[Elecraft] K3/10

[John Ragle]

Steve...

     Hearty welcome back to activity in this wonderful hobby! I have 
used (in temporal order) a K2 for a year, a Flex 3000 for a year, and 
now a K3 for a little over a year. Before that, it was a menagerie of 
TenTec, Icom, Kenwood, Hallicrafters, home-built, etc.

     Addressing your situation: the K3/10 in digital mode with a dipole 
should enable you to work anyone you can hear. On HF I typically run 
BPSK31 or another of the collection of modes available on FLDIGI or 
HRD/DM780 or mixW. I typically run 20-30 watts out to the feedline of a 
2-element Mosley triband beam at 30 feet. My location is what I would 
call moderately poor to poor, near sea level, and in a bowl with 1000+ 
ft hills all around. I have no problem whatever working into Europe at 
morning terminator time, nor into central or western USA/Canada in the 
afternoon. Cross-equatorial contacts are easy. Before I put up the 
Mosley, I used a trap vertical with a couple of radials.

     Not to worry about rusty CW. First, it would come right back with a 
tiny practice interval, and second, the other digital modes (CW is 
digital, right?)  at a keyboard are very relaxing...you can sip 
coffee/tea and kick back, while enjoying what the other fellow has to 
say. Keyboard skills also respond to practice...I took typing in high 
school, and mark it as one of the most worthwhile courses of that 
time...but even a Columbus-type typist (discover, then land) can do 
30-40 wpm on a keyboard.

     WRT the K3, it is simply the best all-around xcvr I have ever 
owned, in 65 years of hamming. Mine happens to be a K3/100, but I only 
crank it full bore on 6 meter USB when 6 is NOT open. (When 6 IS open, 
10 watts will be plenty. I have worked KL7 from here with a 10 watt 
ICOM.  When Old Sol comes around, the world will be your oyster with the 
K3/10, but don't expect to compete on 20 meter USB at contest time.

     Your progressive add-on process will require a little thought. My 
choice would be to add an amplier and antenna first, then SSB later.

     Another thought: you might consider purchase of a K2 in kit form. 
It will take you 30-50 hours to complete, but it is all hole-stuffing 
"paint by numbers" and will save you a few bucks. If I hadn't been 
suckered in by the Flex ads, I would still be running my K2/100. I used 
a SignaLink-USB with it, and use the same set-up with my K3/100.

John Ragle -- W1ZI

=====

On 5/16/2011 12:12 PM, Steve Coates wrote:
> With Hamvention this week I am thinking it is time to get an HF rig. I
> have been out of radio for a good number of years and looking to get
> back in. With the money limits I have the 10w K3 would be the only
> option and I would add features as funds were available.
>
> I understand the technical differences between 100w and 10w but I am
> looking for input on the practical side of things. What should I
> expect when running 10w? My CW is so rusty I really can't go there
> right away, so I would be most interested in digital modes and SSB.
>
> I will have some kind of multi-band dipole for an antenna.
>
> Steve
> N8JAF
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:Elecraft at mailman.qth.net
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>
>
>
>