[Elecraft] Follow up on KX1 Field Ops

[Ron D'Eau Claire]

Note that the KX1 is not a 5-watt rig. 

The specifications say 3-4 watts output with an external 12V supply and
1.5-2W when running from a fresh internal battery pack delivering 9V. 

Of course, the difference between 4 and 5 watts is only 20% - just about the
typical error in good RF wattmeters including the "professional" meters used
to measure transmitter output. So it's not surprising that some measurements
might suggest 5 watts, even when used with a good dummy load. On the other
hand, don't be dismayed with a lower reading. 

At those power levels a quite good power meter may be assembled using a
diode to rectify the RF across a dummy load and measure the d-c with a
well-calibrated DMM. A little Ohm's law calculation will yield the RF power.
The Elecraft DL1 is a great example of such a dummy load/rectifier combo. 

I have had a great many QSO's over the years, including occasional DX,
running 1 to 2 watts with my homebrew rigs, a Heathkit HW-8 and then the
KX1, into a variety of antennas. Some were random wires strung up where
convenient and, when I had the space and time, a doublet up in the clear. 

73, Ron AC7AC