[Elecraft] W2 review

[Ken Kopp]

I have mine ... with both HF sensors, 200W and 2000W.

The kit is a quick build consisting of mechanical assembly,
just as with the K3.  It took me about a half hour from start 
to finish.  The metal work and paint is the usual Elecraft quality.  

One of the end panels shows signs of hand finishing before 
painting in that it appears to have perhaps been "touched up" 
on a belt sander. It's NOT an issue ... a "personal" touch. (:-)

There are four cover holes where you're instructed to remove 
the paint from the area around them so the stand-offs can 
make a good ground connection.  The paint is tough, and 
requires hard scraping to remove.  A small scrap of masking 
tape over the four areas before painting, as in the case of the 
K2's panels, would have helped.  In retrospect, I should have 
used my Dremel tool to remove the paint.

As always, read the instruction manual, as it makes reference
to flat-head screws which are replaced by pan-heads, and the
addenda sheet also points out the change.

I have both power levels of sensors in use.  One follows the
K3 and the other follows a seldom used amplifier.  Both sensors 
"control" the display's power range so that switching between 
the two sensors automatically changes the power range of the 
display.  

The AUTO ranging feature does not work smoothly on CW and 
appears to be easily confused.  I can't say how it behaves on SSB.

A minor caution:  Most will peek into the factory-assembled 
sensor(s) ... of course you will!  Note that the cover can be 
put on in either direction.  The label on the cover has the IN 
and OUT labels, and therefore needs to be put back in the 
correct orientation. (;-)  BTW, there are no S/N's.

My sensors were shipped a couple of days apart.  The label 
stickers appear to be printed on peel-off labels, and the first 
has what appears to be "artifacts" that I would describe as 
caused by dust on a copy machine's glass.  The second 
sensor's label is flawless.  The second sensor one was nicely 
wrapped in clear plastic.  The first wasn't.  This probably merely
reflects who packed the units and / or the elevated climate of
the move and getting the W2's out the door.

The sensor and display are connected by a flat telephone-style 
cable with RJ series connectors.  They're far too long for my 
needs and I'll be looking for or making a couple about 24" long.  
I wonder how -long- an interconnect cable could be?

If anyone's interested, Rose has a W2 cover in the works. (:-)

73! Ken Kopp - K0PP
     ElecraftCovers at rfwave.net
     http://tinyurl.com/7lm3m5