[Elecraft] The Big Three...

[donovanf at starpower.net]

Hi Jim, 


You would have to seriously compete in an SSB contest with some of the 
more modern radios in very crowded bands to fully appreciate how much 
better the more modern technologies are for both transmit and receive signal 
quality. The latest Flex radios are almost shockingly good, but all of the 
top-shelf modern radios are significantly better performers than the 
12 year old K3 or even the K3S. 



We're discussing the most demanding situations affecting SSB transceiver 
performance: weak -- often distorted -- SSB signals surrounded by 
much stronger adjacent channel QRM. For much of the time on 
20 and especially 40 meters the adjacent much stronger signals overlap 
well into the receiver bandwidth. Typical spacing between SSB signals 
is only 1.5 kHz, if you're lucky its 2.0 kHz and only rarely 2.5 kHz or more. 
This situation is rather unimportant for the casual contester, but its a 
game changer at the upper levels of serious SSB contest competition. 


I have not made technical measurements of K3 SSB transmitter and 
receiver performance nor do I have the capability to do so. I suspect the 
more modern designs have improved the dynamic response of their entire 
receiver and transmitter chain in ways that can't be captured by simple 
static performance measurements such as frequency response, dynamic range 
and IMD. 


73 
Frank 
W3LPL 




----- Original Message -----

From: "Jim Brown" <jim at audiosystemsgroup.com> 
To: elecraft at mailman.qth.net 
Sent: Monday, March 30, 2020 12:32:52 AM 
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] The Big Three... 

Hi Frank, 

SSB is my un-favorite mode, and I don't have exposure to other 
contemporary rigs, so I'd be interested to get your perspective of what 
features/performance of the K3 are weak as opposed to the other radios. 

73, Jim K9YC 

On 3/29/2020 10:09 AM, donovanf at starpower.net wrote: 
> The K3 design is dated, all of the other top manufacturers have introduced 
> much higher performing SSB radios in recent years. 

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