Re: [Elecraft] New K1 on the way - Band Module Questions
Hi All, I sure agree with Rick's comment. I liked my K1 from the outset, but not nearly as much as I have since I finally got the 4 band board installed! As nicely designed as the K1 is, swapping band boards got to be a real pain. Personally, I would never recommend that someone only buy a 2 band board unless they were absolutely, dead certain they weren't going to want to upgrade later. Of course, initially the 4 band board wasn't available. Some folks may be put off by the fact that 17 isn't the CW band that 40, 30, and 20 can be, but when 17 is good, it's really good! So, if you decision about getting the 4 band board is tempered by uncertainty about 17 meters, I'd suggest you add it to your system. Even while propagation was falling off the face of the earth this past year or so, I worked a lot of good DX on 17 meters. I've also been less than thrilled with the internal battery option in either the K1 or the K2. I think it's better to forgo that option, and just use outboard power sources. That way, you have more flexibility about what size power source you provide, and the rig doesn't get weighed down with batteries. Probably a lot of folks will disagree with that, but it's strictly personal preference. You still have to have the weight somewhere, but with external power you can pack it separately, like checked luggage vs. carry-on. The internal ATU option is a tricky decision. I have it in both the K1 and K2, but the T1 is a super alternative. If you have both rigs, or other rigs (like an FT-817 maybe?), the T1 can solve a lot of problems. If I was really pinching pennies (which I seem to be doing more of these days!), I might have just let the T1 be my sole tuner option for QRP stuff. If you have any kind of collection of QRP rigs, you will probably want the T1 anyway. It's a great little tuner. Dave W7AQK - Original Message - From: Rick Dettinger k7m...@gmail.com To: Gary W. Marklund g...@marklund.com Cc: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Sent: Friday, July 24, 2009 10:36 PM Subject: Re: [Elecraft] New K1 on the way - Band Module Questions I am not sure if you are planning to change the two band modules often but if you are, I think it would be better to use an external tuner like the T1 rather than the optional internal tuner. It makes module swapping much easier. The K1 wasn't really designed for frequent module changes and its not just a matter of plugging a new one in, like with the Sierra. If you have the internal tuner installed, it needs to be removed to change band modules. I have often thought that if one could get along without the internal batteries, the speaker and the tuner, that there would be room for more bands on a larger board or multiple boards. But this would require switching changes to the firmware. Not something for mere mortals to play around with. Enjoy your new K1. I sure like mine. 73 Rick DettingerK7MW On Jul 24, 2009, at 8:13 PM, Gary W. Marklund wrote: Thanks, Sandy and Don. Looks like the two-band modules will give me the flexibility I want. Can't wait to get started. USPS tracking shows it has arrived and been processed through the Phoenix sorting facility. I'll have my kit tomorrow! Gary KJ7RT __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] New K1 on the way - Band Module Questions
David Y. wrote: The internal ATU option is a tricky decision. I have it in both the K1 and K2, but the T1 is a super alternative. If you have both rigs, or other rigs (like an FT-817 maybe?), the T1 can solve a lot of problems. If I was really pinching pennies (which I seem to be doing more of these days!), I might have just let the T1 be my sole tuner option for QRP stuff. If you have any kind of collection of QRP rigs, you will probably want the T1 anyway. It's a great little tuner. I have two QRP rigs (a K2 and KD1JV's ATS-3) so I opted for an external tuner that works well with either. I have nothing against the T1, but another low cost ($65 kit, $90 assembled) alternative is the Emtech ZM-2: http://emtech.steadynet.com/zm2.shtml It's small, light (8 ounces), passive (non-autotune but very easy to tune and no battery to worry about) and tunes virtually anything on 10-80m (but not 160). The 15W power rating is a nice complement to the QRP K2. CU tomorrow in the Flight of the Bumblebees...I'll be using my K2 and the ZM-2 from the top of Morrow Mountain (NC). 73, Bill W4ZV -- View this message in context: http://n2.nabble.com/New-K1-on-the-way---Band-Module-Questions-tp3323422p3325164.html Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] New K1 on the way - Band Module Questions
Sandy wrote, and the information supplied by Elecract seems to imply, that: The 4 band board can be only used on 40/30/20 and 17 OR 15 meters. This board is actually more flexible. It can be used on 40m, 30m, and ANY two of the 20m, 17m, and 15m bands. The assumption that Elecraft makes was that nobody would ever choose not to use 20m. If that is valid, then likely very few would choose 17m over 15m either. That's the way it's designed and your only option is whether the topmost band will be 17 or 15 meters. The real choice is which of the 20m, 17m, and 15m bands you will select to assign to the *two* top bands. The common elliptical filter for 40m can be used for 30m since the highest frequency that will be passed is less than two times the lowest frequency. Similarly, the other elliptical filter on the four-band board can be used for ANY combination of 20m, 17m, and 15m, because no frequency the filter will pass will be greater than twice the lowest frequency that it will pass, for those bands. It makes *no* technical sense to select a two-band board for