Different Strokes was E-Ham Review

[Joseph Reed-2]

Reviews on E-ham are just about worth as much as you pay to read them, or pay to post them.

A 3/5 rating is meaningless, just the same as a 5/5 rating is.  Each individual needs to consider the radio in the context of how they operate.  All radios have warts, just simply there is no perfect radio.  If there were everybody else would need to close their doors.

Rewind back to the year 2000.  I built K2 #1133, and at the time the only options were 160m, ssb, the antenna tuner, the noise blanker and the battery.  At the time I considered it the best QRP radio ever designed.  I would slip it in a backpack, and I never got skunked on an outing.  Fast forward to the present.  Last year I built K2 #5226 with all the trimmings.  As a QRP radio I still consider it the best ever designed.  And as a 100 watt radio it is an excellent performer.  Yet and still (I married a Southern gal) it has its share of warts.  In an intense pileup I will still use the 756-Pro because it has better QSK, and with dual IF it is easier to follow the DX.  But I have no affinity to the 756,  I built my K2 and take great pride in ownership.  Man, what a great kit!  And for 99% of the operating I do my K2 is the radio of choice.  It always feels good when you make a QSO on a radio you put together.

For that reason Elecrafters have always been considered somewhat fanatical.  I have built two K2 and one K1.  The sense of accomplishment is tremendous. Working stations with excellent radios that you have constructed is a priceless feeling.  And my K2 Twins will knock the snot out of any Heathkit I ever built!

Simply, E-Ham reviews are just how one person looks at things.  Doesn't mean they look at the world the same way you do, nor operate the same way.  For my money Elecraft gives a great deal of value, and the opportunity to build something great.  With 7 HF stations set up and on line my K2 gets the most use.  Your mileage may vary.

73,
Joe N9JR
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[Joe Wilkowski]

Boy Joe, I cannot support your comments enough.  I am extremely proud of my
little K2/100 and would not trade it for the world.  I just finished it this
past fall. One calendar day after the final alignment, I dragged it to Costa
Rica for the CQWW CW contest and made hundreds of contacts with it while
there. And although not used as a main radio for the contest, (We used
different rigs for the multi-op event) I spent many off contest hours making
qso's.  I wasn't even used to it yet but had it fully integrated with Write
Log and the computer.  

My main station here at home is a MP1K and the K2 sits right beside it with
full access to the station infrastructure at the flip of a switch.  I use
them both and each one has it's place. But for the shear joy of it I use the
K2 90% of the time now.  I operate cw almost exclusively and enjoy using the
K2 for chasing the rare stuff.  I have used the K2 here recently for over
3000 qso's in the ARRL 160, NAQP cw and NAQP ssb contests and only have
minor complaints.  The qsk is not quite there as mentioned (although if you
can stand the pops it will do it) but I feel extreme pleasure in looking at
the keying waveform on the output and seeing how nice and rounded the rise
and fall times are. No "Stinkin Clicks" from this rig !  I could go on and
on but suffice it to say I couldn't have expected more from the radio.  As
you say, YMMV and I support that as well.

/joe k8fc

-----Original Message-----
From: [hidden email]
[mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Joseph Reed
Sent: Monday, January 22, 2007 11:43 AM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: [Elecraft] Different Strokes was E-Ham Review


Reviews on E-ham are just about worth as much as you pay to read them, or
pay to post them.

A 3/5 rating is meaningless, just the same as a 5/5 rating is.  Each
individual needs to consider the radio in the context of how they operate.
All radios have warts, just simply there is no perfect radio.  If there were
everybody else would need to close their doors.

Rewind back to the year 2000.  I built K2 #1133, and at the time the only
options were 160m, ssb, the antenna tuner, the noise blanker and the
battery.  At the time I considered it the best QRP radio ever designed.  I
would slip it in a backpack, and I never got skunked on an outing.  Fast
forward to the present.  Last year I built K2 #5226 with all the trimmings.
As a QRP radio I still consider it the best ever designed.  And as a 100
watt radio it is an excellent performer.  Yet and still (I married a
Southern gal) it has its share of warts.  In an intense pileup I will still
use the 756-Pro because it has better QSK, and with dual IF it is easier to
follow the DX.  But I have no affinity to the 756,  I built my K2 and take
great pride in ownership.  Man, what a great kit!  And for 99% of the
operating I do my K2 is the radio of choice.  It always feels good when you
make a QSO on a radio you put together.

For that reason Elecrafters have always been considered somewhat fanatical.
I have built two K2 and one K1.  The sense of accomplishment is tremendous.
Working stations with excellent radios that you have constructed is a
priceless feeling.  And my K2 Twins will knock the snot out of any Heathkit
I ever built!

Simply, E-Ham reviews are just how one person looks at things.  Doesn't mean
they look at the world the same way you do, nor operate the same way.  For
my money Elecraft gives a great deal of value, and the opportunity to build
something great.  With 7 HF stations set up and on line my K2 gets the most
use.  Your mileage may vary.

73,
Joe N9JR
_______________________________________________
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Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com

_______________________________________________
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Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com