[Elecraft] K3 eHam review after 2+ years

[HowardZ]

Julian,  I read your web page about the MFJ 1026 and I think you did an
excellent job.  I'm not sure the Miracle Whip type antenna will do a good
job down in the 75/80m range - but that was insightful that the noise
antenna needs to be tuned to frequency to perform well.

My 320ft one wavelength loop is my daily use antenna for regional work.  But
I also have a hustler 5btv vertical with 60 radials for DX work.  I've gone
over 6000 miles once with PSK31 with the vertical.  I have the final whip on
the vertical pruned just right for the noisy Mars frequency.  The vertical
is very poor for the regional work on this frequency because everyone else
is using horizontal antennas.  The vertical picks up lots of noise and maybe
it will work well as the noise antenna?

I have the SGC amplifier's FAN kit on back order and when it comes in,
they'll ship the fan kit along with a new MFJ 1026.  (Hey, I gotta save on
the shipping!)

Since I went on-line to the internet around 15 years ago, I decided to
maintain anonymity.  It prevents my home from being robbed based on personal
information I might accidentally share.  And, if I make an ass of myself
from time to time - something I am skilled at - well at least my real name
isn't associated with it :) :)

I hold an Amateur Extra class license, and was a VE - that is until I got
promoted - lost my Fri/Sat days off and afternoon shift.  We "bid" a few
times each year for working hours and days off based on seniority in one's
current position.  So I now start work at 4AM and get the undesirable
Tue/Wed as regular days off.  (Tue/Wed means no lines in the stores when
shopping) But it is not forever.  Things will eventually improve.

Maybe I've been a bit rough on the hardware mods from Elecraft.  It is a
good thing to be able to keep up with improvements.

I accidentally melted some plastic inside my IC-91AD performing the MARS
mod.  Fortunately only I know where the damage is.  When I Mars modded my
IC2200H I came so close to clipping the wrong diodes - it wasn't funny.  But
I realized it at the last second.  On other projects I've murdered
components by using too much heat.  High heat is a habit from when I used to
chip Volkswagen engine computers.  High heat won't usually hurt the one
surface mounted chip I had to remove, reprogram, and resolder.  There was
always one trace that needed far more heat than the others for a good solder
connection - don't know why.  Loved to use 666 degrees F on my soldering
iron.  And if perchance it might kill a chip, I always had a few new spare
chips around.  I've built a few simple things like a voltage divider
attenuator circuit, but I don't really trust myself with a soldering iron
(except on VW engine computers - I only ruined one VW computer)

I currently own an ICOM 746Pro.  Universal Radio did the Mars mod for me.  I
purchased it in early 2008. I believe I have avoided all the early
production unit problems like backlights burning out and TX quitting.  I
have the TX audio bass and treble adjusted so well I get unsolicited
compliments on my audio.  People ask what microphone I am using and can't
believe it when I say its the stock Icom microphone.  I got the COMPressor
adjusted so I cut through the Mars Freq noise and often get compliments on
my "good signal" - and "Howard's really improved his station - he sounds
good" - though one person doesn't like the sound of the compressor-speech. 
Well some of those complements might also be from extending my L-Dipole to a
1-Wavelength-loop.  It's only on EasyPal nets that I just can't seem to XMT
pictures reliably - and it turns out that all the people who XMT well - they
are using 500 or 600 watt amplifiers - this must be a requirement for
EasyPal given our current band conditions.  Now I have an amplifier.  So the
problem left is just RX noise. noise noise noise.  Maybe a better radio will
solve it?  I'm not sure.  I'm going to try the MFJ 1026.

I find it rather undesirable to buy a radio that's still undergoing hardware
mods/improvements.  Though I think that after a year or two there should not
be any major hardware problems left.

Well, it has been fun entertaining you the past few days.  Perhaps I'll join
the K3 owners' club in the near future.

Howard
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