[Elecraft] Is the K3 a "fun" radio to operate ?

[Phil Hystad]

Nick,

I am also mostly CW and I rarely use the menus for CW ops.  My question though was not because I was suffering from any lack in using the radio.  I was mostly curious as to what other's opinions are on the idea of a fun radio.

I just realized that I have very limited experience with radios that do not have menus.  My Novice day's rig in the 1960s was a Hammarlund HQ-170AC and an Eico 720.  Neither had menus -- anything you did to those rigs you did by turning a knob or throwing or operating a switch.  But, I left ham radio in 1967 and did not come back until 2004.  So, after the HQ-170AC and the 720, my next rig was an Icom 756 and it had menus.  After that was an Icom 756 Pro III and it had menus.  After that was the K3 and it has menus.

So, I am very poor in experience with radios without menus.

73, phil, K7PEH (Novice call:  WN7ECQ)


On Jan 16, 2013, at 4:29 PM, Nick-WA5BDU <nick-wa5bdu at suddenlink.net> wrote:

> I guess you should ask yourself what controls need to be accessible right in front of you without menus.
> 
> I mainly operate CW.  Here's what I can access immediately without hitting "menu":  keyer speed, sidetone pitch & level, power output, IF shift / bandwidth / filter selection, preamp / attenuator, NR, NB, RIT/XIT, VFO B, AGC, SPOT, RF & AF gain, ATU tune, keyer memories.
> 
> There's more, but you get the idea.  I also have four macro key functions programmed to make some quick configuration changes with a single press.
> 
> My previous rig was an FT-1000.  It had lots of knobs and essentially no menus.  I didn't think I lost anything as far as quick access to needed functions when I upgraded to the K3.
> 
> 73-
> 
> Nick, WA5BDU
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