[KL7AA] Announcing the Elecraft K3 Transceiver: 10/100W 60-6m, Assembled or Kit

Sat Apr 28 03:40:49 EDT 2007

To:     Elecraft Reflector <elecraft at mailman.qth.net>
Subject:     [QRP-L] Announcing the Elecraft K3 Transceiver: 10/100W, 
160-6m, Assembled or Kit
From:     wayne burdick <n6kr at elecraft.com>
Date:     Fri, 27 Apr 2007 23:23:07 -0700

Greetings!

This afternoon at the DX Convention in Visalia, CA, we unveiled a new 
top-of-the-line transceiver -- the Elecraft K3. This is the culmination of 
three years of design, test, and refinement, and we believe the K3 will set 
a new standard for performance and value in its class. It has features and 
performance comparable to present radios ranging from $4000 to $12000.

(We'd like to thank the many surprised convention attendees. What they all 
said boils down to something like "Yes!")

A full K3 web page will be set up by Monday, complete with order form and 
other details. Meanwhile, please take a look at the temporary page:

     http://www.elecraft.com/K3

Among other things, you'll find a very high-resolution front panel photo 
(as well as other photos):

     http://www.elecraft.com/K3/K3_big_v2.jpg

And the K3 data sheet:

     http://www.elecraft.com/K3/K3_Data%20Sheet_rev06.pdf

There's also an order form that could be printed and mailed, but sometime 
on Monday the on-line order page will be up and running, which is the 
preferred method.

As explained on the order form, you can reserve a K3 now for initial 
shipments in July. A 50% deposit is requested if you'd like to secure one 
of the first 200 production units (serial numbers 20-220, probably).

Here's a quick summary of the K3's specs:

- K3/100 and K3/10 models (the K3/10 can be upgraded very easily, 
internally, to a K3/100)

- Basic K3 price ranges from $1399 to $1989 depending on whether you start 
with the 10-watt or 100-watt model, and whether you choose factory assembled or

     modular, no-soldering, kit (this is the subject of the next email).

- Desktop/portable size: 4"H x 10"W x 10"D (10 x 25 x 25 cm) -- optimized 
for both

     home and travel use

- All modes (SSB, CW, DATA, AM, FM, plus AM-sync receive, and built-in 
PSK31/TTY decoder)

- High-dynamic range, down-conversion architecture, plus 32-bit I.F. DSP 
for software-defined capabilities (and lots of room for future expansion)

- Optional subreceiver with *identical* performance to the main receiver, 
including a fully independent front end, its own set of roofing filters, 
its own DSP, and low-noise synthesizer; binaural or combined receiver audio

- Up to five crystal roofing filters *per receiver*, with bandwidths as 
narrow as 200 Hz

- Narrow ham-band filtering, plus optional general-coverage receive filters

     (can be added to either or both receivers)

   - Internal 100-W ATU option with two antenna jacks

- 100 W PA module includes two large fans, circuit breaker, full parameter 
monitoring

- All signal sources phase-locked to common 49.380 MHz reference oscillator;

     1 PPM TCXO option, firmware-correctable to better than 0.5 PPM

   - Built-in PSK31, RTTY, and CW decoding and display allows use of
     digital modes with or *without* a computer; use CW keyer paddle or
     attached computer for casual, two-way data QSOs

- Advanced noise reduction; auto- and manual notch. Noise blanker included 
(both

     I.F. hardware pulse blanker and DSP noise blanking)

- Easy-to-use DSP shift/width and locut/hicut controls with automatic 
crystal filter selection based on selected passband width (in real-time -- 
no filter calculation delays)

   - Dedicated CW/voice message buttons; optional digital voice recorder

- 100 general frequency memories with alphanumeric text labeling, plus 4 
scratchpad memories per band

- Full-custom, optimized, segmented LCD with two VFO displays, alphanumeric 
text, and

     dedicated filter passband graphic

- Rich I/O set: stereo speaker outputs, fully isolated soundcard interface, 
dedicated RS-232 I/O (and optional USB adapter), receive antenna in/out 
jacks (for patching in RX filters, etc.),

     and both front- and rear-panel mic and headphone jacks

- One-click PC firmware download program checks for updates automatically 
and quickly

     updates microcontroller and DSP firmware

If you have any questions on specifications, performance, etc., that are 
not answered by the data sheet, feel free to email wayne at elecraft.com.

