Re: [Elecraft] (KX1) A Story for a Winter Day in NY

[K9MA]

On 2/10/2017 18:27, Bill Frantz wrote:
I noticed in my N8XJK Boost Regulator that they had scraped the ID 
numbers off all the ICs. Now that's cheesy, and will make it harder to 
fix when both they and it are belly up.


I've never understood that:  Anyone with the knowledge and determination 
to trace out the circuit can certainly figure out what those parts are, 
functionally if not the precise part numbers.  Certainly, any competitor 
could do that, or they wouldn't be much competition.


73,

Scott  K9MA

--
Scott  K9MA

k...@sdellington.us

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Re: [Elecraft] (KX1) A Story for a Winter Day in NY

[Bill Frantz]

Let me answer for myself. I want a schematic for both fixing it 
and learning how it works. I don't really think I will learn 
much about how it works from the schematic because most of how 
it works is in the firmware and not the hardware.


As for fixing things, I have made repairs to both my K3 and KX3. 
With Garry Surrency's help (Thanks!) and the schematics, I was 
able to trace a problem in my K3 that boiled down to a poorly 
connected TMP cable. No SMD involved. I do feel comptent to do 
some SMD work. When I did the power mod for the KPOD, I actually 
removed the old SMD resistor and replaced it. It felt more 
professional to do it that way than the other approaches offered 
in the mod kit directions.


On the KX3, I had a problem with the BNC antenna connector after 
it fell on the floor. The schematic showed me the details I had 
to work with to fix the problem.


As to the microwave, I replaced a fried component on the board 
without a schematic. It's been running the fix for over 10 
years. I don't remember how I found out what the replacement 
value was, but it was obvious from looking at the board.


No, I haven't cracked the case on my cell phone. It just works, 
although I saw a tool kit for opening it in the latest Jameco 
catalog. Maybe on my next order. :-)


I noticed in my N8XJK Boost Regulator that they had scraped the 
ID numbers off all the ICs. Now that's cheesy, and will make it 
harder to fix when both they and it are belly up.


73 Bill AE6JV

On 2/10/17 at 10:12 AM, w6...@sbcglobal.net (Brian & Cyndi) wrote:

Mike, I find this a very curious belief. Do you want a 
schematic to know how the thing works, or how to repair it.


If you only want to know how the radio works, would a block 
diagram and a fairly detailed explanation from Wayne be enough 
(given they want to protect their design as much as possible)?


If you want to repair it, are you really skilled enough in 
soldering SMD's to do this? If so, my hat's off to you, sir! 
I've spent a lifetime working in the electronics industry and 
even in retirement I still enjoy restoring vintage electronics. 
But if I was faced with servicing a PCB full of SMD's, I'd say 
"Today my jurisdiction ends here"* and send it off to Elecraft 
for repair.


Just my $0.02, but you seem to be missing out on a wonderful 
rig by a questionable requirement. Put another way, do you also 
have a schematic for your microwave oven and cellphone?

---
Bill Frantz| If the site is supported by  | Periwinkle
(408)356-8506  | ads, you are the product.| 16345 
Englewood Ave
www.pwpconsult.com |  | Los Gatos, 
CA 95032


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Re: [Elecraft] (KX1) A Story for a Winter Day in NY

[Brian & Cyndi]

Mike, I find this a very curious belief. Do you want a schematic to know 
how the thing works, or how to repair it.


If you only want to know how the radio works, would a block diagram and 
a fairly detailed explanation from Wayne be enough (given they want to 
protect their design as much as possible)?


If you want to repair it, are you really skilled enough in soldering 
SMD's to do this? If so, my hat's off to you, sir! I've spent a lifetime 
working in the electronics industry and even in retirement I still enjoy 
restoring vintage electronics. But if I was faced with servicing a PCB 
full of SMD's, I'd say "Today my jurisdiction ends here"* and send it 
off to Elecraft for repair.


Just my $0.02, but you seem to be missing out on a wonderful rig by a 
questionable requirement. Put another way, do you also have a schematic 
for your microwave oven and cellphone?


Brian, W6FVI

*spoken by John Cleeses' character in Silverado (love that quote)


On 2/9/2017 6:20 PM, Mike Morrow wrote:

Wayne wrote:


...the KX2 is about the same size and has so much more capability.

