[Elecraft] K3 and Expert 1.3

[Bill Frantz]

I have used an Expert 1.3K amp for several years with my 
upgraded K3. The short form is it works well. I got it when my 
wife won a $1000 off certificate. I knew this amp was a popular 
choice of many DXpeditions, and so worked well with the K3s they 
used and was reasonably reliable. When I got my amp, I also 
ordered a custom cable for the K3 which was delivered in the 
same shipment as the amp.

I am careful to not depend on the ALC to control exciter power, 
but instead set the output power on the K3 to the right level to 
get the output power I want from the amp. I believe this 
procedure will result in a cleaner signal.

I am thinking about replacing it with an Elecraft amp for two reasons:

   Full break in CW produces a lot of relay clicking. The 
Elecraft amps use
   PIN diodes.

   The level of integration between the exciter (K3) and the amp 
is much
   better. I can have my K3 operate at 100W when the amp is 
offline and at
   whatever drives the amp to the right power level when the amp 
is online
   with automatic switching.

Cheers - Bill, AE6jV


On 10/4/21 at 9:06 AM, mikek4qu at gmail.com (Mike March) wrote:

>Considering pairing an Expert 1.3 amp with my K3.
>Any experience with this amp?  Cabling issues, band tracking, etc.?
>Thanks in advance.
>
>Mike  K4QU
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