[Elecraft] Considering a K3

[Tighe Kuykendall]

David,

I ran an Icom 756 Pro III prior to purchasing my K3.  I really liked the 
ProIII, but some things that come to mind about my decision roughly 
1.5yr ago are:

- Repair on the ProIII would have been difficult as compared to the K3 
where I built the kit and am comfortable swapping parts. I had started 
to worry about the TFT display on the ProIII and how I would replace it.

- P3 with the SVGA option is great on an external monitor.  Much more 
readable and configurable than the scope on the ProIII.

- Elecraft products are made in the USA and they still provide parts for 
their old radios.  I visited their office and toured the production 
area.  I was really impressed with how welcoming they were.  I got see 
and try a K-line prior to purchasing.

- K3 is user upgradeable for both firmware and accessories.  You can 
grow the radio as you choose.  Not so with the ProIII.

- Filters on the K3 and the ability to easily add/change/upgrade filters 
easily.

I'm fortunate to not have any active hams, running a KW at least, real 
close that cause me issues.  Or maybe I just don't notice.  My K3 
performs excellent and works great with my Heil PR-781 and footswitch I 
had used with the ProIII.  Also worked well with my AL-80B before I 
switched to the KPA500.

As for learning the new radio, I had no issues.  My opinion is that the 
menus are laid out well and there are just enough buttons/knobs for the 
things I use.  I rarely find myself fiddling with settings.  I'm a 
simple person so I'm sure I don't leverage all of the capabilities of my 
K3.  But it works very well for me.

Between the Elecraft utilities for controlling my KPA500 and the rig 
control offered to me through my logging software, I can operate without 
touching the K3/KPA500.  I do find myself pushing buttons and using the 
knob on the P3.

I have no regrets and am extremely happy with my transition.

Tighe
NK4I

On 4/5/14, 11:58 AM, David Cole wrote:
> Hi,
>
> Can anyone point me at some resources to better understand why I want a
> K3, as opposed to keeping my Icom 756 Pro III?  I am considering the
> purchase of a K3/100, I saw a presentation on it at our club meeting,
> liked what I saw very much and would like to get more input from people
> actually using the rig.
>
> I am doing the due diligence part of a new rig purchase here, and am
> looking for just about any input regarding the K3.
>
> So far I have spent a number of hours looking at everything on the net I
> can find for the rig.
>
> What initially caught my eye is the blocking specs...  Something like
> 140 db!  I have 4 active hams living within 1/2 mile of me, and while
> the Pro III works well, I can tell from de-sense that others are on when
> one of them operates.  The band scope of the PRO III will show an
> increased base line across the entire scope...  All 4 run a KW.
>
> The blocking specs alone may be enough to force the switch, but, I am
> wondering if anyone has gotten a K3 running with MixW, how easy is it to
> point and click tune the rig via a PC interface, etc., do you like the
> rig, etc.  If you have used a 756 PRO III, and switched to the K3, I
> would be very interested in contacting you via phone to discuss your
> thoughts on the K3.
>