[TVARC] Fwd: Re: [FCG] Lighning strikes N6AR!

Fri Jul 27 15:28:45 EDT 2018

Folks,
N6AR took a lightning hit recently, so he is looking for a new rig.  I thought the two email responses below were interesting and informative.
I have a K3, and use it exclusively at Montserrat.  I also have a TS-590SG, but I have hardly used it.  It looks real pretty, though.😄
73,
George

-------- Original Message ----------
From: "NN7CW Wolf via Groups.Io" <nn7cw=yahoo.com at groups.io>
To: WF3C Chris Plumblee <chris.plumblee at gmail.com>, Larry Brockman <n6ar at earthlink.net>, FCG <FCG at groups.io>
Cc: FCG at groups.io
Date: July 27, 2018 at 2:39 PM
Subject: Re: [FCG] Lighning strikes N6AR!

Hi Larry,
I'm sorry to hear about the lightning strike!
‎
Regarding your message, I second Chris's conclusion.

I owned a TS590S for several years and enjoyed its great rx performance. The only thing I don't like about the 590SG is the notably clicking rx-tx relay, because I am into qsk qrq cw. That's why I went for a K3S instead, because it has silent pin diode switching. I think if I only did dx-ing and/or contesting, it wouldn't be a problem.

The nice thing is that the 590 rx filtering works well the way it is, so you won't have to purchase any additional IF filters to improve its performance. If you go for the K3S, you will probably find yourself tempted to add some narrow IF filters, which will cost extra.
Since you mentioned using the DSP filtering down to 50Hz, the 590 does ring a little more than the K3S at very narrow bandwidths. Other than that, the K3 rx is more quiet and spec-wise better, but also more expensive.
‎
I don't like the FT3000. I found the handling cumbersome and counter-intuitive. Also, it does not have a Tx tune function, so tuning an amp is cumbersome and in most cases, you will have to adjust your tx output power to the level you want to use for tuning. The K3 has a dedicated tune button and the 590 lets you easily assign one if its configurable function buttons. Both rigs allow you to define a default tune power level, which is also convenient if you use antennas you additionally tune with an external tuner. 

IMO, the 590 is very user-friendly and as a Kenwood guy, you would have zero problems getting used to it. The K3S is a little more complicated, due to its more complex ‎configurability, but once you have spent some time with it, it will all make sense.

If it wasn't for qrq, it wouldn't kill me if I went back to a 590. And btw, the qrq of the K3S is not perfect either. Once you go beyond 60wpm, the radio starts smearing the code elements. To mitigate that issue, Elecraft implemented the "QRQ Mode", which can be selected in the config menu and allocates more processing resources to the keying. The drawback is that it disables split and RIT, which annoys me on a weekly basis. We have a multi op qrq sked every weekend and since some of the ops use older rigs, they are not zero-beat. As a consequence, since RIT is not available, I find myself manually adjusting the VFO to the guy who is tx-ing and then forgetting to go back to the nominal qrg when it's my turn. This might be a highly individual problem, but I wanted to have mentioned it. AA0HW did some interesting K3S qsk qrq performance testing which can be googled using the keywords 'k3s qrq performance'.

It think you are looking at the right options, excluding the IC7300, since you don't like Icom. Good luck with your decision!
‎
‎73,
Wolf, NN7CW
‎
PS: Regarding the 2nd rx: I never had a strong need for an independent 2nd rx. I had one in my FT1000MP and I surely bragged about it, but I hardly ever used it. You can occasionally catch a successful split caller while listening to the dx, so you briefly know on which rx qrg the dx is and can quickly try to work him there. For some it's worth the extra money, for me it's not.
‎

Sent from my BlackBerry 10 smartphone.

  	  Original Message  

From: WF3C Chris PlumbleeSent: Friday, July 27, 2018 09:10To: Larry Brockman; FCGSubject: Re: [FCG] Lighning strikes N6AR!

