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Reviews For: Elecraft KX1

Category: QRP Radios (5 watts or less)

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Review Summary For : Elecraft KX1
Reviews: 92MSRP: 279
Description:
A unique 3-band HF CW transceiver optimized for backbacking and lightweight travel; only 9 oz., 1.3"H x 5.2"W x 3"D. Includes DDS VFO, internal battery, optional internal automatic antenna tuner, plug-in keyer paddle. Covers entire 20/30/40m ham bands (30 m optional) plus SWL segments.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.elecraft.com
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
15924.8
K7FD Rating: 2009-04-19
KX-1...time for an outing to the park! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Spring is here with summer not too far behind! Now's the perfect time to grab the KX-1 and head out for some portable fun; this radio HAS IT ALL for the QRP CW enthusiast...

Don't be fooled by its small package...it contains MANY features and pleasant surprises for the operator. Not too mention a receiver that is music to the ears, complete with built-in adjustable filtering.

So pack a lunch, pack the radio and find a park bench! You'll have the most fun per buck that can be had on the ham bands, guaranteed!

73 John K7FD

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Earlier 5-star review posted by K7FD on 2005-01-16

Another engineering marvel from Team E; fun to build, fun to operate!

The KX1 is deceptively simple looking and yet packed with advanced features not normally found in such a small transceiver. Digital readout, built-in keyer, variable bandwidth crystal filter, memories, general coverage receive...these are just a few of the luxuries I'm enjoying with my KX1.

Being a cw qrp op at heart, there's no reason why this radio couldn't be 'the main rig'. However, it will really shine best when I take it outside this spring; I'm anticipating many a fireside QSO while camping along the Oregon Coast...

The KX1 manual is tops. One only needs to read each step and follow the logical path set out by Elecraft; test points along the way gave me immediate feed back...and helped build confidence as my KX1 made its way 'down the assembly line'. I found the time I spent building the KX1 was about 4 days, a few hours each evening.

This is my fifth Elecraft rig; I find the quality and overall satisfaction to be 15 on a scale of 1 to 10.

73 John K7FD

WD6DBM Rating: 2008-11-28
The Gold Standard Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
The radio is great--you can read the other reviews. What I want to mention is Elecraft support, which is superb! I got prompt email responses with my questions, and really good advice. The manual is the best out there, period. It's in the Heathkit class of builder manuals. When I plugged my newly completed KX1 into my 40M antenna, I promptly worked a station 1000 miles away on 2W using the internal battery pack. What fun! Even if you don't like winding toroids (like me) you can get an excellent set of toroids for the KX1 from thetoroidguy (order form is in the KX1 kit). I put in the tuner and 30M options, and I would say definitely get the tuner, it is so easy to use! I love this radio.
V73NS Rating: 2008-11-09
Great Kit Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Recently finished KX1 #2104 with the internal ATU and love it. It is what it is, a light weight QRP rig with many features. If you're looking for big rig performance - buy a big rig, but portable QRP operations this little gem is awesome. I like it better than the K1 I built a few years ago.

The tuner is a MUST for this rig, so be sure to order one. It's not expensive and adds very little weight.

It's ideal for a traveling rig where I just want to "get on the air". The KX1, paddles, 12' of RG174, banana to BNC connector and wire for the dipole all fit in a Pelican 1060 case I had handy. If I was going to activate an island and expect to make thousands of QSO's I'd take the IC-7000, but for casual traveling the KX1 will go with me.

First QSO's were Hawaii and Australia, both ~2200 miles and RST's were 559 and 579.
KA3MEN Rating: 2008-09-17
Great Radio Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Let me say from the start, I did not build the radio. Jerry McCarthy WA2DKG built and tested the radio for me. Jerry has built more than 30 Elecraft units...Certified solderer with 30 years experience in aerospace industry...
The radio has all the bells and whistles added.
The KX1 is a great back pack rig. I love the cw key for this rig. I found the manual to be top notch and very little learning curve to use the menus. The radio is not a great rig for swl but I did not buy it for swl. With quality ear buds I find the radio easy to copy cw. I can take this rig anywhere any time and enjoy cw.
PA1SK Rating: 2008-07-28
its a marvel Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
The other day there was a KX1 offered on internet.I got it, very well built and complete with 30/80 meters,tuner and keyer.The receiver works outstanding on the very crowded 7 mHz band.Very nice filter for cw as well as ssb and even am is detected well.The sensivity exceeds that of my good old Argonaut.The noise level is all right.That little keyer is constructed very well! I made a lot of 80 m.qso's with 3 watts.So much quality in such a small case.I did not enjoy buiding it myself.The KX1 is a real marval!
KB3I Rating: 2008-07-04
QRP bliss Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I picked up my KX1 at Dayton this year, after being bitten by the QRP bug. I got the auto tuner, paddle, and the 30-80 kit, the latter on sale for 1/2 price at Dayton.

