[Fwd: Re: [Elecraft] Big K2 (or K2B - B for Big)]

[Ron D'Eau Claire]

Don, W3FPR wrote:
I wonder how much of the desire for a bigger K2 could be satisfied with 
>a
>remote front panel?...

-------------------

Might work for me Don if it was a box with knobs and buttons. After 60 or 80
hours wailing at a keyboard working each week, I yearn for some knobs to
twiddle while roaming the aether. The computer is banished from the shack
when I'm operating. That's why I do so little digital stuff too...

I'm presently doing some work on a 1950's E.F. Johnson Viking Ranger for a
buddy. It's interesting that it was exactly 50 years ago this Christmas that
I got my own E.F. Johnson Viking Ranger from Santa so it's a bit of "déjà vu
all over again" to be messing about with the innards of one exactly half a
century later.

I've often grumbled over the tiny little controls on the K2 and it's overall
diminutive size. Then the postal worker staggered into the office a few days
ago with the Ranger in a huge box. It weighs 50 lbs. I'll never gripe about
the weight of a 35 amp power supply again! 

Now, some of you may not know what this rig looks like, so here's a link to
some photos of Ranger beautifully-restored by another Ham:
http://tinyurl.com/3o6n9

The controls are nice sizes for my hands, the front panel spaces open and
easy, but why wouldn't they be in a rig that could swallow half a dozen
K2/100's at least! And it's just a transmitter, to be sure. No receive. And
it puts out 60 watts - just a bit over half of a K2/100 on CW and about 50
watts AM phone (equal to about 15 watts PEP SSB).

Oh, it's great fun working on it. I love the look and smell of glowing tubes
(remembering to keep one hand in my pocket - there's 800 volts loose all
over the place!)  but it's almost bigger than my whole operating desk. And
just picking it up to turn it over now and again eliminates any need to
visit the gym this week. 

Shoot, I'm lucky I have a sturdy wood-working bench to open it up on - my
electronics table was neither big enough or strong enough to handle it!
Well, at least it doesn't require ESD protection. 

My point is that as much as I love this old gear and have warm, affectionate
memories of many happy hours dipping finals, setting drive levels, then
adjusting the antenna loading before I could answer a CQ up the band, it's a
reminder of just how convenient, easy to build and simple to use the new
stuff like my Elecraft gear is.

Guess I won't complain about the little K2 front panel any longer... Yeah,
it could be a little bigger ... (Shaddup Ron!) Okay... 

Ron AC7AC