New Elecraft product: Clip-On K2 Keyer Paddle (KXPD1-K2)

[wayne burdick]

Eric and I often use our K2s in the field or on business trips. For CW
operation, we've had to choose between small keyer paddles that move
around on the table, or base-station paddles that weight as much as the
rig. Then we realized we had half the solution already: our ultralight
KXPD1 paddle. All we needed was an adapter for the K2. And here it is:

    http://www.elecraft.com/KX1/kxpd1k2.htm

The KXPD1-K2 bracket is a very lightweight, very sturdy adapter that
allows our KXPD1 paddle to be used with the K2. The paddle attaches
securely to the adapter using two thumbscrews, and two additional
thumbscrews clamp the two-piece bracket to the center of the K2's tilt
bail. Originally designed for the KX1 hand-held transceiver, the KXPD1
is physically reversible, so you can orient it for left- or
right-handed use. The dot/dash paddles can also be electrically
reversed using the K2's "INP" menu entry.

The paddle and bracket together take up very little space, great for
cramped operating positions (like my VW van on Field Day). The
combination also weighs only about 2 ounces -- far lighter than
high-quality home-station paddles, which often weigh 3 pounds or more.
But since the bracket is attached directly to the tilt bail, the paddle
will remain stable during use. The bracket is custom-machined for
Elecraft and uses very high-quality materials.

If you have a KX1, you'll be able to easily share one KXPD1 paddle
between the two rigs. The K2 adapter comes with a pre-assembled
extension cable that the paddle simply plugs into, so it only takes a
few seconds to install or remove the paddle.

We'd like to thank Fran Belliveau (KA4FRH) for designing and refining
the bracket. In addition to Fran's and our own testing, Dave Reed
(W5SV) and Jean-Francios Menard (VA2VYZ) did extensive field tests, and
also helped us finalize the kit instruction manual.

The KXPD1-K2 bracket is priced at $65 and is available now.

73,
Wayne, N6KR
Eric, WA6HHQ


---

http://www.elecraft.com

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[Roland Whitsitt]

Wayne,
Is this $65.00 just for the bracket or is the key included?
Roland de n5vwn
----- Original Message -----
From: "wayne burdick" <[hidden email]>
To: "Elecraft Reflector" <[hidden email]>
Cc: "QRP-L" <[hidden email]>
Sent: Saturday, May 13, 2006 3:09 PM
Subject: [Elecraft] New Elecraft product: Clip-On K2 Keyer Paddle (KXPD1-K2)

> Eric and I often use our K2s in the field or on business trips. For CW
> operation, we've had to choose between small keyer paddles that move
> around on the table, or base-station paddles that weight as much as the
> rig. Then we realized we had half the solution already: our ultralight
> KXPD1 paddle. All we needed was an adapter for the K2. And here it is:
>
>    http://www.elecraft.com/KX1/kxpd1k2.htm
>
> The KXPD1-K2 bracket is a very lightweight, very sturdy adapter that
> allows our KXPD1 paddle to be used with the K2. The paddle attaches
> securely to the adapter using two thumbscrews, and two additional
> thumbscrews clamp the two-piece bracket to the center of the K2's tilt
> bail. Originally designed for the KX1 hand-held transceiver, the KXPD1 is
> physically reversible, so you can orient it for left- or right-handed use.
> The dot/dash paddles can also be electrically reversed using the K2's
> "INP" menu entry.
>
> The paddle and bracket together take up very little space, great for
> cramped operating positions (like my VW van on Field Day). The combination
> also weighs only about 2 ounces -- far lighter than high-quality
> home-station paddles, which often weigh 3 pounds or more. But since the
> bracket is attached directly to the tilt bail, the paddle will remain
> stable during use. The bracket is custom-machined for Elecraft and uses
> very high-quality materials.
>
> If you have a KX1, you'll be able to easily share one KXPD1 paddle between
> the two rigs. The K2 adapter comes with a pre-assembled extension cable
> that the paddle simply plugs into, so it only takes a few seconds to
> install or remove the paddle.
>
> We'd like to thank Fran Belliveau (KA4FRH) for designing and refining the
> bracket. In addition to Fran's and our own testing, Dave Reed (W5SV) and
> Jean-Francios Menard (VA2VYZ) did extensive field tests, and also helped
> us finalize the kit instruction manual.
>
> The KXPD1-K2 bracket is priced at $65 and is available now.
>
> 73,
> Wayne, N6KR
> Eric, WA6HHQ
>
>
> ---
>
> http://www.elecraft.com
>
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> You must be a subscriber to post to the list.
> Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.):
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> Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com 

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[wayne burdick]

Roland (N5VWN) wrote:

> Wayne,
> Is this $65.00 just for the bracket or is the key included?

The KXPD1 paddle is $69 and works with the KX1. To use it with the K2
requires the KXPD1-K2 adapter ($65). Both are custom-machined,
precision assemblies.

We could probably design a single unit that's the equivalent of the
paddle plus adapter at somewhat lower cost. But this would be less
versatile. We hope to offer a K1 adapter for the KXPD1 someday, too.

73,
Wayne

>> Eric and I often use our K2s in the field or on business trips. For
>> CW operation, we've had to choose between small keyer paddles that
>> move around on the table, or base-station paddles that weight as much
>> as the rig. Then we realized we had half the solution already: our
>> ultralight KXPD1 paddle. All we needed was an adapter for the K2. And
>> here it is:
>>
>>    http://www.elecraft.com/KX1/kxpd1k2.htm
>>
>> The KXPD1-K2 bracket is a very lightweight, very sturdy adapter that
>> allows our KXPD1 paddle to be used with the K2.....

---

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