[Elecraft] Elecraft KX1 - a builder's review

[Eric Norris]

My KX1 puts out over 5 watts when powered with an A123 LiFePO pack, and will run longer than I can from a small.4S1P battery.  It fits perfectly into a Pelican 1060 box, which makes it nearly indestructible when using it to soften face plants while xc skiing.  It's perfect as is, though a 40-20-15 version would be interesting.

I'd like to see a single-band KX0, the size of a Rockmite, a full 1-2 watts out, with attendant Elecraft mojo.  THAT would be cool.  It could use an outboard T1 for tuning wires.

73

Eric WD6DBM

Mike Morrow <kk5f at earthlink.net> wrote:

>Phil wrote:
>
>> A reasonable assessment, Johnny. Of course the KX1 
>> was designed as the ultimate Trail-Friendly Radio 
>> (TFR) and that it is!
>
>I always preferred the K1 versus the KX1.  I must have 15m,
>plus the KX1 really needs a four-pole IF filter, IMO.
>
>I have a dream of a KX2 that is a KX1 descendant, with four-pole
>filter, 15m and maybe other bands not on a KX1, back-lit LCD vs
>LED, noise blanker, and everything required for the band coverage
>laid out from the start in the design, and not as an after-
>thought.  (As has been often noted, the KX1 is not particularly
>easy rig to build with all the options.)  I'd also like to see
>5 watt output on all bands with 14 vdc power.  Perhaps it could
>even be a factory-built SMT design.  Finally, that KX2 would need
>an ATU capable of far more than 254 combinations of reactance
>insertion.  The KAT1's 1022 combinations would be minimum, IMHO.
>
>A small, capable, simple-to-operate, very low-power-consumption
>QRP rig still has great appeal even with availability of the
>overwhelming capability of the KX3.  I'd like to have both.
>
>...and the KX2 slot in the Elecraft line needs filling! :-)
>
>Mike / KK5F
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