Well I'm finally able to work SSB on the K2.  There was a minor issue with the installation of the SSB printed circuit board, but it  actually turned out to be a fairly easy fix.  I spent some time this afternoon aligning the filters with the Spectrogram program, and managed to get on the air for a few minutes tonight.

My first SSB contact was with a station in Florida, using 10 watts.  And my second contact was with a station in the US Virgin Islands, using a whopping 15 watts.  Not too bad, considering that's with my attic dipole.  

So my K2 now has the internal antenna tuner, audio filter, noise blanker, and SSB options. And that's probably going to be it. I may opt for the 100w amplifier at some point in the future, but for now, I think I'll just use it as is.

This has been a fun project, and if anyone likes to build kits, the K2 will make you a happy camper.

Very nice! I'm considering something like the K2 for a winter project. I liked the craftsmanship and instructions for my KX3, but that assembly isn't exactly in the same league as the kits that require one to inhale lead fumes.

Congrats on getting on the air with your K2, Kekoa!  That's a beautiful radio and I'm really impressed with the whole build!  

finished pics are not loading?????????


or did i miss a thread?

ar-jedi

How long did it take you to finish your K2 build?

Congrats!!!

It looks about like all the other K2/10s in the world.

WOW.

That is very nice.

If I had tried that, it would have coffee stains on it, small dents where I beat it into submission, and assorted burn marks (and something would be in upside down).



 

I got the kit the first week in July, and the basic radio was complete by the middle of August.  But, I had to do some troubleshooting to find a defective RF choke.  That  turned out to be pretty straight forward, but then I had to wait for the replacement part to arrive from Elecraft. So I think I was fully operational by about the third week in August.

Once the basic radio is built, then (and only then) you can start adding the options. I used the Rework Eliminator option bypass headers, during the basic radio building process.  It adds a little extra time during the initial building stage, but it saves a bunch of time when it comes to adding the options. The noise blanker and the audio filter went together very quickly.  You could probably build them in one evening, if you are dedicated.  But I'm slow, so I guess it took me a couple of days for each one.  The antenna tuner and the SSB options are a little more involved, and I guess it took me a few days for each one.

I've read that a new K2 builder can build one in about 40 hours, and an experienced K2 builder can do it in about 25.  But damned if I know how.  It probably took me three times that long.  On the other hand, my K2, and all of the options worked properly (except for the defective choke) from the get go.

It was a slow deliberate process for me, but I really enjoyed it.  I always looked forward to sitting down at the work bench and breathing in some solder smoke.

Hey, that is your K2. There are many like it, but that one is yours!

Send word when your back on the air with it.

Baloney. This is my radio, there many like it but this one is mine. Or something like that right?



 

Congrats and well done sir.

Of course you know a project like this is never finished. Won't be that long before you ask yourself, "Maybe I should add the [fill in the blank] option and remove that other thing I don't use?"

Congratulations! There's a special feeling you get when using something you put together yourself.