K1-4, Which VFO range selection, 80 kHz or 150 kHz

[Ruchan Ozatay]

Hi all,

I will get my K1 with KFL1-4 to build. I want to know your opinions, which VFO range I have to select?

Any answer would be appreciated.

73, Ruchan Ozatay
TA2AH
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[John [K7SVV]-2]

You can become accoustomed to either but I prefer the narrow range.  
The knob is much more sensitive on the wide range.

John   [K7SVV]

On 5/31/05, ta2ah-2 <[hidden email]> wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> I will get my K1 with KFL1-4 to build. I want to know your opinions, which VFO range I have to select?
>
> Any answer would be appreciated.
>
> 73, Ruchan Ozatay
> TA2AH
> _______________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Post to: [hidden email]
> You must be a subscriber to post to the list.
> Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.):
>  http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
>
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> Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
>

--
John   [K7SVV]
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[EricJ-2]

I tried 150 khz at first. The tuning is WAY too fast and the added
frequencies are of no use to QRP for the most part. I changed to 80 khz and
the tuning is slower while providing coverage of the most active CW portions
of each band. I also built for 10.1 mhz as most of the useful QRP activity
seems to be 10.100-10.120.

Eric
KE6US

-----Original Message-----
From: [hidden email]
[mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of ta2ah-2
Sent: Tuesday, May 31, 2005 1:10 PM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: [Elecraft] K1-4, Which VFO range selection, 80 kHz or 150 kHz

Hi all,

I will get my K1 with KFL1-4 to build. I want to know your opinions, which
VFO range I have to select?

Any answer would be appreciated.

73, Ruchan Ozatay
TA2AH
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[Mike Morrow-3]

Ruchan Ozatay wrote:

>I will get my K1 with KFL1-4 to build. I want to know your opinions,
>which VFO range I have to select?

Eric wrote:

>I tried 150 khz at first. The tuning is WAY too fast
>and the added frequencies are of no use to QRP...

I've been using K1 #175 in the USA since November 2000, and I find the advantages of the 150 kHz span to be overwhelming, but **only** for use in this ITU region.

IMHO, the 150 kHz span (actually it's about 170 kHz) has a very controllable and acceptable tuning rate (after FP-R19 was added to the design in 2001 to linearize the tuning rate at about 17 kHz per turn).  I also use a little felt padding placed between the VFO knob and the front panel to give a slight amount of rotational resistance.  No matter which span is used, the VFO potentiometer shaft needs this extra resistance, IMHO.

>and the added frequencies are of no use to QRP...

No use???  

Certainly there is some use in this ITU region, where 7100 to 7150 kHz is excellent QRP territory and the main justification by far for choosing the wide span.  Cross-mode (Morse-LSB) contacts in the phone band from 7150 to 7170 MHz are possible, since the K1 receiver operates in LSB mode (on all bands).  When 15m is hot and one or more of the 6,666,666 different contests is wasting good RF energy, 21100 to 21170 kHz provides a haven for Morse QSOs.  

>I also built for 10.1 mhz as most of the useful QRP activity
>seems to be 10.100-10.120.

With the 170 kHz span and the 10000 kHz band edge crystal installed, time and propagation info are often available from WWV at 10 MHz in the USA.  A useful capbility.

HOWEVER, if I lived in another ITU region where Morse operation from 7100 to 7150 kHz was not allowed, and where WWV could not normally be copied, I'd choose with the 80 kHz span.  That is probably the best setup for your European K1.

73,
Mike / KK5F


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[EricJ-2]

Once again, different strokes...

My K1 is primarily a portable radio. At home, I can get WWV on the K2. In
the field, I already have a watch. If the watch craps out, I'll ask someone.
Gaining WWV is not worth giving up slower tuning on the portion of 30m where
I find most CW. My main interest on 30m is county hunting anyway so I'm
pretty much 10.114-10.116 anyway.

There are more stations from 7000-7050 than I could ever work, but I
appreciate the slower tuning for that part of the band.

When 15 is open, there are more stations than I can work from 21000 to
21060, and very often nothing above it, at least none that I can hear from
this location. Again, the slower tuning for a smaller, more populated part
of the band is useful to me.

The idea of crossband has never occurred to me as something I would want to
do. I can't see the appeal. Likewise, I never use split frequencies so I use
the XIT button for SPOT and reduced the range of RIT so it would be useful
for me for minor received tone corrections.

