[Elecraft] The Old K1 and Other Things

[Mike Morrow]

I wrote:

> All I could wish for now is an official re-design of the KFL1-4's
> 40m/30m section for 12m/10m.

I'd order a high-band KFL1-4 the instant I heard of one being available.
The solar activity iron is hot for this minor product...and there are
about 3300 K1 units out there in need! 

Enzo wrote:

> ...the release of the new KX3 could make anachronistic any wish to
> improve both the K1 and the KX1.

I plan on joining the ranks of the KX3 owners...I'm just not burning to
be in the initial waves of the folks on the KX3 list now trying to figure
out which side of the Aptos date line they were on, the first day orders
were accepted.

After all, I have a K1. :-)

Nothing would cause me to sell or stop using my K1...not even a KX3.
The K1 is less weight and much simpler to use, not to mention less
than a third the power consumption.

The KX1 weighs even less and is even more power efficient.  The KX1's
major lack is any band coverage above 20m, due to the DDS.  That could
be greatly missed as the solar activity turns the high bands into QRP
heavens.  The K1 has no similar limitation.  A four-band KFL1-4 for
10m, 12m, and any two of 15m, 17m, or 20m already exists...almost!
Only the 10m and 12m RF sections need yet to be designed.

> But, all in all, after 12 years from its first release, I'm here
> to build my K1 because I like very much its sound and at the end
> of my work I can say "I did it!".

I can understand.  But I bought and built the K1 in 2000 only because
of its capabilities.  I've built many kits going back to Lafayette VHF
monitors in the 1960s, Heath HW-101/SB-200 in the 1970s, and five QRP
kits in 1999.  I'm somewhat burnt out stuffing resistors and capacitors
on a PCB.  I'd have preferred to have purchased a factory-built K1, had
such a thing been offered.

Doubtless, one day Elecraft will discontinue some of their earlier
transceivers.  I suspect that when such announcements are made, there'll
be a rush to get in on the last opportunities to order radio classics.

> It was a pity having to unplug the filter board and the front panel
> to go on with the remaining building of RF board. :-)

My apologies!  I thought you had completed all K1 assembly and were
on page 49 for Alignment and Test Part II.  But you were at page 40
with a lot of parts left to install on the RF board.  That makes it
much more difficult to tell if a construction step got omitted earlier
from any components left uninstalled. :-)

Your K1 will likely remain a favorite, regardless of what other rigs
you acquire later.

73,
Mike / KK5F