Manager


Manager - NA4M
Manager Notes

Reviews For: Elecraft K2 & K2/100

Category: Transceivers: HF Amateur HF+6M+VHF+UHF models - non QRP <5W

eMail Subscription

Registered users are allowed to subscribe to specific review topics and receive eMail notifications when new reviews are posted.
Review Summary For : Elecraft K2 & K2/100
Reviews: 262MSRP: 599. USD
Description:
SSB/CW 160-10M HF Transceiver Kit
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.elecraft.com
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
002624.8
G7TOK Rating: 2005-05-05
An Eye(ear) opener ! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I had bought the K2 to replace the IC-703 as my portable/holiday radio, but after a few weeks of use I'm beginning to wonder whether I really need that TS-950SDX or the TS-2000 ?
Lets be clear.
It does not offer the range of features built in to the TS-2000, nor the coverage, neither does it offer the expansive front panel array of the SDX.
Where it does blow the previously mentioned radios away is on receive.
On 40m after dark, I sat 2khz away from an Eastern European broadcast station banging in at 9+60dB, listening to two PA stations chatting away at only peak s6, with NO ill effects.
I have never heard any radio do that before.
No splatter, no AGC pumping, no audio creeping around the filter skirts, nothing.
The SDX couldn't do it, the TS-2000, 756proIII, IC-7800, and I'll wager that Yaesu's new monster won't do it either !
It's a strange feeling to know that a radio you have picked up for a (relative) pittance has sunk your £2000 desk breaker top flight HF set.
I'll admit the recovered audio is not as cultured as the big set, but don't let that fool you, you can listen for hours, no problem.
I'm going to spend a leisurely few hours this weekend going right through the alignment procedure and get the filters bang on and admire the wide open spaces on the dekstop !
WB5OAU Rating: 2005-03-15
Excellent rig Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I didn't build my K2, but I've built some of the options I've added to it. It's really great to own a rig that I can probably service, should I need to, with the help of the manual and the fantastic customer care from Elecraft. Combined with the Serial Interface, it's a great DX machine. I've got mine driving an external linear, but have the 100 watt integral amp in the assembly process on my bench.

Someone asked "how good can a single conversion radio be?".

Answer: Go here and look:

http://www.sherweng.com/table.html

Another comment was that they didn't offer many filter options. That's because the IF, AF and DSP filters are all software configurable.

I've got a wide variety of other rigs to choose from, but the K2 has become my best rough conditions tool.

Not to say that its perfect...here's what I would improve:

More receive audio.
A "sturdier" feel to the controls.
A larger layout.

Granted, this is based on MY use of the rig (generally QRO, and always home use). A QRP to the field type would have another set of criteria, most likely.

I wish they'd take the K2 and box it in a full sized cabinet, for us home users of the rig.

Given that this radio has a wide appeal to a wide number of hams, with widely different applications and styles of operating, the K2 is a wonderful success. The folks at Elecraft are wonderfully supportive and there's a wealth of on-line support.

The fact that you need to build it, can be a bug or a feature. I built a Heath HW101 years ago, and the fun of creating something hasn't lessened with time (though my eyesight has!)

Now...back to the bench!

John K5MO
NM6E Rating: 2005-03-07
Awesome RX and Fun to Surprize folks with Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I orderd my K2 in August and had Don W3FPR build it for me as I "constantly" travel for my line of work and with an 18 month old daughter and a new son a 3 months away, I knew I wouldn't have the time.

Don was great help in building my K2 #4409.

I really didn't use it until December 2004 due to work commitments and the arrival of a new son in November 2004.

Overall, the radio has one awesome receiver, better than my FT-1000MP MK-V. I used my K2 in the ARCI contests with my M2-KT-36XA and 5 watts and had a blast. I also used it to rag chew (I had Don wire up my KSB-2) for use with a Yaesu MIC with the added KI6WX mods for added gain using the Heil HC-5 Mini Proset headset. I use the Heil AD-1-Yaesu adapter.

The RX is great, I am hearing very weak signals on the K2 that I can NOT make out on the Yaesu MK-V. Having the M2 6-element beam helps.

The VOX leaves something to be deisred, it's not that great. For CW it is a champ, I have it working with Writelog and it works great and the rig control is awesome.