BUT...unlike the KX1, the KX2 has no schematics available to the customer.  
That is a very significant defect in a HF amateur radio product.

Mike / KK5F
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Re: [Elecraft] (KX1) A Story for a Winter Day in NY

[K9MA]

It's understandable, though:  At least two radios I know of are clearly 
copies of the KX1.


73,

Scott  K9MA


On 2/9/2017 20:20, Mike Morrow wrote:

Wayne wrote:


...the KX2 is about the same size and has so much more capability.

BUT...unlike the KX1, the KX2 has no schematics available to the customer.  
That is a very significant defect in a HF amateur radio product.

Mike / KK5F
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--
Scott  K9MA

k...@sdellington.us

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Re: [Elecraft] (KX1) A Story for a Winter Day in NY

[Michael Babineau]

One of my fondest KX1 operating memories was working F5VHY on 20m CW while 
operating pedestrian mobile with my KX1. 
I was using a 4 foot loaded telescopic whip and a 13 foot drag wire and 
standing out in the middle of a field at Lobstercon. 


Cheers 

Michael VE3WMB 
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Re: [Elecraft] (KX1) A Story for a Winter Day in NY

[stan levandowski]

On Thu, Feb 09, 2017 at 10:45 PM, Ron D'Eau Claire wrote:

Beautiful obit for the KX1 Stan. Ops like you will remember it like us 
O.T.s remember our 6L6 crystal controlled oscillators built on a 
breadboard. Newer rigs do as well (sometimes better) but are never the 
same.


Whoa there, Ron!  Next week is my 68th birthday.  I ain't no kid!  My 
FIRST rig was a crystal controlled 50L6 fed doubled DC by a 50Y6 using 
one half of the line cord and a cold water ground.  It was called "The 
22 Watt Monster" and it came out of a 1963 CQ Magazine.  Clearly, pre 
OSHA...



THAT is THE rig that earned me a QSL card from WA1BVN (clearly a SK by 
now) up near Boston who wrote on it, "Solid 579, Stan, you must have had 
your foot in a water bucket."



Oh, lest I forget - the antenna was my bedspring.  Remember when bed 
springs were real metal springs?  I lived in an apartment and couldn't 
have an antenna.  I'd heard about "loading a bed spring and, as a kid, I 
totally fell for it. Thank God for Pi Networks.  I ran that bed spring 
for several weeks until I discovered magnet wire.



Now THAT"S A MEMORY, Ron, right up there with my little KX1 and your 6L6 
MOPA





73, Stan, WB2LQF
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Re: [Elecraft] (KX1) A Story for a Winter Day in NY

[Ron D'Eau Claire]

Beautiful obit for the KX1 Stan. Ops like you will remember it like us O.T.s 
remember our 6L6 crystal controlled oscillators built on a breadboard. Newer 
rigs do as well (sometimes better) but are never the same. 

Waaay back in the 1950's I volunteered to operate NCS for a RACES exercise in 
Southern California at W6CV, owned by a good mentor, Brook Sawyer. The station 
had a room of its own in his homw with a state-of-the-then-art Viking II A.M. 
transmitter and big HRO receiver hooked to a dipole on his hill top via open 
wire line. I spend a long day managing that net, constantly impressed with the 
station. But then that evening, as I drove home in my 1947 Studebaker Champion, 
I remember looking forward to firing up my one tube 6V6 oscillator to look for 
a contact with my Hallcrafter's S-38 receiver. Running the big rig at W6CV was 
one thing. Pounding brass with my 6V6 oscillator was a whole different 
experience. 

Certain rigs we never ever forget, no matter how much "better" what followed 
has become.  

73, Ron AC7AC

-Original Message-
From: Elecraft [mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of stan 
levandowski
Sent: Thursday, February 9, 2017 2:52 PM
To: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net
Subject: [Elecraft] (KX1) A Story for a Winter Day in NY

Just a couple of months ago, on December 7, I purchased a KX1.  It was a 
replacement to the KX1 I had built several years ago: my entry into the 
Elecraft world.  I thought I had "outgrown" it so I sold it.

Fast forward through my K1, K2, K3, KX3, and now KX2/KXPA100 setup (plus other 
stuff like the K2 amp, the KAT100, the PX3, an earlier KXPA100 for the 
KX3lots of other stuff plus the mini-modules) and we come to today.  
Elecraft has made a small fortune on me! 