Sales questions should go to Lisa:

   sales at elecraft.com

We'd like to acknowledge the hard work of the following colleagues:

Lyle Johnson, KK7P (DSP, digital I/O, audio I/O, many of the PC boards, and 
countless critical tasks) Bob Friess, N6CM (RF deck, ATU, high-performance 
1st mixer, noise blanker, other receiver design)

   John Grebenkemper, KI6WX (synthesizer, general receiver architecture)

Brian Broggie, W6FVI (manufacturing engineering -- say hi to him at Visalia 
tomorrow)

   Paul Russell (purchasing)
   Lisa Jones (who somehow held down the fort during the entire process)

Eric (WA6HHQ), as usual, applied pressure in all the right places to ensure 
that this would be the best radio we could make: he's Mr. Performance and 
Features. Wayne (N6KR -- yours truly) was the principle designer, and also 
got to do all the fun parts (packaging, firmware, and Owner's manual). And 
that's why he gets to answer your questions :)

We'd also like to express our thanks to our very patient 15-member focus 
group. Over a period of about a year, they endured a never-ending series of 
concept drawings, refinements, and feature discussions. They're a 
distinguished bunch! I'm sure you'll hear from some of them as the K3 is 
discussed at length.

Finally: thanks to all of you who have generously contributed ideas for a 
hypothetical K3 during our many on-line "fishing expeditions." You had 
wonderful input, and I hope we've created the radio you've always wanted.

73,
Wayne, N6KR
Eric, WA6HHQ
=====================================================================

To:     Elecraft Reflector <elecraft at mailman.qth.net>
Subject:     [QRP-L] A few words about the Elecraft K3 modular, 
no-soldering kit
From:     wayne burdick <n6kr at elecraft.com>
Date:     Fri, 27 Apr 2007 23:42:18 -0700

The K3 is a modern, high-performance radio with many features never seen in 
this size or price class. Of necessity, about 60% of the components are 
surface mount (SMD).

In order to ensure consistency in performance at this level of integration, 
we must 100% test all of these surface-mount components after installation. 
But such testing is very difficult unless *all* of the components and 
connectors are present at manufacturing test time. So, we elected to create 
a modular, no-soldering kit: all of the modules are pre-assembled and 
pre-tested. By implication, all toroids are pre-wound, too :)

By pre-testing the modules, we can guarantee that any K3 -- whether 
purchased factory assembled or built as a kit -- will have identical 
performance.

Modular kit builders will find the K3 very easy to build, yet not without 
effort: there are over 100 individual pieces of hardware, many modules, 
sheet metal panels, bezels, knobs, etc. The builder will also perform a 
number of firmware-assisted alignment steps. The assembly manual will serve 
as an RF theory tutorial, so that you'll learn a lot about how the radio 
works. Builders will, we hope, have a deeper understanding of the K3. And 
they'll save a significant amount of money in the process.

We will continue to offer all of our present traditional kits, and will 
have new full kits in the future. We hope that first-time builders who 
tackle the K3 will also try their hand at soldering, building, and 
experimentation. We hope to offer some SMD-based kits in the future where 
the builder gets to install all of the parts -- but it probably won't be 
anything at the level of the K3.

Please send any comments or suggestions regarding the K3 kit philosophy to 
wayne at elecraft.com (or n6kr at elecraft.com).

Of course this is also a potentially lively topic for the reflector. We 
welcome your views.

73,
Wayne, N6KR
Eric, WA6HHQ