Hello, Nic... Happy New Year to you and yours.
Yes, the K2 is the ultimate experience in kit building. My #5957 is the prime radio here. I've added the 100w amp, SSB, noise blanker, and DSP. All work as advertised. I agree with your observation about the production design. When every hole, screw and fitting fell into place, perfectly, I "almost" didn't care how the radio actually performed. It was a joy just to watch it come together without a single problem. I've built stuff before, my own and others, and I've never seen anything that comes close. The K3 people - unless they first had a K2 - just don't know what they're missing <g>. ...robert VK2DX wrote: > The K-2 was ordered on December 17th and No. 6653 arrived 3 days later. > I have to say I did not know what to expect- I was just looking for > 'something' to keep me busy during the summer holiday (I am located in > Australia). > Well let me just say that I got my money worth of pleasure > even before the radio was completed! > > I am a master watchmaker by trade so I can not comment on electronic aspect > of K-2. > However from the mechanical perspective the kit surpassed all expectations. > The quality of instruction manual, PCBs, relays, connectors, individual > components is just amazing. > Everything fitted together perfectly and I got the radio working in a first > go! > The bit that I enjoy the most is winding of toroids. I love the magic > of radio "getting alive", especially when LCD flashed Elecraft for the first > time. > And most importantly I've learned a lot! > > Since English is not my first language, I'll keep this rapport brief. > > I took 175 photos of assembly process, > including on-air test :http://vk1aa.com/K2/k2.html > > The very first contact made was with JE1RZR over the distance of 9,250 Km on > 14,054 MHz. (Manabu was operating K-2/100 !). Few minutes later under rather > poor band condition I also worked FK8DD, BV7, ZL1. Just after my sunset, I > had a lovely QSO on 40m with another JA1 and ZL2- all with 5W out into > home-made vertical antenna. > > I would like to thank Wayne and Eric for such a wonderful experience > and to many of you on Elecraft forum for your unselfish assistance to Ham > community. > > 73, Nick VK2DX > Sydney - Australia. -- Robert G. Strickland PhD ABPH - KE2WY [email protected] Syracuse, New York, USA _______________________________________________ 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