We're having a blizzard in New York.  My picnic table out back has over
12 inches of snow on it.  As a prisoner of the house, I decided to do a little 
operating;  However, 40 meters was dead and so was 30 meters.  It wasn't so hot 
on 20 meters either.  I went down to the living room and built a fire.  But 
gosh, I really wanted to operate...


So I brought my KX1 down to the living room.  I stretched a 40 foot length of 
{high loss} RG174 from my shack to the fireplace.  I have a 67 foot bent up 
doublet in my attic managed by an SGC231 autocoupler and that's where one end 
of the RG174 extension coax went.  The other end connected the antenna to my 
KX1 on AA batteries.  With less than 13.9 VDC, the KX1 doesn't have the oomph 
required to kick the autocoupler into tune mode.  No problem.  I just used my 
QRO setup to find the match on 14.030. That would give me a few kHZ either side 
with a good SWR.


So there I am, sitting in front of the fireplace with a rig on batteries 
putting out maybe a watt +/-, a high loss connection to the antenna, a coupler 
with some degree of loss, a freakin' blizzard outside, a bent up antenna in my 
attic and a foot of snow on the roof and conditions on 20 meters reportedly 
"Fair."


Well, guess what.  I worked a whole pile of stations - Minnesota, New Mexico, 
Florida, Hungary, Ireland, Germany and the Bahamas.  After an hour, I brought 
the rig back to the shack and promptly worked  V53DX, a new QRP country for me.


Thus, it was with more than a little sadness that I logged onto the Elecraft 
website and saw that the KX1 has been discontinued!  I don't recall seeing any 
email announcements about this or any chatter on this reflector about it either.


I certainly understand that business decisions must be made and change is 
inevitable.  In fact, I'm surprised that the K1 didn't go before the KX1.


I just thought I'd take the time to salute one of the greatest QRP rigs I've 
ever had the pleasure to build and operate - twice - and WOW - I'm happy that I 
gave this new KX1 to myself for Chistmas!


During the period of time between my first KX1 and this new one, I explored 
lots of other QRP rigs because I was curious.  I spent a lot of money too!  
They were all well engineered.  They all worked. They all had their own 
uniqueness.  BUT the KX1 distinguished itself because it had everything one 
needs to operate right there onboard.  The LNR Mountain Toppers, for example, 
were about the size of a pack of cigarettes. However, the operator had to have 
an outboard key, an outboard power supply and an outboard antenna tuner.  
That's more like a full carton smokes. Same for the LD-5 and LD-11.


The thing about the KX1 was its apparent simplicity which masked its elegant 
design and robust menu.  I love my KX2 with its dual watch function, autospot 
feature and filtering.  But now it's hooked up to the amplifier and it's no 
longer a candidate for "grab and go" operations. 
 The KX1 was (and IS for me) just plain FUN and all in one nice package.


Sorry to see it go west.


73, Stan WB2LQF
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Re: [Elecraft] (KX1) A Story for a Winter Day in NY

[Fred Jensen]

Wow!  Who'd have thunk?  That enclosure is very tight when the ATU is 
installed, I found it to be a marvel of mechanical engineering. Drake 
doesn't make 2B's anymore either.  Times move on.


73,

Fred ["Skip"] K6DGW
Sparks NV DM09dn
Washoe County

On 2/9/2017 3:59 PM, Don Wilhelm wrote:

Skip,

My discussions with those 'in the know' at Elecraft in early December 
revealed that the problem for the KX1 is the enclosure, and not the 
parts inside.


So if you have a KX1, it should be able to be maintained and supported 
for some time to come, but if your enclosure "wears out", there are no 
replacements - therefore, no new kits.


73,
Don W3FPR


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Re: [Elecraft] (KX1) A Story for a Winter Day in NY

[Mike Morrow]

Wayne wrote:

> ...the KX2 is about the same size and has so much more capability.

BUT...unlike the KX1, the KX2 has no schematics available to the customer.  
That is a very significant defect in a HF amateur radio product.

Mike / KK5F
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Re: [Elecraft] (KX1) A Story for a Winter Day in NY

[Glen Torr]

Hi Stan and All,

No snow here, 106 fahrenheit here. Just been down to the PO to pick up my
new heat sink and optical encoder for the KX3, beside me on the desk is the
KX3 line, KX2 (Sweetest rig ever) and KX1 which I love.

