>From: Ron D'Eau Claire <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Date: Fri May 19 18:47:18 CDT 2006 >To: 'elecraft' <[email protected]> >Subject: RE: Re: [Elecraft] Re:K2 vs. the world.
Thanks Ron, good story Bill KA3IXF >N3DRK wrote: > >I agree there are many fine commercial rigs out there, but there is nothing >like building your own equipment. I just wish cost could be kept to a >minimum, as a blue collar ham, it took me a while to save for the K2 and the >KPA 100. I do not regret my purchase as the K2 is one of the best rigs that >I have ever owned. I think I will be using it for a long time. > >-------------------------------- > >Back in 1952, as a new Novice licensee pounding brass on 80 and 40 meters >with a homebrew one-tube (6V6) transmitter putting out about 10 watts, I was >also quite active in the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES). On >several occasions I had the privilege of operating net control for a 75 >meter phone RACES net during a Simulated Emergency Test (SET). The net >control was a the home of a great friend and well-heeled adult Ham who lived >on a hilltop with what can only be described as a dream station. > >After one of those sessions lasting all day at his rig passing traffic for >the SET, I still remember being struck by a thought as I closed down the >net. I suddenly realized that I was anxious to get home and make a few QSO's >on my little scratch-built 6L6 crystal-controlled oscillator rig. No matter >how beautiful my friend's station was, operating it was like driving a nice >car. It was just a very nice appliance that I used. It could not replace the >simple joy of making a contact on equipment I had assembled myself, perhaps >even designed myself. That was what Ham radio was all about for me. > >It still is, 54 years later. I've never owned or cared to own an HF >transmitter that I didn't at least assemble myself, like my K2/100. On VHF I >built a number of rigs over the years, rescued a Gonset communicator that >was simply a pile of parts in a box that someone gave up on and put it back >on the air (then I sold it, Hi!). I've had a couple of HT's that only get >used very infrequently as a sort of "Ham-cell-phone" to chat with locals. >Other than those, all of my VHF/UHF gear has been homebrew or at least >home-built as well. Along the way a great friend gave me a National HRO-5 >receiver that I tore down to the rivets and rebuilt with a new homebrew >lattice filter in the I.F., so it was a sort-of-commercial unit. Even so I >was more inclined to use my homebrew receivers, most of which I designed >myself. > >It's nice that Elecraft offers state-of-the-art engineering and performance >for home-builders like myself. Even so there are times I get the itch and >cobble together a simple little regen receiver or drag out one of my more >complex HB receivers, put it alongside the K2 and then go on a hunt for a >signal on the K2 that I can't copy FB on my creation. > >Different strokes for different folks, of course. Building and making >contacts with something that started out as a box of unlikely-looking >fiddly-bits is what Ham radio is all about to me! > >Ron AC7AC > >_______________________________________________ >Elecraft mailing list >Post to: [email protected] >You must be a subscriber to post to the list. >Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): > http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > >Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm >Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [email protected] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
