[Elecraft] As good as it gets...for now?

[rcerkon at gmail.com]

Folks,

After a 2+ year hiatus from "RadioActivity", I finished up a K2 build,
and tried getting on the air a bit--UGH dismal results! During the
recent ARCI Homebrew Sprint I made 3 contacts, 1 in WA and 2 in ID,
I'm in OR. Me and a friend back in CO have tried two or three times
for a scheduled QSO--no luck we could just barley hear each other. One
one of those attepts my freind was using a beam and 100W of power.
More troubling is the lack of signals I'm hearing. Before each of the
activities I mentioned I would tune around the bands to assess band
conditions, I could hear no more than 5 or 6 other stations. I
couldn't hear any of the NCDXF beacons--Are they still operational? I
can hear WWV @ 10MHz 5x9.

Set up here is QRP K2, and a Superantennas PW-1. Now before everybody
jumps on the PW-1--NO PW-1/ANY OTHER ANTENNA  BASHING!!! I mean it!
:-) I had a PW-1 in CO and it worked great! ( see
<http://www.elecraft.com/PictureGallery/NewPics/n0rc_vw_foxhound_front.jpg>
for one example)

Do I have a problem with my K2--I'm thinking not. With an XG-1 signal
generator set to 1uV I can hear it fine on 40, and the harmonics on 20
and 15m.

Is it my QTH? I have a city lot, the back yard is only 9m x 6m (30' X
20'), surrounded by one story houses on each side. The PW-1 in placed
in the center. Further, I live in a river valley abt 275m (900Ft) ASL.
The valley is surrounded by low mountains 900-1200m (3-4k Ft) AL abt
10 miles away.

I have no other radio equipment, (or access to) to try A/B
comparisons. I can not and will not change my antenna setup, I want
nothing permanent outside. I have no room to set up take down
temporary wire antennas. I WILL NOT MOVE TO A DIFFERENT QTH. I WILL
NOT SPEND ANYMORE MONEY ON RADIO EQUIPMENT--I am at an
economic/financial sweet spot all things [radio/non-radio] considered.

So given my circumstances and the current lull in solar activity...

Is this as good as it gets?
--
73 Rod, Ai7NN  ~*~*~Happy Holidays~*~*~