I have used it on a few portable trips up into the Sierra Nevadas at a family weekend home and with the MP-1 strapped to the stairs and using the internal battery, I have made many hundreds of QSO's and the battery lasts a while with all the "power save features".

I have used the K2 while in XE1 land with the MP-1 (antenna mounted INSIDE the room) on the 40th floor and worked LU's and CE's running kilowatts and recieved reports were in the 5x7 or 5x8 range with me only running 5 watts off of the battery on 20mtrs.

That is some serious K2 MOJO for me!

I had A&A Engineering make up a "special" Smart Charger design that allows me use the K2 and charge the internal battery at the same time. The Smart Charger is a 110/220Vac switchable input and switchable output between 1Amp or 1/4amp to charge the battery or supply the extra current during long transmissions. Don, W3FPR has a write up on his web site that describes the added components to accomplish this. The combination works quite well.

Overall, I am having a lot of QRP DXpeditioning FUN with my K2, MP-1, Smart Charger etc.

The radio is not a fancy do-all rig like the 706MK-IIG or 857D, but if you add the 100 watt option, it will easily hold its own and excell on the HF bands especially if CW is your main interest.

I am sure building it is an experience but there are folks to help out and I just didn't have the time.

The radio is a keeper and if you are thinking about getting one, this is a fun radio with a lot of travel potential in your future and comments of "I can't believe it's a K2 your using".

I dont regert it!
N4HH Rating: 2005-02-28
Amazing Little Box ! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
With it's diminuative size it's hard to look at the Elecraft K2 and consider it a "serious" radio or a "heavy weight" when it comes to performance. Looks indeed can be very deceptive!

Let's face it, if most of your qso's are with stations running S-9 or 9+ almost any "modern" and lots of "not so modern" radios will fill the bill just fine. There are a lot of good radiios out there! But, if most of your operating involves scratching out weak CW signals under very poor conditions in the midst of S9+ QRM you will really appreciate the robust receiver in the K2 - it's definitly a "heavy weight!"

A quick web search will bring you lots of information on the specs for the K2. This is not a "technical" review. What follows is a "real life" account of how the rig worked for me under "battle" conditions.

Obviously your experience and operating preferences will make a difference in your opinion just as mine does in my opinion. As you read this, please keep in mind that I'm first and foremost a DX'er and have spent more than 45 years pulling weak signals out of the soup just to make a contact.

I gotta tell you that for me, dxing is still as much fun today as it was the first time I worked a DX station while I was running 8 watts of AM using a Heathkit AT-1 on 10 meters in 1956! Yes, those were "once in a lifetime" conditions!

Somehow between family and earning a living I had missed working Chesterfield Island (FK/C). In October of 2004 the island was again active using the callsign TX9. Working and confirming TX9 would be DXCC #345 for me so in my little world I had to chase them "bell to bell" - there would be no prize for "second place" and who knows when the next operation would occur!

With my poor antennas and equally poor propagation working the TX9 from here in the Southeast was NOT easy for me! The old adage "you can't work them if you can't hear them" is oh so true! With only a couple of exceptions, they were at the ESP level for me. Like many others, I spent pretty much the entire period of their operation chasing them on about 5 hours of sleep per night (one of the perks of being a "consultant"). The result:: 3 contacts - 2 CW (17 meters - one QRO, one QRP !) and 1 SSB (10 meters). All three qso's were made using the K2!

I have four (4) operating positions in my station and live on a small city lot with lots of covenant restrictions and therefore rotton antennas! Each station feeds a separate linear amplifier. The stations are the Elecraft K2/100, a high-end popular Icom, an equally high-end Yaesu (loaded with filters) that is very popular with contesters and dxers and, an exceptional Collins S-line. With the TX9 signals being ESP (weak signal CW operators will appreciate the type of signal where you can just "sense" the rythmic change in background level within the QRM and know there is a signal in there and actually copy it!) most of the time, the ONLY rig that gave me any sort of readable copy was the K2!

Yes, I could tell they were in there on the others but I could actually copy them on the K2! No, this is not the difference between hearing a signal 3 x 3 on one rig and having it be 5x9+20 on the K2. It's the difference between 75% copy and 15% copy at the ESP level. No, that does not mean that the other rigs were "bad" - on the contrary - they are very good - it's just that under these extreme conditions the K2 was better!

