[Elecraft] re:Want to borrow K2 for Field Day

Mon Jun 3 01:36:00 2002

>I am looking to borrow a K2 for a CW only battery operated
>Field Day.
Well I am not going to offer you my K2, as it would be impractical to export it from
the UK to you!  However I am pleased to report that it was used in our Region 1 NFD
this weekend and worked like a dream.  But of course you all knew it would anyway.

In the past our entries into NFD have always been mains powered ones with a noisy
generator chugging nearby.  I realised that the K2 would be the ideal candidate for a
battery powered entry and planned accordingly.  This is what we ended up with.

Power for K2 - 4AH gel cells.  We envisaged that two would be required for the
12 hours of operation.  In fact we changed from the first one after 9 hours when the
voltage had dropped to 10.3, but it would probably have kept going to the end with
charge left.  These gel cells are magic!

Operation was from a camping trailer tent, a wonderful home for the radio and with
very nice weather in the UK the propane heater was hardly needed.  The trailer's own
battery supplied power for lighting and for the logging computer - an ancient Zenith
laptop which runs off 12V.  Software was Super Duper by EI5DI - DOS, but works fine
on the old laptop.

Antenna - 202 ft top doublet at 30 ft, fed with open wire line and matched with a
switchable 1:1/1:4 choke balun which was left in the 1:1 position and matched well on
all bands.

And how did it work - great!  335 QSOs, with 95 of them on top band.  Power was 5W.We
could work almost everything we called, mostly European portables but with a
smattering of VE and W.  It was the first real test of my K2 on top band, and it
certainly worked there.  And with a decent antenna I did not need the preamp on the
lower bands like I do at home...

Yes the K2 is the ideal rig for Field Day - I hope you have as much fun as we did
this weekend.

73s Dave G3YMC
K2 #2498
[email protected]
[email protected]
http://www.dsergeant.btinternet.co.uk