We have different operating styles and preferences, thus different opinions.
Ruchan has the benefit of matching his operating style and preferences to
each of us when he sets up his K1.

Eric
KE6US

-----Original Message-----
From: [hidden email]
[mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Mike Morrow
Sent: Tuesday, May 31, 2005 3:52 PM
To: 'ta2ah-2'; [hidden email]
Subject: RE: [Elecraft] K1-4, Which VFO range selection, 80 kHz or 150 kHz

Ruchan Ozatay wrote:

>I will get my K1 with KFL1-4 to build. I want to know your opinions,
>which VFO range I have to select?

Eric wrote:

>I tried 150 khz at first. The tuning is WAY too fast and the added
>frequencies are of no use to QRP...

I've been using K1 #175 in the USA since November 2000, and I find the
advantages of the 150 kHz span to be overwhelming, but **only** for use in
this ITU region.

IMHO, the 150 kHz span (actually it's about 170 kHz) has a very controllable
and acceptable tuning rate (after FP-R19 was added to the design in 2001 to
linearize the tuning rate at about 17 kHz per turn).  I also use a little
felt padding placed between the VFO knob and the front panel to give a
slight amount of rotational resistance.  No matter which span is used, the
VFO potentiometer shaft needs this extra resistance, IMHO.

>and the added frequencies are of no use to QRP...

No use???  

Certainly there is some use in this ITU region, where 7100 to 7150 kHz is
excellent QRP territory and the main justification by far for choosing the
wide span.  Cross-mode (Morse-LSB) contacts in the phone band from 7150 to
7170 MHz are possible, since the K1 receiver operates in LSB mode (on all
bands).  When 15m is hot and one or more of the 6,666,666 different contests
is wasting good RF energy, 21100 to 21170 kHz provides a haven for Morse
QSOs.  

>I also built for 10.1 mhz as most of the useful QRP activity seems to
>be 10.100-10.120.

With the 170 kHz span and the 10000 kHz band edge crystal installed, time
and propagation info are often available from WWV at 10 MHz in the USA.  A
useful capbility.

HOWEVER, if I lived in another ITU region where Morse operation from 7100 to
7150 kHz was not allowed, and where WWV could not normally be copied, I'd
choose with the 80 kHz span.  That is probably the best setup for your
European K1.

73,
Mike / KK5F


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[Sandy W5TVW]

I'm afraid I agree for the most part here.  There isn't anything of interest about 80 khz
from lower band edge.  That will probably "shrink" if the "bandwidth" plans are
implemented anyway as far as CW is concerned.
If you are in a contest and have the selectivity ratcheted down to 200 Hz, even with the
80 khz. coverage the tuning gets a bit touchy at times.  I can't imagine WHY I'd want to
tune a 150 Khz segment with a "CW only" rig anyway!
My only complaint about my beloved K1 is the RIT tuning is rather touchy and
can be critical to set.  Again especially so with the narrowest selectivity in
use!  Been thinking of reducing the "range" of the RIT tuning as I VERY rarely
work with a "DX offset" more than a couple of khz at most.
73
Sandy W5TVW
----- Original Message -----
From: "EricJ" <[hidden email]>
To: "'Mike Morrow'" <[hidden email]>; "'ta2ah-2'" <[hidden email]>;
<[hidden email]>
Sent: Tuesday, May 31, 2005 6:33 PM
Subject: RE: [Elecraft] K1-4, Which VFO range selection, 80 kHz or 150 kHz