My K2/100 is several years old and includes (among other options) the DSP module. Under the conditions that I worked TX9 I used the DSP noise reduction function as well as the 100 hz audio filter (another feature of the DSP module). In addition, I had the IF crystal filter set for 100 hz. Using the noise reduction function of the DSP unit provides you with amazing CW signals. They just seem to "pop" out of an extremely quiet background. There is virtually no "ringing" even when using the sharp crystal and audio filters together. The result is very little operator fatigue when spending long periods trying to "eek" out a difficult signal.

Equally amazing is the ability of the K2 to handle strong signals extremely close to the operating frequency. Strong signals within a couple hundred cycles are simply not heard - no agc pumping, no IM, just not there! Of course, there are some "click monsters" out there but that's a topic for another time!

In my opinion using the K2 is quite a pleasure in the extreme world of DXing or contesting. BTW: the TX9 qsl card came the other day and is already on it's way to Newington for DXCC credit!

There are lots of things about each of the other rigs that I really like - but - if I had to keep just one it would have to be the K2. What an amazing little box! 73 es gud dx -- Don
N4SL Rating: 2005-02-17
Super Groovy, Baby, Whooo!!! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I updated my K2 with the 100W amp so I could use it in my QRO SO2R setup. Funny, I got this thing for field use and now it's one of my main shack radios. It's replacing a worthless FT847, I should have thought of doing this sooner. The K2 has no trouble being in the same shack with a 2nd 1500W station in SO2R, no issues at all.

The amp kit is great, of course - easy to build, well documented, high quality parts, etc. The heatsink is a work of art.

A lot of thought went into the design, allowing you to power the QRP radio with the original power connector and the amp stays off (drawing only 100mA more) OR power a larger, higher-current connector on the amp and it will power the main radio as well. The entire upper lid is replaced by the heatsink and amp assy, so you really can switch between the QRP and QRO versions in a few minutes, but the only thing you lose is the QRP ATU if you have it installed. It only draws 100mA more on RX with the amp installed but not powered-up. It IS much heavier with the amp installed but that's only a concern if you are backpacking it in.

An RCA jack out the back will let you drive an amplifier T-R switch, QSK or not - SW settable.

The output power AND VSWR are shown on the display while you are in TUNE mode and tune is either 20W or 100W output, both very handy.

There is one thing I don't like: the power output temporarily fluctuates if you vary the load, so if you are tuning up your tube amp and it changes Zin as you tune it, the K2/100 will drop the power by about 10-20 W. It does eventually come back up in 1-2 seconds, but it makes it really hard to do a touch-up tune on your amp.

I did notice a receiver birdie or two with the amplifier installed that I hadn't hear before, but they are weak.

Ideally, this radio would have RIT clear and IF shift, but I really like it the way it is.

Don't get me wrong, I like that QRP stuff, but I enter QRO contests.... QRO!

73, Steve N4SL

----------------------
Earlier 5-star review posted by N4SL on 2004-06-07

Well, golly, this was one super experience for me.
I built up the K2 with zero problems and had as much fun building and aligning it as using it.

My background is 99% CW, mostly QRO contesting, for 31 years. I'm a degreed electronics engineer and have been designing, building, testing, soldering for 22 years professionally and 31 years as a ham.

I found the kit to be excellent in every way. The quality of the components, the PCBs, the INSTRUCTIONS were amazingly high.

While you can buy pre-wound, cut and tinned toroids for this kit for a very reasonable price, do not weenie-out, wind your own toroids, it's FUN!

The finished product is really a great radio, it looks like a TOY, but it's NOT!

I build mine to run QRP-battery Field Day; got a solar panel and 12V battery, but now I find myself using it everyday.

The embedded features are nothing short of amazing for this size/price: dual VFOs, memory keyer, great filtering, SUPER LOW power draw on Rx.... really, it's got everything but IF shift.

However good the kit is, it's really NOT for a novice builder. Don't build this as your first kit unless you are already into the hobby and can solder. I hate warning people like this because self-doubt is your worst enemy, but unless you have soldered before and understand electronics a bit, this kit really will be a challenge for you.

