Hi Mike,
> Mike Morrow <k...@earthlink.net> wrote: > > 1. Is the KX2 supplied by Elecraft identical to those supplied to amateurs? Yes. They may be using aftermarket accessories -- not sure. > > 2. Is the KX2 being supplied by external DC power? I believe they use it with both internal and external battery. > > 3. The stock KX2 (unfortunately) provides no transmit coverage outside the > ham bands except 5.06 to 5.45 MHz for 60m. Is a special firmware load being > used to permit general coverage transmit? Just the MARS enable. > 4. Federal agencies (including CAP, but not MARS) normally use radio > equipment compliant with standards established by the National > Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) ... [but] US > military agencies have sometimes adopted commercial radio gear with no > changes. I believe the KX2 was approved for COTS (common-off-the-shelf) military purchase. The point we were trying to make is that the KX2 fills a functional need that is not presently filled by other gear, with or without compliance to specific standards. They needed a 1-pound radio that covered all modes and all bands. Someone showed them a KX2 and demonstrated that it did the job. If the KX2 were EMI-hardened and ruggedized and waterproofed to the degree that some manpack radios are, it would simply be another large, heavy, overpriced piece of military gear. As it stands, it does the job they need it to, just has it does for thousands of hams using it for SOTA, hiking, backpacking, etc. To roughly paraphrase, it was a tenth the weight, a tenth the size, and a tenth the price. With all that going for it, they could afford to lose a few. But the rigs have proven very reliable. (Wish we could post the entire, colorful history of what their rigs have been through. It was scary! Amazing that the soldiers survived, much less the radios.) 73, Wayne N6KR ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
