[Elecraft] What makes K2's SSB performance less impressive than on CW ?

[Mark Schreiner]

Hi Peter,

I think the K2 works as great on SSB as well as CW.  For the last two 
years I've set up mine for the SSB station for Field Day with another 
nearly identical K2 built by my neighbor (well, about 5 miles away) used 
on CW.  Of course the CW station did more QSOs than the SSB station both 
years but I don't think that has anything to do with the any deficiency 
of the K2 on SSB specifically, but more likely the deficiency of SSB as 
an efficient mode and ability to copy a signal with lower S/N on CW than 
SSB. 

I haven't done any A/B testing compared to other modern HF rigs other 
than my Kenwood TS940 & Yaesu FT100, however I think that the K2 is 
equal if not better in most regards than both of those rigs.  The only 
negative comment I could possibly think of is that making dynamic 
changes to the DSP filter while operating is not so easily done (well, 
maybe if I used it more often so I would know how to use it better -- 
and quicker), so I use the 4 "stock" DSP filter settings only both 
during contesting as well as casual ragchewing.  I think bigger radios 
with more knobs would have the capability of tweaking filter settings 
easier than having to navigate through some menus to tweak the DSP 
filter on the K2.  I often don't tell people that I'm operating QRP and 
often get great signal reports.  It is lots of fun when they finally ask 
what I'm using after we've had a 10 minute or longer QSO and I tell them 
it is an Elecraft kit at 5W!  Sometimes they quickly say 73 (maybe they 
are slightly embarrassed that they are using a full KW while I was only 
using QRP?), but other times the operator on the other end gets quite 
interested and asks many more questions about the rig and QRP.

Oh, one other data point is that another operator used my K2 on SSB 
during the midnight shift at Field Day.  He hadn't ever touched one 
previously (even though mine was set up the year before and he was at 
the same event) but after making QSOs for a couple of hours after I gave 
him a short primer on its use (before I went to operate CW during that 
same midnight shift) he gladly reported that the receiver sensitivity 
and filter selectivity was phenomenal.  He is a "SSB only" operator and 
does have a fairly new rig, however I forget which one.  He also 
commented that several folk mentioned that he had good audio 
(unsolicited comments) as well while he was operating.  He was really 
surprised that while running only 5W he was able to work nearly every 
station he could hear as well.  I was quite happy that he was much more 
positive about the QRP F.D. experience this past year than he was the 
year before and I was thinking that we potentially had another "QRP 
convert" but I'm sorry to say that he still operates QRO at 100W 
otherwise and will likely never operate CW.  Who knows what next year 
will do with his QRP attitude, however!

73,

Mark, NK8Q
K2 4786

PE1E wrote:
> I bought a K2 for SSB use ( + DSP option ).
>
> In various reviews ( e.g. EHAM ) I noticed that K2's CW performance can't be
> praised too highly, but there is a bit reserve as to the SSB performance.
>
> In which respects - if  at all - lags the SSB performance ?
> And what would cause this ?
>
> Thanks for any comment.
> This is a great reflector.
>
> Peter, PE1E.
>
>
>