[Elecraft] W1 Questions

[Jon Perelstein]

>>I'm getting ready to build my W1 SWR/Watt meter.  Before I start, are things
I should consider.  Enclosure?  Mounting BNC off-board?  External power?
COM port mounting?
 
I have mine sitting out on my desk without an enclosure.  I use it with a K1, with an IC-746Pro, and a buddy's K2.  Indoors, sitting on the desk seems to work fine.  I had it with me at Field Day and it worked fine sitting on bench table in a park feeding off my K1.
 
You certainly can put the W1 in an enclosure.  However, it probably needs to be a clear enclosure since there are display lights at the top of the board and also on the left edge below the middle of the board (which is also where the on-off switch is located, which means that you'll need access to the switch).
 
Obviously, if you put it in an enclosure, you have to worry about whether or not any conducting surfaces of the enclosure might touch any of the components (especially the BNC connectors).  The feet on the W1 will keep anything from touching the bottom, but it might be tricky to isolate the BNC connectors.
 
If you're going to mount the BNC's off the board, your connection between the BNCs and the board would have to be of a type that prevents adding loss and SWR.  If you're going to do something like that, you might consider mounting the BNCs on the board as per the instructions, and then short coax jumpers out of those BNCs terminating in BNC females.  You would then connect your rig and antenna to the external ends of the jumpers.
 
My impression from others I've talked with is that most people have some sort of a carrying case, but then use the W1 without an enclosure when they need to use it.


 


      
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