An Outdoorsman's View of the Elecraft K2
Special to The ARS Sojourner
Truthfully, most rigs have just been novelties. But good backpacking gear is now available.
I especially like the Wilderness Radio SST. My 20 and 40 meter SSTs have been on the top of mountains, on deserts, and at the bottom of the Grand Canyon many times. These tiny radios produce amazing results.
After experiencing the SST and the NorCal 40A, I was ecstatic when Wayne Burdick, N6KR, the designer of these rigs and the Sierra, announced he and Eric Swartz, WA6HHQ, would produce a small, full featured ham transceiver kit for portable use. Clearly, the new K2 was being custom designed for me.
I signed up to be one of the 100 field testers of the K2 kit. It has been a great experience. My basic K2 kit with the internal battery option went together without trouble, and has been used at home and in the field.
The SSB, ATU and other options have not yet arrived, but are coming soon.
A full product description can be found at Elecraft’s web site: www.elecraft.com.
I'm sure there will be many technical reviews available soon. My purpose here is to say a few words about the K2 from the viewpoint of a camper and backpacker.
THE TRANSCEIVER
The K2 occupies an absolutely unique niche in amateur radio. The kit is designed with the experimenter in mind, but construction is easy and requires no special tools. Its operation is like a “big rig.” It has a hot receiver, six digit VFO readout, memory channels, user programmable crystal filters, a wonderful CW memory keyer, CW spotting, RIT, XIT, etc.
But its portability is the great news: it exceeds my wildest dreams.
The K2 operates much more like my TS570D than my HW9, but exceeds both rigs in features desirable to an outdoorsman.
SIZE
The K2 is smaller than a sheet of copier paper; roughly 8 by 10 by 3.5 inches. It fits nicely into my little day pack. Its options (including a battery and an ATU with SWR meter) mount inside the rig. The only things needed external to the radio are paddles, an antenna, and perhaps a microphone and headphones.
I have not yet found a rugged dust and waterproof container for the K2 that satisfies me (I keep my other backpacking rigs in Tupperware containers).
WEIGHT
The basic K2 weighs 3.3 lbs, which is lighter than my HW9. The optional internal battery is very husky, weighing about 2.5 pounds. I anticipate the SSB, ATU, and other options will weigh only a few ounces each. Adding the weight of my earbuds, keyer paddles, solar panel, antennas, log book and other gear, I expect to carry less than 10 pounds to operate on seven or eight bands.
DURABILITY
The K2 feels sturdy. Its case consists of a front panel and five additional aluminum pieces that fit together solidly. It has a pleasant gray ripple finish that is fairly resistant to scratch. A piece of plexiglass covers the digital readout. The front panel has small plastic knobs and push buttons, making me nervous about dust or bumping my K2 when I took it to the desert.
I want to find a very sturdy airtight protective case before I take it on a wet hike. On the other hand, I accidentally left my K2 in the freezer for about six hours (don't ask why). The rig was covered with ice when I put it in operation, but it worked fine and suffered no harm as the ice thawed.
POWER CONSUMPTION
This part of the K2 is astounding. The K2 is uniquely designed to reduce power consumption, and many of its features (such as S meter and backlighting for the readout) can be switched off to further conserve power.
With all features on but no signal present, my K2 draws 180 ma on receive (compared to my TS570, which draws 2 amps!). The K2 draws only 100 ma with the features off. A 13.8 volt supply is intended, but the receiver works down to 8.5 volts and my transmitter sounded fine with a nearly dead battery (10 volts).
I usually transmit at 5 watts, where the rig typically draws 1.4 amps when using a well-matched antenna. It requires about 1.8 amps to transmit at 10 watts.
A very easy modification can make the transmitter more efficient at low power, reducing power consumption by about 25% at 5 watts but limiting the output power (especially on SSB). Several of the field testers have made this modification and are happy with it; I am planning to do so.
The front panel display shows battery voltage and current (very helpful!). I expect 6 hours or more of very heavy contest operation from the 2.9 Amp Hour gelled electrolyte internal battery. The rig is ideally suited for solar power applications, and its internal battery can be charged during operation.
OBSERVATIONS
My portable operating generally fits into one of three categories: camping, field contesting, and backpacking. The K2 is absolutely ideal for the first two activities. It will definitely go with me on family, Scout and youth camps where I may operate from a tent for days at a time.
The K2 will offer a distinct competitive edge for contests like QRPTTF, FYBO, Flight of the Bumblebees, Field Day and other activities where I expect it to do as well as my “big” rig, even with crowded bands and difficult conditions.
The K2 is perfect for motel operating, and would be a great mobile rig. It would also be ideal for a DXpedition to an isolated spot.
I plan to hike with my K2, but feel it is too large and heavy for extended backpacking trips or for day hikes when the primary purpose is exploration rather than ham operating.
My tiny single band rigs are waiting in my pack for those kind of adventures.
Overall, I am delighted with my K2. Elecraft’s Swartz and Burdick have kept all their promises, and have produced my “dream rig” at a fair price. The K2 adds delightful new prospects to my ham operating. I'm sure it will get extensive use this summer and over the years.
[You will enjoy these two outstanding photos of Bob and his K-2, one at a remote natural arch, and the other at a remarkably well preserved petroglyph. ]
* * * * * * * * * *
Bob Armstrong, N7XJ, is an avid outdoorsman, QRP operator and frequent contributor to The ARS Sojourner living in Manti, UT.