[Elecraft] K1 enthusiast wonders ??

[Mike Morrow]

James wrote:

>... I am the fourth owner of K-1 SN0004 with a 40/20 M module.
>I have had it for 2 years. I have found that the more I use it the less
>I like it.

I've had K1 SN 175 for almost four years (original owner).  I've found it to be the best portable QRP rig, by large margin, of the nine that I've owned over the past 10 years.

>I use it primarily for portable operation. As I don't use it all the time in
>the shack, I find that I need the reference card to recall all of the
>functions when I use it in the field.

It's pretty straightforward...one just has to use it a little.  But don't use the K1 Quick Reference Card that's on the Elecraft site.  It still has several errors that were pointed out more than two years ago.

>... there are significant performance compromises made. There is no
>RF gain...

Few portable rigs have an RF gain control.  At least the K1 has a one-step attenuator, which BTW I've never needed to use.

>The NE602 front end mixer has problems in crowded band conditions.

I haven't found this to be a problem, especially when using a dipole out in the woods.  I don't have any high performance antennas at the home QTH, though, which might have made this shortcoming more apparent.

>These two issues are exasperated by the fact that the AGC cannot
>be turned off without going into the menus. The filter has a pretty
>poor shape factor, with a very gentle roll off on the high side. The
>fact that the filter is adjustable means that optimum peformance is
>not possible at any bandwidth.
>
>The built in keyer requires 2 key strokes to send what is in memory,
>a big delay in contests. 

Perhaps the expectations are too high for a simple portable QRP rig.  Would one really choose a K1 or KX1 or any other simple 602 front-end receiver if one is a serious contestor?

>I find myself returning to the OHR more and more. It is a simple
>receiver with no bells and whistles. But it uses a crunch proof diode
>balanced mixer in the front end that runs circles around the K1's NE602.

What is the OHR receive power consumption?  I suspect that it is close to the 150 mA of the NC20.  The K1's 60 mA receive current draw, so low because of the 602 design, is most welcome for portable operation.

>There are some nice features of the K1. The tilt stand is very nice
>in getting the rig off the table and at eye level...

For me, that's the accessory I like the least, followed closely by the KBT1.  The KTS1 is complicated and bulky when all I need and want is a simple bail to lift the front panel a bit.

>I must admit that many of these opinions may be colored by a feeling
>of betrayal by the K1. It is the only rig to have failed me in the field.
>...I don't need that kind of stress prior to a major operating event.

That's always a potential problem with a kit rig, especially one built by someone else and passed through several hands.  If the K1 had been available as a *factory built* rig, I'd have preferred that option.  I don't have any love affair with the monotonous chores of kit building.

I'm not a contestor or a DXer, though I do sometimes use such events to quickly test a rig or antenna.  No stress here from my ham radio hobby interests!

I take my K1 everywhere I travel, whether on business or vacation.  The only "failures" I've ever had were (1) Alignment drift in the original trimmer caps of my early four-band filter board (corrected years ago with new caps), and (2) Scratchy AF gain pot that required replacement.

>I have often thought of upgrading with a 4 band module and the built
>in tuner.

I found that going to a 40/30/20/15m board, and re-building my old two-band board for 80/17m, more than double the utility and joy of using my K1.  The KFL1-4 is highly recommended!

The KAT1 likewise is a tremendous add-on to the capability of the K1.  The firmware on the KAT1 was upgraded a while back to version 1.3.

>I believe that would also require a firmware upgrade in a rig as old
>as mine.

You'll need version 1.09 firmware for the K1 MCU.  There's a description in the manual download section of the Elecraft site that describes some of its enhanced features, aside from ATU support, compared to the earlier version 1.06 firmware.  I don't know what the policy is now, but when I bought my KAT1 the K1 firmware upgrade came with it at no additional charge.

>The total for these upgrades is about 90% of what I paid for the
>rig, and I question if putting that much money into a rig I am not real
>happy with is worth it to me.

I didn't reach "K1 Nirvana" until *after* I did those very same upgrades.

I also bought the KNB1 noise blanker, but I've not found it effective on most of the noise I've come across.

>But it does point out the fact that adding options quickly raises
>the price of an Elecraft rig.

Very true words indeed!

>Having said all that, I realize that rig preference is a personal thing.
>Most are happy with their K1s. The K1 does not really fit what I am
>looking for in a portable rig for contesting.

Most of the list discussions on K1 performance have served to contrast it to the KX1.  I can see how the K1 or any other 602 receiver would come up short against higher performance front ends.  In fact, even my ancient and mediocre Kenwood TS-50S has a receiver is much better than that in the K1.  I suspect the KX1 would be even less satisfactory in the performance areas that are important to a contestor.  But when operating (K1 or KX1) in the boonies with a modest antenna, virtually none of these problems are apparent, and the low power consumption is a great trade-off.

In short, I know of no other QRP rig made that has the features I need for portable ops served as well as found in the K1.  I bought the K1, even though it was a kit, because there was (and is) no equivalent rig available anywhere else.

73,
Mike / KK5F