[Elecraft] Is the KX3 a good choice for a new General?

[Wayne Burdick]

Interesting thread. The dust appears to be settling, so I thought I'd weigh in. Whether I'm biased or not is left as a study question for the reader ;)

We designed the KX3 specifically for new hams. Here are some considerations:

- The KX3's size and weight allows it to be used anywhere, and powered from a small battery or power supply, even its internal battery pack. This means you don't have to evict anyone from precious desk or table real-estate as you dabble in your new hobby. At least not right away. You can move around, maybe use a corner of the garage, or an RV, or a picnic table. This is why we call it "ultraportable." 

- The KX3 has about half as many controls as the K3 and other full-featured desktop radios. We kept only the essentials. And you don't need to use all of the rig's features. You can start with the basics -- VFO, AF GAIN, MODE, BAND up and down. The default settings of the radio pretty much just work. Set the power level you want and start tuning around.

- The owner's manual is written with new hams in mind, with supplemental information about antennas, operating modes, and the nature of the different HF bands. We don't go into a huge amount of detail, but it's enough to get you started, and you already have a few thousand friends on the Elecraft and KX3 reflectors if you want to dive into deeper waters. The manual is organized so that basic operation is covered right up front. As time permits, you can try each more advanced feature.

- At 12 W (8 to 10 on the highest few bands), the KX3's power output is only 9 dB below 100 W. Thanks to the beauty of logarithmic phenomena, that's only 1.5 to 2.5 S-units depending on whose S-meter standard you're basing it on. (We use roughly a 5-dB-per-S-unit standard at Elecraft.) Yes, it can be harder to work stations using SSB mode when you're two S-units down, but if you avoid pileups and stick with calling stations that are well above the noise level, you'll have no trouble making SSB contacts.

- The KX3's wide-range ATU can greatly simplify the process of erecting antennas for all bands. Here's the simplest case: One piece of wire about 25 feet long, tossed into a tree, and a similar wire laid on the ground, can be connected directly to the radio with a BNC-to-binding post adapter (no coax). The ATU can tune this on 40-6 meters. If the wires are 50 feet long, you can also cover 60 and 80 meters. That's 80-6 meters with two wires, no coax, and a support provided free by nature (or your neighbors). Obviously you can improve on this to better your odds, say by using an off-center-fed wire of 50 to 100 feet long supported in the middle by a 20 to 40 foot pole or tree and fed with twinlead or ladder line. A balun (e.g. Elecraft BL2) would then be used at the rig to convert this sortof-balanced antenna to the radio, through a short length of coax (1 to 2 feet).

- Hams who are transitioning from VHF/UHF to HF might want to add the 2-meter module (3 watts, all modes, including repeater controls, DTMF, memories, etc.). When you get tired of exploring the vast wilds of the HF bands, you can return to the familiarity of 2-m FM, etc., and chat with the locals.

73,
Wayne
N6KR