[Elecraft] K3 display for contesters

[Brendan Minish]

On Fri, 2007-11-30 at 18:09 -0500, Dick Green WC1M wrote:
> N1EU recently posted a query about the lack of a full-time bandwidth
> display. Many replied that all you have to do is turn a knob to see the
> current bandwidth. Evidently, this also applies to a number of other
> operating parameters, including output power(!)
> 
>  
> 
> This is all well-and-good for casual operating and DXing, but it's a real
> liability for serious contesters. In a contest, the last thing I want to do
> is take my hands off the keyboard. I need to be able to see certain
> important transceiver setting with a quick glance in order to make a
> decision whether or not to move my hands. Bandwidth is one of the settings I
> need to know, and the roofing filter selection isn't sufficient -- I need to
> know the ultimate selectivity provided by the DSP. 


I used my K3 in anger in the CQWW CW contest last weekend. this was
driving my Full KSK amp (Acom 1000) 
(Yes I did operate Full QSK for parts of the contest, the K3 QSK is very
smooth indeed. )

Several times during the weekend I switched back to my Icom IC-7800, the
K3 gave a better account of it's self particularly in European 40m
conditions and was better ergonomically (please also bear in mind I have
been using the 7800 for more than a year and am now well versed in using
it but the k3 I have only had a couple of weeks)   

On Monday I Placed my 7800 on the market, it's far too much money to
have tied up in my second radio slot. 

The K3 is a fine contest radio, best I have used to date. I don't
understand why I would ever need to know my exact RX filter bandwidth in
a contest, surely my ears will tell me that! The roofing filter display
on mine makes plenty of sense when you have 1k 500hz and 250 hz roofing
filters in there  

RIT (and any other operation that means you are TX and RX on differing
frequencies) is indicated by a nice bright LED 
 My logging software displays any RIT/XIT offset on the PC in front of
me. 
Notch filter status (on or off) is clearly displayed on the K3 display
but again, if there's a notch filter sized hole in my audio pass-band I
expect my ears to be able to tell me it's on. 

Output power is displayed very accurately by my (external, post amp)
LP-100 on a nice big fluorescent display, surely this is better than
having it on a crowded LCD display on the radio, when your primary focus
is the logging PC anyway   

My suggestion would be that if you already have K3 on order, wait till
you get it, then try it out. if you don't like it then sell it on, If
you do keep it.
If you don't have one on order, ordering one is a small price in
contesting terms to try out this fine radio.
Until Elecraft get their shipping rate up to speed I suspect that second
hand K3's  would easily make retail price. 
Heck I might buy it to try out SO2R  

In the CQWW contest in 28 hours operating fitted in around family
activities, food and sleep I managed the following claimed score

 Band  QSOs  Zones  Countries
------------------------------
  160:  281    12       56
   80:  408    13       55
   40:  220    19       71
   20:  348    15       58
   15:  177    22       57
   10:   79     5       16
------------------------------
Total: 1513   313       86  Total Score = 994,707

This was single operator, single radio High power assisted. 
All antennas on one 60 foot tower 
Inv L(160m) Inv V dipole (80) M2 7-10-30 skip log 40 -10m
power 400W 

73's EI6IZ 


-- 
Don‘t complain. Nobody will understand. Or care. And certainly don‘t try
to fix the situation yourself. It‘s dangerous. Leave it to a highly
untrained, unqualified, expendable professional.