K1 comments?
Locked
 
|
I recently received my first Elecraft kit .... a K1.
I don't see any postings relating to this rig. Every posting seems to be about the new K3 and sometimes the K2. Someone must be still interested in the K1 out there. Are there any comments on this radio ..... for instance; how was it to build, is it fun to use, does it have a decent receiver, etc, etc. Please tell me something about your experience with your K1. Thanks ....... Bud, NY1Z _______________________________________________ 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 |
|
|
Bud,
[hidden email] wrote: > I recently received my first Elecraft kit .... a K1. > [...] how was it to build, > is it fun to use, does it have a decent receiver, etc, etc. > Please tell me something about your experience with your K1. Congrats on the new kit & you'll love building and operating it! Building it was not at all difficult, and that goes for winding the toroids. The common advice is to work only for as long as you're feeling sharp. I also recommend the backlight addition if you haven't already bought it. It's helpful when you're outdoors at dusk - I used the highest resistance choice to get the dimmest backlighting. I originally used an end-fed wire that I had cut to avoid half wavelength multiples (as recommended in the KAT1 manual). QSOs are no problem with it. However, I'm making dipole now to get more signal out - n7un has a neat idea to hook segments together to make resonant length for each band. Most places I go seem to have trees, poles, or something to get a dipole up. With a dipole I made a 100 mW qso from Pennsylvania to Maine. Overall, I love the rig. Maybe that's why we hear so few k1 comments on the list. K1 users are no longer learning the rig but busy using it. :-) Have fun with the build, Mike ab3ap _______________________________________________ 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 |
|
|
In reply to this post by bud73
CONTENTS DELETED
The author has deleted this message.
|
|
|
Yes, the K1 is a very sweet rig. The audio is especially nice, although
you'll have some popping on loud signals. I enjoyed mine. Sold it to upgrade to the K2. I've been planning to buy another K1 one of these days. - Keith N1AS - _______________________________________________ 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 |
|
|
In reply to this post by AC7AC
CONTENTS DELETED
The author has deleted this message.
|
|
|
In reply to this post by bud73
The K1 is easy to build (although I had to use a binocular magnifier to read
the micro printing on some parts with my 70 year old eyes!) Really nice kit. The receiver is super "decent"! First time you fire it up it sounds like it will be "deaf". Almost NO internally generated noise. The variable selectivity works very well! Operating features are very adequate once you get used to what this little jewel will do. I found the biggest deficit was that it worked only 2 or 4 bands. I have the 4 band card setup for 40/30/20/15 meters, and an addtional TWO 2 band boards setup for 160/80 and 80/40 meters. The 80/40 meter board came in handy when the higher bands went "bust" a couple of years ago in the bottom of the current sunpot minimum. I'm looking forward to eventually building another 2 band "custom" board when 10/12 meters picks up. (The ROM on main board setup for use on all bands from 160-10 meters, but "factory" options not yet available for 10/12 and 160 meters.) It IS fun to use. The external T1 autotuner is more flexible than the internal KAT1 tuner, especially on 160/80 meters. I have the internal KAT1 and a T1. Having used all of Ten-Tec's old "PM" Power mites series (PM-1, PM2, PM-3), all the Heathkits (HW-7/8/9) and some homebrewed stuff, the K1 is the BEST QRP CW transceiver I have used so far. I have frequently used it in the field and it has performed extremely well. Couldn't be more pleased with it. 73, Sandy W5TVW K1 Serial #1178 ----- Original Message ----- From: <[hidden email]> To: <[hidden email]> Sent: Tuesday, April 01, 2008 10:34 AM Subject: [Elecraft] K1 comments? I recently received my first Elecraft kit .... a K1. I don't see any postings relating to this rig. Every posting seems to be about the new K3 and sometimes the K2. Someone must be still interested in the K1 out there. Are there any comments on this radio ..... for instance; how was it to build, is it fun to use, does it have a decent receiver, etc, etc. Please tell me something about your experience with your K1. Thanks ....... Bud, NY1Z _______________________________________________ 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 -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG. Version: 7.5.519 / Virus Database: 269.22.3/1354 - Release Date: 4/1/2008 5:38 AM _______________________________________________ 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 |
|
|
In reply to this post by bud73
Hi Bud,
I think that you will really enjoy both building and using your K1. I have a 4-band K1 (40, 30, 20, 15) and I actually use it as my main station rig. (I have a KX-1 for portable operations). It's a great little radio. Not too hard to build and the learning curve for using all of it's features is not too bad either. About a year ago I added the backlight option but would recommend that if this is something that you want it would be much easier to do it during the initial build. Most recently I added the ATU unit and retired my old MFJ Versa Tuner. If you have any questions during the building process be sure to post them. I am sure that you will get helpful responses in spite of the "K3 fever" that currently saturates the list. There are also searchable archives that can help. Good luck and have fun! 73, Paul - N8XMS _______________________________________________ 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 |
