++++++++++++++++ See also K2 Operating Experiences2 ++++++++++++++ Date: Mon, 28 May 2001 23:16:31 -0500 (CDT) From: randy at randyrathbun.org Subject: [Elecraft] Not a bad outing in WPX Considering that I was not really competing, I think I ended up doing pretty good. 68 mults, 75 Q's = 9996 points. Worked KH6 and KL7 on 15 so I got those two out of the way for WAS, and got got the following countries worked: VE, OF, HC8, LY, SN, ZF2, OM, LO, LA, YL, HG, VP5, S5, 9A, 4O, I, ON, DK, SK, V2, SP, 6Y, TI, and a bunch of US states. Not a bad waste of time if I do say so myself! I somehow managed to sleep during the nights, so don't know what kind of goodies I missed - heard a lot of people on the coasts calling JAs, but never heard anything in 0 land. The K2 performed without a hitch. Ran under 5 W the whole time, and though I tried to keep the SWR under control, I finally gave up fighting that - when I worked the KH6 I had a SWR of about 8 to 1. The MFJ tuner showed about 2 watts out and lots of reflected power. So, I have come to the following conclusion: SWR is overrated. And QRO is overrated as well. I used to do this stuff with 100w out of a TS-830 before I got out of the ham radio stuff in the early 90s. Never did I think I would be doing the same stuff with only 5 out. Yeah, I have read all the stuff comparing a 1KW signal to a 5W signal, but until I have seen it for myself I can hardly believe it. I did do something I might regret though - I hooked up my KAM and used it to send/receive CW yesterday morning. Found I would get so nervous making DX contacts that I would botch sending the 5NN (they really were, btw!), let alone the serial number part. Thank goodness my laptop pulls too much current to be useful on field day since I am going to be running battery power. That'll learn me. - -- Randy Rathbun, NV0U randy at randyrathbun.org nv0u at arrl.net Elecraft K2 #1981 ARS #895 QRP-ARCI #10776 http://randyrathbun.org http://quitequitefantastic.org http://astrodot.org It's now the GNU Emacs of all terminal emulators. -- Linus Torvalds, regarding the fact that Linux started off as a terminal emulator +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Date: Sun, 03 Jun 2001 21:05:41 -0700 From: "N7SG K7FD" Subject: [Elecraft] PW-1, actual results on 40m For those interested in the W6MMA PW-1 loaded whip antenna, here is the actual log of my 40m portable operation over the weekend. QTH: Seaside Oregon, Comfort Inn, third floor up with an eastern view. Antenna was mounted on a camera tripod, with the PW-1 whip 'leaning upward and outward' at about 45 degs. 3 radials, 16.5 feet long strung anywhichway possible to stretch them out and back into the hotel room. None hung over the balcony. Rig: K2 at 5w out/internal battery. Antenna tuned with MFJ Analyzer. Local downtown city street QRN was S5 to 6 - ouch! All qso's cw, on 40m near 7.040MHz... Day UTC Call S/R QTH/Op Notes on other station's shack - ---------------------------------------------------------------- 6/1 0248Z K6III 579/569 CA/Jerry Probably on his Elecraft K2... 0436 K7QD 579/579 ID/Lee K1 0446 K7PVT 559/549 WA/Bob 250 milliwatts, SMK-1 0506 KB6FPW 559/559 CA/Mitch 2.5w 0514 NK6A 559/539 CA/Don 0531 KY7F 569/449 WY/Doug 817, 2.5w, and Outbacker/Tripod 0546 W6ARK 559/449 CA/Al 6/2 0335 VE7CCU 579/569 BC/Bill QRO/Scout 50w 0349 WA7SPY 589/579 CA/Glenn K1 0408 N6GA 559/559 CA/Cam K1 0431 N6XMW 599/579 CA/Bill QRO 0439 W5TZR 579/589 CA/Ralph QRO on mobile whip 0450 KG6FXZ 589/579 CA/Ron QRO/TS570 and dipole 0508 WB9FEA 559/349 IL/Bob QRO/FT101 and vertical 0519 K6TLL 599/569 CA/Jim QRO/TS850 and loop 0526 K7HZ 579/579 OR/Jim QRO/Paragon and Zepp 0556 VE6GH 579/229 AB/Grant 6/3 0619 N9AW 559/449 WI/Jerry 817 and delta loop 0651 WD9FJL 559/569 NM/Steve K2 and vertical I tried to decipher my notes as best as possible, some details on some stations worked are lacking. These stations all ANSWERED my CQ's! So apparently I was making enough noise to attract someone's attention...hi! This is not an endorsement of the PW-1 or K2 nor do I have any thing to do or gain with either outfit. Just posting it in the interest of qrp and what is possible with a very minimal setup. The 3rd floor room wasn't the greatest; the antenna basically amounted to 'hanging it out the window' and seeing what happened! With the QRN level, I can tell you I was MIGHTY excited to work anyone and ECSTATIC when I heard WY, IL, and