[Elecraft] K3 vers K2 questions that I keep seeimg

[harry latterman]

Thanks everyone for your feedback. I am sure that at one time the K2 must have had more then it's share of hits on this site. The K3 will probably be in my future although I have known 2 people that have owned them and traded them off. But then again they went through a number of radios before they stopped. If one radio was the ultimate then everyone else would go out of business. Also it was noted that it depends on what the radio is doing and the operator.

My radios either sit for months or worked hard. I like qrp. I use it when in my work room with a hunk of wire, 4:1, ground and extrenal ATU. Mostly CW but I own a NUE-PSK 31 which is a stand alone psk/rtty modem (look ma no computer). I plan on making a cable and using that with the K2 shortly. My CW is yuck, but you can find my yuck on the QRS 40 meter freq (7.110 - 7.116 mhz) on and off during the evenings, and the CW quality if the K2 is nothing short of great. And I do SSB on 40, 20, 18 and 15 meters. Like to make contacts and rag chew if I can. I do contests just to make contacts and give other points. Not yet into serious radiosport. So the basic K2 works for me at home or when I go camping. The /100 part is more when I am on my good antenna and the band is hot (luke warm is also great). So changing power suppies and cranking it up is my second option. Somehow have 100 mw to 100 watts in the same small lightweight box, with a great reciever fits my
 needs.

So do I need a K3? Only time will tell. The K2 is not my only radio. I have a classic IC-756 and a hot new Icom IC-7200 field radio which is a digital dream radio to use. I really believe in the days, weeks, months and years to come the K2 will probably be closer to me and used more often. I really do not feel I need the extra feature of the K3 at this time. If I want another DSP option I can get it for the K2, but the analog AF filter is quite impressive. 

It should be noted that my impression of Elecraft is that they are nothing short of fantastic.. I did at one time make a K1/4 and it was one great radio. The K2 stacks up to and in some case exceeds my other two radios and that includes the IC-7200 which has the guts of the IC-7000 and PROIII 32 bit IF DSP and 24 bit A/D - D/A, and smaller and lighter to boot.

I think if money was not an issue and I was a hard core conterster I would have to have a K3, but I am a casual user who likes to chase dx and talk to anyone. I like low power and 100 watts to me is high power. My hearing is going to sound quality is a major factor and the K2/100 internal speaker is so-so, but an external or headset and the radio real works for me.

So thank you one and all for the feedback. It is greatly appreciated. Hope I will catch you all on the air someday.

73, have a great week and happy dxing to one and all
Harry K7ZOV