Jim,
Tnx for the input. Some comments on your comments. On CW, some of us
locally who have K2/100s have difficulty in seeing any improvement in
operation by using DSP on CW, other than the improved filters. On phone, I
used to agree with you on an under driven audio transmit system until I got
the Heil desk, DM2, I believe. Night and day difference. On the receive
SSB filters, I use a flat xtal filter and then use a digital filters with
HP, LP and both for narrow. However, I miss the PBT and notch filters I
have on my Omni-VI. We used to have a lot of problems with an older ICOM
on 15 and 10 when one rig was transmitting on PSK31 on 20 meters. One of
us made an RF, "notch filter" consisting of a series tuned high Q "trap"
tuned to 20 meters and put it across the antenna terminals of the older
ICOM. Did the trick. No such problems when using the K2, as you point out.
At 03:34 PM 9/4/2004, you wrote:
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Charles Greene" <W1CG@QSL.NET>
>
>> Hi,
>>
>> Our club is considering buying a Jupiter. I have never seen one, let
>alone
>> operated one. We plan to get and show the company video on it. Other
>rigs
>> under consideration are an ICOM 746PRO and a K2/100. Important features
>> are the ability of new/non-technical hams to operate, performance in field
>> day or a field day type environment with another rig on adjacent bands,
>> filters, DPS NR and ability to operate CW (preferably QSK), phone and
>> digital. I have a K2/100 and borrowed a IC746PRO to set it aside the
>> K2/100 and do an A/B comparison
The name of the game on Field Day is cleanliness of RF output and a
bulletproof
receiver. IMO, the only good choices are the newer generation Omni's, the
Orion,
and the Elecraft K2 family.
The K2/100 with the KAT100 tuner and KDSP2 may be the best 100 w CW
contest rig in the world. I absolutely love it. And it is spectacularly
good for Field
Day. Extremely bulletproof front end, very low phase noise. Here's an
example. I
can be transmitting CW with my Titan 425 (driven by a TS850) into a 40 meter
dipole at 1 kW out. The tubes in the Titan are the originals, and the amp
is at
least 15 years old. 30 ft from one end of the dipole is a non-resonant
vertical that I
am loading on 30 meters with the K2/100 and KAT100. I'm in Chicago copying a
KL7 at 559, AND I CAN'T TELL THAT THE TITAN IS ON THE AIR! No clicks, no
hash, no desense. This also speaks well for the cleanliness of the TS850
and the
Titan! There are no bandpass filters on either radio -- only the KAT100
tuner on
the K2. The Titan is driving the dipole directly.
The K2 is NOT a world class SSB radio -- it's just OK. If SSB is important
to you,
look at TenTec. Two major shortcomings -- very inadequate crystal filters
for
narrow SSB bandwidths (it is basically the excellent CW filters stagger
tuned),
and inadequate gain in the TX audio/modulator chain. The transmit
filters, which
are used on receive for 2.4 kHz bandwidth, are excellent. Except for the SSB
filters, the receiver runs neck and neck with Orion, and is better than
all the
Omni's. Obviously, the Orion's IF DSP is far more versatile and powerful.
I also one an Omni A and Omni V.9, and I like both of these radios. The
Omni V.9
is also a very good Field Day radio. The Omni A is showing its age -- it's
not a
bad radio, but Ten Tec has come a long way since then.
Another good thing about the K2 for a club project is that different parts
of the kit
can be built by different members of the club and put together into the
completed
radio. My guess is that most of the builders will eventually end up
building a
complete radio for themselves.
Jim Brown K9YC
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