I am re-entering ham radio after a very long hiatus. Any comments on
Elecraft K-2, either kit building experience or operating experience?

John

On Fri, 30 Dec 2005 18:00:48 -0500, jawod wrote:
I am re-entering ham radio after a very long hiatus. Any comments on
Elecraft K-2, either kit building experience or operating experience?

http://groups.google.com/groups?as_q...adio.amateur.*

On 30 Dec 2005 23:25:47 GMT, Allodoxaphobia
wrote:

On Fri, 30 Dec 2005 18:00:48 -0500, jawod wrote:
I am re-entering ham radio after a very long hiatus. Any comments on
Elecraft K-2, either kit building experience or operating experience?

http://groups.google.com/groups?as_q...adio.amateur.*

You might also try the main mailing list and its archives:

http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
--
Regards
Andy, G8TQH
http://www.rickham.net/

Hello John
The K-2 is a very good radio, don't know how much experience
you have with kit building, but would not try the K-2 as first bite
it has taken some op's months to finish their K-2
If you have lots of solid state kit experience
go for it, if not try geting a few smaller projects under your belt

started playing around building qrp kits about 5 years ago
had not built a kit since the 60's
found out first thing
new solid state radio parts, are not big and beefy like the old days

that with out a good magnifying light
( not a cheep magnifying light, found out the hard way, had to go out
and buy a good light, after I had wasted cash on the cheep one )
I could not even id the parts #'s,
also
had to also buy a good soldering station few other tools
but then, I was on my way

built a 2 fer transmitter and then a dc style receiver,

then the Red Hot Radio Nor Cal 20
when I opened up the parts bag
thought oh no,
I have truly biten off more than I can chew

did not try to act like I was
big time radio op, ex signal corps microwave radio repair
and think I could short cut or 2nd guess building steps

took my time followed instructions to the letter

8 hours latter was finished and it worked,
since then have built about a dozen other new age qrp style kits
have had lots of fun, wonders of wonders all of them worked first try

this is from a hard core lover of tube gear
you can see some of my simple tube transmitters in oct 05 CQ mag

what to first build depends on your experience, skills, and
how brave you are, yes some ops with out any kit building
experience have built the K-2

Small Wonder Labs makes lots of very nice easy to build kits
Love my 40 meter DSW, lots of fun in a very small box,

might want to try a easy simple, cheap kit
before you melt solder, on a radio kit that set you back over $1,000

but man oh man, yet to talk to anybody that owns a K-2
that does not love the radio

yours truly Mac dit dit

On Sat, 31 Dec 2005 09:04:02 +0000, Andy McMullin wrote:

I am re-entering ham radio after a very long hiatus. Any comments on
Elecraft K-2, either kit building experience or operating experience?

http://groups.google.com/groups?as_q...K-2&as_ugroup=
rec.radio.amateur.*

You might also try the main mailing list and its archives:

http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft

Why can't someone come up with a simple one-sentence or
one-paragraph answer in human language such as "I like it - it was
easy to build and easy to operate" (or the opposite) before spewing
out a string of URLs?

Here's mine -

I don't own one yet, but I have several ham friends who do and are
totally pleased with it. I may get one this year (2006) but I will
have to have someone build it for me (yes, there are folks who will
do that) because I'm partially blind and can't do fine soldering
anymore.

There - was that so hard?

--
73 de K2ASP - Phil Kane

From a Clearing in the Silicon Forest
Beaverton (Washington County) Oregon

On Fri, 30 Dec 2005 18:00:48 -0500, jawod wrote:

I am re-entering ham radio after a very long hiatus. Any comments on
Elecraft K-2, either kit building experience or operating experience?

John

The Elecraft rigs are kinda the Cadillacs of the QRP crowd nowadays,
very nicely reviewed in QST in the past year or two.

I recently built a Ten-Tec QRP kit transceiver. Main thing I can tell
you is parts for rigs nowadays are way, way, way smaller than the
parts used by rigs like Heathkit in the 50s, 60s and 70s. But if your
eyes are good and your hands are steady and you have the proper tools,
the Elecraft rigs should go together about as well as any other.

Just make sure you have a strong light and an even stronger magnifying
glass :-)

bob
k5qwg

de Mac wrote:
jawod Wrote:

I am re-entering ham radio after a very long hiatus. Any comments on
Elecraft K-2, either kit building experience or operating experience?

John


Hello John
The K-2 is a very good radio, don't know how much experience
you have with kit building, but would not try the K-2 as first bite
it has taken some op's months to finish their K-2
If you have lots of solid state kit experience
go for it, if not try geting a few smaller projects under your belt

started playing around building qrp kits about 5 years ago
had not built a kit since the 60's
found out first thing
new solid state radio parts, are not big and beefy like the old days

that with out a good magnifying light
( not a cheep magnifying light, found out the hard way, had to go out
and buy a good light, after I had wasted cash on the cheep one )
I could not even id the parts #'s,
also
had to also buy a good soldering station few other tools
but then, I was on my way

built a 2 fer transmitter and then a dc style receiver,

then the Red Hot Radio Nor Cal 20
when I opened up the parts bag
thought oh no,
I have truly biten off more than I can chew

did not try to act like I was
big time radio op, ex signal corps microwave radio repair
and think I could short cut or 2nd guess building steps

took my time followed instructions to the letter

8 hours latter was finished and it worked,
since then have built about a dozen other new age qrp style kits
have had lots of fun, wonders of wonders all of them worked first try

this is from a hard core lover of tube gear
you can see some of my simple tube transmitters in oct 05 CQ mag

what to first build depends on your experience, skills, and
how brave you are, yes some ops with out any kit building
experience have built the K-2

Small Wonder Labs makes lots of very nice easy to build kits
Love my 40 meter DSW, lots of fun in a very small box,

might want to try a easy simple, cheap kit
before you melt solder, on a radio kit that set you back over $1,000

but man oh man, yet to talk to anybody that owns a K-2
that does not love the radio

yours truly Mac dit dit


Thanks so much for your advice. Yes, that seems to be the consensus.
Elecraft seems to have a great service record and the K-2 is
well-designed. I put together 3 Heathkits back in the 70's. the most
difficult was a mobile 2M XCVR...seems most like the K-2.

John