WI come back to me... 73 John K7FD +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Date: Sun, 08 Jul 2001 15:54:09 -0700 From: "N7SG K7FD" Subject: [Elecraft] K7FD/P - Park Portable Photos Wow! That was fun! But was over way too quick...next time a little more planning and a longer stay; thanks to all who gave me a call! Pictures are worth a thousand words, sooooo: http://www.teleport.com/~cqdx/ona.htm The K2 and MP-1 were surprisingly good! Are the bands bouncing back to life? I really didn't expect this much action...in such a short time span! Ona Beach State Park is beautiful but not noted for 'maximum RF output', so I jumped back and blinked twice when I heard 3 guy's calling at once!! 73, John K7FD, Annette N7SG ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Date: Mon, 16 Jul 2001 14:11:12 -0700 From: Randy Foltz Subject: [Elecraft] KIO2 in contests Howdy, gang. Over the weekend I put the KIO2 through its paces in the IARU HF World Championship and the QRP ARCI Summer Homebrew Sprint. I used TR Log to log and control the K2. The KIO2 allowed the K2 frequency to be displayed on the laptop. The left shift key lowered the fq while the right shift key increased the fq. Entering a fq in the call window changed the K2 to that fq whether it was in the same band or not. Making fq or band changes at the K2 were shown in TR Log within a second. I keyed the radio from TR using the parallel port with an optical isolator interface. The band map option was interesting and useful. A band map shows the fq and the call of stations you have worked or dupe checked. It is sorted by fq. When you tune past a fq that has a call associated with it, the call appears in the call window. When you leave the fq, the call disappears from the call window. You can select calls on the band map and the K2 will change to that fq. Although one could operate without touching the K2, I liked turning the knob and pushing the buttons. - -- 73, Randy, K7TQ QRP ARCI Contest Chairman ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Date: Thu, 2 Aug 2001 18:35:57 +0100 From: Jerry Bliss Subject: [Elecraft] IOTA brag - action with K2 Just a bit of a brag... Operated in the IOTA activity last weekend using my K2 from home QTH in San Jose, CA. Just played with the CW mode and running 5-watts; Hunt-n-Pounce only. Good for 75 contacts all over the world (except Africa) and lotsa IOTA islands. Most note-worthy was the contact with 9H1ZA, Malta. Just love busting the pile-ups with this K2! Jerry/k6iii San Jose, CA K2 #500 +++++++++++++++++++ Date: Thu, 02 Aug 2001 19:41:58 -0400 From: "David A. Belsley" Subject: [Elecraft] K2 on vacation, w1euy/1 Well, I just got back from a month on Martha's Vineyard with the K2, and, man, it was a ball. First time I've ever taken a rig on vacation (the XYL must be mellowing with years). It was definitely like an extended Field Day. Two shots with my trusty sling shot -- wish I had gotten this thing earlier in my life -- and my 100' long wire (including feed) -- was up. One end attached to the tops of some Vineyard oaks, the other to a lightning rod on the roof of the cottage -- Years of Living Dangerously. The Vineyard oaks, like all the coastal trees, are scrub and don't grow to above 30-35 feet tall. My antenna was probably about 25 feet high. But we were only about 1/3 mile from the ocean -- a great view of Menemsha Pond and the Bight -- and clearly had superb ground conditions. I used a 33 foot counterpoise and eventually placed another 20 foot extension cord about the loft (my ham shack) of the converted barn in which we were residing. I used an MFJ 934 tuner/artificial-ground. This antenna worked splendidly on 80-15 meters and would have done 10 meters too if I had added or removed roughly 8 feet from the feed. Given that 10 meters was pretty useless, however, I never tried this. In any event, I had dozens of great qso's on 40 and 20 meters, a number of them with K2s and K1s. Twenty meters was typically the better band and I actually was able to develop a number of decent rag-chews on this typically slam-bam-thank-you-man band. I guess many people were fleeing 40 meters, which was in the worst shape I've encountered in many a year. Two days before I left (we were there for the month of July), some idiot on a motorcycle parked near the spot where the rope holding the tree-end of my antenna was anchored. I never discovered why he was