in any order that you
please, testing each one and the whole K2 with it installed to be sure
everything works properly.

If you buy the modules when you buy your K2, you will find instructions
in your K2 manual telling you when to go get a connector out of the
module kit and put it in the K2. Those are the connectors your accessory
module will plug into when you get around to building it, and it will
make installing the modules a little simpler. But it is not necessary to
have them first. It's a small job to go back and install the connectors
later when you get the module. The K2 is designed to be disassembled
quite easily and quickly to make changes and additions./

A few ops have decided to build one of the smaller accessory modules
first to "warm up" to the job. I DO NOT recommend doing that! First,
most of the module boards are actually more densely packed with parts
than the main K2, so they are actually a little harder to assemble.
Also, you have no way to test your finished module and see if it works
okay when you are done until you get the whole K2 running. Also, the K2
manual is a better step-by-step manual for a builder than the module
manuals. So do the K2 FIRST, get confidence that you have a nice radio
and that you can follow the instructions easily, and then build the
accessory modules. 

Now that you have your K2 and accessories working, take a look at the
mods and see what might apply to you. Fortunately, some ops have done a
wonderful job organizing and listing the modifications. I recommend the
excellent web site by Sverre, LA3ZA at
http://www.qsl.net/la3za/K2/mod.html

Note that he indicates the source of the mods. I would do the mods from
Elecraft first, THEN consider some of the others as you gain experience
with the K2. I say that because among those Elecraft mods are some that
solve specific problems. Most (all?) of the mods by others provide
various degrees of performance improvements. Whether or not you want to
pursue them will be up to you. 

Some of the Elecraft mods only apply to older K2's. Some mods fix
particular problems that may or may not show up in your K2. Do any mods
that you choose one at a time and check the operation of your K2 after
it is done to satisfy your self that it is working properly. 

Looking at Sverre's list, there is only ONE mod that I would say is a
real "must do" and that is only if you are going to use your K2 on
Single Sideband. That is the "2nd Stage Crystal Filter Mod", also called
the "2nd Xfil Flattening Mod" on the Elecraft Builder's resources. Note
that is the ONLY mod that is listed as "Recommended by Elecraft". I
greatly improves your SSB reception and Wayne has been adamant about
recommending that everyone using their K2 on SSB make.

And, of course, you have the resources of all the ops on this reflector
to help you out with any question. And you can ask questions directly of
Elecraft.

As you get started remember two things:

   1- There are NO "dumb" questions. 

   2 - In my experience, the most successful builders take a look at a
new project like the K2 when it arrives and  say to themselves, "Okay,
here we go! I sure hope that I don't mess it up!"  That's a sure sign
that you will be successful.

Ron AC7AC
K2 # 1289

But there are so many mods being discussed!

Here are my questions:

1)  When you buy the latest K2 kit, are all the important mods already
incorporated into the intial kit build?

2)  How do you sort through the "factory recommended mods" vs "user
recommended mods"?  Are there lists of each somewhere?

3)  How do you decide which ones to install?

4)  In order to avoid "K2 overload", is it best to buy just the basic K2
kit, get it working properly, and then buy the add-ons gradually, and
sequentially, after the basic kit is working?

Thanks,

Peter
VE1CHS

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