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| Reviews Summary for Elecraft K1 |
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write your own review of the Elecraft K1.
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N2DTS
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Rating: 4/5
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Feb 17, 2008 12:39
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Cute little thing
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I got it last Thursday, finished building it Saturday, zero problems, no missing parts, its easy to build.
I did not bother with a parts inventory or any of the resistance checks, and everything worked great anyway.
Three big gripes:
They should have added a few digits to the display so you could just read the frequency.
The audio AGC system just plain sucks with headphones on, I changed the cap from a 2.2uf to a 1uf and need to try even less.
It cant handle a strong signal at first, and you can desense the receiver for like 10 seconds if a really strong signal comes on.
The power output control is like the K2, it just reads voltage so you often get low output unless the swr is under 1.2 to 1.
Otherwise, its a great working rig, like the K2 was.
I just wish Elecraft would get away from minimizing everything, all their radios would be much better if they had a few more knobs, buttons, displays.
Even the K3 is on the small side, could likly use 10 more knobs and 20 more buttons.
It seems like EVERYTHING they make is designed to be carried to the top of some mountan, they dont make anything designed to be used in the shack.
Their stuff works so well, you know it would be the bomb if they made something with plenty of knobs, buttons and displays.
Brett
N2DTS
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W7LW
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Rating: 5/5
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Nov 19, 2007 17:42
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I really enjoyed building it and now, using it.
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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A well thought out design, electrically and physically. Lots of quality parts & components, with an intuitive, detailed manual.
I built my first kit (Heathkit DX-40) in 1957 and really enjoyed doing it. I enjoyed this one every bit as much; maybe just a little bit more.
I hope Elecraft keeps at it without compromise. If they do, there market share should grow. It's nice to see another US company producing a quality product and standing behind it.
Go get'em (the big two and a half) Elecraft!
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N7KFD
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Rating: 5/5
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Nov 15, 2007 20:33
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Great Experience
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Time owned: 3 to 6 months
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Instructions are easy to follow and walk you through the entire build with good detail. The final tuning took me a few tries until I was happy but it sounds great! I've even decided to put my dipole up another ten feet before winter sets in so I can enjoy this rig to its fullest potential this winter. I felt it was reasonably priced considering the options it comes with and I bought all the add-ons except the battery pack. I wouldn't suggest trying one of these as a first time build, start with a "Pixie" or a "Tuna Tin" to wet your feet first.
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KK6MS
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Rating: 5/5
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Apr 2, 2007 10:51
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A great experience!
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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This is the first kit I built since Heathkit went out of business. When I looked at all the features and accessories, I was a bit apprehensive. However, building the kit was an absolute joy!
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.
The only problem I ran into was a flaky headphone jack. It would cut in and out. I sent an email to Elecraft support and had a new jack in 3 days. It went right in and I've had no problem since.
As much fun as building the K1 was, operating it is even better. I have had an absolute blast! The receiver is hot, and I have had no problem getting out with 5 watts on my vertical. In the first week of operation, I landed a UA0 station, which qualified for the QRP ARCI 1000 miles/watt award.
Although I have two other QRO rigs, I am finding myself using the K1 almost exclusively. It works well, is easy to operate, and is fun. I have plans to take the K1 out into the field this summer, but even if it never leaves the house, it was a great investment.
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G3XBM
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Rating: 5/5
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Feb 19, 2007 14:11
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G3XBM recommends this superb QRP radio
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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This is my second Elecraft kit having built the T1 auto-ATU a year ago.
This is a superb little radio kit. I finished mine last week having taken a few weeks of slow building to complete. I did a few hours each day over about 10 days. Mine was the K1-4 4 band version (40,30,20,15m) with built-in auto-ATU.
Unfortunately I had one (small) problem: the receiver was deaf by about 30dB. By following the recommended signal tracing method described in the manual I tracked this down to a faulty 2N7000 in the RX audio mute circuit. When replaced the receiver sprang into life and receives at an MDS of better than -130dBm. The entire rig can be built and tested with the minimum of test equipment - a dummy load and a digital voltmeter.
Last weekend was the ARRL DX contest, so I fired up the newly built rig into my random 50 foot wire at maximum height of 20 feet. Using 40, 20 and 15m it managed transatlantic QSOs on all three bands with 5W, including 40m.
The NE602 front-end receiver, even here in Europe, has not needed the attenuator switched in once and the selectivity is perfect being switchable from 800Hz wide down to 250Hz narrow. This is no toy radio: it is a class design with some really excellent design features.
If you want a small, fun little CW QRP radio then go out and buy one NOW. You will enjoy the building - but follow the instructions carefully and handle static sensitive devices as recommended - and enjoy using it even more. DXCC is certainly possible with this radio and my imperfect antenna.
Info on my build and on-air performance will be on my website http://www.g3xbm.co.uk shortly.
Roger
G3XBM
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NG0K
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Rating: 5/5
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Jan 14, 2007 05:58
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Works like a champ
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I bought a K1 from a previous owner and really enjoy it. The receiver is excellent, the output audio is great, bullet proof filtering, and it's easy to use. I used it for a few hours in NA QSO party last evening and it worked like a champ on 40m. I worked almost everyone I called and I don't think my 100 watt rig would have done any better.
73, Doug NG0K
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KB5JO
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Rating: 5/5
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Nov 13, 2006 19:16
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Fantastic! Impressive!
