[Elecraft] Some Basic K2 Opinions and Information

[Bill Coleman]

On Nov 8, 2008, at 11:11 AM, Paul Huff wrote:

> Hello everyone,
>
> I'm considering the purchase of a K2 and would appreciate any  
> information and/or opinions that you might have.  I'm strictly a QRP  
> guy so I'm not interested in the 100-watt version.  I would probably  
> want the internal tuner.  I don't work SSB, but PSK is of some  
> interest to me so I'm thinking about the KSB2 option. Other than  
> that, since money is definitely an important consideration, I would  
> be very interested in opinions about the KIO2 RS232 interface -  
> would it help with PSK?  I would also like opinions on the KAF2  
> filter vs. the KDSP2 DSP filter.

Sorry to reply to such an old message.

If you want to work PSK, you'll need the KSB2 for sure.

For working PSK, if your PSK software wants to do any computer  
control, or if you want to do computer controlled logging for casual  
or contest operation, you'll want the KIO2 (or the KPA100 -- it has  
the same interface built-in).

I've owned both the KAF2 and the KDSP2. I didn't find the KAF2 that  
useful, except for the reduced hiss in the audio from the low-pass  
filter. The KDSP2, on the other hand, is marvelous. If you work any  
SSB, the auto-notch is great (I leave it on all the time). The noise  
reduction is sometimes useful on SSB and CW.

If you want to do some real weak-signal RTTY or PSK, or you need  
narrower filtering on SSB, the KDSP2 filtering options are great as  
well -- although you will have to do some tuning. If you are just  
picking out signals from the waterfall display on your PSK software,  
it may not as appealing.

I would recommend the KDSP2 -- it really adds a lot of value to the  
K2. I would not buy a KAF2 again if I did not have the KDSP2. I'd  
homebrew a small low-pass filter in the audio chain instead.

Bill Coleman, AA4LR, PP-ASEL        Mail: aa4lr at arrl.net
Web: http://boringhamradiopart.blogspot.com
Quote: "Not within a thousand years will man ever fly!"
             -- Wilbur Wright, 1901