[Elecraft] Interested in your impression of the KX3 compared to K2 and K3

[Bill Frantz]

One more item to add to Don's excellent comment. As someone who 
prefers to build equipment rather than get it preassembled, the 
K2 is available as a you-build-it kit. The K3 and KX3 are only 
available as you-assemble-it kits.

I spent a year and a half dithering between the K2 and the K3 
thinking, "Better radio vs. building it." I ended up with the K3 
and am quite happy, but I still hear the K2's siren song. (And I 
will probably get a KX3 for portability before the K2, so go figure.)

Cheers - Bill, AE6JV

On 10/18/12 at 10:27 AM, w3fpr at embarqmail.com (Don Wilhelm) wrote:

>The KX3 is definitely an SDR - the K3 is too - the firmware 
>defines the function of the radio.
>Somehow the "SDR" term has become construed in some ham's minds 
>that a computer is required if it is an SDR, but look at the 
>"Software Defined Radio" literally - the firmware loaded into 
>the radio determines how it functions, and that is what SDR 
>really means - anything extra is an extension.
>
>Comparing the KX3 with the K2 and K3 is a different question.  
>They will all perform quite well, and are all in the top area 
>if the Sherwood listings.  The big advantage of the K3 and KX3 
>over the K2 is that the RX bandwidth is continuously adjustable 
>where the K2 is only adjustable when you do the filter 
>alignment - you have 4 filter bandwidths per mode to work with 
>- on the K3 and KX3 that is adjustable in infinite steps with a 
>knob control.
>
>The KX3 vs. the K3 question is one of operating convenience and 
>preferences.If you are looking for portable over the 
>convenience of connections, then the KX3 is the better choice.  
>The K3 has more jacks to connect to external devices such as a 
>soundcard for digital operation while the KX3 can do that too 
>if you use a cable to the mic and headphone jacks, but that 
>replaces the normal mic and headphone connections.
>
>So all 3 are quite capable transceivers - decide on your usage 
>preferences and make your decision on that basis..

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