20 years ago this month, we were putting the finishing touches on our first product, the K2. Wayne (N6KR) was busy finalizing the firmware and manual. Eric (WA6HHQ) had purchased all the parts for our first production run and was building the website. With a staff of just five people – plus the enthusiasm and support of 100 dedicated field testers – we were ready for prime time. Over the next two decades, we designed and refined six transceiver families (in order: K2, K1, KX1, K3, KX3, and KX2), each with internal options to allow for customization. With each we emphasized several goals:
- High performance and ease of use
- Full integration, often including built-in batteries, ATUs, and attached keyer paddles
- Low current drain for long battery life
- Small size, lightweight, and unique form factors for portability
- A “Hands-on” approach, with most products available as kits
- Free firmware upgrades
- Uncompromising product support
Along the way, we also designed many matching accessories, including amplifiers (KPA100, KXPA100, KPA500, and KPA1500), transverters (XV series, K144XV, KX3-2M/4M), and panadapters (P3 and PX3). More recently, we’ve started shipping our first antenna, the AX1 multi-band whip.
Thank you for your continued support of Elecraft!
73,
Wayne, N6KR
Eric, WA6HHQ
See a copy of Elecraft History written by Wayne in 2011.
12 comments
Wonderful products and exceptional customer service. I am looking forward to see what the next 20 years offer – Congratulations to team Elecraft.
Would you be able to tell when my K2 kit was produced by the serial number?