there, but, for whatever reason, he apparently decided to see what this rope was all about. He must have pulled on it sufficiently hard to break the wire. That it was not just a natural break is clear from the fact that the roughly 100 feet of rope holding the wire were pulled back over the tree and lying on the ground in a tangled mess. To say I was disappointed in the human machine is an understatement, but I was certainly glad he decided to do this with only a couple of days left in my vacation instead of earlier. Interestingly, I didn't realize fully that this had happened until after I worked John, K1JD -- familiar, I am sure, to many of you. But I was apparently getting to him with 10db or better over S9 signal while most of my antenna was lying on the ground -- this all with 10 watts. Once I discovered the problem (loading specs clearly changed rather significantly), I reestablished the antenna in some lower trees, now having a somewhat-less-than-100-foot sloper. This too worked very well. On 20 meters I was all over EU and Russia at 10 watts. I come away with a practical verification of a notion I've held for years: you can do very well with any reasonable piece of wire -- not even very high -- provided you get a good match to it and use a good counterpoise. I found the MFJ 934 tuner/artificial-ground to be very suitable. The ATU would clearly also have been super for this application provided you augment it with a decently tuned counterpoise or use a good balanced antenna that doesn't require an rf ground. In any event, this was a situation in which the K2 excelled. I was able to tuck all the ham stuff I needed into and around the wheel well of the spare tire, thereby using space that would not otherwise have been used. The XYL could not complain that the addition of the ham gear took away any space otherwise traditionally available for vacation needs. I took my MFJ 259B antenna analyzer, which has got to be one of the best items available from MFJ, and was able to establish appropriate tuner and counterpoise tuner settings for all bands in just a matter of minutes. Having done this job once, subsequent band changes could be made very quickly using only the meters on the MFJ 934. best wishes, dave belsley, w1euy ++++++++++++++++++ Date: Sun, 5 Aug 2001 16:32:57 -0600 From: "Rod Cerkoney, N0RC" Subject: Re: [Elecraft] [Fwd: Sunday: QRP ARCI Summer Daze SSB Sprint Pretty healthy M class flare mucked thins up. Details at: http://www.sel.noaa.gov/rt_plots/xray_1m.html http://www.sel.noaa.gov/rt_plots/dregion.html 73, Rod N0RC Ft Collins, CO - ----- Original Message ----- From: "Wayne Burdick" To: "Elecraft" Sent: Sunday, August 05, 2001 3:23 PM Subject: [Elecraft] [Fwd: Sunday: QRP ARCI Summer Daze SSB Sprint > This is supposedly happening as we speak, but I just tuned around and > didn't hear much -- where all are those SSB-equipped K2s? ;) ++++++++++++++++++++ Date: Tue, 7 Aug 2001 10:25:15 +0100 From: JAC Subject: [Elecraft] Sometimes you win ..... The K2 Mojo can be very effective - I worked HS0/G3NOM for an hour and ten minutes on 15m CW recently, with my 40m inverted V. No breakers, no QRM. It was peak evening TV viewing time around here, so any attempt to run 400w for over an hour would have brought a lynch mob, but amazingly enough, the signal from K2 #609 (running flat out at 10w) stayed better than S6 in HS, peaking S8-9. The same setup has now accounted for 242 countries, thanks to P29IO having sharp ears the other day. Incidentally, V51AS also has very sharp ears - I just worked him on 40m CW to complete QSOs on all bands 10-40. If you hear Frank on the low end of the band, even with a weak signal, the chances are he will hear you. 73 John G3JAG ++++++++++++++++++++++++ Date: Sun, 30 Sep 2001 12:39:03 -0700 From: "N7SG K7FD" Subject: [Elecraft] Looking for SSB QRP Check-in's... Extra Class QRP op's: TONIGHT is the start of another Worked All States season on the 75m Geratol Net, 3.768MHz beginning at 0100Z and going until everyone gets tuckered out. The Geratol Net is very 'QRP FRIENDLY' and encourages qrp op's to check-in and work their qrp WAS on the net. Everyone is welcome, so if you are so inclined, do give it a listen...and check-in! The net is informal but fast-paced; come join the fun! Last year saw quite a few K2's on the net; I suspect a few '817's to check-in this year! 73 John K7FD Geratol Page: http://www.skyport.com/geratol/geratol1.html +++++++++++++++++++ Date: Sun, 28 Oct 2001 14:39:53 -0700 From: "Len Koppl" Subject: [Elecraft] K2 in emergency operations Greetings, I had my K2 operational on 75 meters at the Boulder County (Colo) SET yesterday (3928 KHz). I was pleasantly surprised at how well it performed. I had it connected to a ten foot high doublet (approximately 100 ft per side) fed with 300 ohm twin lead connected to some RG-8, connected to the KAT2 tuner. I ran SSB at 5 watts. Within 100 ft or so, I had my IC-706 running 80 meter Pactor at 100 watts to the screwdriver antenna on my pick up (3615 KHz). I was certain that the Pactor would interfere with the SSB operation, but it had absolutely no effect! I know that some isolation was afforded by the cross-polarized antennas, but the very close proximity of the antennas coupled with the high duty cycle and frequent switching of the Pactor had to make this a tough environment! As always with QRP, more antenna equates to better success. I was able to easily contact all of the 75 meter stations participating in the SET. I do not normally advocate QRP for emergency operations, but to be able to run from a 7.5 AH gel cell for half a day without putting a dent in it, and to have successfully contacted all stations within the state that were on the air (not to mention the ability of the K2 to reject strong in-band signals) is making me re-think my position. 73, Len Koppl, KDØRC EC, Boulder County, Colorado +++++++++++++++++++ Date: Mon, 05 Nov 2001 15:44:14 -0600 From: Tom Hammond =?iso-8859-1?Q?N=D8SS?= Subject: [Elecraft] N0SS/QRP SS CQ 2001 - Summary SWEEPSTAKES SUMMARY SHEET Operator : N0SS Category : SOAB QRP BAND Raw QSOs Valid QSOs Points Mults __________________________________________________ 80CW 84 84 168 6 40CW 200 200 400 11 20CW 169 169 338 26 15CW 73 73 146 19 10CW 70 70 140 18 __________________________________________________ Totals 596 596 1192 80 Final Score = 95360 points Station: Elecraft K2, 5W output Bencher SkyHawk Triband Yagi at 73' 80M/40M dual dipoles at 70' TRLog v6.59 logging program IBM ThinkPad 380D Laptop Comfortable (relatively) high-back chair Comments: I started out sleep-deprived, and finished that same way. I 'crashed & burned' about midnight Saturday. NEXT YEAR (yeah, right) I'll get more sleep BEFORE the contest and should be able to last a full 24 hours. It was GREAT to work so many Elecraft owners and to have them take time to say "HI" in the heat of battle. Sorry I missed you, Fred (KT5X)... we sure tried . The K2 / KIO2 / KAT2 /TRLog combination worked merely GREAT! I used the PC's [L-SHIFT] / [R-SHIFT] keys to QSY up/down the bands with great ease... seldom ever did I even touch the K2's VFO knob (a BIG PLUS). Since I generally operate in contests using either a 1.8kHz or a 1.0kHz CW filter (only had to resort to the 400Hz filter twice), I had no real use for the KAF2 this time, but I'm sure there will be times when it comes in handy... of course the LO-PASS features of the KAF2 (rolling off the high-pitched hiss) DID help to save my ears somewhat. I NEVER had a problem with RX front-end overload and was able to work right 'up against' a number of the "big boys" as though they weren't even there. Something I have never been able to do with any of my previous 'big' rigs. I was amazed at the facility with which I was able to tune up and down the bands, picking off stations as I went, and the ease with which I was able to change bands in a heartbeat with NO need for additional tune-up. 20-20 hindsight works very well. I now realize that I should have connected my dipoles to ANT 1 and my tribander to ANT 2 and to allow the K2 to automatically select between them. Of course, I didn't... and (frustratingly) wound up the first hour (or so) working 10/15/20M using the 80/40 dual dipole INSTEAD of the tribander. NOW I know why it appeared that the bands caved in so quickly AND why it didn't seem to matter what direction I turned the rotor... signals never seemed to get stronger! This grievous error HAS been so noted in my noted of things TO DO for next year's SS. For those of you who really have to improve your CW copying proficiency, I cannot recommend CW contesting too highly! When you CW contest, you will find operators sending at all(!) speeds. Often these speeds will be well above what you can copy, or at least what you can copy CORRECTLY. This is NOT bad. It just means