[Elecraft] K1 and K2 Receiver Performance

[James R. Duffey]

The K1 receiver performance is not in the same class as the K2 and other
high performance receivers. Your TS830 has a good receiver, much better than
the K1, but probably short of the K2.

At the Duke City Hamfest a couple of years ago,  Fred, KT5X, had his K2 and
a 20 M Moxon set up. I brought myy K1. The hamfest station, N5M was
operating on 14.025 about 100 ft away. With the hamfest station off the side
of the Moxon, the K2 could operate at 14.030 with no trace of N5M at all,
and still operate comfortably with some trace of N5M at a couple of
kilohertz away. With my K1, I still heard it on 14.060. The only way I could
work weak to moderately strong signals at 14.060 was with the attentuator
kicked in, and even then there were some artifacts. This made a beliver out
of me about the K2's strong front end.

The K1 does not do well in crowded strong signal conditions. This is
aggravated by the inability to turn the AGC Off without going through the
menus or converting the XIT button to AGC, which one can do. However, the
XIT is useful in crowded pileup conditions, as is the ability to turn off
the AGC.

The price the K2 pays for its superb performance is a 5X or so increase in
power dissipation on receive.

The K2 really shines with its bulletprroof front end, which is the key to
good receiver performance. Then it becomes a rather ordinary receiver: its
crystal filter has a poorer shape factor than many other modern rigsm and is
asymmetrical;  standard as well as optional aftermarket filters available
for many rigs including your TS-830 are much better than the K2's filter,
and there is no passband tuning/IF shift like most modern rigs have. DSP or
any audio filtering is optional, and without the DSP there is no notch/peak
filter.

The barebones K2 receiver does not have many features we take for granted in
today's  receivers, inncluding SSB, a noise blanker, and audio (both analog
and digital) filtering. These are all options. I doubt if there are many
barebones K2s out there.

Having said all this, we at AA5B, running a barebones 2 band K1 finished 2nd
nationwide in 1A Battery FD this year running my K1.  With an external
keyer, required for competitive contestingm it gave a good account of
itself.

Don't get me wrong, one of these days I will get a K2. Maybe in May, when my
youngest daughter graduates from college. :^)= In the meantime I am more
than happy with my TS-850, which has a really good receiver, and my OHR 500
and Classic, both which have receivers with very good front ends. For high
performance in a protable/small rig it can't be beat. But it is not the
ultimate receiver.  I suspect that the K3 will be though. :^)= - Dr.
Megacycle KK6MC/5
--
James R. Duffey KK6MC/5
Cedar Crest NM 87008 DM65