[Elecraft] Should You Built It? Not necessarily

[Vic Rosenthal]

EricJ wrote:

>  I'm sorry, but the idea of "bonding" with inanimate objects is beyond my
> understanding. 

I disagree.  My K2 is no. 709, and has been around for a few years.  Since I 
built it, I have taken it apart what seems to me a thousand times (probably it 
wasn't really quite so many).  I've fixed construction errors and made every 
modification (and unmade some of them) that could even slightly improve CW 
performance.  I've tried out other people's and my own ideas.  In doing so I 
have taken Wayne and Eric's radio and in a small way made it MY radio.

As far as learning, I didn't learn much by simply following the instructions to 
build it.  However, the process of tweaking it, making and evaluating 
modifications, etc., has been very educational.

Although I recognize its limitations (there are some) and wouldn't mind owning 
an Orion or an FT1KMP (with the required mods, of course), I don't think I will 
ever let the K2 go.  If this isn't bonding in some sense, I don't know what is.

> If you want to build one, fine. But if you don't, get someone else to do it.
> Either way, you end up with one of the best radios in its class to enjoy ham
> radio. And that's the point.

And with that I completely agree.

-- 
73,
Vic, K2VCO
Fresno CA
http://www.qsl.net/k2vco