Thanks for your nice email and thanks Elecraft for the KX1 (RIP).

Cheers,

Glen, VK1FB

On Fri, Feb 10, 2017 at 9:51 AM, stan levandowski 
wrote:

> Just a couple of months ago, on December 7, I purchased a KX1.  It was a
> replacement to the KX1 I had built several years ago: my entry into the
> Elecraft world.  I thought I had "outgrown" it so I sold it.
>
> Fast forward through my K1, K2, K3, KX3, and now KX2/KXPA100 setup (plus
> other stuff like the K2 amp, the KAT100, the PX3, an earlier KXPA100 for
> the KX3lots of other stuff plus the mini-modules) and we come to
> today.  Elecraft has made a small fortune on me!
>
>
> We're having a blizzard in New York.  My picnic table out back has over 12
> inches of snow on it.  As a prisoner of the house, I decided to do a little
> operating;  However, 40 meters was dead and so was 30 meters.  It wasn't so
> hot on 20 meters either.  I went down to the living room and built a fire.
> But gosh, I really wanted to operate...
>
>
> So I brought my KX1 down to the living room.  I stretched a 40 foot length
> of {high loss} RG174 from my shack to the fireplace.  I have a 67 foot bent
> up doublet in my attic managed by an SGC231 autocoupler and that's where
> one end of the RG174 extension coax went.  The other end connected the
> antenna to my KX1 on AA batteries.  With less than 13.9 VDC, the KX1
> doesn't have the oomph required to kick the autocoupler into tune mode.  No
> problem.  I just used my QRO setup to find the match on 14.030. That would
> give me a few kHZ either side with a good SWR.
>
>
> So there I am, sitting in front of the fireplace with a rig on batteries
> putting out maybe a watt +/-, a high loss connection to the antenna, a
> coupler with some degree of loss, a freakin' blizzard outside, a bent up
> antenna in my attic and a foot of snow on the roof and conditions on 20
> meters reportedly "Fair."
>
>
> Well, guess what.  I worked a whole pile of stations - Minnesota, New
> Mexico, Florida, Hungary, Ireland, Germany and the Bahamas.  After an hour,
> I brought the rig back to the shack and promptly worked  V53DX, a new QRP
> country for me.
>
>
> Thus, it was with more than a little sadness that I logged onto the
> Elecraft website and saw that the KX1 has been discontinued!  I don't
> recall seeing any email announcements about this or any chatter on this
> reflector about it either.
>
>
> I certainly understand that business decisions must be made and change is
> inevitable.  In fact, I'm surprised that the K1 didn't go before the KX1.
>
>
> I just thought I'd take the time to salute one of the greatest QRP rigs
> I've ever had the pleasure to build and operate - twice - and WOW - I'm
> happy that I gave this new KX1 to myself for Chistmas!
>
>
> During the period of time between my first KX1 and this new one, I
> explored lots of other QRP rigs because I was curious.  I spent a lot of
> money too!  They were all well engineered.  They all worked. They all had
> their own uniqueness.  BUT the KX1 distinguished itself because it had
> everything one needs to operate right there onboard.  The LNR Mountain
> Toppers, for example, were about the size of a pack of cigarettes. However,
> the operator had to have an outboard key, an outboard power supply and an
> outboard antenna tuner.  That's more like a full carton smokes. Same for
> the LD-5 and LD-11.
>
>
> The thing about the KX1 was its apparent simplicity which masked its
> elegant design and robust menu.  I love my KX2 with its dual watch
> function, autospot feature and filtering.  But now it's hooked up to the
> amplifier and it's no longer a candidate for "grab and go" operations.  The
> KX1 was (and IS for me) just plain FUN and all in one nice package.
>
>
> Sorry to see it go west.
>
>
> 73, Stan WB2LQF
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Re: [Elecraft] (KX1) A Story for a Winter Day in NY

[Don Wilhelm]

Skip,

My discussions with those 'in the know' at Elecraft in early December 
revealed that the problem for the KX1 is the enclosure, and not the 
parts inside.


So if you have a KX1, it should be able to be maintained and supported 
for some time to come, but if your enclosure "wears out", there are no 
replacements - therefore, no new kits.


73,
Don W3FPR

On 2/9/2017 6:36 PM, Fred Jensen wrote:


I suspect the primary reason for discontinuing it is parts availability,
the design is creeping up on 20 years old.

