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

[Bob Nielsen]

On Nov 22, 2005, at 2:01 AM, Bekir Kemal Ataman wrote:

>> 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.

Don't worry about it.  There are a few fanatics, but most of us like  
to operate both modes.  Remember that this list also supports the K1  
and KX1, both of which are CW-only, so there may me more messages  
regarding CW than SSB.

>
>> 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)
>

This sounds like there may be a possible problem.  Is it this way on  
all bands?  You should be able to get ~15 watts output from a K2.

> 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.
>

We are nearing the bottom of the sunspot cycle and propagation  
conditions favor the lower frequencies (10 meters will be useless  
much of the time).  In 4 or 5 years, conditions will be much improved  
on the higher frequencies, so we all need to be patient.  In 2001,  
conditions were much better and I was able to work 100 countries  
running 5 watts into a 30 meter long wire antenna (non-resonant)  
which was only 4 meters above the ground.  These contacts were a  
mixture of CW and SSB and many were on 10 meters.  There is a 10  
meter DX contest which will take place on 10-11 December and that  
will bring out many more operators to that band than you will find  
presently.  I'm sure that your "TA" prefix will be very welcome in  
that contest.

73,
Bob Nielsen, N7XY