[Elecraft] K3 - love and choices - in cars and radios

Don Rasmussen wb8yqj at yahoo.com
Tue May 20 18:04:15 EDT 2008


TS520, TS130, TS440, TS450, TS480, Drake C, Drake B,
TR4C, IC751a, IC728, IC735, IC756Pro, FT101, FT890AT,
FT902DM, OMNI C, OMNI VI+, Corsair II, Argo V etc.
etc. Collins 75S3a+b, AND K2's. I cherished some of
these sets for years and years. Many radios I've had
and forgotten about. Make whatever analogy to cars you
want - the K3 is radio that transcended this entire
group --all of them -- over time and in less money in
2008 dollars than the TS520 cost me in 1975.

$2900 in 1975 for a $629 TS520, double that for a new
Drake C line -without- cw filter. Want a noise
blanker?  $270.48 (2008 dollars) - extra!

The offshore brands invented the practice of tossing
them in for free, but don't tell anyone, they don't
work. ;-) ;-)

It's hard for me to see where K3 correlates with any
year VW bug, I'd lean towards Lyle's analogy of the
Prius. ;-)


[Elecraft] love and choices - in cars and radios
Charles Harpole k4vud at hotmail.com 
Tue May 20 13:18:00 EDT 2008 

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The discussion about which rig is best is ultimately
funny.  I remember guys who would almost fight anyone
who would not acknowledge the idea that the early VW
bugs were vastly superior to American iron (and I am
sure more than several guys reading this are ready to
pound out their support of their little friend VW) or
any other discussions about issues that resolve mostly
to matters of taste and love.  

One can read about great specs and that makes us feel
good (or not), but virtually every ham lacks the
skill, experience, and physical performance (ears) to
actually hear the difference between high specs and
the highest specs.  And I am sure there are dozens of
guys reading this who will swear they are in the tiny
minority who ACTUALLY can hear the difference... skip
telling me this; I already know what u r gonna say.  I
have already been around real audiophiles in the
editing/mixing suites of movie studios who DO hear a
lot.  But, most people are not at this level.

In my limited ability, I have only hrd one example of
an obvious and real and discernable improvement in a
rig was after I put the roofing filter into my Mark 5.
 That I could hear, but otherwise, nada.

For those thinking of getting a new radio, I advise
modestly for the choice be made based on one's likes,
one's tastes, and the one that makes one feel better
and the radio that invites especially you to love it. 
>From this kind of choice comes satisfaction.  Have
fun.  

K3... VW bug
ORION... Delorean or Edsel
FT-2000... Toyota Camery
FT-9000... Lexus
IC-756Pro3... Audi
TS-2000.... Ford Fairlane
IC-7800... Mercedes 350 sport.
Helberling (sp?)...  Rolls Silver Shadow




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