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Re: [Elecraft] (KX1) A Story for a Winter Day in NY

[Buddy Brannan]

Definitely a sad time, when things change. I, too, had some great times with my 
KX1, which has gone to be with a friend in San Antonio, and I hope he gets as 
much enjoyment from it as I did. 'm sure he has, and is. Mine went to Ukraine 
with me when we went to adopt our daughter in 2004 (my excuse for buying it). 
It was a real life saver, or at least a sanity saver. Dropping a window out our 
7th floor apartment and stringing another wire across the floor (far from 
ideal, kind of upside down!) still netted me contacts. True, not lots of 
contacts, but contacts nonetheless, and it truly helped me with the one thing 
about the adoption we didn't anticipate: being locked in the apartment (yes, 
quite literally, with a key and everything) between orphanage visits because 
the adoption people just didn't know what to do with a couple of blind/disabled 
people. And, yeah, no trips to the Internet cafe for me either. Nothing between 
me and the ether except a TeNe-Key. Yep, good times. Whil
 e I love my KX3, and my K2 (which has its own really neat story), I think it's 
pretty hard to replace the memories with that KX1. So, vy 73 to a legend, if 
only a legend to me. And, probably, you. :) 

Vy 73,

--
Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
Phone: 814-860-3194 
Mobile: 814-431-0962
Email: bu...@brannan.name




> On Feb 9, 2017, at 6:36 PM, Fred Jensen  wrote:
> 
> Yes, sad but probably inevitable.  I just sold my KX1, I built it in late 
> 2004.  Lots of contacts from lots of places.  I'm now 13 years older, 
> adventures in my 20's are "reminding" me of them orthopedically, and field 
> operations for me are rapidly becoming something in the past.  I still have 
> my K2, and do use it, but generally within sight of the truck.
> 
> I suspect the primary reason for discontinuing it is parts availability, the 
> design is creeping up on 20 years old.  Then of course, there's the KX2 
> coupled with every ham's desire to have the latest and greatest.  KX1 is 
> still a great trail radio.
> 
> 73,
> 
> Fred ["Skip"] K6DGW
> Sparks NV DM09dn
> Washoe County
> 
> On 2/9/2017 2:51 PM, stan levandowski wrote:
>> Just a couple of months ago, on December 7, I purchased a KX1.  It was a 
>> replacement to the KX1 I had built several years ago: my entry into the 
>> Elecraft world.  I thought I had "outgrown" it so I sold it.
>> 
>> Fast forward through my K1, K2, K3, KX3, and now KX2/KXPA100 setup (plus 
>> other stuff like the K2 amp, the KAT100, the PX3, an earlier KXPA100 for the 
>> KX3lots of other stuff plus the mini-modules) and we come to today.  
>> Elecraft has made a small fortune on me!
>> 
>> 
>> We're having a blizzard in New York.  My picnic table out back has over 12 
>> inches of snow on it.  As a prisoner of the house, I decided to do a little 
>> operating;  However, 40 meters was dead and so was 30 meters.  It wasn't so 
>> hot on 20 meters either.  I went down to the living room and built a fire.  
>> But gosh, I really wanted to operate...
>> 
>> 
>> So I brought my KX1 down to the living room.  I stretched a 40 foot length 
>> of {high loss} RG174 from my shack to the fireplace.  I have a 67 foot bent 
>> up doublet in my attic managed by an SGC231 autocoupler and that's where one 
>> end of the RG174 extension coax went.  The other end connected the antenna 
>> to my KX1 on AA batteries.  With less than 13.9 VDC, the KX1 doesn't have 
>> the oomph required to kick the autocoupler into tune mode.  No problem.  I 
>> just used my QRO setup to find the match on 14.030. That would give me a few 
>> kHZ either side with a good SWR.
>> 
>> 
>> So there I am, sitting in front of the fireplace with a rig on batteries 
>> putting out maybe a watt +/-, a high loss connection to the antenna, a 
>> coupler with some degree of loss, a freakin' blizzard outside, a bent up 
>> antenna in my attic and a foot of snow on the roof and conditions on 20 
>> meters reportedly "Fair."
>> 
>> 
>> Well, guess what.  I worked a whole pile of stations - Minnesota, New 
>> Mexico, Florida, Hungary, Ireland, Germany and the Bahamas.  After an hour, 
>> I brought the rig back to the shack and promptly worked  V53DX, a new QRP 
>> country for me.
>> 
>> 
>> Thus, it was with more than a little sadness that I logged onto the Elecraft 
>> website and saw that the KX1 has been discontinued!  I don't recall seeing 
>> any email announcements about this or any chatter on this reflector about it 
>> either.
>> 
>> 
>> I certainly understand that business decisions must be made and change is 
>> inevitable.  In fact, I'm surprised that the K1 didn't go before the KX1.
>> 
>> 
>> I just thought I'd take the time to salute one of the greatest QRP rigs I've 
>> ever had the pleasure to build and operate - twice - and WOW - I'm happy 
>> that I gave this new KX1 to myself for Chistmas!
>> 
>> 
>> During the period of time between my first KX1 and this new one, I explored 
>> lots of other QRP rigs because I was 

