[Elecraft] News from Dayton?

[Mike Morrow]

Lee Bahr wrote:

>I was hoping for a 10 band module for a K1. 

I wouldn't mind if there were some way to have all-band CW coverage from 40m to 15m (five bands instead of the current four).  For my purposes, wavelengths greater than 40m aren't realy suitable for portable operations, since I like to use a full-sized resonant dipole in the field and I don't want to bother with a 135-foot wire.

The current solar cycle is making the shorter wavelengths less frequently useful, plus I wonder how well the SA602 in the K1 front end would perform on 12m and 10m.

>I never hear much about the K1.  Seems like this is their step child.

I don't think so, Lee.  The large number of list comments about the other Elecraft rigs stems from the fact that the expandable K2 has always been the "flagship" of the Elecraft line, and that the KX1 is going through the initial wave of "new rig" enthusiasm, even though the K1 system is more versatile and has better RF performance.  There's just not much more that the K1 needs to do once you've added the KAT1 (PA amps, SSB adapters, transverters, etc. aren't applicable).  If the K1 had not become available, I don't think I'd have bought any other Elecraft rig.  It has almost every feature I've ever wanted for portable operation in a package that's just right for me.  I consider the K1 to be a better "trail friendly" design than the KX1, since I don't accept the left-coast concept that putting the controls on the top of a rig is an improvement.  I think the world of the K1 I've had more than three years.  I seldom make any trip without it.  It doesn't seem like a step child to me.

What other features would I like on a revised K1?  All that I can think of are just cosmetic:
(1)  A frequency display that shows the whole frequency at once, and 
(2)  A permanently displayed signal strength bar graph, and
(3)  A display backlight that can be turned ON or OFF as desired, and
(4)  Much smaller LEDs for the RIT and Attenuator indicators, and
(5)  RIT pot center detent.

73,
Mike / KK5F