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I finished assembling my K1-4, S/N 2258 three days ago. It is set up for 40,30,20& 15. What an impressive little rig. The receiver is especially good, hears more stations than my IC-718. The signal reports have all praised the clean crisp keying and rock-solid frequency control. Several used the adjective “impressive” to describe the signal quality.
Having built several SWL ( SW+, RM) and Wilderness (SST, Norcal 40A) rigs, all much less complex, it was with some trepidation that bought the K-1 kit. I was looking for the challenge of building a more complex transceiver, and selection was based on objective ARRL lab tests and the reviews from other users. The top quality instructions, directed testing during construction, and support provided by Elecraft made the task painless and produced a rig that functioned flawlessly when power was applied. The K-1 is rather expensive, but you certainly receive value for the money spent.
The K-1 is several levels beyond the transceivers previously constructed with features that rival my IC-718 and in some cases exceed the capabilities of that factory-built rig. Since I operate A-1 mode only, the K-1 could easily serve as my only rig with no regrets. In fact, wish I had made the K-1 my first purchase.
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K1DWZ
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Rating: 5/5
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Nov 10, 2006 06:54
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Update
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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This is an update to an earlier post. This is an early model K1 so I added the latest firmware, ATU,NB, tilt stand, upgrade kit, and instead of internal batteries I went with external 9.6 V R/C battery packs as suggusted by someone online. These options all add to the already great performance of the rig. The only thing it doesn/t have is the backlight for the display. I have had it for over a year now and it still performs perfectly.
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W1LIC
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Rating: 5/5
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May 10, 2006 18:35
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Fantastic Little Radio!
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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After a period of inactivity for a couple years, I decided to get back into ham radio because I missed CW. I have always enjoyed CW since my first days as a novice back in 1967. When I got back on the air I decided to concentrate on QRP CW. All the positive reviews of Elecraft in general and the K1 in particular swung me in that direction for a QRP rig. After the construction phase and operating for a few weeks now, I am convinced I made the right decision.
My K1 is on 40-30-20-15. I also got the optional internal antenna tuner and the noise blanker board.
The owners manual that comes with the K1 kit is very thorough and easy to follow. I decided to order the toroids from the "toroid guy" instead of winding them myself. I feel this was a wise decision on my part. Assembly went quite smoothly, but I did make a couple minor errors. Support from Elecraft is top notch. Also there is a wealth of experience and assistance on the Elecraft email group which I took advantage of. I especially appreciated the help I received from Jim K4ZM who has built several Elecraft kits. I stress what others have said, don't hurry. Take your time and double check everything. I lost a small part during assembly and Elecraft sent a replacement right out to me. Final adjustments and alignment are quite simple to accomplish. What a thrill it was to have the rig finished and on the air.
My first contact with the new K1 was with Italy on 20 meters. In the first 3 weeks of operation I worked 25 states and 10 other countries on 40, 30, and 20 meters. I actually haven't had a QSO on 15 yet, just because propagation has been lousy. The receiver is hot, and the 3 filters are excellent. The built-in keyer works very well, and it is easy to switch to a straight key which I use sometimes.
Overall I am very happy with my K1. There are a couple of minor negative comments I might mention. Personally, I don't like the sound from the small built-in speaker, but with headphones the audio is fine. The other thing involves the AGC. I think Elecraft might need to make some modifications to this circuit. If I have the gain up trying to copy a weak station, and then a strong station comes in on the frequency, it can be quite uncomfortable to the ears. Still, this is minor and has not happened frequently.
After a couple weeks of operation, the crystal for the 20 meter oscillator failed. Elecraft said they had experienced several failures of this 22 MHz crystal, and they promptly sent me another one.
In spite of these minor things, I still give the K1 a solid 5. I am very pleased with it overall.
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NW7U
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Rating: 5/5
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Apr 26, 2006 01:57
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Too Much Fun
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I did an inventory. I built 17 Heathkits before they folded the tent. And I was REALLY missing the smell of hot solder!
I looked at Elecraft for 2 years before I took the plunge. I wasn't sure if I trusted these upstarts... This experience turned out to be too good to believe.
First, the company and support. My kit was shy a couple parts. They sent them the day after my email. No questions, no "are you sure", just immeadiate service. I had some trouble with the VFO (turned out to be a solder bridge) and they answered my emails same day with no finger pointing. The suggestions actually were valid and it was clear that Elecraft wanted the rig to work. I even got a call from them to make sure everything was going well!
The radio. The K-1 is a Jaguar powered by rubber bands. It's low power and VERY high tech with superb features and control. They don't make a big deal of the computer control in the ads, but it's significant and extensive. Nice menu-controlled touches like left-or-right-handed paddle control (I happen to key dashes on the thumb), 3 filters with programmable widths, voltage display when on battery power; this thing is very well thought out! Mechanically, there were only 5 point-to-point wires in the kit. Design is modular with plug-in boards on headers. And all band switching is on relays, no shafts or wafer switches.
Fit and finish is great. It doesn't look like I built it .
Downside really had to do with me. Compared to my HW-9, there's probably 50% more parts packed into 1/3 the space. My magnifying glass got lots of use on this. Since I mentioned the HW-9, I've used my HW on lots of field days and had great fun with it. But the K-1 is in a completely different class. It plays and sounds like a store-bought radio costing several times the price.
I could write a book about this thing. But I'm going to be too busy building my KX1. If you've been thinking about a K-1, quit thinking and order it.
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