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K2 QRP fun in ARRL DX SSB

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Bill W4ZV

K2 QRP fun in ARRL DX SSB

Last summer I picked up a mis-assembled KSB2 on the cheap to add to my 2004 vintage K2. After fixing a few assembly problems and installing the updated crystal set, I checked it out with a few QSOs but had not used it much on SSB since then.

Yesterday I decided to pull it out and try a few QSOs on 10m in the ARRL contest. Wow what a pleasant experience! The SSB received audio sounds absolutely great and my TX audio (Heil HC4 headset) worked well enough to get through to most stations in just a few calls. I was amazed to actually break a modest pileup on FO5QB!

After ~1 hour of purely S&P operating, I had 81 QSOs in 24 countries, including all continents except Asia (not heard due to poor conditions). Of course stacked 6el Yagis deserve a little credit! :-)

Thank you Elecraft for a great QRP rig...even on SSB!

73, Bill W4ZV

KD8NNU

Re: K2 QRP fun in ARRL DX SSB

As good as the Elecraft stuff is the Antenna makes a big difference.

I could hear and work guys on the big loop that were below noise on the
dipole.

~73
Don
KD8NNU

On Sun, Mar 4, 2012 at 6:48 AM, Bill W4ZV wrote:

> Last summer I picked up a mis-assembled KSB2 on the cheap to add to my
> 2004
> vintage K2. After fixing a few assembly problems and installing the
> updated
> crystal set, I checked it out with a few QSOs but had not used it much
> on
> SSB since then.
> Yesterday I decided to pull it out and try a few QSOs on 10m in the
> ARRL
> contest. Wow what a pleasant experience! The SSB received audio
> sounds
> absolutely great and my TX audio (Heil HC4 headset) worked well enough
> to
> get through to most stations in just a few calls. I was amazed to
> actually
> break a modest pileup on FO5QB!
>
> After ~1 hour of purely S&P operating, I had 81 QSOs in 24 countries,
> including all continents except Asia (not heard due to poor
> conditions). Of
> course stacked 6el Yagis deserve a little credit! :-)
> Thank you Elecraft for a great QRP rig...even on SSB!
>
> 73, Bill W4ZV
>
> --
> View this message in context:
> http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/K2-QRP-fun-in-ARRL-DX-SSB-tp7342165p7342165.html
> Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
> ______________________________________________________________
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>
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Raymond Sills

Re: K2 QRP fun in ARRL DX SSB

Once again, those experiences reinforce the idea that if you have
$1000 to spend on a shack, spend $500 on the antenna. :)

73 de Ray
K2ULR

On Mar 4, 2012, at 7:32 AM, [hidden email] wrote:

> As good as the Elecraft stuff is the Antenna makes a big difference.
>
> I could hear and work guys on the big loop that were below noise on
> the
> dipole.
>
> ~73
> Don
> KD8NNU
>
>
> On Sun, Mar 4, 2012 at 6:48 AM, Bill W4ZV wrote:
>
>> Last summer I picked up a mis-assembled KSB2 on the cheap to add
>> to my
>> 2004
>> vintage K2. After fixing a few assembly problems and installing the
>> updated
>> crystal set, I checked it out with a few QSOs but had not used it
>> much
>> on
>> SSB since then.
>> Yesterday I decided to pull it out and try a few QSOs on 10m in the
>> ARRL
>> contest. Wow what a pleasant experience! The SSB received audio
>> sounds
>> absolutely great and my TX audio (Heil HC4 headset) worked well
>> enough
>> to
>> get through to most stations in just a few calls. I was amazed to
>> actually
>> break a modest pileup on FO5QB!
>>
>> After ~1 hour of purely S&P operating, I had 81 QSOs in 24 countries,
>> including all continents except Asia (not heard due to poor
>> conditions). Of
>> course stacked 6el Yagis deserve a little credit! :-)
>> Thank you Elecraft for a great QRP rig...even on SSB!
>>
>> 73, Bill W4ZV
>>
>> --
>> View this message in context:
>> http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/K2-QRP-fun-in-ARRL-DX-SSB-
>> tp7342165p7342165.html
>> Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
>> ______________________________________________________________
>> Elecraft mailing list
>> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
>> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
>> Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>>
>> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
>> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html

KD8NNU

Re: K2 QRP fun in ARRL DX SSB

In reply to this post by Bill W4ZV

I spent way more than that on the shack so it looks like I should have a
big antenna budget!!

However there is the XYL antenna filter also in the mix that prevents
budget and certain things in the yard. However slowly but steady
always wins or good things come to those who wait.

Clearly in my limitd antenna farm so far the loop performs better than I
even imagined it would and I still have a section that I can re-shoot
with the spud gun to get it higher.

~73
Don
KD8NNU

On Sun, Mar 4, 2012 at 8:17 AM, Ray Sills wrote:

> Once again, those experiences reinforce the idea that if you have
> $1000 to spend on a shack, spend $500 on the antenna. :)
>
> 73 de Ray
> K2ULR
>
>
> On Mar 4, 2012, at 7:32 AM, [hidden email] wrote:
>
>> As good as the Elecraft stuff is the Antenna makes a big difference.
>>
>> I could hear and work guys on the big loop that were below noise on
>> the
>> dipole.
>>
>> ~73
>> Don
>> KD8NNU
>>
>>
>> On Sun, Mar 4, 2012 at 6:48 AM, Bill W4ZV wrote:
>>
>>> Last summer I picked up a mis-assembled KSB2 on the cheap to add to
>>> my
>>> 2004
>>> vintage K2. After fixing a few assembly problems and installing the
>>> updated
>>> crystal set, I checked it out with a few QSOs but had not used it
>>> much
>>> on
>>> SSB since then.
>>> Yesterday I decided to pull it out and try a few QSOs on 10m in the
>>> ARRL
>>> contest. Wow what a pleasant experience! The SSB received audio
>>> sounds
>>> absolutely great and my TX audio (Heil HC4 headset) worked well
>>> enough
>>> to
>>> get through to most stations in just a few calls. I was amazed to
>>> actually
>>> break a modest pileup on FO5QB!
>>>
>>> After ~1 hour of purely S&P operating, I had 81 QSOs in 24
>>> countries,
>>> including all continents except Asia (not heard due to poor
>>> conditions). Of
>>> course stacked 6el Yagis deserve a little credit! :-)
>>> Thank you Elecraft for a great QRP rig...even on SSB!
>>>
>>> 73, Bill W4ZV
>>>
>>> --
>>> View this message in context:
>>> http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/K2-QRP-fun-in-ARRL-DX-SSB-
>>> tp7342165p7342165.html
>>> Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
>>> ______________________________________________________________
>>> Elecraft mailing list
>>> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
>>> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
>>> Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>>>
>>> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
>>> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>> ______________________________________________________________
>> Elecraft mailing list
>> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
>> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
>> Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>>
>> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
>> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html