[Elecraft] K3 - panadapter or subreceiver

[Hisashi T Fujinaka]

I'd agree. I never had either in the past and now I'm constantly looking
at the P3 and I do use the sub-receiver but don't turn it on every time
I'm on. The panadapter tells me when the band is dead, when my antenna
is tuned properly (I have a magnetic loop that needs to be tuned all the
time), when other stations are on, and also if the *%&# power line
arcing is active on the pole outside my house (it's scheduled to be
fixed, but it's been going on for months). I'm sure I could go back to
doing things the old way, but it's like turning off DX spotting: why
would I want to?

On Mon, 2 Jul 2012, Mike K2MK wrote:

> Hi Robert,
>
> I have the sub RX and the P3 and I would not want to be without either,
> however, if I were trying to save money on an initial purchase I would buy
> the P3. The P3 is easy to use and is useful at all times under all
> conditions. The large screen SVGA option which I also have is nice but
> certainly not mandatory. The P3 in combination with the existing tools on
> the K3 will make working split very rewarding.
>
> The sub RX is wonderful but I can go weeks without every turning it on. But
> when needed it is a superb tool. However, working a split DX station where
> there are thousands of callers is still tedious. The sub RX in combination
> with the P3 is terrific.
>
> I would also say that a P3 is much more useful in a contest than a sub RX.
> I've operated many CW contests where I never turn on the sub RX but use the
> P3 extensively. However, if you have the opportunity to add a low noise
> receive antenna for the low bands then the sub RX can also be used for
> diversity reception. This is where you can listen to your transmit antenna
> in one ear and your receive antenna in the other ear. For some this is a
> powerful tool for weak signal work.
>
> RobertG wrote
>>
>> I have never used either a panadapter or a sub-receiver, so I'm a newbie
>> in this area. I use CW almost exclusively, and I chase DX and enter
>> contests [less so in the past, more in the future]. I have a "small
>> pistol" station with no allusions of being a band master. Question:
>> which of these two options might I find more useful for my station and
>> operating preferences? Yes, I can have them both in my K3, but if I had
>> to choose, which one would seem preferable? Thanks for all opinions.

-- 
Hisashi T Fujinaka - htodd at twofifty.com
BSEE(6/86) + BSChem(3/95) + BAEnglish(8/95) + MSCS(8/03) + $2.50 = latte