Re: [Elecraft] (KX1) A Story for a Winter Day in NY

[Fred Jensen]

Yes, sad but probably inevitable.  I just sold my KX1, I built it in 
late 2004.  Lots of contacts from lots of places.  I'm now 13 years 
older, adventures in my 20's are "reminding" me of them orthopedically, 
and field operations for me are rapidly becoming something in the past.  
I still have my K2, and do use it, but generally within sight of the truck.


I suspect the primary reason for discontinuing it is parts availability, 
the design is creeping up on 20 years old.  Then of course, there's the 
KX2 coupled with every ham's desire to have the latest and greatest.  
KX1 is still a great trail radio.


73,

Fred ["Skip"] K6DGW
Sparks NV DM09dn
Washoe County

On 2/9/2017 2:51 PM, stan levandowski wrote:
Just a couple of months ago, on December 7, I purchased a KX1.  It was 
a replacement to the KX1 I had built several years ago: my entry into 
the Elecraft world.  I thought I had "outgrown" it so I sold it.


Fast forward through my K1, K2, K3, KX3, and now KX2/KXPA100 setup 
(plus other stuff like the K2 amp, the KAT100, the PX3, an earlier 
KXPA100 for the KX3lots of other stuff plus the mini-modules) and 
we come to today.  Elecraft has made a small fortune on me!



We're having a blizzard in New York.  My picnic table out back has 
over 12 inches of snow on it.  As a prisoner of the house, I decided 
to do a little operating;  However, 40 meters was dead and so was 30 
meters.  It wasn't so hot on 20 meters either.  I went down to the 
living room and built a fire.  But gosh, I really wanted to operate...



So I brought my KX1 down to the living room.  I stretched a 40 foot 
length of {high loss} RG174 from my shack to the fireplace.  I have a 
67 foot bent up doublet in my attic managed by an SGC231 autocoupler 
and that's where one end of the RG174 extension coax went.  The other 
end connected the antenna to my KX1 on AA batteries.  With less than 
13.9 VDC, the KX1 doesn't have the oomph required to kick the 
autocoupler into tune mode.  No problem.  I just used my QRO setup to 
find the match on 14.030. That would give me a few kHZ either side 
with a good SWR.



So there I am, sitting in front of the fireplace with a rig on 
batteries putting out maybe a watt +/-, a high loss connection to the 
antenna, a coupler with some degree of loss, a freakin' blizzard 
outside, a bent up antenna in my attic and a foot of snow on the roof 
and conditions on 20 meters reportedly "Fair."



Well, guess what.  I worked a whole pile of stations - Minnesota, New 
Mexico, Florida, Hungary, Ireland, Germany and the Bahamas.  After an 
hour, I brought the rig back to the shack and promptly worked  V53DX, 
a new QRP country for me.



Thus, it was with more than a little sadness that I logged onto the 
Elecraft website and saw that the KX1 has been discontinued!  I don't 
recall seeing any email announcements about this or any chatter on 
this reflector about it either.



I certainly understand that business decisions must be made and change 
is inevitable.  In fact, I'm surprised that the K1 didn't go before 
the KX1.



I just thought I'd take the time to salute one of the greatest QRP 
rigs I've ever had the pleasure to build and operate - twice - and WOW 
- I'm happy that I gave this new KX1 to myself for Chistmas!