| Once again, different strokes...
|
| My K1 is primarily a portable radio. At home, I can get WWV on the K2. In
| the field, I already have a watch. If the watch craps out, I'll ask someone.
| Gaining WWV is not worth giving up slower tuning on the portion of 30m where
| I find most CW. My main interest on 30m is county hunting anyway so I'm
| pretty much 10.114-10.116 anyway.
|
| There are more stations from 7000-7050 than I could ever work, but I
| appreciate the slower tuning for that part of the band.
|
| When 15 is open, there are more stations than I can work from 21000 to
| 21060, and very often nothing above it, at least none that I can hear from
| this location. Again, the slower tuning for a smaller, more populated part
| of the band is useful to me.
|
| The idea of crossband has never occurred to me as something I would want to
| do. I can't see the appeal. Likewise, I never use split frequencies so I use
| the XIT button for SPOT and reduced the range of RIT so it would be useful
| for me for minor received tone corrections.
|
| We have different operating styles and preferences, thus different opinions.
| Ruchan has the benefit of matching his operating style and preferences to
| each of us when he sets up his K1.
|
| Eric
| KE6US
|
| -----Original Message-----
| From: [hidden email]
| [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Mike Morrow
| Sent: Tuesday, May 31, 2005 3:52 PM
| To: 'ta2ah-2'; [hidden email]
| Subject: RE: [Elecraft] K1-4, Which VFO range selection, 80 kHz or 150 kHz
|
| Ruchan Ozatay wrote:
|
| >I will get my K1 with KFL1-4 to build. I want to know your opinions,
| >which VFO range I have to select?
|
| Eric wrote:
|
| >I tried 150 khz at first. The tuning is WAY too fast and the added
| >frequencies are of no use to QRP...
|
| I've been using K1 #175 in the USA since November 2000, and I find the
| advantages of the 150 kHz span to be overwhelming, but **only** for use in
| this ITU region.
|
| IMHO, the 150 kHz span (actually it's about 170 kHz) has a very controllable
| and acceptable tuning rate (after FP-R19 was added to the design in 2001 to
| linearize the tuning rate at about 17 kHz per turn).  I also use a little
| felt padding placed between the VFO knob and the front panel to give a
| slight amount of rotational resistance.  No matter which span is used, the
| VFO potentiometer shaft needs this extra resistance, IMHO.
|
| >and the added frequencies are of no use to QRP...
|
| No use???
|
| Certainly there is some use in this ITU region, where 7100 to 7150 kHz is
| excellent QRP territory and the main justification by far for choosing the
| wide span.  Cross-mode (Morse-LSB) contacts in the phone band from 7150 to
| 7170 MHz are possible, since the K1 receiver operates in LSB mode (on all
| bands).  When 15m is hot and one or more of the 6,666,666 different contests
| is wasting good RF energy, 21100 to 21170 kHz provides a haven for Morse
| QSOs.
|
| >I also built for 10.1 mhz as most of the useful QRP activity seems to
| >be 10.100-10.120.
|
| With the 170 kHz span and the 10000 kHz band edge crystal installed, time
| and propagation info are often available from WWV at 10 MHz in the USA.  A
| useful capbility.
|
| HOWEVER, if I lived in another ITU region where Morse operation from 7100 to
| 7150 kHz was not allowed, and where WWV could not normally be copied, I'd
| choose with the 80 kHz span.  That is probably the best setup for your
| European K1.
|
| 73,
| Mike / KK5F
|
|
| _______________________________________________
| Elecraft mailing list
| Post to: [hidden email]
| 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: [hidden email]
| 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
|

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[Ruchan Ozatay]

Thank you Sandy, Tom, Eric, Mike and William and others for your on and off
list answers. I decided to go with 80kHz, and I am waiting my K1 now (last
part for Lisa).

73,

Ruchan Ozatay (TA2AH)



----- Original Message -----
From: "Sandy" <[hidden email]>
To: "EricJ" <[hidden email]>; "'Mike Morrow'" <[hidden email]>;
"'ta2ah-2'" <[hidden email]>; <[hidden email]>
Sent: Wednesday, June 01, 2005 12:33 PM
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K1-4, Which VFO range selection, 80 kHz or 150 kHz

