[Elecraft] 897 vs K3

[David Ferrington, M0XDF]

I have both FT-857 (now D) and K3 - I go along with everything said,  
but have to say the K3 is a much better rig, not to mention the great  
support from Elecraft.
The 857 is the smaller version of the 897 and there is no different in  
internals as far as I know, but front panel is slightly easier on 897.

in Feb'08 I worked VP6DX on 80m SSB with 100w  from my QTH in the UK  
(Bracknell, 30m west of London) via the K3 - I could not have done  
that with the 857.

I used the 857 as my base rig for 3.5 yrs and it's certainly a good  
rig and for the price - very portable and mobile, pretty rugged and  
still gets used a lot for short 2m comms jobs etc - good all round rig  
that I shall not be getting rid of,
But I prefer the K3.

If you're budget limited, the 897 is a good choice in my book.

73 de M0XDF, K3 #174
-- 
It is forbidden to kill; therefore all murderers are punished unless  
they
kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets.
-Voltaire, philosopher (1694-1778)

On 13 Jun 2009, at 00:04, Ben Ramler wrote:

>
> Evening Group,
>
>     Well here's a dilemma..... do I get an 897D or do I dive in and  
> get a K3 to start with than upgrade it from there. The thing that  
> sticks out is that K3 is light years ahead of the 897D. However I  
> would have to get brand new because the asking used price is such  
> that no one is willing to work with me on.
>
> thoughts?