|
|
In reply to this post by bud73
Hi, Bud, The K1 was my first Elecraft kit as well. In fact, it was the first kit I had built in over 20 years. The step-by-step instructions are simple, elegant, and effective. I did not have a single problem putting the kit together and had fun doing it. Tuning and adjustment were a breeze. The total construction time for me was about 30 hours. I owned the K1 for about a year and it got a lot of use. It was my radio during the Spartan Sprint contests and the ARCI homebrew contests. During Field Day 2007, I ran a solar/battery operation using the K1 and an inverted V from the local college track. It did extremely well and I had a blast. Eventually, I found that I was using the K1 more outside than in. So in the end I sold it and went with the KX1. I also had a K2 and now own the K3. The K1 is an excellent compromise between the performance of the K2 and the portability of the KX1. You can use it in place of either rig and do fine. I am sure you will have fun building and operating the K1. I know I did! 73, John, WA6L
|
|
|
In reply to this post by bud73
I love my K1. Was a kick in the pants to build. I found that using
emery cloth to strip the insulation off the torroids was a help as it allowed me to get things very clean with out doing the heat strip method which didn't work too well for me. I've made quite a few contacts using a fanned dipole in a couple trees around the house. I usually get into at least the 20 meter Elecraft CW net weekly and if Tom (N0SS) is still hanging around during the 40 meter net I usually get in to that one as well. I love the memory keyer in it and just set the thing up to call CQ and its usually not too long before I'm in QSO with someone. With my K1 and dipole I've worked Japan on 3 watts and was getting a good report from Oregon. The receiver is a pleasure to listen to! I also recommend the backlight mod. I ended up taking mine back apart and adding it after the fact and wish I'd just bought it from the get go. I also really like the antenna tuner that elecraft makes for it. I find the noise blanker useful (as I live in a very high noise area) it does cut the noise back a few S units but its the least effective noise blanker that I have in any of my radios. ~Brett On Tue, 2008-04-01 at 11:34 -0400, [hidden email] wrote: > I recently received my first Elecraft kit .... a K1. > I don't see any postings relating to this rig. > Every posting seems to be about the new K3 and sometimes the K2. > Someone must be still interested in the K1 out there. > Are there any comments on this radio ..... for instance; how was it to build, > is it fun to use, does it have a decent receiver, etc, etc. > Please tell me something about your experience with your K1. > > Thanks ....... Bud, NY1Z > _______________________________________________ > 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 |
|
|
In reply to this post by bud73
I've owned my K1-4 ( 40,30,20,15 ) for about two years. Enjoyed building it
and have had a lot of fun using it. Added the internal tuner, a visual tuning aid and the tilt stand shortly after completing it. Use it with a 8AA battery and an end-fed wire for park bench portable in a local park, in the backyard, and at my country place. Everything fits into an old laptop case for transport. Have no issues with the K1, and many DX contacts. Even made a new friend, ON7FR who bought and built a K1 after reading my comments. I bought another 2-band filter kit for 80 & 17, haven't built it yet. 73, Curt KB5JO _______________________________________________ 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 |
|
|
In reply to this post by bud73
I picked a K1 as the radio for my vacation QTH - in part because I
already have a K2 and KX1 and wanted to see what the other member of the family is like. I had been carrying the KX1 back and forth, and got tired of doing that, so I bought a used K1 to leave there. (That also sent me down a path of craziness regarding paddles, but that's another story.) I really like the little guy. At first, I found that I missed some of the features of the K2, but after operating casually in a couple of contests and working some DX, I find that it's got pretty much everything that's needed. Now I'm (slowly) working on the antenna situation there. I have the ATU and a 40/30/20/15 board installed. I also have a board with 80/17, but I don't use it as often as I thought I would. The ATU doesn't really like loading my W3EDP on 80, and only sort of works on 40; I'll probably tack on a little extra capacitance (and eventually replace the W3EDP with some fan dipoles). I have the backlight - very useful. I'm probably going to install the CW tuning indicator at some point. I would love a simple DSP denoiser, since I've gotten used to that on the K2 ... 73 de chris K6DBG _______________________________________________ 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 |
«
Return to Elecraft
|
1 view|%1 views
| Free forum by Nabble | Edit this page |