that you will have to stop and copy their exchange in pieces, writing it down on paper until you have it all copied (all but serial number anyway, and you can copy MOST of that down). Then when you do call the station, you have everything but the final number(s) in the serial number already written down. The reason this is GOOD is that it FORCES you (whether you like it or not) to copy fast CW... and if you continue to do so, you WILL find that your speed will increase... it HAS to! You won't improve too quickly at first, but in time you will find that your speed increases with each contest you enter, and that's the trick to success. It CAN be frustrating at first, but it's well worth the effort you put into it. Give it a try. 73 - Tom Hammond N0SS ++++++++++++++++ Date: Wed, 07 Nov 2001 07:46:10 -0700 From: John Subject: [Elecraft] SS results K7UP After years of sitting back and having guest ops run the station, I decided to get back into some contesting. I had all but given up on radio, then read the QST review of the K1. Don't know how I missed the article on the K2, guess I wasn't interested at the time. I though at the time that the K1 was most likely a HW-7 in a different box with a digital readout. If figured what to heck, for the money it was worth the price if it peaked my interest in radio again. Man, was my thinking wrong about the K1, It was hot. In no time I was working plenty of DX with #637. So, why not try a K2, I had a Ten Tec Argo once, it wasn't to bad. Enter K2 #2012. That was it, out the door went the IC-765/L-4B, over the protests of the guest ops. Why get rid of the QRO gear, so I could afford K2 #2223. I was hooked and having fun with radio again. SS was a SO2R, K2's, effort, using NA10.53 (K1 was a backup). Both radios were computer controlled via 2 com ports/KIO2. Keying was via LPT port, and switched between radios with the control box described in the NA manual. The control box also allows stereo reception, one radio each ear, or mono, one radio or the other in both ears, switchable. A question, can TR Log do this or is it always stereo? Results: 717 Q's, 79 mults = 113K points. Missed WY. Ops time was 23 hours. At my age (almost 60) its hard to keep going, I'll work on that. Biggest thrill, busting QRO pile up for VY1JA. Biggest let down, not getting a sweep. With one radio or the other always in S&P mode, I still couldn't find WY. Special thanks to Elecraft for a great product, everything I've read about the K2's receive abiltiy is true. I didn't suffer operator fatigue as much as I used to and I think its due to the receive of the K2. And thanks to all the people who contribute with great mods and assistance who show up on this reflector. Its put the fun back in radio for me, not just contesting but the casual QSO's as well. I'm relearning CW now, not just mashing the F1 key on weekends and copying a 35wpm exchange. Thanks to all for the SS Q's, John K7UP New Mexico ++++++++++++++++++++++ Date: Wed, 30 Jan 2002 10:28:14 -0800 From: Eric Swartz WA6HHQ - Elecraft Organization: EleCraft To: elecraft at mailman.qth.net Subject: [Elecraft] K2 Article by G4FUO John, G4FUO, has written an interesting article on his K2 exploits. See: http://www.john.g4fuo.btinternet.co.uk/read.htm 73, Eric WA6HHQ ++++++++++++++++++++++ From: "Gay Family" To: Subject: RE: [Elecraft] Mobile advice? Date: Tue, 19 Mar 2002 13:21:00 -0800 I wrote: > I've got the sudden and unexpected task (opportunity?) > of a 1300 mi freeway solo trip in a Ford F150 ... First, thanks much to all of you who replied to my hurried query. The trip came up suddenly (called to geriatric evaluation of aging parent). That evening ran to Radio Shack and bought a longish CB/10m antenna with the largest, mid antenna loading coil they had, a 210-0806. Next morning local roads are very treacherous and similar conditions listed in Montana info so I switch to wife's Winstar because it has new studded snow tires (very good suggestion on her part). Plunked the antenna in the middle of the roof, ran it to the MFJ 949E, tied the two together with a backpack strap facing me on the right seat, K2 on top, block of wood to prop the boxes up more level, ran the seatbelt through the strap, plugged the K2 into the cigarette lighter and took off. An hour out of town and out of the local icy roads, turn the K2 on and tune around 10m, left hand steering and right hand thumb spinning the