[Elecraft] Proposal for Mono-band Elecraft

[Mike Morrow]

Doug wrote:

>One other thing: I really wish Wayne and Eric would peal off one of 
>their talented junior engineers and design a K0. (K zero).  A single 
>band superhet with 2-3 watts out and super compact.

So...maybe a K0-15 for 15 meters.  I like that concept.

Before the K1 became available in 2000, I had built three of Dave Benson's
Small Wonder Labs DSW series of mono-band PIC- and DDS-technology QRP rigs.
I still have the DSW-20, -30, and -40 and they remain great and very
innovative QRP transceivers.  Wonderful rigs!

My only issue with those $130 (in 1999) units was that the operating system
allowed ONLY iambic mode B keying, which I consider an abomination. :-)
However, Jackson Harbor Press produced a direct plug-in replacement PIC
(controller) for $7 (!!) called the DSWK that offered many additional
features over the original SWL PIC, including selectable iambic keying
mode (just like Elecraft).

The DSW (and later DSW-II) with the DSWK PIC created what is IMHO still 
the neatest small mono-band QRP rig of all time.  Unfortunately, Dave
discontinued the DSW series several years ago, leaving that market empty.
I regret not having purchased a DSW-II-80 when it was available.

Today I almost always use the K1, but sometimes I will take one of the DSWs
when I just want a very small mono-band set.

Elecraft advanced the PIC/DDS concept to the multi-band feature-rich KX1 all
in a small package, yet I also believe there's still something appealing about
a smaller, simpler, mono-band rig.  A new Elecraft rig that combined some
characteristics of the SWL DSW-II and the (don't laugh) MFJ Cub would be great.
The DSW characteristic would mean a rig that needed NO LED or LCD display.  All
control response output would be Morse.  The MFJ Cub characteristic would mean
a rig with all the "boring drudgery" components being machine pre-assembled
surface-mounted to the PCB.  Only a few major components that mostly determine
the operating frequency would be required to be hand assembled by the builder.
Such a rig could be put together in an evening while encountering much less
opportunity for construction error.  (There'd be much less demand on Elecraft
tech support for troubleshooting.)  Choose a DDS chip that can be clocked
high enough to allow a 15m model, use a four-pole IF filter, and provide an
AGC circuit.  Mono-band CW perfection!

I'd buy a couple, maybe more.

Mike / KK5F