[Elecraft] K2 #3421 finished

[k4wtf@enterzone.net]

On Mon, 28 Apr 2003, David Pratt wrote:

> In a recent message, lbailey@aep.com said....
> >I've been working on the 100 watt amp for quite a while.  Actually, it
> >lies idle.
> 
> That is the best place for it, Lynn.  It is much more of an achievement 
> working stuff on QRP.  Reading on here, it seems that the 100W PA 
> introduces various snags like frequency instability and birdies which 
> are not present when using the K2 barefoot.
> 
> 73
> 
> David G4DMP


David, please don't confuse religion (QRP vs QRO) with science.  I built
my K2 #2490 and operated QRP for several months prior to building the
KPA100 and subsequently one of the field-test KAT100-1's.  I have not
experienced any frequency instabilities or birdies as a result of either
the KPA100 or the KAT100.

Additionally, consider that our hosts, Elecraft, are in *BUSINESS* to sell
K1's, K2's and _all_ of the options that go with each.  I'm not sure how
many KPA100's have been sold but, I would venture to guess that it is
somewhere in the 4-digit region based on what I saw while working the
Elecraft booth at Dayton 2002.  Do you not think that if the KPA100
were truely a source of problems that we would have seen a large outcry
from those of us who plopped down our $3xx.00 for the option?

Also consider the fact that the K2 was designed with the KPA100 in
mind.  This is not an "afterthought" option.

If you like QRP and don't want to operate QRO, that is absolutely
fine.  There is ABSOLUTELY nothing that your K2 can do that my K2/100
can't do.  I can crank my POWER knob full counter-clockwise with the best
of them.  On the other hand, my K2/100 has the ability to do 100W+ on all
bands (10-160) CW/SSB if I need it - something that your K2 can't do, no
matter how hard or how far you turn the POWER knob clockwise. ;)

As for achievement, I personally believe that *EVER* contact that one
makes in the Amateur Radio service is an achievement.  If you want to
ACHIEVE a telephone-quality SSB round-table QSO on 75m in the states
during the summertime, having a 100W rig goes a long way towards
accomplishing this task.

If on the other-hand, you want the bragging rights of doing the same thing
on 1W, more power (or less as it may be) to you!  It does not make you any
more of less of an amateur radio operator, any more or less of an Elecraft
owner or any more or less of a person.

So, in summary, QRP is cool.  QRO is cool.  Neither are EVIL and the
K2/100 does not have any less Mojo than a K2.  It just has more RF power
capability.

73 de John - K4WTF
K2/100 #2490
Elecraft WAS #8