The kit instructions were crystal clear, and the radio went together perfectly. It's amazing how well engineered this radio is both electronically and mechanically.

Everything worked the first time, and the receiver performance is excellent for a rig this size and price. I couldn't be more pleased.

I took the radio to work and was up on the garage roof top working 40 and 20 in 5 minutes. Running on LiPo external batteries did great for Field Day as a 1B station.

I can't recommend this radio any more highly.

73, Ira KB3I
W8YT Rating: 2008-04-14
Great Rig! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I bought my KX-1 used from another ham who is an engineer, and the construction looks as if it is factory built. I absolutely love this rig as it is easy to use once you get used to it, and it only takes about five minutes to be transmitting anywhere. It likes 12 volts or more better than the internal batteries, but with an 82 foot random wire, I was getting 599 reports that one ham said sounded astounding for only 3 watts. My radio has 4 bands, the internal tuner, and the paddle; also get the Pomona male BNC to binding post adapter and connect directly to the random wire as you don't lose power in coax. The beauty of this rig is that you can travel light and be ready to transmit anywhere on a moment's notice.
N7OQ Rating: 2008-03-23
Great radio from a Exceptional company Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I bought my Kit (SN1993) from the Elecraft group at Radiofest 2008 from a very nice lady. I spent a couple of evenings putting it together. The Kit reminded me of the good old Heathkit days in fact the manual was better than a Heathkit manual. I did have a problem with low power out but a email to the Elecraft guys got me a fix that brought it up to full power.

It is such a cool little rig with so many options for such a small package, and the receiver performance is great, very quite and the signals just come out of no where. I just have the basic unit but plan on adding the tuner and maybe the 30/80 meter module.

I plan on building the K2 or maybe the K3 in the future. Thanks Elecraft for such a great radio! 73
KR1S Rating: 2008-03-20
Great radio for simple portable operation Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I've had my KX1 for more than a year, and have used it dozens of times, at home and afield. Even took it to Europe last year, with no airport hassles!

I got all the options, 80-30, ATU, paddle. My antennas vary from random-length wires hung in trees or from a 20-foot "crappie pole," to inverted-vee dipoles and ground planes at up to 50 feet (16 m). I try to avoid using the tuner, but I have always been able to find a random wire length it would match.

I don't mind the menu system. There is a cheat sheet available for download and you quickly memorize the functions you use most often. I enjoy the simplicity of the rig, and the performance is quite good, especially for its size.

From South Florida I've worked more than 50 DXCC entities on 40, 30 and 20, again with nothing more than wire dipoles or verticals, including EL, SU, TA, 3B8 and 3DA. (QSOs with at least three countries were with a KX1 on the other end!) I wish it could do "split" but have used the RIT for that when the split was within range.

This is an expensive rig for sure, especially when you add the options. But I live in a condo and can't operate from home during the day. I easily can carry the KX1 to a local park and toss up a good antenna for a few hours of ragchewing and DXing. I consider it a good investment.

My QRP site, http://qrp.kearman.com/, has a writeup on the KX1, that I've been adding to over time. You'll also find a few photos of the rig in use. Most of the time, though, I'm too busy operating to take pictures!
AK2B Rating: 2008-02-24
Freedom machine Time Owned: more than 12 months.
The KX1 offers one really important thing – spontaneity. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been places with time to kill and wished I could get on the air. I keep my KX1 in a small “fanny pack”, wrapped in a bubble wrap bag, ready to go at any time. I keep some wire and an extra set of Energizer lithium batteries in the same bag. I am now prepared for any situation. While visiting relatives, if I’m told I will be left alone for a bit of time while they go to work or shopping, I just smile. The instant they’re gone, their back yard is turned into a ham shack. One wire goes to any convenient high point and the other is tossed on the ground and I’m in business. This, to me, is the whole point of the KX1. It is a totally self-contained radio with ATU and paddles. You don’t need a picnic table, a tent or even a place to sit. It doesn’t take more than a few minutes to set up and about the same time to take down. I find myself using this radio in scenarios that would be very inconvenient with any other rig. If you have time to plan your expeditions and know what, when and where, then buy a K1 - it has a better receiver, a better ATU and a little more power. If, on the other hand, you just want to take advantage of circumstances as they arise, get a KX1. Then next time Uncle Ed is starting on his second six pack and launches into a speech on presidential politics, remember what I said.
Trail friendly radio? It’s all relative :-).

Tom, AK2B