During the period of time between my first KX1 and this new one, I 
explored lots of other QRP rigs because I was curious.  I spent a lot 
of money too!  They were all well engineered.  They all worked. They 
all had their own uniqueness.  BUT the KX1 distinguished itself 
because it had everything one needs to operate right there onboard. 
 The LNR Mountain Toppers, for example, were about the size of a pack 
of cigarettes. However, the operator had to have an outboard key, an 
outboard power supply and an outboard antenna tuner.  That's more like 
a full carton smokes. Same for the LD-5 and LD-11.



The thing about the KX1 was its apparent simplicity which masked its 
elegant design and robust menu.  I love my KX2 with its dual watch 
function, autospot feature and filtering.  But now it's hooked up to 
the amplifier and it's no longer a candidate for "grab and go" 
operations.  The KX1 was (and IS for me) just plain FUN and all in one 
nice package.



Sorry to see it go west.


73, Stan WB2LQF
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Re: [Elecraft] (KX1) A Story for a Winter Day in NY

[Wayne Burdick]

Stan,

Thanks for the inspiring tale! 

I did an outing with the KX2 yesterday and had excellent results. I was using a 
4-foot 20-meter whip with 13-foot ground wire, sitting on a bluff in the 
Antelope Valley, gazing at the San Gabriel mountains. Worked stations all over 
the country, including a W1 on RTTY (with the keyer paddle).

I, too, will miss the KX1. It was the first radio I used SMDs in. But the KX2 
is about the same size and has so much more capability.

73,
Wayne
N6KR



On Feb 9, 2017, at 2:51 PM, stan levandowski  wrote:

> Just a couple of months ago, on December 7, I purchased a KX1.  It was a 
> replacement to the KX1 I had built several years ago: my entry into the 
> Elecraft world.  I thought I had "outgrown" it so I sold it.
> 
> Fast forward through my K1, K2, K3, KX3, and now KX2/KXPA100 setup (plus 
> other stuff like the K2 amp, the KAT100, the PX3, an earlier KXPA100 for the 
> KX3lots of other stuff plus the mini-modules) and we come to today.  
> Elecraft has made a small fortune on me! 
> 
> 
> We're having a blizzard in New York.  My picnic table out back has over 12 
> inches of snow on it.  As a prisoner of the house, I decided to do a little 
> operating;  However, 40 meters was dead and so was 30 meters.  It wasn't so 
> hot on 20 meters either.  I went down to the living room and built a fire.  
> But gosh, I really wanted to operate...
> 
> 
> So I brought my KX1 down to the living room.  I stretched a 40 foot length of 
> {high loss} RG174 from my shack to the fireplace.  I have a 67 foot bent up 
> doublet in my attic managed by an SGC231 autocoupler and that's where one end 
> of the RG174 extension coax went.  The other end connected the antenna to my 
> KX1 on AA batteries.  With less than 13.9 VDC, the KX1 doesn't have the oomph 
> required to kick the autocoupler into tune mode.  No problem.  I just used my 
> QRO setup to find the match on 14.030. That would give me a few kHZ either 
> side with a good SWR.
> 
> 
> So there I am, sitting in front of the fireplace with a rig on batteries 
> putting out maybe a watt +/-, a high loss connection to the antenna, a 
> coupler with some degree of loss, a freakin' blizzard outside, a bent up 
> antenna in my attic and a foot of snow on the roof and conditions on 20 
> meters reportedly "Fair."
> 
> 
> Well, guess what.  I worked a whole pile of stations - Minnesota, New Mexico, 
> Florida, Hungary, Ireland, Germany and the Bahamas.  After an hour, I brought 
> the rig back to the shack and promptly worked  V53DX, a new QRP country for 
> me.
> 
> 
> Thus, it was with more than a little sadness that I logged onto the Elecraft 
> website and saw that the KX1 has been discontinued!  I don't recall seeing 
> any email announcements about this or any chatter on this reflector about it 
> either.
> 
> 
> I certainly understand that business decisions must be made and change is 
> inevitable.  In fact, I'm surprised that the K1 didn't go before the KX1.
> 
> 
> I just thought I'd take the time to salute one of the greatest QRP rigs I've 
> ever had the pleasure to build and operate - twice - and WOW - I'm happy that 
> I gave this new KX1 to myself for Chistmas!
> 
> 
> During the period of time between my first KX1 and this new one, I explored 
> lots of other QRP rigs because I was curious.  I spent a lot of money too!  
> They were all well engineered.  They all worked. They all had their own 
> uniqueness.  BUT the KX1 distinguished itself because it had everything one 
> needs to operate right there onboard.  The LNR Mountain Toppers, for example, 
> were about the size of a pack of cigarettes. However, the operator had to 
> have an outboard key, an outboard power supply and an outboard antenna tuner. 
>  That's more like a full carton smokes. Same for the LD-5 and LD-11.
> 
> 
> The thing about the KX1 was its apparent simplicity which masked its elegant 
> design and robust menu.  I love my KX2 with its dual watch function, autospot 
> feature and filtering.  But now it's hooked up to the amplifier and it's no 
> longer a candidate for "grab and go" operations.  The KX1 was (and IS for me) 
> just plain FUN and all in one nice package.
> 
> 
> Sorry to see it go west.
> 
> 
> 73, Stan WB2LQF
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> Elecraft mailing list
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> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
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[Elecraft] (KX1) A Story for a Winter Day in NY

