[Elecraft] Elecraft newbie considering K3 vs KX3

[dw]

Hi Tom,
I'm still running a barefoot K2 (cw only) with an amp I can add on when
needed.
After reading your last post (below) I agree with you that is sounds
like good logic to outfit yourself with a radio that you can immediately
have fun with.
So the SSB mode and additional CW mode sounds like it would support that
well.
On the question of whether to have more than QRP wattage, I can only
relate that I love to see the K2 working a station barefoot.
However, there are those times when I've connected with a station that
I'm really excited about, and that station is struggling to get reliable
copy.
Its wonderful at times like that to be able to flip a switch and bring
up my signal.
I had just that situation the other night and the station thanked me for
turning on the amp.
It might set your wallet back a little on the temporary.
But when you have it, you may be glad you opted for the 100-watts up
front.  :)

Duane - N1BBR 




Message: 13
Date: Tue, 16 Oct 2012 19:27:13 -0500
From: tom betka <tcbetka at hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Elecraft newbie considering K3 vs KX3
To: <phystad at mac.com>
Cc: elecraft at mailman.qth.net
Message-ID: <SNT118-W52FAB9867910FE313113E5A1770 at phx.gbl>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"


Thanks Phil...
I agree that the K3 does indeed seem like the way to go at this point,
and the extra $$ is probably money well-spent. But that leaves me with
another dilemma...how to outfit the K3?
Here's the basic order I came up with today. After talking David at
Elecraft, I added the 100w power amplifier which kicks price up $450.
But my question...is that really needed at first. I guess David's point
(which seemed very valid when we talked) was that I should spend the
extra money on the 100w amp, instead of some stuff for CW that I was
going to opt for instead. I have never really practiced much CW to be
honest, and would like to learn it. However David advised that it would
be more important to get phone up & running, and working well--and THEN
add on CW in the future. After considering his advice more today I think
it's very sound indeed--and therefore was probably looking at this build
list:

Elecraft K3
item#           item description                                unit
price-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------K3/100
              K3 100W Xcvr. (Modular Kit)     $1999.95        (10w =
1549.95)KUSB             Univ. Ser Bus Adapt.                   
$39.95KXSER             K144XV Serial Cable                     free   
MH3                     MH3 Hand Mic                            $59.95 
KAT3            Internal Tuner                         
$299.95===============================================                  
                       TOTAL          $2399.80   (10w = $1949.80)

Although it's a bit more than I was planning to spend initially, the
100-watt amp is an affordable add-on in the initial build. So it would
be do-able. For comparison, if I were to go with a KX3 and leave off the
CW components, the gear would come in at just under $1350--but of course
that doesn't include a 100-watt amplifier, as they are not yet available
for that radio. So it really isn't an "apples-to-apples" comparison at
all...unless you simply consider the 10-watt K3 build. In that case it
would be about $600 more for the K3, and I think it's been
well-established that this extra money would be well-spent given that
this would be my only HF rig.
Anyway, I'll hopefully be looking at Duane's K3 tomorrow if all goes
well. Then I can make the final decision after that, and get moving.
Thanks again to everyone for the advice. It's very reassuring to draw on
the wealth of experience that's so obvious in the users here.

Tom
-- 
 Bw_dw at fastmail.net