[Elecraft] Who would spend 30 hours+ building an Elecraft K2? (plus: special pricing)

[Chip Stratton]

My first transceiver was an IC-7000. Suborned by the pretty display.
Elecraft was too plain looking. Then I put together a KX1, and realized
there was something to Elecraft. I didn't want to drop the bucks on a full
K2 kit, so to Ebay I went, where I got a late model K2 with a couple of
problems left by the original builder. After finding and fixing those, and
adding the K6XX and MAB mods, this K2 has become my primary shack
transceiver. Nothing else has lured me away - except for the KX3 and KX2
that are now my portable and travel rigs. Strangely, in the shack, I
actually enjoy using the K2 more than the KX radios.

Still in the back of my mind, I keep thinking I will at some point buy a K2
kit to build myself. Hopefully I won't wait too long.

73
Chip
AE5KA

On Fri, Jan 26, 2018 at 11:22 PM, Ron D'Eau Claire <ron at cobi.biz> wrote:

> First licensed in 1952, I've never felt as good operating any rig as one I
> built myself, either from scratch like my first Novice rig or at the very
> least from a kit.
>
> I still remember running net control during a Civil Defense exercise from
> W6CV in Southern CA, a station owned by a good friend with a beautiful
> collection of National and E.F. Johnson equipment and, after the exercise
> was over as I drove home in my '47 Studebaker eagerly looking forward to
> putting my homebrew 6L6 oscillator on the air in the 80 meter novice band.
> Doing that was more exciting because I had worked out the circuit from an
> old handbook and built it on an salvaged chassis, complete with a tank coil
> made out of (door) bell wire wound on a circle of nails.
>
> My station was completed with a homebrew superhet - several of them over
> time.
>
> Because of that background my K2, built in 1999, is still my favorite rig
> in
> spite of the K3S it shares my shack with. I was an eager participant in
> many
> of the upgrades it got in the first few years, happy to modify the circuits
> and do the required testing.
>
> For SOME of us, the "magic" of cobbling together the parts, working out the
> circuit, building and putting a rig on the air is more important than our
> contest scores or DXCC standing.
>
> 73, Ron AC7AC
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net
> [mailto:elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Buddy Brannan
> Sent: Friday, January 26, 2018 6:29 PM
> To: Elecraft Reflector
> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Who would spend 30 hours+ building an Elecraft K2?
> (plus: special pricing)
>
> Howdy,
>
> Thanks Wayne for the look back. Great stuff!
>
> Like others, my K2 is not for sale. No matter what other rigs may grace my
> shack, the K2 stays. Nope, I didn't build it (I'm all thumbs), but, besides
> being a super performer and just tons of fun, being a gift from my first
> guide dog upon his retirement (with help, naturally, from other humans), it
> has huge sentimental value. Thanks Karl.
>
> Come to think of it, I think Elecraft has been something of a tradition for
> important milestones. The KX1, I got when I went to Ukraine to adopt our
> daughter in 2004. It's now living with a longtime friend and partner in
> mischief. The KX3 I got myself as a 25th hamiversary gift. What's next?
>
> Vy 73,
>
> --
> Buddy (a fake ham) Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA Mobile (preferred): (814)
> 431-0962
> Phone: (814) 860-3194
> Email: buddy at brannan.name
> "We are all just walking each other home."
>
>
>
> > On Jan 26, 2018, at 7:02 PM, Bill Frantz <frantz at pwpconsult.com> wrote:
> >
> > I have always thought that real hams build their own equipment and uber
> hams design and build their own equipment. I guess that makes Wayne a uber
> ham.
> >
> > 73 Bill AE6JV
> >
> > -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> > Bill Frantz        | If the site is supported by  | Periwinkle
> > (408)356-8506      | ads, you are the product.    | 16345 Englewood Ave
> > www.pwpconsult.com |                              | Los Gatos, CA 95032
> >
> > ______________________________________________________________
> > Elecraft mailing list
> > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> > Post: mailto:Elecraft at mailman.qth.net
> >
> > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email
> > list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to
> > buddy at brannan.name
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:Elecraft at mailman.qth.net
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
> Message
> delivered to ron at elecraft.com
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:Elecraft at mailman.qth.net
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
> Message delivered to lightdazzled at gmail.com
>