[Elecraft] Help sell me on the K3S

[Don Wilhelm]

Reuben,

Since you do not yet have a license, and you *do* have a K2/10, you 
already have one of the best receivers on the market.  Of course, the 
K3S and the KX3 are a bit better, but the improvement is marginal.

Use the K2 and concentrate on getting your license.
Once you have your license coming, examine your ham radio budget and 
your aspirations.
If you can build thru-hole gear, adding the KPA100 to your base K2 will 
get you a 100 watt transceiver at the lowest cost.  It will be a contest 
grade 100 watt class transceiver.

Yes, the Sherwood ratings of the K3/K3S and KX3 surpass the K2, but not 
by much.

OTOH, if you are into SWLing as well as ham radio, the K2 only has good 
response at frequencies close to the ham bands.  The K3S with the KBPF3A 
option is a better choice for SWLing.

That is the technical side of things, your K2 is great for ham band 
reception, and the K3S with KBPF3 is great for receive outside the ham 
bands.

BUT - concentrate on getting your general (or extra) license before you 
consider an upgrade to your already very good Elecraft K2.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 7/17/2016 1:02 PM, Reuben Popp wrote:
> The higher-end SDR is an option I suppose, but I already have too many
> receivers as it is.  Two R-390A's, three SP-600 variants, two BC-348s and
> in the garage two R-1051-B sets.  Yes, I might have neglected to mention
> before that when I first got into the hobby I was instantly drawn to the
> boatanchor camp (having been in the Navy myself some years ago).  Needless
> to say, my K2/10 is the smallest, and most definitely, _lightest_ radio I
> own.  This coming from the guy who moved most of these into storage in the
> past two weeks to make room for the baby boy arriving in nine weeks.  Yes,
> my back is still recuperating, but my chiropractor?  She loves me.  ;).
>
> I *will* get my ticket, it's just a matter of when, so if I'm in for a
> penny on a receiver, I'm in for a pound and I might as well get a
> transceiver.