Hi Larry,

I'm a big fan of the TS590SG for the price, though as you admit it does not have a second receiver. Your TS870 also did not have a second receiver, so in some sense you don't know what you're missing.

I'm not a huge fan of the FT3000. The receiver was very good, but the control scheme depends heavily on a menu system that I found un-intuitive.

I think the K3 is a very usable radio. After some significant secondhand experience with them (N4WW has one that we use in multi-ops frequently, and I've used W4LT's and K5AUP's as well) I feel pretty comfortable with it.

If I were buying a new radio right now, I would look at the K3S (> $2,000 depending on options) and the TS590SG (< $1,500). The FTDX5000 is also very nice, but is more expensive than a K3S (depending on how you configure the Elecraft).

Chris WF3C

On Fri, Jul 27, 2018 at 8:21 AM N6AR Larry < n6ar at earthlink.net mailto:n6ar at earthlink.net > wrote:

Guys,

Well, I returned Friday night from Italy and a visit to my two daughters, only to find that the house was apparently struck by lightning.  My Spectrum Modem, TS 870, Yaesu rotor controller, MFJ Keyer, Display Monitor, 12 volt distribution panel, LG Refrigerator and Lenovo Computer were all fried.  My spare radio was an old TS930.  But when I pulled it out and plugged it in (first time in years), I discovered the display module is intermittent!  Such luck.

So, for the first time in 20 years, I am in the market for a new radio.  As an avid DXer and Contester, it would appear there’s a lot of support for the K3; but others claim the K3 is cumbersome to learn and program/setup, and the knobs are all itty bitty and violate the basic rules of good ergonomics.  I have played with the K3 at the Orlando Hamcation a couple of times, and I see what they mean, but it didn’t seem too cumbersome.  Others speak boldly for Yaesu.  I would have gone for the FTDX2000D because of the 200 watts, but it is not available.  I don’t want to buy a used radio.  The FTDX3000 looks good, and I played with it as well at the Hamcation.  But it is only 100 watts.  My brother says I need a transceiver with two receivers, which both the FTDX 3000 and the K3S have.  I’ve never had that before, always being able to find the right spot in the pileup using just split capability.  As a Kenwood fan for the last 30 years, the TS590SG whets my interest, but it has just one receiver.  I am not an ICOM fan. Looking at the specs for sensitivity, etc., on the K3, TS590SG and FTDX3000, there doesn’t seem to be much difference.  The FTDX5000 and the super-duper Kenwood are out of my price range!  I haven’t followed SDR radios, and I am not sure I’m ready for that.

I would like a few pointers; but I should point out that I’ve been using the 50 HZ filter (digital processor) in my 870 for 20 years, and want a rig that has narrow CW filtering.  Often I would be able to run Euros less thant 100 HZ away from someone else.  The one thing the 870 didn’t have was an SSB roofing filter.  I want that as well.  I like all the digital modes and want the radio to do RTTY, PSK63, and FT8.  But my signal link interface should suffice for that.

My old computer had 4 com ports.  The one I bought to replace it is an HP Envy Desktop (it was heavily discounted) with 4 spare slots in it; but the serial card I bought for it hasn’t arrived yet.  I would like to try a virtual com port using USB to RS232 DB9.  I bought one that had the FTDI chipset and just can’t get CW to work in N1MM no matter what I do.  It isn’t that the CW timing is messed up, I just can’t get it to key. Can someone tell me which make of such an adapter will really work on CW?  Also, I use a direct wire from the computer to the key input with a DB9 connector that has a transistor keying circuit built into it powered by a 9 volt battery (got it from a W1).  So, all I should have to do is specify “no radio”, and the right settings for DTR and RTS.  There’s really only 4 possibilities and none of them work.

I am borrowing a TS2000 from my brother (WX4G) so I can get on for the IOTA contest this weekend.  All my interface cables are for Kenwood. But in the next couple of weeks I am going to order something depending on the research.  Some of you are always up on the latest, so any thoughts, please.

Larry Brockman

N6AR

--
Chris Plumblee
407.494.5155

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