[Elecraft] (no subject)

Mon Jun 26 18:57:07 EDT 2006

Great note Mark.  I am looking forward to the project.  I will check out 
the rework eliminators.  I think that an incremental approach is the 
best and will follow your advice about building the basic K2 and testing 
it first. 

The XVs are all Elecraft ones.  I ordered the XV432 right after coming 
back from Dayton.  They had them in Dayton but I saw no reason to 
contribute to the OH treasury.  When I got that built, I decided to go 
the K2 route.  I like the idea of automating the whole thing right from 
the K2 front panel and so I opted for and bullt the XV50 even though I 
have a very nice SSB tranverter for that band.  So now I have a stack of 
4 XVs, just waiting for the K2 to be ready!

The KK7B binaural receiver is neat.  I had built that a while ago but 
never really played with it much.  Last year I built the IQ-PRO DDS 
symthesizer that puts out two RF signals in quadrature.  Used that to 
feed the binaural receiver.  I put that near my bed so that I listen to 
the HF bands as I fall asleep.  The binaural receiver is neat.   
Definitely recommeded.

Thanks again for your note,
All the best,
Raj, N2RD

Mark Schreiner wrote:

> Hi Raj,
>
> Sounds like you have a fun project coming up.  I built my K2 with all 
> those options as well as the KAT2 about just over one year ago.  We 
> used it for Field Day both last year and this year and worked great, 
> as well as some amazing DXing on the lowbands during last winter.
> As far as the options go I'm not sure if you also got the rework 
> eliminators, which some folk have been using to more easily do the 
> upgrades later (as well as unplugging the options without having to 
> solder/resolder/unsolder a few caps and resistors).  You might 
> consider those.  I recall that there was some disassembly of the main 
> RF board to install the K160RX and/or K60XV, while all other options 
> were fairly "painless" to install otherwise.  I would recommend 
> getting the basic K2 built and tested first before going forward too 
> far with the other options.  Test it out on the air to make sure 
> things all seem okay before proceeding further.  Then, install one 
> option at a time and test it out again to make sure that both the rig 
> and the option works as it should.  The "testing" period should slow 
> down the building process because once they are all built that is it 
> until you build something else, so enjoy it while you can!  I loved 
> building mine, along with all the options, but now that it is done 
> (and I'm out of dollars for a while) all I can do is operate, which is 
> fine as well.
> Did you get the Elecraft XVs or do you have Down East Microwave or 
> some other XVs?  All of my DEM XVs have been in storage for over 5 to 
> 6 years now since I moved but I'm starting to get the "itch" to pull 
> them out to interface them with the K2 for a portable/rover VHF/UHF 
> setup.  I just built the 4-bay 432 MHz loop as shown in July QST and 
> plan to build a 2-bay loop for 220 MHz and another for 2m, all with 
> male threads on the top of the 5' section of 3/4" pipe and female 
> threads on the bottom so that they can be screwed into each other 
> depending on if I want to use all, one or only two select antennas 
> (and to make them shorter for transporting).  I still have to build 
> the 4-way splitter/combiner yet for 432 as well.  I know of another 
> ham that uses the DEM XVTRs with a K2 and he said it has been working 
> well for him.  I hope to find out in time for the August UHF contest!
>
> Oh, I have questions for you also about the IQ-VFO and the Binaural 
> Rx.  I have the IQ-VFO built and working but still need to finish it 
> off into a nice project box.  I had planned to use it with an R2/T2 
> combination, but am also interested in trying it with a binaural Rx.  
> How do you like the Binaural Rx?  BTW, KK7B, Rick Campbell, was my 
> favorite professor when I was studying for my BSEE at Michigan 
> Technological University back in the late '80s.
>
> 73,
>
> Mark, NK8Q
> K2 4786
> Allentown, PA (FN20)
>
> Rajiv Dewan, N2RD wrote:
>
>> Just arrived:  K2 #5613 with KSB2, K160RX, K60XV, KNB2, KIO2, and 
>> KDSP2 for use as IF rig for the four XVs (50, 144, 222, 432) that I 
>> have already built.  Since I plan to put these options in, is there 
>> an optimal option build schedule?  Will I have to undo work to put in 
>> these options?  I don't like de-soldering!
>>
>> Any suggestions, ideas are welcome.
>>
>> BTW, I am an avid kit builder / home brew enthusiast.  My most 
>> recently completed project is the N2PK VNA.  Other than the XVs, I 
>> have also built the DSP-10 2m rig, KA7EXP Power meter, IQ-VFO and 
>> Binaural receiver combination, and many other projects.
>>
>> Regards,
>>
>> Raj, N2RD
>>
>>
>> -- 
>> Rajiv Dewan, N2RD
>> n2rd at arrl.net
>> FN13fc
>>
>> -- 
>>
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>