Some of you might recall that back in the summer of 2022, I performed a POTA activation with my buddies Eric (WD8RIF) and Miles (KD8KNC) at Hawks Nest State Park (K-1813). Here’s the field report, and video:

You might have also noticed that I recently performed an activation with my own Elecraft K1. Here’s a bit of the back story on this particular radio:

My K1 Journey

I originally owned an Elecraft K1 from around 2010 to 2013. It was a four-band version (40, 30, 20, and 15 meters) with the optional ATU. I loved that little radio, but at the time, I wasn’t as dedicated a CW operator and hadn’t yet discovered programs like WWFF and SOTA—POTA didn’t even exist back then! Those programs would’ve given me a perfect excuse to take a lightweight, portable radio to the field regularly.

Eventually, I sold my K1 to help fund the purchase of an Elecraft KX3.

I mentioned in my 2022 K1 field report that I’d been keeping an eye out for a deal on another K1. That Hawks Nest activation reminded me just how much I enjoy operating this simple QRP kit radio.

Not an Easy Search

Finding a good K1 isn’t easy, for a few reasons.

First, there are quite a few K1 variants out there, since Elecraft offered a number of optional packages. The K1 supported up to four bands, but the default kit only included two. Optional modules included an ATU, a battery pack, and a noise blanker.

Most of the K1s I’ve come across have only two bands and no ATU. I’ve been on the lookout specifically for a four-band version with the ATU.

K1s—regardless of configuration—rarely show up on the used market. When they do, the good ones are snatched up almost instantly.

And perhaps most importantly: all K1s started life as kits. There was never a factory-assembled option. So, your K1 is only as good as the person who built it. Building one yourself is no longer an option, either—at least, in the past ten years, I’ve never seen an unbuilt K1 kit at a swap meet, in person or online.

Then Came a Tip…

On July 19, 2024, my buddy Eric (WD8RIF) sent me a message about a K1 for sale.

I skimmed the message on my phone and immediately noticed that it belonged to Joe White (WA4GIR), one of the founding members of the Knightlites QRP Association. It was a four-band K1 with the ATU and the internal battery pack—asking price: $550 shipped.

I ran to my computer and fired off an email expressing my interest.

Soon after, I learned from Gary (N3GO) that this was actually an estate sale to benefit Joe’s widow. Somehow, I had completely missed the /SK in Eric’s original message. Joe had become a Silent Key in July 2023, and I had missed the news due to our summer travels that year.

Suddenly, $550 didn’t feel like too much at all. I had been hoping to find a K1 closer to $400–$450, but this one had two valuable options I wasn’t even counting on. On top of that, it was built by someone I knew of—and had even met before.

Totally worth it, in my book.

Not a Shelf Queen

This K1 isn’t going to sit on a shelf. I plan to take it to the field and put it through its paces with both POTA and SOTA.

In fact, I’ve already completed two activations with it—the one I posted out of order a couple of weeks ago, and another–my first outing–I’ll be sharing soon.

Noise Blanker vs. Battery Pack

Eric reached out last month and asked if I needed a noise blanker module for my K1. Honestly, I hadn’t even checked to see if mine had one installed.

Turns out, the internal battery pack and the noise blanker are mutually exclusive—you can’t install both. The smaller speaker used with the battery pack conversion kit occupies the same physical space as the NB module.

That’s fine by me. I very rarely need a noise blanker in the field anyway and I’ve no plans to mount this in a vehicle.

That said, I am considering replacing the AA battery holder with a small Li-Ion pack—maybe even one I can charge internally, like Elecraft’s KXBT2.

I’m curious: have any other K1 owners done this mod? Had Li-Ion packs been commonplace back when the K1 was released, I imagine this would’ve been a standard option.

Fine Tuning

This radio is in excellent shape—impressive considering it was built in 2001 (serial number 420!).

The only maintenance I’ve done so far is calibrating the frequency—it was about 500 Hz off. I do eventually need to look at the button contacts, which are a bit finicky.

K1 Bail or Stand?

If you own a K1, I’d love to hear what solutions you’ve found for propping it up in the field.

I’m thinking about adding a small fold-out laptop foot, like the one I installed on my TR-35, to give it a better viewing angle. I don’t want anything bulky—just a little elevation to make operation more comfortable. Please comment if you have a suggestion!

Why the K1 Still Shines in the Field

After spending time with this K1 again, I’m reminded why it’s such a superb field radio—especially when fully loaded. With the internal ATU, it easily matches my random wire antennas, making setup in the field quick and painless. I love that the K1 is a complete field radio system in one compact package.

The receiver and audio characteristics are truly impressive: it has a low noise floor, smooth QSK, and brilliant, mellow audio that’s easy on the ears during long CW sessions. Keying is clean and responsive—just what you want when you’re trying to work a pileup or snag that weak signal.

And while it’s not pocket-sized like some modern QRP rigs, for a tabletop-style radio, the K1 is remarkably small and lightweight. It slips into a field pack without taking up much space, yet delivers performance that holds its own against much newer gear.

Since the K1 was a kit radio, it’s also easy to repair and incredibly well-documented. I’ve always believed that kit radios are ideal for emergency preparedness. If something goes wrong, it’s much easier for a non-radio-tech to trace a fault and potentially fix it. That peace of mind—knowing you can service your own gear—is a huge bonus.

In short, the K1 may be over two decades old, but it still ticks all the right boxes for avid field operators!