Elecraft Introduces the K2/100 100W Transciever

Well, the comments and comparisons have been interesting, the one that seems to interest me the most is the comments about the reciever ability being so fabulous.
In exactly what capacity is the reciever so good, does it have better sensitivity, better selectivity, a tighter filter, or higher fidelity? What exactly makes this reciever so good compared to all the other stuff?
btw, I use my TS50 as my benchtop, and being deaf in one ear and blind in the other it sounds good to me, but I dont have anything to compare to.
wh

 

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (MattBeers @ June 03 2002,03:46)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">K5MAR, have you seen how many of the internal parts come from overseas?  Sad.  If you want an American rig, Elecraft isn't the only choice, you know.  Think about Ten-Tec for high end, Patcomm for glitzy lousy-performing junk, and Elecraft for good performance in a kit.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>

Matt
I doubt that it's possible to build ANYTHING electronic with out a majority of the parts coming from the Far East.  However, Elecraft is an American company, so at least the profit stays in the U.S.  Ten-Tec is another choice I will look at closely when it comes time for upgrading.  I don't think I'm an iconoclast, but there is a certain level of satisfaction and pride in building your own rig and putting it on the air.  It will all depend on the amount of time I have available when I do buy a new rig, as well as the cash on hand situation.

I won't buy any radio just based on where the company is located, but I will use that as part of the decision-making process.  As another poster said, if Elecraft would come out with a "K3" that added some SSB features, they'd have a kit that could go up against any rig on the market.  We'll see what's available about 5 years down the road.

Mark

 

Mr. MattBeers,

When I said that I did not know car you drive I was just putting things into context.  Because, I really did not know what car you have.  

Hondas are great cars.  Now I can understand how you would have problems mounting a K2 in one.  

My minivan is not some expensive model I assure you. I bought the minivan used not new.

My family has a budget as well and the KPA100 was something that I did not budget for since the price was only anounced a two months ago.  

The spouse RADAR line was a try at humor not a cry for help.  (This is another try at humor.)

Yes, I was born and rasied in Texas.  I live on a small home lot in an older area the city.  Yes over 1 million others live here as well.  But I do dream of antenna farms...

Take care,

73 de N5IUT

 

This is a dream come true.  American made and no future part shortage. No $250.00 plus for repair and waiting for 3 months.  The price is right. A California ham rig again, again and again. Amen.

 

As a relatively new ham (2 years in September) and a K2 builder/owner, I am one of the more than 1,000 hams who has waited with anticipation for this announcement.

I also have a Ten-Tec Omni VI/Option 1... a VI that has the VI+ DSP but only has one narrow filter option.  I have never heard a signal on the Omni VI that I can't pick up on the K2... and the K2's receiver may have just a smidge more selectivity. With the introduction of the KPA100, there is no functional difference between the K2 and the Omni VI... or between the K2 and any other QRO rig.... a contact that can be made with any other rig can be made as successfully (or more successfully) with the K2.

I will build the KPA100 in a separate EC2 enclosure, and run the necessary control/RF cables between my K2 and the EC2.  When the new QRO antenna tuner is available, I will most likely build that inside the EC2 as well.

A word to those who want a 'K3'... too often we as consumers (of anything) tend to confuse features with benefits. For instance, a quad-conversion superhet receiver is a feature. Being able to pick up more weaker stations on a crowded band (which the K2 does better than most, with it's single-conv superhet rcvr) is a benefit. Too many of the Japanese boxes are crammed with features... but where are the benefits? Case in point: the Kenwood TS-2000.  Now there's a radio loaded with features... but on the HF bands will it work as well as my K2/100? I don't think so. The jack-of-all-trades is usually the master of none.

What Elecraft has done for the ham community is to introduce a high performance transceiver that can be built and maintained by a semi-skilled owner. Hmmm... people actually BUILDING and USING their own practical rigs... isn't that what ham radio is supposed to be all about?

 

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (MattBeers @ June 04 2002,02:30)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">I guess this is where my own ego comes out.  I have built kits, but I did it to save money.  Duplicating someone else's work isn't that satisfying to me.  I have designed and built my own little transmitters, and that was very satisfying.  To me, building a kit someone else designed is only one step removed from buying off the shelf.

MB[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>

Well, Matt, I guess this is where we will have to agree to disagree.  While a competent tech with a soldering iron, I lack the technical background to design a practical, useable HF rig.  Building a kit may only be one step removed from buying an assembled rig, but for me, at least, it's a BIG step.  Heathkit had a h*ll of a run supplying people like me with the chance to "DIY".  

Having lived and worked overseas in places like Belgium and Norway, I'm probably more conscious than most of the existance and nature of the global economy.  However, while I'm not an isolationist, I appreciate having the chance to buy, build and use a quality product that can claim "Made In America".

The K2/100 may not be everybodies "cup of tea", but that's what makes life interesting, we all have choices.

Mark

 

I'm glad to see kit-building ha NOT gone the way of high-button shoes. Heathkit fell flat on its face when confronted with solid-state rigs, and I hope that Elecraft picks up the ball and runs with it again.

The price is quite competitive, and I've heard the performance is almost out of this world. I'm thinking about building the QRP version and using a 'CB' amp with suitable filtering for more oooomph.

Of course kits like this are not for the first-time builder, but if you have done other PCB kits from Ramsey or TenTec, this would be a crowning achievement. Impress your appliance-owning friends when you tell them you BUILT this rig.

Gary Hildebrand WA7KKP

 

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (WA7KKP @ June 09 2002,14:19)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Of course kits like this are not for the first-time builder... - Gary Hildebrand WA7KKP[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>

I was a first-time builder.  As long as you can follow instructions, and as long as you are willing to check each step as you do it (verify components, verify soldering) then anyone who has rudimentary soldering skills, who is literate, and who has sufficient manual dexterity to put a nut on a bolt can build this thing.

If you want one, and you are willing to commit to spending 40 to 50 hours to build the basic kit, with each of the add-ons taking a couple of hours, then don't let 'fear of building' get in your way.  You can do it!

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Impress your appliance-owning friends when you tell them you BUILT this rig.
[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>

Impress them even more when you can explain to them that you can fix it as well!