[Elecraft] K2 #6390--What a great experience!

Sat Mar 8 15:14:28 EST 2008

And That is why I got a K2 myself... (I just had/have a few hiccups along the
way.)
For me, the build wasn't that big of a deal, but the troubleshooting was
where the education really started!
I'm hoping that someone out there will know what's going on and be able to
lend a hand...

Congrads on a successful build!

73, Damon KC5CQW

Dave Andrus-3 wrote:
> 
> I wasn't going to chime in with my $.04 (now equivalent to 2 pence),  
> but I want to keep the mojo meter tipping in the positive direction  
> after seeing a few negative comments about the K2 kit-building  
> experience lately.
> 
> I finished building a bare-bones K2 #6390 a couple of weeks ago, and  
> just this week got around to putting the battery, SSB and I/O boards  
> into it (yes, I had to desolder a capacitor and a couple of jumpers to  
> add these options, but no big deal).  Although it's been operational  
> for several weeks now, I had used it in receive mode only due to work  
> and travel constraints.
> 
> I have to say that I'm really enjoying the self-contained battery.   
> It's a very, um, holistic experience...being able to just pick up the  
> rig, move it around, connect any antenna, and it immediately plays.  I  
> even listened to a few signals on a test lead stuck into the coax  
> connector one evening.  I'll add more to that "any antenna" part as  
> soon as I get time to add the KAT2 inside.
> 
> My first SSB QSO from my San Francisco area QTH was just 15 minutes  
> before Thursday's Elecraft net on 40 meters, when I tail-ended a QSO  
> that Rick, KE7QXW (Oregon), was just finishing.  I first called him on  
> my 100 watt FT-847, and then asked him to listen for my little 10 watt  
> K2 signal.  He was very patient, giving me some audio to tune to after  
> I suddenly realized that I hadn't first netted the K2 onto the same  
> frequency.
> 
> When I called him on the K2, he said, "Dave, your K2 sounds just as  
> loud and readable as your 100 watt rig!  Oh, and the audio sounds  
> beautiful!  Don't change a thing!"  Just to add icing on the cake,  
> Scott, KQ7DX chimed in from Phoenix to say that I was getting into his  
> area quite well, and also complimented the great audio.
> 
> That was a singular moment!  That type of moment only comes after  
> spending many hours building something with your own hands, and  
> finally seeing it come to life!
> 
> To finish the story, I spent some time having dinner with my family,  
> then came back up to the shack for a moment and heard Roger, WA7BOC  
> running the net at about 0235 UTC.  I thought, "What the heck, might  
> as well try three-for-three.  I gave him a quick call on the K2 when  
> he asked for more check-ins.  Whattayaknow, he immediately responded  
> to my first call!
> 
> So, with the sunspot cycle being at an ebb, and with the bands being  
> as flat and uninteresting as they've ever been in the 21st century,  
> I'm making QRP+3dB, battery-powered contacts on 40 meters for a radius  
> of about 1,000 miles, and just being thrilled like a new ham!
> 
> Oh, and I should mention that all I'm using for an antenna is the  
> equivalent of a mobile whip--a completely unmodified PAC-12 vertical  
> stuck in my back lawn.  So no big antenna here, and no mountaintop  
> location to add to my system gain!  What a hoot...
> 
> I was very, very pleased with the manuals and directions, combined  
> with great comments here on the reflector and in the archives--so many  
> of you are also to be complimented as participants in my building  
> experience!
> 
> My one emailed question to tech support was answered quickly and  
> accurately.  Replacement parts were offered without hesitation or  
> extra charge.  What's not to like?  I'm very impressed with the  
> Elecraft experience!
> 
> The rig operates flawlessly, with great sensitivity and selectivity,  
> and even seems to have a lower noise floor than three other HF rigs in  
> my shack.  What's not to like?
> 
> By the way, even though I'm a professional RF engineer, I purposely  
> did not use any sophisticated test gear   on this rig.  I did not even  
> turn on my oscilloscope or RF generator.  I used a $69 digital  
> multimeter, or the built-in probes.  Oh wait, I did use a $100  
> frequency counter to net the K2 on frequency, but I could have just as  
> well used another receiver or WWV.
> 
> In conclusion, I apologize profusely if this email just sounds way too  
> bright and cheery, and I know I've used up my entire allotment of  
> exclamation points for 2008, but I'm really having a great time with  
> this rig, and I wanted to share my enthusiasm and appreciation with  
> the group here, and with the Elecraft folks for their great design and  
> support!
> 
> 73,
> 
> Dave K7DAA
> http://www.k7daa.com
> 
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-----
Damon Wascom KC5CQW
Elecraft K2 #:6351
Build: 12/28/07-01/01/08

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