It's my understanding that technical support from the factory is excellent but mine powered-up and worked perfectly from the get-go so I wouldn't know.

The receiver is super, the filtering is super, the SSB quality really IS super. They even made the CAT port emulate a Kenwood radio so every contest/logger program will work with the radio without upgrade.

The design features are very neat, clearly the designers have a ton of experience in radio and product design. The true break-in is very nice.

I LOVE THIS RADIO!

You should run out and buy a kit right now and get off the fence. I know you are reading this review trying to decide, take it from Unkle Steve, it's a great deal in ham radio.

Also, be sure to use the Spectrogram software to align the filters, it's possibly the most fun I've ever had with my PC and radio combined and you can be assured of the results. I think some people align the filters wrong and that's why they are unhappy with their radio.

73, Steve N4SL Machias, WA USA
KI4DGH Rating: 2005-02-17
Excellent Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I have had K2 4467 completed now for a couple of weeks. Before I got my K2 I started to get concerned reading the Elecraft Reflector and seeing only problems from several builders.
Overall the build went together very well. I ran into some problems that were mostly my inability to properly understand the written instructions in the manual. Additional guidance from Gary Surrency at Elecraft Support and the fine folks on the elecraft reflector got me back on track.
The level of support and timeliness of support response is nothing short of fantastic.

I have since added the following modules, K160RX, KSB2, KNB2, KDSP2, KPA100,
and the K6XX SMD CW Tuning indicator courtesy of N0SS. Everything is running
great. This is only the second kit I have built, my KX1 was the first. This
was truly a great experience, and a great radio.
KC9GSV Rating: 2005-02-11
The essence of ham radio Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I finished K2 4718 last night (heard a Russian station calling CQ on 40 meters!). I am only a lowly no-code tech right now and have had my license for only a few months. I bought this radio because it seemed to me to be what ham radio should be all about. I am working on upgrading my license (i.e. learning the code) and cannot wait to get this radio on the air. In the mean time, I may continue to add options... Maybe a 6 meter transverter... I can see that this radio could be a work in progress for a long time! This was the first radio I ever built and the most complicated electronics project by far. I finished it in a couple weeks. When I would work on it, I just couldn't put it down. I had no major problems other than when I was short one switch and continued with the build before I got it. For anyone with a penchant for building things, all I can say is this is the kit for you. It really helps to take the advice on the website regarding tools as well. My Weller station, Excelite cutters and Soldapullt were money well spent for this project. Thank you Elecraft for helping keep ham radio alive and fun!

73,
Chris KC9GSV
NZ7C Rating: 2005-02-09
Brilliant Rig, company, and support Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I've had 3 K2's. My first was built for me because I was nervous about trying it on my own. I sold it when I finally got the nerve to build one. Then that one was sold to a very nice person who wanted one but was unable to build one. Now I'v built number 4667. The latest kits have all of the user suggestions. improvements etc built in. For this one I decided to go that extra mile and install the DSP (which I believe is worth every penny). I have to say I am shocked at how outstanding this K2 is. It has convinced me that you WILL see variation in K2's depending on how closely you follow the manuals and peruse the archives for tips. Perhaps I am getting better at building or I am reaping the benefits of the evolution of the kit and the "tweaking" that one can learn about from the Elecraft archives. All I know is that it is by far the best K2 I have had and it is operating outstandingly well. The technical support provided by Elecraft has always been superb and still remains consistent - an essential element of the "Elecraft package". In addition the archives of the reflector have evolved into a virtual encylopedia of ANYTHING you want to know, fix, improve, or modify. As a result this second building experience has been the most satisfying yet. On the shelf I have the external 100 watt amp and tuner which I will build into Elecraft's matching EC2 enclosure. This gives you the best of both worlds - a K2 that can operate QRP with internal battery and ATU - and higher power while in the shack. Needless to say it is my opinion that you cannot go wrong with Elecraft and they just keep getting better.