flat surface. Works well - don't need dimples or rims. Very first station is an Italian calling CQ loud and clear. Damn near drove off the road; this mobiling stuff may be good. Pulled over to tune the 949 (should've done that at home!) and found I couldn't get the SWR down. I'd cut the antenna to the RS recommended length for 28.3 but that was still too long. Some expletives and pinched fingers later I'd managed to shorten the antenna to good SWR using wrench and pliers (poor prior planning ...). Would've gnawed on it if I'd had to. Italian gone. Then urban traffic and snow packed roads stopped further progress, driving having the only priority. Ever notice how its 4x4 pickups and SUV's that make most of the road-side sitz marks? Once down out in the clear in Montana, I turned K2 on again. Several Virginia stations in the Virginia QSO party are coming in very, very loud, louder than at home (antenna work in order?). Most be all that copper ore in western Montana ground. Call one. Give him the state and he's happy with the mobile multiplier. My very first mobile QSO. Tell him this is my first attempt at mobiling, let alone this QSO stuff, so I'm busy concentrating on driving rather than writing. Probably obvious from my rough operating procedure. A few noisy powerlines go by. Next I hear him work a Colorado station, which I can't quite copy. Then I hear him say its the first K2 he has worked. Call him back and tell him that is his second. He asks what antenna. Tell him. He can't believe its 10 watts mobile through a RS 10/11 mag mount (I can't either). Says he'll have to pick up a K2 at Dayton - commission, Wayne? :-). Then a Japanese station is calling CQ loud and clear. He works a guy mobile in Georgia and I hear both sides. I give him a call and he responds. Again about drive off freeway at 75mph. He is running 100 watts. Who needs Ameritrons? Take an isolated exit ramp and park on the shoulder. He wants the county name. I have no idea; I'm lucky to know the town I'm close to (Missoula). The Georgia guy tells me and I pass it along. He must be considerably more accomplished at this mobiling stuff than I. After my heart returns to a normal beat, I'm back under way. Work another station in the Virginia QSO party. They can't believe its 10 watts mobile from Montana either. Hear a huge pileup and hear the DX station well but he's working split. I can't manage split and 75mph at the same time and the mph has priority. Work a special event station in Wisconsin and a 10-10 station in Texas. Hear another really strong Japanese station in a QSO with a California station but drive behind a mountain before I can work him. More icy roads, flashing blue lights. More elevated heart rates but not due to QSO's. Band drops out by the time roads are clear. Head back mid-afternoon after session with Doc's. News not good (Alzheimer's). Hear very strong Alaska station running 90 watts and both sides of most QSO's for 30 minutes. Getting better at writing and driving. Hear XR0X very strong but only calling 1's and 5's and so on apparently in sequence but no 7's. Where'd that guy learn to count? More DX pileups and splits. Hear a DU calling CQ. I respond and he comes back. Drive behind mountain before QSO really complete so I don't know for sure if he got my signal report. Hear HL4SF very loud but can't raise him before he's convinced the band has dropped out and signs off. Hear a solid UE but drive out of the reception before his current QSO is over. Finally driving into the dark of western Montana I work a New Jersey station for the longest QSO of the trip. I answer his CQ and tell him I'm running 10 watts mobile from western Montana. He wants to know if I mean mobile as in driving or just not at my QTH. I tell him. He wants to know what modules I have, how hard the K2 was to build and what test equipment I needed to build it. I tell him. He asks what the difference is between the K2 and the K1. I tell him. He signs off, I turn of the K2 for good because the road is getting snow covered and slick. My wife's snow tires get me around spun-around 4x4 SUV's, stalled trucks and cars stuck in various orientations in middle of the freeway and rink-quality ice over the next 200 miles to home at 11PM. Dreams of screwdrivers and autotuners dance in my head. That was one heck of a lot of fun; I never would've imagined! Now I gotta transfer those scribbles, some on my hand, into