> I'm afraid I agree for the most part here.  There isn't anything of
> interest about 80 khz
> from lower band edge.  That will probably "shrink" if the "bandwidth"
> plans are
> implemented anyway as far as CW is concerned.
> If you are in a contest and have the selectivity ratcheted down to 200 Hz,
> even with the
> 80 khz. coverage the tuning gets a bit touchy at times.  I can't imagine
> WHY I'd want to
> tune a 150 Khz segment with a "CW only" rig anyway!
> My only complaint about my beloved K1 is the RIT tuning is rather touchy
> and
> can be critical to set.  Again especially so with the narrowest
> selectivity in.
> use!  Been thinking of reducing the "range" of the RIT tuning as I VERY
> rarely
> work with a "DX offset" more than a couple of khz at most.
> 73
> Sandy W5TVW
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "EricJ" <[hidden email]>
> To: "'Mike Morrow'" <[hidden email]>; "'ta2ah-2'"
> <[hidden email]>;
> <[hidden email]>
> Sent: Tuesday, May 31, 2005 6:33 PM
> Subject: RE: [Elecraft] K1-4, Which VFO range selection, 80 kHz or 150 kHz
>
>
> | Once again, different strokes...
> |
> | My K1 is primarily a portable radio. At home, I can get WWV on the K2.
> In
> | the field, I already have a watch. If the watch craps out, I'll ask
> someone.
> | Gaining WWV is not worth giving up slower tuning on the portion of 30m
> where
> | I find most CW. My main interest on 30m is county hunting anyway so I'm
> | pretty much 10.114-10.116 anyway.
> |
> | There are more stations from 7000-7050 than I could ever work, but I
> | appreciate the slower tuning for that part of the band.
> |
> | When 15 is open, there are more stations than I can work from 21000 to
> | 21060, and very often nothing above it, at least none that I can hear
> from
> | this location. Again, the slower tuning for a smaller, more populated
> part
> | of the band is useful to me.
> |
> | The idea of crossband has never occurred to me as something I would want
> to
> | do. I can't see the appeal. Likewise, I never use split frequencies so I
> use
> | the XIT button for SPOT and reduced the range of RIT so it would be
> useful
> | for me for minor received tone corrections.
> |
> | We have different operating styles and preferences, thus different
> opinions.
> | Ruchan has the benefit of matching his operating style and preferences
> to
> | each of us when he sets up his K1.
> |
> | Eric
> | KE6US
> |
> | -----Original Message-----
> | From: [hidden email]
> | [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Mike Morrow
> | Sent: Tuesday, May 31, 2005 3:52 PM
> | To: 'ta2ah-2'; [hidden email]
> | Subject: RE: [Elecraft] K1-4, Which VFO range selection, 80 kHz or 150
> kHz
> |
> | Ruchan Ozatay wrote:
> |
> | >I will get my K1 with KFL1-4 to build. I want to know your opinions,
> | >which VFO range I have to select?
> |
> | Eric wrote:
> |
> | >I tried 150 khz at first. The tuning is WAY too fast and the added
> | >frequencies are of no use to QRP...
> |
> | I've been using K1 #175 in the USA since November 2000, and I find the
> | advantages of the 150 kHz span to be overwhelming, but **only** for use
> in
> | this ITU region.
> |
> | IMHO, the 150 kHz span (actually it's about 170 kHz) has a very
> controllable
> | and acceptable tuning rate (after FP-R19 was added to the design in 2001
> to
> | linearize the tuning rate at about 17 kHz per turn).  I also use a
> little
> | felt padding placed between the VFO knob and the front panel to give a
> | slight amount of rotational resistance.  No matter which span is used,
> the
> | VFO potentiometer shaft needs this extra resistance, IMHO.
> |
> | >and the added frequencies are of no use to QRP...
> |
> | No use???
> |
> | Certainly there is some use in this ITU region, where 7100 to 7150 kHz
> is
> | excellent QRP territory and the main justification by far for choosing
> the
> | wide span.  Cross-mode (Morse-LSB) contacts in the phone band from 7150
> to
> | 7170 MHz are possible, since the K1 receiver operates in LSB mode (on
> all
> | bands).  When 15m is hot and one or more of the 6,666,666 different
> contests
> | is wasting good RF energy, 21100 to 21170 kHz provides a haven for Morse
> | QSOs.
> |
> | >I also built for 10.1 mhz as most of the useful QRP activity seems to
> | >be 10.100-10.120.
> |
> | With the 170 kHz span and the 10000 kHz band edge crystal installed,
> time
> | and propagation info are often available from WWV at 10 MHz in the USA.
> A
> | useful capbility.
> |
> | HOWEVER, if I lived in another ITU region where Morse operation from
> 7100 to
> | 7150 kHz was not allowed, and where WWV could not normally be copied,
> I'd
> | choose with the 80 kHz span.  That is probably the best setup for your
> | European K1.
> |
> | 73,
> | Mike / KK5F
> |
> |
> | _______________________________________________
> | Elecraft mailing list
> | Post to: [hidden email]
> | 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: [hidden email]
> | 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
> |
>
>

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