[stan levandowski]

Just a couple of months ago, on December 7, I purchased a KX1.  It was a 
replacement to the KX1 I had built several years ago: my entry into the 
Elecraft world.  I thought I had "outgrown" it so I sold it.


Fast forward through my K1, K2, K3, KX3, and now KX2/KXPA100 setup (plus 
other stuff like the K2 amp, the KAT100, the PX3, an earlier KXPA100 for 
the KX3lots of other stuff plus the mini-modules) and we come to 
today.  Elecraft has made a small fortune on me! 



We're having a blizzard in New York.  My picnic table out back has over 
12 inches of snow on it.  As a prisoner of the house, I decided to do a 
little operating;  However, 40 meters was dead and so was 30 meters.  It 
wasn't so hot on 20 meters either.  I went down to the living room and 
built a fire.  But gosh, I really wanted to operate...



So I brought my KX1 down to the living room.  I stretched a 40 foot 
length of {high loss} RG174 from my shack to the fireplace.  I have a 67 
foot bent up doublet in my attic managed by an SGC231 autocoupler and 
that's where one end of the RG174 extension coax went.  The other end 
connected the antenna to my KX1 on AA batteries.  With less than 13.9 
VDC, the KX1 doesn't have the oomph required to kick the autocoupler 
into tune mode.  No problem.  I just used my QRO setup to find the match 
on 14.030. That would give me a few kHZ either side with a good SWR.



So there I am, sitting in front of the fireplace with a rig on batteries 
putting out maybe a watt +/-, a high loss connection to the antenna, a 
coupler with some degree of loss, a freakin' blizzard outside, a bent up 
antenna in my attic and a foot of snow on the roof and conditions on 20 
meters reportedly "Fair."



Well, guess what.  I worked a whole pile of stations - Minnesota, New 
Mexico, Florida, Hungary, Ireland, Germany and the Bahamas.  After an 
hour, I brought the rig back to the shack and promptly worked  V53DX, a 
new QRP country for me.



Thus, it was with more than a little sadness that I logged onto the 
Elecraft website and saw that the KX1 has been discontinued!  I don't 
recall seeing any email announcements about this or any chatter on this 
reflector about it either.



I certainly understand that business decisions must be made and change 
is inevitable.  In fact, I'm surprised that the K1 didn't go before the 
KX1.



I just thought I'd take the time to salute one of the greatest QRP rigs 
I've ever had the pleasure to build and operate - twice - and WOW - I'm 
happy that I gave this new KX1 to myself for Chistmas!



During the period of time between my first KX1 and this new one, I 
explored lots of other QRP rigs because I was curious.  I spent a lot of 
money too!  They were all well engineered.  They all worked. They all 
had their own uniqueness.  BUT the KX1 distinguished itself because it 
had everything one needs to operate right there onboard.  The LNR 
Mountain Toppers, for example, were about the size of a pack of 
cigarettes. However, the operator had to have an outboard key, an 
outboard power supply and an outboard antenna tuner.  That's more like a 
full carton smokes. Same for the LD-5 and LD-11.



The thing about the KX1 was its apparent simplicity which masked its 
elegant design and robust menu.  I love my KX2 with its dual watch 
function, autospot feature and filtering.  But now it's hooked up to the 
amplifier and it's no longer a candidate for "grab and go" operations. 
 The KX1 was (and IS for me) just plain FUN and all in one nice package.



Sorry to see it go west.


73, Stan WB2LQF
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