[Icom] NB on PRO

[Wayne Montague/Ann Beattie]

The Elecraft K2 is a killer CW transceiver. On SSB, its 'OK',
but its fixed bandwidth non-IF Shift filter 'shows'. There is a
method of making the K2 sorta have IF Shift on SSB, but its
really a kludge. If we rate the K2 at 100% for its operation on
CW, it would get a 70 at best on SSB.

I owned an original 756, and its blanker was useless. Engaging
it utterly destroyed the receiver. I recently bought a 746PRO,
and its blanker not only blanks, it doesn't reduce the reciever
to useless, and it is adjustable. Its probably very 756PRO
II-like.

Summary? The K2 has strengths in areas where few can go...
excellent RX, low current drain and can be configured to be
quite self contained. It *will* work on SSB at the functional of
a very basic SSB radio (tune in an SSB station and if you gwt
Quarmed, you pretty well end up eating it). Its blanker is quite
good.

It looks like iCOM has rediscovered how to build blankers again,
given my experience with the 746PRO.



Wayne
VE3CE