[Elecraft] ATU

[Dan Dantzler]

Hi All,
My first posting to this reflector. I just had to tell someone, and none
of my family seemed very interested. I just finished building the KAT2,
automatic antenna tuner. This is the first kit I have built since my
Eico 753 in about 1968. "Wait", you say, "what about your K-2?" Well, I
cheated. A friend, Pat, K0PC built it for me. I thought I was too old,
my eyesight was shot, my hands shook and the parts are too small.
Besides, I lost my patience some years ago. Well, last year at Dayton, I
picked up the ATU and promptly put it in the closet. Sunday, I got it
out and looked at it. Hmmmmmmmm, maybe........ But the toroids looked
like a pain times nine. A look at the Elecraft web site revealed an
answer; the Toroid Guy. (Mychael Morovich, AA3WF,
toroidguy@bigfoot.com).  This guy actually winds the toroids for you!
Nine of them for $18! So I emailed him and order Monday morning. The
cute little toroids arrived Wednesday (great service and nicely wound
toroids) so I started on the kit. With a deep breath, strong glasses,
good lighting, a couple of holding devices, and a fine tipped variable
heat soldering iron, it went together surprisingly well. Plugged it in
and NO SMOKE!!! Went through the alignment steps in about a half hour
and PRESTO, a working antenna tuner installed in my K-2! And this puppy
seems to tune anything from the bedsprings to the the down spout.
Thank you Elecraft. Thank you Toroid Guy
Maybe I can still put a kit together? Now what can I build next?

Dan
W0JMP
dan.dantzler@mm.com