[Elecraft] Re: K1 v. KX1 random wire tuning

[Wayne Burdick]

"john, ke5c" wrote:

> Query:  All else equal, is there a noticable difference in the ability of
> the K1 v. KX1 tuners to tune random wires, particularly on 40 meters?

Hi John,

The K1's ATU has more elements so it can tune a wider range. In the application
you described, the KX1 would likely still do well, but if the wire length
created a match it couldn't handle, you could alter then length of the wire.

As for frequency stability, the KX1 should be more stable because of its DDS and
crystal reference oscillator. The K1 uses an L-C VFO, which has greater
carrier-to-noise ratio than the DDS, but requires some warm-up time. 

The K1, because of its L-C VFO, very narrow band-pass filters, and 4-crystal
filter (vs. 3 in the KX1), will have a slight edge in receiver performance
during crowded band conditions or in the presence of very strong stations. In
contrast, the KX1 will copy SSB and AM, tune a wide frequency range, and allow
easy cross-mode contacts. 

The two rigs are optimized for different uses: KX1 for smallest size and
flexibity for backpacking/emergency use, K1 as a high-performance 4-band QRP station.

73,
Wayne
N6KR


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