[Elecraft] K3 display for contesters

[DOUGLAS ZWIEBEL]

Hi Dick and other contesters who might be potential buyers but who are
now concerned by Dick's post:

You said, "but there are many parameters that need to be available
at-a-glance: both VFO frequencies, bandwidth, shift/PBT, RIT/XIT
power, vox, AGC, RF Gain, preamp, notch, NB, receive antenna status,
power, etc. "

Well, I think that I'm a pretty serious contester and completely
disagree (except for the QRG of both VFO's).    I am able to hear the
different characteristics you mention.  Narrow BW sounds a lot
different than wide.  I'll adjust it (not that I do that much) based
on what sounds right; not by looking at a display or "the numbers."
Who cares what those are...it has to sound right.  Same with
shift/pbt.  As for RIT/XIT, for me, the only thing that matters is if
it is ON or OFF.  If I twiddle either, it will be for a specific QSO.
And as soon as I'm done with that Q, I zero it by tapping the clear
button.  If I feel that I need to twiddle it again for another Q, well
then the offset does automatically show up (as I understand it...I
don't have my K3's yet).  Power?  Why do you want to monitor that.
Isn't it "set it and forget it?"  Vox?  Are you turning vox on and off
during a contest?  Why?  Basically, I just do not see why these are
important to you unless it's just a matter of that is what you are
used to now.

You also said, "I can't afford to spend time twiddling knobs to
determine the current state of the transceiver."  I agree!  In fact, I
would say that during a contest, you can't afford to be twiddling
knobs period.  If you are adjusting AGC, Shift, Bandwidth RF gain,
Preamp, Notch, etc during a contest, sounds like DXing more than
contesting to me.  Time spent twiddling knobs is time not making Q's.

I won't dispute that these may be (seem?) "important" to you now, but
I know tons of contesters who simply "do it by ear" and usually don't
twiddle knobs at all.  Like K3ZO, on cw I like to select one BW
(usually fairly wide) and that's how I operate the entire contest.  If
I have to narrow it for one situation, I immediately "put it back" as
soon as that Q is done.

So that's MY style of contesting.  The purpose of this post is simply
to present another POV (mine).

de Doug KR2Q