[Elecraft] K3 to IC-7800 Comparison?

[Luis V. Romero]

All:

 

OK, I will jump in on this one.  It's close to my heart.

 

My closest local ham friends are IC-7800 owners.  All 5 of them.  All of
them have larger and taller antennas than I do.  I can hear everything they
hear and, though I'm at a 500w transmitter disadvantage viz their kilowatt
amplifiers, I can and do work everything they work with my K3.

 

My local club (Tampa Amateur Radio Club) is a 100% Icom facility with a
7700, two 7600'ds, one 746Pro and a 7100 in their HF "studios"  (more like
"cubicles": there are 6 of them - one is reserved for "classic" AM rigs)  

 

I operated SS SSB two years in succession (2010 and 2011) at our clubhouse
SOABLP using identical antennas (a C31XR at 108 feet, a EF240 at 118 feet, a
C19X at 70 feet and a 80m Dipole at 90 ft).  In 2010 I used the club 7700.
The receiver sounded really crunchy, much like my former TS850.  Lots or
crackly splatter, lots of adjacent desense.  I use that rig often, so I know
how to drive it.  It is never pleasant to use that rig in heavy QRM contest
conditions.  The same can be said for the 7600'ds.  The 746 and the 7100 are
worse by a long shot to the 7700.

 

The following year, I brought my K3 to the club and operated SS using the
club's identical antenna complement.  Not once did I hear any crunching in
the receiver, no splatter mess and no desense.  The contest was much more
pleasant on the ears and all signals were much easier to copy on the K3 than
on the 7700 receiver.

 

I love using the 7700, but not in a serious contesting environment. It
reminds me of my  old TS850.  But I still love to use it!  The reason is the
tactile feel of the 7700 and, a bit less by the same token, the 7600'ds
feels like that too.  While the K3 layout is fine and very workable, the
controls on the Icoms are just so incredibly smooth!  The "feeling of
Luxury" is exuded by the 7700'ds tactile feedback from its controls.  As a
NY friend says "It feels like buttah!". It's a hard concept to explain, but
the feel of the Icom controls is really special. My K3 feels OK, just not as
"silky" as the 7700'd. 

 

Kind of like cars. Drive a Lexus SC430 for show, and a Lotus Elise for go.
Two sports cars for different priorities.

 

If you are into luxury feel, "free" logo'd leather jackets, and 70lb
transceivers that "feel like buttah", the 78/7700'ds are a great choice.  If
you are into well behaved receivers, high operational performance in a
compact, under 10lb lightweight package, the choice is obvious.

 

Takes all kinds to make a world!  I have my priorities, you have yours. 

 

Lu - W4LT

K-Line