[Elecraft] Unhappy With Your KX3?

Fri Aug 3 22:06:24 EDT 2012

I think that Harry has some good points.  I am not an Elecraft kool-aid drinker, but I do have more than a few products from Elecraft.  Not all of them, as not all products meet my needs.  I do have the ones I do because I like most of the products and most of the products.  Are the products of Elecraft perfect?  No, but damn close and beyond the other choices out there.  Is the Elecraft option the cheapest option out there?  No!  Is the Elecraft option the best value?  I think so for the products I own.  Duh, that's a given, as I have spent my money in my best interest.

Is the KX3 fully mature?  No, but it is getting there.  The one thing I can say confidently is that the KX3 will  become more and more mature.  It is one of the reasons to spend money with Elecraft as you have a product that can be updated.  My opinion is that Eric and Wayne will make the KX3 the most it can be.  That will be an incredible radio unmatched by anyone or any company.

I am not saying that Harry is wrong, but I am saying that if you understand the Elecraft model, you cannot do better, in my humble opinion.  OK, I like kool-aid but it is not grape.  Are my glasses rose colored?  No, but I do like Rose's carrying cases and covers!  Enjoy the ride.  I have not been disappointed.

Regards and respectively submitted

73
Tom
K4TJD

Sent from my iPad

On Aug 3, 2012, at 8:59 PM, "Harry White" <hwhite1 at maine.rr.com> wrote:

> Hi Kevin,
> 
> Actually, I think this list is very appropriate for your question. I think
> far too many people are looking at the KX3 through rose colored glasses, to
> use a tired old phrase. I received KX3 kit, serial number 557, on June 29th,
> by coincidence my seventieth birthday. The parts list and the actual
> inventory did not match but the kit went together anyway. There seemed to be
> many hardware errors that were miraculously made up by a package of "extra"
> hardware. And there was quite a bit of left over hardware. Odd
> 
> I found the assembling of the two halves to be quite vexing. The speaker and
> battery wires caused major problems as they kept getting into the way. It
> seems they will always be an issue. In addition, the legs, dangling as they
> do, hold the case fasteners at an odd angle and exacerbate an already vexing
> problem. Clearly the legs could use a better mechanical design, independent
> of the case fasteners. Once assembled the KX3 powered up with no issues but
> I was stunned by the poor audio. The distortion was unacceptable at any
> level above a low, unlistenable volume. I thought it might be the speaker so
> I attached external, powered speakers and got the same result. I have read
> on this list that one should just use earbuds or headphones. As one who uses
> two hearing aids, earbuds are unacceptable and I don't think I should be
> forced to use headphones in a very quiet radio room. The speaker has to
> work! And now I find I need to install the grille cloth because of bad
> directions. Someone also suggested grinding or filing away portions of the
> case around the speaker. I'm not about to do something so drastic on a piece
> of electronic gear!
> 
> The result of all that was I have set the radio aside and consider it
> useless in its present form. I have read of firmware revisions but they seem
> unacceptable at this point. Revision 1.10 was noted just today as causing a
> fatal flaw in certain KX3's and the advice was to wait for revision 1.12
> which will not be out for a while. Duhhhhh. In reading the various emails it
> seems that for every step Elecraft takes ahead in firmware, they take almost
> a step back in issues the new revision creates. In addition, there are still
> things not implemented. I wonder how the editors of QST would feel if they
> knew Elecraft advertisements in their magazine were claiming features that
> were not available yet? I can't recall Yaesu, Kenwood, or Icom ever doing
> that.
> 
> Here in Maine the KX3 would be classified as a blivet, two pounds of
> you-know-what in a one pound bag. If it had been made just a quarter or half
> inch longer, taller, or deeper it would be a far better radio. Perhaps
> Elecraft could offer a back case that is one quarter of an inch deeper as a
> retrofit. I'd buy one.
> 
> I am not trying to say that the KX3 is not a good radio, it's just not ready
> for "Prime Time". It will be awesome when it is fully implemented but when
> will that be? If I have any advice for Elecraft it would be to sit down and
> list all the issues, with all their products, and set firm dates for
> resolving them, and then stick to that schedule. Elecraft gives the
> impression of having too many balls in the air, all the time, and thus are
> being forced to nibble at the issues.
> 
> To answer your last question, there is no XYZ radio that I wish I had
> bought. Nothing has the capabilities/specifications of the KX3 at the
> present time. It's the KX3 or a giant step back to the FT-817ND.
> 
> So there you have it Kevin. I own a $1400 paperweight that may someday be
> transformed into a great radio. My advice to you is to wait a bit longer to
> see how the radio evolves.
> 
> 73,
> Harry White
> K1RSA
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net
> [mailto:elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Kevin Kleinfelter
> Sent: Friday, August 03, 2012 1:11 PM
> To: elecraft at mailman.qth.net
> Subject: [Elecraft] Unhappy With Your KX3?
> 
> I'm interested in buying the KX3, but it is a lot of money for me; I want to
> be sure not to make an expensive mistake.  So I started searching the net
> for someone who is unhappy with his/her KX3.  The closest I got was someone
> who said he hated his KX3 and was going to send it back -- until Elecraft
> contacted him, helped him make a config change, and now he loves it.
> 
> So... If you are unhappy with your KX3, please respond with why.  (I'm not
> looking for things that could be tweaked to make it better. I'm looking for
> "Here's why I really wish I had NOT bought my KX3" or "Here's why I really
> wish I had bought xyz instead.")
> 
> If you don't want to post it to the list, please send it to me at
> do-not-like-kx3 [at] kleinfelter [dot] com.
> TIA
> Kevin
> KK4KIK
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