[Elecraft] Intro - just scored a K2

[jerry]

Greetings,

    Name is Jerry, call KF6VB.  Been a ham since 1970.  For some strange 
reason, my interest in amateur radio always peaks at the bottom of the 
sunspot cycle.  No, I don't understand it either :).

   Lately, I've been playing a lot with CW & QRP radios.  Got a uBITX 
"kit" from India.  In quotes, because it was assembled and tested, you 
just mount the boards in the case.  Then a "QCX+" kit from Hungary - 
this was a real kit, you solder in the parts.

    I discovered that I *really* like electronic QSK ( aka full-breakin 
CW ).  The QCX+ does it really well.  But it's only one band.  I built 
it for 40M, but during the day, the action is mostly on 20.  The uBITX 
is multi-band, but does not do QSK.  What to do?  I investigated 
converting the uBITX to full-break, but that turns out to be a very big 
deal.  As in "Nobody's done that yet".

...So yesterday I pulled the trigger on an Elecraft K2 on Ebay. Waiting 
with bated breath for that box in the mail.

   It's an early serial number - 00845.  It seems that a lot of changes 
took place over the years - and Elecraft doesn't show a manual for it - 
their download site only shows the manual for "Rev B" PC boards.

    I see that they still have some parts and accessories for this unit - 
and the SSB module is not too expensive.

           - Jerry KF6VB