[Elecraft] K3 - Should I buy simple now or save for loaded rig?

[Jim Brown]

On 9/12/2012 8:21 PM, Stan AE7UT wrote:
> The quesiton is should I get a K3 now (hoping to beat the price increase) or
> wait and buy the fully loaded version in a couple of months?  How difficult
> is it to keep adding modules on? I would be buying the kit form.

Not difficult at all.  The only tricky part about building a fully 
loaded K3 is that the sub-RX is a real shoe-horn job, and you have to 
remove it to add stuff to either it or the main board, even filters. 
Thus, I would suggest that you make it the last thing you add. 
Everything else is a piece of cake.

Another alternative.  The KX3 is a real nice radio.  For about the price 
of a not-loaded K3  you could add a KPA500 to it and have a 250W radio.  
It all depends on what you want to do with it when you're done. :)   
Later, buy the K3 with the KAT500 high power antenna tuner, drive the 
amp with that, and you've got a real nice 600W station.

73, Jim K9YC