[Elecraft] K2 vs TS-2000 (etc.) receiver

[Bob Nielsen]

Well, I have been putting off building my K2 for a number of reasons
(the latest was to wait until the Rev B boards are available), but in
reading the messages comparing the K2 to other receivers in the contest
(my ears still hurt from using my TS-570 in the CQWW--I had to back off
the RF gain to reduce the AGC pumping and then a loud signal would
almost break my eardrums), I have decided that I really need to build
the K2 ASAP!  It's a shame to have such a great rig still sitting in
the box.

73, Bob N7XY

On Wed, Nov 27, 2002 at 07:39:31AM -0700, Ed Juge/NM wrote:
> Roger's report doesn't surprise me at all.  I have an IC-756PRO, which
> incidentally in direct A/B comparisons could occasionally out-hear its
> predecessor an FT-1000D, long considered probably the best transceiver money
> can buy.
> 
> In showing off my K2 to visitors in the shack, we've done many A/B
> comparisons between it and the PRO.  In dozens of cases, we could hear a
> weak signal in the presence of very strong and close interference on the K2
> that were difficult-to-impossible copy on the PRO.  Never has the reverse
> been true.  In a few instances the K2 was even "armchair" copy!
> 
> Welcome to the wonderful world of Elecraft!!
> 
> Sorry, Andy, I don't have any way to record and send it to you, but trust
> me... it's impressive.
> 
> 73... Ed, W5EJ
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Wallace, Andy" <awallace@mc.com>
> To: <elecraft@mailman.qth.net>
> Sent: Wednesday, November 27, 2002 7:11 AM
> Subject: [Elecraft] K2 vs TS-2000 (etc.) receiver
> 
> 
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: Roger Marrotte [mailto:marrotte@attbi.com]
> > >
> > > I started out the first day with the K2 but half way through
> > > the contest I was just having too hard a time making those
> > > foreign contacts with 5 watts so I switched to the TS-2000.
> > > I don't care what I did to the Kenwood, narrow the bandwidth
> > > to 50hz, use the DSP CW filter, shut off the preamp, turn on
> > > the attenuator, all I got was so much garbage in my headphones
> > > that I couldn't believe it or stand it! I switched back a few
> > > times to the K2 and it was just unbelievable how quiet the
> > > bands were, just as if there was only one station
> > > transmitting on a very quiet band.
> >
> > I used my K1 during the contest. I could not break some of the
> > pileups (Iceland, Mexico, Burkina Faso) but the only receiver
> > handicap was hearing very strong stations on the opposite sideband.
> > They were greatly attenuated, so it was not a huge problem, and
> > it didn't desensitize the AGC at all. I could still hear the weak
> > stations on the correct sideband. It was really only noticeable
> > within a kHz or so. I imagine the K2 does even better in this regard.
> >
> > I would be really interested to hear recorded comparisons of a K2
> > and another rig. If someone could make a WAV or MP3 during a busy
> > contest, and has a K2 and some sort of I-ken-su rig to compare,
> > tuned to the same freq and using similar filter bandwidths, I'd like
> > to hear it. It's a pretty subjective trial but interesting nonetheless.
> >
> > -Andy