----------------------
Earlier 5-star review posted by NZ7C on 2003-08-06

I recently added the new DSP option to my K2/100. Quite frankly I was amazed at how well it works. Like all Elecraft products the user interface is easy and quick to learn - within minutes operating the DSP features becomes second nature. It's ability to clean out any residual noise is very impressive. Elecraft continues to be an outstanding company with outstanding products IMHO. I own 2 K2's by the way - my original #2069 which grew into a K2/100 and a second "normal" K2....
DH3FAW Rating: 2005-02-08
First time builder very pleased... Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I am the owner of a K2 now for 3/4 of a year and from the beginning I loved this rig, to build and operate. I even sold my other rig. Over time I added one option after the other and the only thing I didn't build was the DSP as I see no real reason for this. Value/money seems not to be quite right for me.
What can I say: It was my first rig to build on my own. I had some difficulties which were quickly solved by the people on the reflector but all in all building was a very smooth process. My only major mistake was to break a diode "D36", be very careful with that one.
I am amazed by the quietness of the receiver as well as the filter capabilities. There's nothing much else to be heard when I am on 200Hz and on stage 2 of the analog audio filter.
Most of the time I operate CW / portable so a radio with EVERYTHING built-in (except antenna) is the right thing for me. The KPA100 (100W PA) is for use in our club shack because cqing with 10-15W is sometimes boring.
A word about service: It is quite outstanding and fast. Elecraft sends spare parts at once, handles orders within a day and one time even tracked my parcel!
The manuals are very clear and if in doubt just send an email to the reflector. Most of the time you will have the answer within an hour (my special thanks to W3FPR - Don Wilhelm who gave the most, the fastest and the most qualified support).
And because everything was so much fun and I need a small radio for holidays I just ordered a K1 with tuner and batterie options.


----------------------
Earlier 5-star review posted by DH3FAW on 2005-02-08

I am the owner of a K2 now for 3/4 of a year and from the beginning I loved this rig, to build and operate. I even sold my other rig. Over time I added one option after the other and the only thing I didn't build was the DSP as I see no real reason for this. Value/money seems not to be quite right for me.
What can I say: It was my first rig to build on my own. I had some difficulties which were quickly solved by the people on the reflector but all in all building was a very smooth process. My only major mistake was to break a diode "D36", be very careful with that one.
I am amazed by the quietness of the receiver as well as the filter capabilities. There's nothing much else to be heard when I am on 200Hz and on stage 2 of the analog audio filter.
Most of the time I operate CW / portable so a radio with EVERYTHING built-in (except antenna) is the right thing for me. The KPA100 (100W PA) is for use in our club shack because cqing with 10-15W is sometimes boring.
A word about service: It is quite outstanding and fast. Elecraft sends spare parts at once, handles orders within a day and one time even tracked my parcel!
The manuals are very clear and if in doubt just send an email to the reflector. Most of the time you will have the answer within an hour (my special thanks to W3FPR - Don Wilhelm who gave the most, the fastest and the most qualified support).
And because everything was so much fun and I need a small radio for holidays I just ordered a K1 with tuner and batterie options.
K6MR Rating: 2005-02-04
Complete without the complexity Time Owned: more than 12 months.
After being QRT for 30+ years, I got the crazy idea to get active again. I've always enjoyed building as well as operating, so after spending a few months comparing radios I decided on the K2.

The first radio was built in stages. The QRP version worked great, and the receiver is every bit as good as the reviews and measurements say it is. But being a contester at heart, I just couldn't operate at 10 watts. Put the 100 watt option in and never looked back.

Just finished my second K2-100, and am getting parts together for full SO2R operating. The radio has everything you need for serious contesting without being so complex that you need the manual open at all times. The crystal filters can be tailored to your liking, as well as the audio DSP filter. The transmit side has a quick and silent QSK system that is just wonderful on cw. The K2 will operate just fine with one of the old "clacky" amplifiers, but to use it to its' full potential you need to either buy a QSK amplifier or modify your existing one to match. My TL-922 now has vacuum relay TR and works great.

The quality of the radio is as good as any factory radio you can find. You know it is because you did the work, and the parts and board quality are first rate. The building does take some time, but the manual leads you by the hand. And the support team that is out there, both factory and the mailing list, is eager to help with any rough spots you encounter.

In about a year I've got over 5000 qsos on the one radio, and it's never even blinked. It's just a pleasure to use. I can't wait to get the rest of the station together and give both of them a workout.

Ken K6MR