[Elecraft] Contesting with a k2

Mon Sep 8 16:31:00 2003

> From: [email protected]
> [mailto:[email protected]]On Behalf Of [email protected]
> Sent: Monday, September 08, 2003 11:31 AM
> To: [email protected]
> Subject: [Elecraft] Contesting with a k2
> 
> Hi folks -
> I'd like to hear a little feedback from those of you who may do heavy duty
> contesting with a K2. I did read the contestor's article a short while back.
> I am not a contestor but I am slowly getting the desire to try. The most
> common observation I've heard about our K2's in casual conversation is that
> no dual (as in sumultaneous like the 756ProII) receive and no manual notch
> is a negative for a contest type. If you are an experienced contestor -
> could you please share your own impressions of those comments? I don't see
> those as the slightest problem - but maybe the contesting environment really
> makes a difference?
> 73/Tim NZ7C

Tim-

     As I do essentially all of my contesting as a guest op at other 
stations, or as part of a multi-op somewhere, I have not had a chance to 
use my K2 in too many contests...  but I've given the issue of using my
K2 as a contest radio a great deal of thought.  I am almost exclusively a 
phone contester, so my perspective will be different from some.  My 
compiled thoughts are online at: http://www.wm5r.org/k2-100/

     The short version, though:

     * The K2/100 doesn't handle high SWR situations as well as other 
       contest radios.

     * No SSB audio monitor - really a major bummer.

     * The stock optical encoder for frequency tuning is way too slow for 
       SSB "search and pounce."  You can improve things with a higher 
       res encoder, but it's not perfect.

     * The VOX settings available are inadequate for most phone contesters
       who prefer VOX (me - I use a footswitch.)

     * No dual receive.

     * Turning a receive antenna on and off takes multiple front panel 
       button pushes - very cumbersome when trying to pull out a weak caller
       and not destroy your rate.

     * Mic Gain and Mic Compression are menu settings (which very few discrete
       values available) and not front panel knobs.  This can make changing
       operators in a multi-op more of a hassle.

     Overall, I think the K2/100 is a great value radio for contesting.  
I could easily buy two for the cost of one Yaesu FT-1000MP MkV with a full
complement of filters.  I'm used to contesting with Kenwood TS-850s, which 
also don't have dual receiver, so I'm used to that, and of the above 
drawbacks, the only one that I find really, really annoying is the lack of
an audio monitor.  I feel terrible not being able to tell if my DVK recording
sounds great or dorky or has too much compression or too little gain, if
I leave too much of a pause at the end, etc.  It's really a major feature 
oversight in my opinion.  You wouldn't expect CW ops to send code without 
a sidetone?  How can serious phone operators cope without an audio monitor?

-- 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kenneth E. Harker      "Vox Clamantis in Deserto"      [email protected]
University of Texas at Austin                   Amateur Radio Callsign: WM5R
Department of the Computer Sciences          Central Texas DX & Contest Club
Taylor Hall TAY 2.124                         Maintainer of Linux on Laptops
Austin, TX 78712-1188 USA            http://www.cs.utexas.edu/users/kharker/
----------------------------------------------------------------------------