two of the five bands that the four-band board can support. The four-band board has much better filtering than does the two-band board. The two-band board is inferior in performance on any band that is available on the four-band version. The only advantage of the two-band board is that it is cheaper (for good reason) than the four-band board, if the four-band board covers the two bands in which the builder is interested. The *only* technical advantage of the two-band board is that it can be built for the bands that the four-band board doesn't cover. I built my four-band board for 40/30/20/15m, and re-built an old two-band board for 80/17m. That covers all six official bands supplied by Elecraft for the K1. The four-band board offers the happy coincidence of double the band coverage, with better RF performance on those bands, compared to the two-band board. Elecraft should make note of that to customers who initially choose a two-band board for bands that the four-band version covers. Mike / KK5F __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
[Elecraft] New K1 on the way - Band Module Questions
I should receive my new K1-2 with KAT1 tomorrow or Monday. I ordered 40M and 30M for starters. I will add others shortly. My question is regarding modification for other bands. I've seen replacement parts lists for 12 and 10 M. Is there any reason the KFL1-4 is limited to 40/30/20 and 17 or 15? What if I wanted to build a four band module as say, 30/17/12/10 meters? Is there something inherent in the KFL1-4 that prevents this? Thanks, Gary KJ7RT __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] New K1 on the way - Band Module Questions
The 4 band board can be only used on 40/30/20 and 17 OR 15 meters. That's the way it's designed and your only option is whether the topmost band will be 17 or 15 meters. two band boards can be built for anything from 160 thru 15 meters. 160 is not a standard Elecraft stock band, but all the parts can be obtained from Elecraft except the crystal! Eventually someone will come up with the parts required for 12 and 10 meters I'm sure when they bands get usable again. You will have a lot of fun with that rig and it's the best QRP rig I've ever owned...so far. 73, Sandy W5TVW - Original Message - From: Gary W. Marklund g...@marklund.com To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Sent: Friday, July 24, 2009 7:06 PM Subject: [Elecraft] New K1 on the way - Band Module Questions I should receive my new K1-2 with KAT1 tomorrow or Monday. I ordered 40M and 30M for starters. I will add others shortly. My question is regarding modification for other bands. I've seen replacement parts lists for 12 and 10 M. Is there any reason the KFL1-4 is limited to 40/30/20 and 17 or 15? What if I wanted to build a four band module as say, 30/17/12/10 meters? Is there something inherent in the KFL1-4 that prevents this? Thanks, Gary KJ7RT __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 8.5.392 / Virus Database: 270.13.27/2258 - Release Date: 07/24/09 05:58:00 __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] New K1 on the way - Band Module Questions
Gary, The 4 band board cannot be modified much. The lower two bands must share the same low pass filter, so you are limited to 40 and 30. A low pass filter that would pass a 17 meter signal would be too close to the second harmonic of 30 meters to effectively reduce that 2nd harmonic. The K1, like all other transmitters must meet the FCC requirements for harmonic radiation. 73, Don W3FPR Gary W. Marklund wrote: I should receive my new K1-2 with KAT1 tomorrow or Monday. I ordered 40M and 30M for starters. I will add others shortly. My question is regarding modification for other bands. I've seen replacement parts lists for 12 and 10 M. Is there any reason the KFL1-4 is limited to 40/30/20 and 17 or 15? What if I wanted to build a four band module as say, 30/17/12/10 meters? Is there something inherent in the KFL1-4 that prevents this? Thanks, Gary KJ7RT __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 8.5.375 / Virus Database: 270.13.27/2258 - Release Date: 07/24/09 05:58:00 __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] New K1 on the way - Band Module Questions
Thanks, Sandy and Don. Looks like the two-band modules will give me the flexibility I want. Can't wait to get started. USPS tracking shows it has arrived and been processed through the Phoenix sorting facility. I'll have my kit tomorrow! Gary KJ7RT __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] New K1 on the way - Band Module Questions
I am not sure if you are planning to change the two band modules often but if you are, I think it would be better to use an external tuner like the T1 rather than the optional internal tuner. It makes module swapping much easier. The K1 wasn't really designed for frequent module changes and its not just a matter of plugging a new one in, like with the Sierra. If you have the internal tuner installed, it needs to be removed to change band modules. I have often thought that if one could get along without the internal batteries, the speaker and the tuner, that there would be room for more bands on a larger board or multiple boards. But this would require switching changes to the firmware. Not something for mere mortals to play around with. Enjoy your new K1. I sure like mine. 73 Rick DettingerK7MW On Jul 24, 2009, at 8:13 PM, Gary W. Marklund wrote: Thanks, Sandy and Don. Looks like the two-band modules will give me the flexibility I want. Can't wait to get started. USPS tracking shows it has arrived and been processed through the Phoenix sorting facility. I'll have my kit tomorrow! Gary KJ7RT __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
