[Elecraft] K3 or K3S: Whadayathink?

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

I have heard comments in the following categories as payoff for doing
the KSYN3A upgrade, now at this point all from trusted sources or
documented in some clear, valid fashion.

1) clearer sound and separation in pileups.
2) lower noise level in quiet locations and upper bands.
3) P3 presentation has a lot less spectrum noise and junk with
terminated antenna jack.
4) P3 presentation has less phase noise on steady carriers and they
appear much more like lines.
5) much better QSK through typical contest CW speeds, up to 40/45 WPM,
all without changing into QRQ mode which has to turn off functionality
that is important in contests.
6) allows listening down to 100 kHz when the LF mods are done concurrently.
7) a staged conversion of both a local K3 doing TX and separate K3
doing RX, first one then the other, when both are done showed
elimination of an enormous width of phase noise seen on a P3, from +/-
10 kHz down to 50 Hz. This would be a FURTHER improvement to the
already common field day "one K3 on CW, one K3 on SSB, on the same
band, don't hear each other", etc. Practically, this might mean
operation at multi/x contest stations to within 5/10 kHz or less with
some attention to RX antenna separation from TX antenna and not
burning up K3 front ends. We will know more about this during/after
the upcoming 2015/16 contest season.
8) NB and NR are better/clearer. (Egads, but I understand why.)

I have not gotten the open time to get all the "S" mods done. I have
them on hand, but I have to finish it all in a single stretch of bench
time to keep from losing and forgetting stuff. But given the above, I
fully expect diversity to improve. Any ole week now, I expect to be
able to show P3 display of new birdies displayed at 160m high noon.
There is a full depth, an ocean deep layer of discreet cr*p from
Raleigh environs, and I expect to be able to hear that discreet crap a
lot clearer. Why should anyone care?

I will also expect to be able to hear a little farther down into the
stuff coming in on the EU oriented 5 element monster quad at NY4A.
Maybe that largely uncopiable layer of Russian "peepers" on 40 will
wind up in the log. We will see.

Going forward, my money is on the idea that after a while, the first
question asked about a used K3 will be whether they have the SYN3A
board(s), or have the "S" mods. A "yes" will command a higher price.
Face it folks, the old syns are obsolete. If that doesn't affect your
personal operations, that's cool, save your money, but the main deal
will be whether the K3 has the SYN3A board(s) and the new DSP/audio
board.

Just my opinion, but with Yakencom, something the level of the SYN3A +
DSP/audio improvements will ALWAYS cost you the bucks of a brand new
model, maybe a new model line. There is actually very little of the
K3S change lineup that will not ultimately be available for a K3
owner. Elecraft has done it so you can pursue EITHER path, as you
wish, and pick and choose. And there are some who are complaining this
makes it too difficult to figure out.

Ah, serving the public...always the tanner of hides and progenitor of
thick skins.

At some point I decided to wind up with a pair of K3's. As it stands
now, it will be my fully modded kit K3 #1239 and a new factory K3S,
both with diversity equipping. The K3 will be the take-with rig and
the "S" will never leave the shack. I will be selling some stuff to
get that done. Never been motivated that way before.

Not doing 160-40 without diversity ever again. With the SYN3A and
DSP/audio board upgrades, I expect an improvement in clarity in
diversity mode. 8) above is the final clue to that. If a significant
degree of fully random phase noise is eliminated with circuit
improvements elsewhere, the depth of NR, NB must improve. That is
because the SYN phase noise is FM style **modulation** of ALL the
frequency converted signals. The old synthesizer phase noise MODULATES
the band noise and makes the result broader and harder to process to
depth. The SYN3A mod will remove a layer of stuff at the noise level
that our brains will NOT have to discern their way through in
resolving the diversity sound stage.

There are a lot of K3 owners that seemingly would be as well served by
lesser rigs given their description of typical use. Some I know
personally and they are NOT latest and greatest hounds. One fella
simply said "I always buy quality. Always works out best in the end."

A historical summary of operators at the NY4A multi/multi indicated
that their 11 FT1000MP's all the rage at one time were gradually
replaced by 14 K3's and one Orion II. Now it would seem the Orion is
about to be replaced by a K3S. Although there certainly is a "latest
and greatest" crowd here on the reflector, that does not explain the
remarkable coincidence of the NY4A ops, none of whom will ever put up
with being told what to do and buy, and who to a man despise KoolAid.
That particular crowd and their close buddies have tried TS590x,
various Flex models, Ten Tec, the Icoms, but not the Yaesu 5000. I
asked the most prolific rig sampler why not the Yaesu 5000 and he said
too big, too expensive, and only Elecraft has Elecraft philosophy and
service.

All taken together, the collection of mods is spectacular. I do note
that those who have NASCAR grade conveyances parked in their driveway
probably will not notice this grade of improvement in the weekly 3/4
mile trip to the local Target for groceries. But those who push K3's
to the limit are already seeing a lot of improvement in the mods/K3S.

And what is the K3S? It is the inheritor of eight years of fix-it,
improve-it, and new feature water under the bridge, both hardware and
firmware, and some of them really serious fixes. I could always say
you should buy a K3. When all they are now selling new is a K3S with
all that stuff already done, just do it.

73, Guy K2AV



On Thu, Sep 10, 2015 at 2:28 PM, Doug Turnbull <turnbull at net1.ie> wrote:
> Arnie,
>     Elecraft has already blown every other DSP based radio out of the water.
> They keep improving to stay that way.   No doubt in some instances while the
> specification numbers look great we could even get by with less and not
> suffer one lost QSO.   However, viva engineering and the improvements
> brought forward.  Is this jingoistic enough?
>
>               73 Doug EI2CN