[Elecraft] They Laughed At My K1

[Fred Jensen]

Ron D'Eau Claire wrote:

> That "power issue" has gone on since I made my first QSO back in '52. There
> are so many ops convinced that there's a huge difference between 5 or 10
> watts and 100 watts or so they can't believe that it's almost impossible to
> spot the difference on the air under many circumstances. Back then I knew
> ops who laughed at my rig running 50 watts out saying they "obviously" had a
> much bigger signal running about 70 watts output. Ha!  

Ahh, but as a 13 year-old Novice, it felt soooo good when I got 75W 
input to the 807 rig I had painfully constructed.  Way better than the 
6L6.  My buddies said I was weaker, but that's just what boys do to each 
other, I KNEW I was louder than they were ... after all 807's were 
taller than 6L6's.  NOTE TO NEW FOLKS:  Never ever pull a metal 6L6 out 
of the TX with bare hands if you've just been transmitting.
> 
> There are even some today who think there's a useful difference between 80
> and 120 watts.

There is.  He answers someone else at 80W, I turn it to 120W and he 
answers me.  Clearly a difference :-)
> 
> And the multipliers you gain by not giving into the high power fantasy are a
> real bonus.

Yep, the electric bill is a bit less.

I'm fairly stunned right now by the performance of my K3.  Did 1D in FD 
for maybe 10-11 hours on and off ... too much smoke in N. Cal. to go 
outside.  I keep learning things.  Maybe the most amazing thing for an 
OF like me who can remember when dirt was young is that installing 
"invisible" firmware [I can't see a thing going through that shielded 
cable] changes the radio so much.

Wish I knew what the parameter values for NB and NR meant ... then 
again, maybe I don't need to.  I just find the one that does the best 
job.  I guess I'm pretty happy with my new radio.

Oh, one thing I figured out ... tune around in the contest with NR on. 
You'll copy signals you won't hear with it off.  And, notwithstanding 
all the hype to the contrary, any operating event where you keep score 
IS a contest.

73,

Fred K6DGW
- Northern California Contest Club
- CU in the 2008 Cal QSO Party  4-5 Oct 08
- www.cqp.org