[Elecraft] KX3 : a 3 months DX experience

[F5LCI]

Hi all,
I don't know if crossposting with the Yahoo thread is allowed, but i'll do
it only once.
I have been FO/F5LCI on Hao atoll, 900 KM east of Tahiti, in the vast
Tuamotu archipelago (more
 precisely BH91nv) during 3 months, and I have made circa 300 QSOs (200 in
CW,
 100 in JT65). Not a record, but it was casual radio.
 Having received my rig just on time for this "trip" (in fact, a job), I
can't
 comment about crowded bands, nor on Local QRM :-).
 As I  already have home built a K2, a KX1, and a KPA100, the assembly was
no
 problem, except a confusion between screws, leading to a missing one on the
 battery holder.
 RX : superlative! Mostly weak signals (nothing over S6), easily decoded
with
 the filters, sometimes at 50 Hz bandwidth (one thing I could not do with
"older"
 rigs, even with 2x250 Hz crystal filters).
 The NB and NR helped a lot on freqs on and under 14 MHz, a very noisy band
here,
 I dunno why.
 Low bands were problematic : a vertical is not the ideal setup, and there
are so
 many electrical appliances everywhere, even on this lost atoll!
 Audio output: no problem. But It deserves a pair of outboard speakers. If
they
 are connected to the PC, that it is not useable on CW (too much latency
???).
 SDR I/Q output : interesting for NaP3, although signals here were weak.
Anyway,
 the KX3 stages do a very fine job: I had a SDR-receiver (PMSDR) but did not
use
 it for long.
 TX : I must admit that a vertical whip surrounded with salt water helps a
lot,
 but it is not surprising.
 The ATU is a usual with Elecraft : wide span. But a 4:1-1:1 BL2 helped on
some
 bands.
 The ambient temperature being around 28°C, the PWR output was safely
limited to
 5W CW and 3W JT65, as per the manual.
 The "BH91 KX3 3W73" JT65 end exchange was funny and I hope it will make the
KX3
 better known :-)))
 BTW, the digital modes are so popular that CW seems somewhat neglected;
IMHO it
 is a pity.
 However, I could rag some chew with some fine US/VK/ZL ops who kindly took
the
 time to chat with me.
 Many other QSOs were over a 15000 Km distance.
 Having no fridge nor hair-dryer on hand (I don't need it ;-), I still have
not
 implemented the temp drift correction as per the latest firmware, but JT65
QSOs
 weren't a problem.
 My conclusions :
 This rig is a marvel. I had a KWM2, a TR7, a TS950: no comparison.
 It is the ideal QRP and/or DX station, and more:
 I'm still hesitating for my home shack : KX3 or K2/100 ?

 Best 72 and have fun with this jewel !
 FO/F5LCI today QRT.
 But KX3 will have a prominent place at my home QTH.






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