[Elecraft] Re:K2 vs. the world.

[william parker]

>From: Ron D'Eau Claire <rondec at easystreet.com>
>Date: Fri May 19 18:47:18 CDT 2006
>To: 'elecraft' <elecraft at mailman.qth.net>
>Subject: RE: Re: [Elecraft] Re:K2 vs. the world.


Thanks Ron, good story

Bill KA3IXF






>N3DRK wrote:
>
>I agree there are many fine commercial rigs out there, but there is nothing
>like building your own equipment. I just wish cost could be kept to a
>minimum, as a blue collar ham, it took me a while to save for the K2 and the
>KPA 100. I do not regret my purchase as the K2 is one of the best rigs that
>I have ever owned. I think I will be using it for a long time.
>
>--------------------------------
>
>Back in 1952, as a new Novice licensee pounding brass on 80 and 40 meters
>with a homebrew one-tube (6V6) transmitter putting out about 10 watts, I was
>also quite active in the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES). On
>several occasions I had the privilege of operating net control for a 75
>meter phone RACES net during a Simulated Emergency Test (SET). The net
>control was a the home of a great friend and well-heeled adult Ham who lived
>on a hilltop with what can only be described as a dream station. 
>
>After one of those sessions lasting all day at his rig passing traffic for
>the SET, I still remember being struck by a thought as I closed down the
>net. I suddenly realized that I was anxious to get home and make a few QSO's
>on my little scratch-built 6L6 crystal-controlled oscillator rig. No matter
>how beautiful my friend's station was, operating it was like driving a nice
>car. It was just a very nice appliance that I used. It could not replace the
>simple joy of making a contact on equipment I had assembled myself, perhaps
>even designed myself. That was what Ham radio was all about for me. 
>
>It still is, 54 years later. I've never owned or cared to own an HF
>transmitter that I didn't at least assemble myself, like my K2/100. On VHF I
>built a number of rigs over the years, rescued a Gonset communicator that
>was simply a pile of parts in a box that someone gave up on and put it back
>on the air (then I sold it, Hi!). I've had a couple of HT's that only get
>used very infrequently as a sort of "Ham-cell-phone" to chat with locals.
>Other than those, all of my VHF/UHF gear has been homebrew or at least
>home-built as well. Along the way a great friend gave me a National HRO-5
>receiver that I tore down to the rivets and rebuilt with a new homebrew
>lattice filter in the I.F., so it was a sort-of-commercial unit.  Even so I
>was more inclined to use my homebrew receivers, most of which I designed
>myself. 
>
>It's nice that Elecraft offers state-of-the-art engineering and performance
>for home-builders like myself. Even so there are times I get the itch and
>cobble together a simple little regen receiver or drag out one of my more
>complex HB receivers, put it alongside the K2 and then go on a hunt for a
>signal on the K2 that I can't copy FB on my creation.   
>
>Different strokes for different folks, of course. Building and making
>contacts with something that started out as a box of unlikely-looking
>fiddly-bits is what Ham radio is all about to me! 
>
>Ron AC7AC 
>
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