[Elecraft] SSB with K2 [was KPA100 stripped final's screw removal]

[Bekir Kemal Ataman]

>I think many "Elekrafters" enjoy CW because the radios (K1, KX1, K2)
>have such nice characteristics as CW rigs

I can understand people preferring CW because of having CW Rigs and vice
versa but if it is reaching a point of ejecting/rejecting others for not
having the same preferences then we have got a problem.

>I think most will welcome you here, and the cw / ssb rivalry is all in
>fun (or so it seems to me).

I just hope it is. Otherwise I'd really be disappointed.

>So what antenna(s) are you using with your K2, and what bands are you
>using it most on?

I have got a 4-band inverted-V on 10, 20, 40 and 80 meters about 20 meters
off the ground. I managed to get SWRs less than 1.2 on all bands after
struggling for a few weeks on the roof of our apartment block. It seems it
was worth the trouble.

Although my QTH is blocked by a nearby hill in the East and another nearish
hill in the North, I have worked quite a few countries with less than 8
Watts. (My rig does not go above 7.1 to 7.3 Watts, giving a Hi Cur warning.
I just hope this is normal. Cal Cur is set at 3.5 Ampers)

When I could hear the stations early enough, I have managed to contact a
few Japanese stations, too. When I am little late, my signals get lost in
the pileup. The European DX Net organized by I2ZGC, Gianni helped me make
contact with a few North African stations but I could not hear/get heard by
stations in South Africa nor Indonesia. I sometimes hear a few North
American stations early in the morning but even then they are very weak
most of the time.

I work on 40 and 80 meters at night and 20 meters during the day, mostly. I
could not hear anyone on 10 meters so far. It seems to be very quite in
this part of the world. Perhaps I just wonder around the wrong frequencies
or just at the wrong time. I cannot go in the air very often because of
work load during the week and because of XYL QRM at weekends but I try to
join contests whenever I can. It is great fun.

I am now looking forward to the European QSO Party. If we can manage the
contacts properly, an SSB version might start soon.

73!
BKA (TA2RX)

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Bekir Kemal Ataman
ArchiMac BBS Sysop & Webmaster <http://www.archimac.org/>