my logbook. Yes, the cigarette lighter outlet, at least in Fords, works to power the K2. Thanks much for the advice. And wow, does the Radio Shack mag-mount propagate the K2 Mojo. This could be addictive. Naw; it is. Thanks for the bandwidth. John. KD7OIU K2 #1932. +++++++++++++++++++ Date: Thu, 09 May 2002 09:01:51 +0000 From: Dave Barr To: Elecraft digest Subject: [Elecraft] re:K2/100 I have never understood so many K2ers want to run high power. Since completing K2 sn 537, never running more than 5 watts to a tribander at 45 feet or a open wire dipole, my QRP DXCC RTTY count has gone up to 225. And in all CQ WW CW DX contests since the K2 has been up and running I have worked DXCC each time... 5 watts. Recently, K1B and the 3XY8 stations were worked as RTTY qrp #s 224 and 225, the 3X on the third call. In the '01 ARRL RTTY Roundup, K2YG won the NNJ section running 5 watts (there is no QRP category). Pardon the horn-blowing. Save electricity. Avoid RFI. Work hard. Run QRP. Feel good! Dave K2YG +++++++++++++++++++ Date: Thu, 23 May 2002 08:02:33 +0100 To: elecraft at mailman.qth.net From: John Schneider Subject: [Elecraft] 2001 ARRL SS CW QRP Just wanted to thank the Elecraft gang for a great product. I used 2 K2's in a SO2R configuration in the 2001 SS CW contest. The radios were controlled with NA10. software and a home brew NA10 controlled switch box. The box allows you to listen to both radios, one in each ear, or either radio monaural. The box also prevents simultaneous transmission of both radios. NA10 was set for TS570, using 2 com ports via KIO2 interface on each radio. The radios worked to perfection, except for the frequency walk up during transmit, which happened twice. This problem has been identified and a fix provided. What a pleasure the receive is on the K2, quiet and selective. You could snuggle right up next to the big guns and not know they were there. In fact I was asked to QSY a few times, I guess my 5 watts bothered them but their high power didn't bother me. It was my first SS in a few years, and the main goal was to get used to the radios, see how they played. They played great! I finished in the top ten, #8 national, and #1 in the Rocky Mountain Division. A lot of it had to do with the radios, at my age, 60, operator fatigue is a big factor. The K2's were easy to operate, no front panel clutter, and easy listening. A check at the ARRL web site will show the top ten QRP entrants station descriptions. Other than my position, a K2 in conjunction with a FT-920 finished #7, and 2 K2's at #10. The K2's were the only pure QRP rigs in the top ten and it looks like they held their own against 1000MP's, 781's, OMNI's and other high end throttled back radios. If you have access to the ARRL site, check it out, it says a lot about the K2. Oh, and the final treat, I got to build them! Also, I didn't mention, I had a K1 as a back up, just in case. John, k7up K2's #2012,2223 K1 #637 +++++++++++++++++++ Date: Mon, 03 Jun 2002 21:08:49 -0400 From: lenny wintfeld To: "[Elecraft]" Subject: [Elecraft] First satellite qso ! Hi Just finished my first satellite qso ever with NA4K on the Russian Sputnik RS-12/13 using my K2! Uplink at 21.215, downlink at 28.415 +/-. Sigs 559/559. I was running 12 watts and quickly flipping back and forth between bands, using a cf zepp cut for 80 meters for both frequencies. Glad to have the KAT2 matching the same antenna on two different bands or it wouldn't have worked at all. A bit of a clumsy way of doing things (having to flip between bands, adjust for doppler, copy 20+ wpm) but it worked! 73, Lenny W2BVH Any chance of getting crossband operation into the K2 software? +++++++++++++++++++ From: "Dave Sergeant" To: "elecraft" Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2002 08:26:30 +0100 Subject: [Elecraft] RSGB NFD report You may remember last month I reported our local club had done an entry in the RSGB Field Day using the K2 in a totally battery powered station with excellent results (it looks as if we may have won in fact...). I have written a detailed account of this operation which should be of interest, and shows yet again what a marvellous rig the K2 is. You will find it by going to http://www.dsergeant.btinternet.co.uk/barc.htm and clicking on the link beneath the NFD photo. 73s Dave G3YMC dsergeant at iee.org dsergeant at btinternet.com http://www.dsergeant.btinternet.co.uk +++++++++++++++++++