[Elecraft] Help sell me on the K3S

[Byron Servies]

Hi there!

A few thoughts my experience, in case they help.

I am a relatively recent ham, having been first licensed in 2008. At
that time, I bought a lot of appliances: FT-450, remote auto tuners,
ARRL stealth antenna books. It wasn't too long before I realized that
I was not achieving my own personal goals in ham radio: learning about
radio electronics. And HF really wasn't working well for me, which is
no surprise given my HOA QTH and want of understanding.

So, I sold my appliances and bought a K1 kit and learned CW. Building
that kit was great, and I still really enjoy using that radio. You
adjust the VFO frequncy by picking at the windings of an inductor! How
much fun is that! So much fun.

I have since learned a lot more about radio and electronics, built a
K2 with all the features, and have been through several iterations of
antennas. I discovered contesting, which added a new goal. And, I even
presented my failures at Pacificon a couple of years ago. So many
failures!  But it was a fun presentation to give.

Right now, I have a used K3 at Elecraft being upgraded and I think I
am ready for it. But, hey, that's me. Your situation will be
different.

My point is that you need to figure out what you want to do. Just be
prepared for potential failure and a change in direction! Phil gives
solid advice, and I recommend considering it.

Oh, and definitely get a license first.

73, Byron N6NUL

On Sun, Jul 17, 2016 at 7:26 PM, Reuben Popp <reuben.popp at gmail.com> wrote:
> Interesting, but the KDSP2 appears to have disappeared on the order page.
> Did that part become discontinued for one reason or another?
>
> On Sun, Jul 17, 2016 at 8:35 PM, Don Wilhelm <donwilh at embarqmail.com> wrote:
>
>> 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.
>>>
>>
>>
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