public:radio:blog:12

Thu 27 July 2023

Have been thinking about building a K2
- I built one in 2006 but sold it, along with the K1 I'd built in 2003
- The K1 #1672 now lives with Will GM0HKS, in a new wooden enclosure https://gm0hks.weebly.com/shack-photos.html
- I don't know where the K2 #5542 ended up, I'd love to find out where it is now….
- The K2 had several options : SSB / 160m & RX antenna port / 60m / Auto-ATU

I contacted Elecraft yesterday - the K2 is shown as “Back order, waiting parts” - to check that they aren't going to discontinue it and received a reply confirming that they have no plans to discontinue it at present. Kits will be available as soon as the parts arrive from suppliers - typical of the global problem with semiconductors at the moment.
I decided to “get in the queue” for back-orders and placed an online order for the basic K2 kit and the 160m/RX antenna port module. Sadly the 60m module is no longer produced, and I have no interest in using SSB or digimodes with this K2. I want it as a pure CW transceiver.
I've re-joined the Elecraft reflector https://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
- Looking at the archive, at June 2006, I see my own posts
  - announcing the arrival of my first K2 kit on June 8th 2006 https://mailman.qth.net/pipermail/elecraft/2006-June/056712.html
  - and announcing completion and first QSO on June 17th https://mailman.qth.net/pipermail/elecraft/2006-June/057085.html
- I remember having fun building it, but I didn't realize I'd done it so quickly.
- The next one will be done over a longer timescale, to enjoy the process more without rushing through it.
I plan to document the build - perhaps even with some YouTube videos.