[Elecraft] Elecraft technology >> K2+

[George, W5YR]

In the interim, you can use an external receiver as a downconverter, as I
recently posted re the Icom PRO2. This provides the IF DSP capabilities that
the K2 lacks, notably effective notch filters and IF filters with very low
shape factors.

73, George W5YR
w5yr@att.net


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bill Tippett" <btippett@alum.mit.edu>
To: <elecraft@mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Saturday, December 27, 2003 9:06 AM
Subject: [Elecraft] Elecraft technology >> K2+


> N2EY wrote:
>  > In one way, the K2 goes back to even earlier, single-band superhet
>  > design. That's why its dynamic range figures are so good. Most rig
>  > manufacturers aren't likely to move back to this simpler design,
largely
>  > because they don't want to give up general coverage receive.
>
>          I hope your last statement is wrong.  I believe the K2 and
Orion's
> Main RX
> are so superior that they may cause some manufacturers to rethink the need
for
> general coverage.  Elecraft's K2 design has the basics of an excellent
contest
> radio, but it needs attention in two main areas to be truly competitive:
>
> 1.  Ergonomics...for someone whose hand span exceeds the entire front
panel
> width by 1.5" and with finger size to match....for someone who typically
spends
> hours in front of the radio in a contest and wants a minimum of menu
changes
> (e.g. single-touch access to different filter BW's, etc)...panel
readability
> for someone whose eyesight is not what it once was.
>
> 2.  Replacing the programmable crystal filter with fixed BW 8-pole filters
> and <2:1 shape factors (quite achievable at the K2's IF).  The current
filter
> has a ~3:1 shape factor which may be one reason the K2's performance
degrades
> for IMD and BDR at signal spacings under 5 kHz.  From 5 kHz to 1 kHz
signal
> spacings, IMD goes from 88 to 67 dB and BDR goes from 124 dB TO 116 dB.
That
> data is from the swept graphs on pages 19 and 20 of ARRL's Expanded Test
> Report
> done in 2000...pending update of ETR data for the new K2/100 review.
>
> http://www2.arrl.org/members-only/prodrev/pdf/lab/k2.pdf
>
>          With the addition of a K2+ model for performance-oriented
contesters
> and DXers in the <$2k range, I believe Elecraft could dramatically expand
their
> market while maintaining their original target market for the K2.  Someone
is
> going to do this eventually, and it might as well be Elecraft since the K2
is
> already very close to what is needed IMHO.
>
>                                                  73,  Bill  W4ZV
>
>
>
>
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