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write your own review of the Elecraft K1.
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LX1LH
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Rating: 3/5
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Jun 22, 2007 06:20
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Easy to build - superior rx - awful usage
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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I had one myself, I build another one for a friend, easy to build. You get a very good transceiver - not only for portable - but with one caveat: How this thing is to be used is horrible, especially with the ATU in it. You need the manual close at all times - you expect from a small CW TRX easy usage ... cannot be said and usability is 50% of the game in my oppinion. SOLD !
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AA7EQ
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Rating: 5/5
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Feb 8, 2007 08:24
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A-one portable rig
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I built the K1 about 3 years ago to use campground portable and occasionally mobile. It is a four bander on 40, 30, 20, and 15 meters. It has the auto tuner and noise blanker added. I have a K2 so the K1 doesn't get much use at home but it is great in the campgrounds. I throw up a dipole on an extendable fiberglass mast, hook up a battery/5W solar panel and I'm in business. In qrp contests I have worked both coasts with a shortened vertical (about 10')on 20 meters with good signal reports. I have built other small qrp rigs but the K1 is, by far, the best. I'm 79 years old and if I can build a K1 and K2 you probably can too. If you don't have any kit building experience it's best to build a few simple kits to get the feel of it. Then, if you follow the step by step instructions in the Elecraft manual, the K1 will go together nicely. I don't know about you, but I get a kick out of making contacts with a radio I built myself.
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NB4M
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Rating: 5/5
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Jan 28, 2007 18:02
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Impressive
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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This is not your average kit.
Very effective features, easy access and control of options. Clean crisp transmit and absolutely the best receiver on the market. Dual VFO's would make it a primary DX QRP rig.
Check their website. Best CW rig available today.
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GEIIM
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Rating: 4/5
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Jan 15, 2007 11:45
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A cool radio - delivers - but expensive!
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Time owned: 3 to 6 months
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This radio delivers on the promise of super small Xcvr but it is expensive. I built one with all the options and it works great - very stable with no drift and rugged construction. But for the price and the number of parts in it, it's expensive.
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KB9BVN
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Rating: 5/5
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Oct 21, 2006 00:17
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Awesome Fun Rig
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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I bought mine already built, although I have built a couple K1's and a bunch of Small Wonder Labs kits. Someone was selling it at the same time I was thinking about getting one. Even here in the bottom of the cycle this little rig is a keeper. I like using it mobile with my hamsticks, I have worked Argentina and all over the Caribbean on this little radio at less than 3w off my power socket in my Ford.
Elecraft makes great rigs. Without a doubt, this is one of them.
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AE6WA
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Rating: 5/5
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Jun 18, 2006 14:13
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Great portable QRP rig
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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This was a 2005 Christmas present. Elecraft did a fine job. The building instructions are top rate. The SMT parts come pre mounted so this kit can be built with very little experience; I had not touched a soldering iron in 30 years. Scott and Gary are great with support if you run into a snag. This is my only rig and I don't miss features of a larger rig. It is DDS VFO controlled, vary stable and has a varialble bandwidth receive crystal filter. It does get out, my very first contact was Japan from California into a dipole. Great QSK. Highly recommended.
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K1SEZ
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Rating: 5/5
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Apr 25, 2006 18:43
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Unbelievable!
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I was charmed by the looks of this tiny xcvr by Elecraft but a bit afraid to attempt the building of this kit. The last time I attempted to build anything, they still had tubes! So I hired a great kit-builder W1HYV (Alan) from RI, and I picked up the finished kit a few days ago. I still can't believe how good the receiver-part is... the RIT, the CW speed adjust, the band switching, etc. I ordered it with the 30m module, so I can jump from 20, to 30, to 40 in literally seconds. The built-in ATU works wonderful with my G5RV. I've already worked Switzerland, Guadaloupe, and Barbados in just casual use in the evenings...
I don't understand why there hasn't been a review of this little jewel on eHAM so far... My hope was to have a little xcvr for use at the beach or weekend trips to the CT countryside, using a Buddipole or a "tree" long wire. This KX1 appears to be just what I was looking for!
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W7AV
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Rating: 5/5
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Dec 26, 2005 23:01
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Very Nice
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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I put the K1 together in about 20-25 hrs. Very good directions with excellent parts layout. Also built the ATU, NB, 4 band mod. All performed above expectation. This radio plays very well. It doesn't perform like the usual QRP radio--great memory keyer, nice filters, solid radio all the way around. If you are looking for a quality QRP radio with alot of performance this is it.
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K1DWZ
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Rating: 5/5
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Mar 30, 2005 06:00
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What a rig
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Time owned: 3 to 6 months
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Read all the hype and wanted to get myself back on cw and qrp. Purchased the radio fully assembled. Am amazed at what they could include within one small package. It was the basic radio so I purchased, built and installed the auto tuner and noise blanker. Most of the time the auto tuner gives me 1:0 on 40 mtrs and 1:1 on 20 mtrs to my G5RV up only about 20 ft.
The radio is an older revision and only the latest revision of the firmware will support the auto tuner. I called Elecraft and they supplied me with the latest firmware at no cost.
Its no hype---it is a great radio with great customer service.
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K9IUL
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Rating: 5/5
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Apr 27, 2004 13:35
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Marvelous Little Radio
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I bought this little radio after being off the air for more than 25 years. I hadn't built a kit since I was a teen - more than 40 year ago. Let me tell you, this was fun. And although I sent the rig back to the fine engineers at Elecraft to find a solder whisker my not teen eyes couldn't, I received it back in great operating condition, calibrated and ready to go. In the past four weeks I have worked 12 countries, some in pile-ups, 14 states, and am having the time of my life. This is what I remember as the thrill of radio when I was first licensed in 1956! And talk about a hot little rig! This K1 is it. Do I want to tackle a K2? Not yet. Maybe next year. Right now, I'm having all the fun I can handle with my little K1. Thanks to Elecraft for their fine engineering support and for a GREAT radio! It's fun just to listen to the ATU relays fine tune the rig to a 1:1 SWR to my 40 meter windom up about 30 feet!
K9IUL
Jim
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