Better Music Builder DX-211 Specifikace stáhnout pdf (Strana 2)

From March 2000 QST © ARRL

PRODUCT REVIEW

Joe Bottiglieri, AA1GW t Assistant Technical Editor

Reviewed by Larry Wolfgang, WR1B

Senior Assistant Technical Editor

Okay, let’s start out with a show of hands.

How many of you have built a Heathkit?

That’s what I thought. Practically everyone

who has been a ham for more than 2

years

has assembled at least one of those

classics—and the rest of you have had to

listen to us reminisce about it. With detailed

step-by-step instructions, you didn’t have to

be an engineer or even a practiced technician

to successfully complete a Heathkit.

As an ever-increasing number of

features were added to commercially built

electronic equipment, and as the circuitry

became more miniaturized and complex, it

became harder and harder for Heathkit

home-built products to compete with the

automated assembly lines of the big

electronics manufacturers. With dimini-

shing cost savings, and a growing level of

compromise in features, fewer and fewer

people were building Heathkits.

I wish I had a nickel for every time I’ve

heard someone lament that “No one can

build their own gear anymore.” A lot of

hams are missing out on the fun of building

in spite of the number of reliable mail-order

parts suppliers and the numerous small

companies that currently offer kits.

No More Whining

Are you one of those who mourn the

demise of Heath’s Amateur Radio products

line—or have you just been looking for that

next suitable construction project? No

matter. Roll up your sleeves and warm up

your soldering irons, because Elecraft

(that’s pronounced like a combination of

“elegant craft”) has eliminated your reason

for complaining.

With the first prototype shown at the

Dayton Hamvention in 1998, the Elecraft

K2 has been under development for several

years. Wayne Burdick, N6KR, has designed

several kit radios for the Northern

California QRP Club over the years. In fact,

Bob Dyer, KD6VIO, formed Wilderness

Radio to distribute several of Wayne’s kits.

(The NORCAL/Wilderness Sierra project

has been described in The ARRL Handbook

for several years.) So when Wayne Burdick

and Eric Swartz, WA6HHQ, teamed up to

form Elecraft, everyone knew the result

would be a fine radio!

Elecraft K2 HF Transceiver Kit

The QRP community has always been a

hotbed of activity for building and

modifying gear. QRP operators work plenty

of DX, operate contests and generally have

fun ragchewing with other hams. Whether

they choose 5 W or less than 1 W, these

hams still find plenty of contacts and have

tons of fun! While the K2 is not “just” a

QRP transceiver, its roots are clearly there.

When the basic Elecraft K2 kit is

completed, the result is a well-appointed

CW transceiver that covers 80 through 10

meters and provides an adjustable power

output level that ranges from hard-core

QRPp levels up to about 12 W. A memory

keyer is even included! You can add an

optional SSB adapter, a 160-meter module,

a two-stage noise blanker, and/or an

automatic antenna tuner for even more

radio. Install the internal 2.9 Ah battery

option and grab an antenna, key and/or

microphone and you’ll have a very

compact, portable, self-contained system

that is ready to go almost anywhere.

Elecraft plans to eventually offer an RF

amplifier option for those who just have to

have more power. A computer interface

option is also on the way. Other options that

are currently “in the works” include an

Antenna Switch/SWR Bridge, an Audio

Filter for CW and a Transverter Interface.

No telling what else might transpire when

Wayne and Eric put their heads together.

Building a Kit Radio

Let’s start out with some kit building

basics. ALWAYS follow the directions.

Take an inventory of the parts before you

start stuffing the circuit boards. This will

help you become familiar with everything

in the kit and will make it easier to locate

any special hardware or components during

the assembly process. This will also allow

you to spot any missing parts, so that you

can contact the manufacturer for replace-

ments before you reach that step in the

assembly process.

I spent nearly three hours inventorying

this kit. There were no missing pieces.

You will need a clean, well-lit work area,

a grounded, temperature-controlled

soldering iron and a few basic tools—such

as needle-nose pliers, close trimming wire

cutters and an assortment of screwdrivers.

An antistatic mat or grounded wrist strap is

important for safe handling of static-

sensitive transistors and ICs. Elecraft

suggests that you use Kester 2% silver solder

to build your kit. The solder is not included.

A digital multimeter is always a handy

piece of basic test equipment. If your meter

also measures capacitance, so much the

better. This can be very useful for verifying

component values before installation. Of

course, the more and better your com-

plement of test equipment, the easier it will

be to align and—if necessary—trouble-

shoot the radio later, but a fully equipped

test bench is not a requirement. In fact,

during the course of the assembly, the

BOTTOM LINE

The Elecraft K2 represents a remarkable

advance in the level of sophistication and

performance available in a build-it-yourself

format. While assembly will require some

proficiency with basic electronics assembly

techniques, with Internet access, valuable

assistance can be as close as your keyboard.

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