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Advice on K3 versus KX3

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Advice on K3 versus KX3

Looking for advice…

I am considering which of my two rigs to keep, the K3+P3 or the KX3+PX3+KXPA100. My K3 is serial number 3799 and it has not been upgraded with the new hardware developed for the K3S and I have no interest in upgrading the K3.

Sherwood engineering ranks (with its default ordering) the KX3 above the K3 but as for me, those subtle differences in performance factors have never been meaningful to me so that does not matter.

The question is: If I sold off the K3+P3, what would I be missing with keeping just the KX3?

73, phil, K7PEH

P.S. I almost put the K3 up for sale last year but covid changed my priorities.
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Jim Brown-10

Re: Advice on K3 versus KX3

On 5/22/2021 1:57 PM, Phil Hystad via Elecraft wrote:
> The question is: If I sold off the K3+P3, what would I be missing with keeping just the KX3?

Operating convenience in the shack if you do digital modes, ability to
use narrower roofing filters, louder audio output.

73, Jim K9YC
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Joe Subich, W4TV-4

Re: Advice on K3 versus KX3

In reply to this post by Elecraft mailing list

> The question is: If I sold off the K3+P3, what would I be missing
> with keeping just the KX3?

Significantly lower composite noise even with the original synthesizer
in the K3 (in addition to those items referenced by K9YC).

73,

... Joe, W4TV

On 2021-05-22 4:57 PM, Phil Hystad via Elecraft wrote:

> Looking for advice…
>
> I am considering which of my two rigs to keep, the K3+P3 or the KX3+PX3+KXPA100. My K3 is serial number 3799 and it has not been upgraded with the new hardware developed for the K3S and I have no interest in upgrading the K3.
>
> Sherwood engineering ranks (with its default ordering) the KX3 above the K3 but as for me, those subtle differences in performance factors have never been meaningful to me so that does not matter.
>
> The question is: If I sold off the K3+P3, what would I be missing with keeping just the KX3?
>
>
> 73, phil, K7PEH
>
> P.S. I almost put the K3 up for sale last year but covid changed my priorities.

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jh3sif

Re: Advice on K3 versus KX3

In reply to this post by Elecraft mailing list

It is unto your operation preferences.
Listening CW in crowded situation like contesting. K3 is much better than KX3.
Operating in digital mode, you can neither listen to receiving signals nor monitor your own transmitting audio with KX3.

I have both K3+P3 as my main TRX and KX3 + KXPA100 as my backup TRX. I also bring KX3 out on field operation.
I sometimes use KX3 in standalone on contesting in QRP category.

73 de JH3SIF, Keith

> 2021/05/23 5:57、Phil Hystad via Elecraft <[hidden email]>のメール:
>
> Looking for advice…
>
> I am considering which of my two rigs to keep, the K3+P3 or the KX3+PX3+KXPA100. My K3 is serial number 3799 and it has not been upgraded with the new hardware developed for the K3S and I have no interest in upgrading the K3.
>
> Sherwood engineering ranks (with its default ordering) the KX3 above the K3 but as for me, those subtle differences in performance factors have never been meaningful to me so that does not matter.
>
> The question is: If I sold off the K3+P3, what would I be missing with keeping just the KX3?
>
>
> 73, phil, K7PEH
>
> P.S. I almost put the K3 up for sale last year but covid changed my priorities.
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
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Carl Clawson-3

Re: Advice on K3 versus KX3

In reply to this post by Elecraft mailing list

Hi Phil

IMO the only reason to prefer the KX3 is compactness and light weight for
portable operations.

73, Carl WS7L

On Sat, May 22, 2021 at 1:59 PM Phil Hystad via Elecraft <
[hidden email]> wrote:

> Looking for advice…
>
> I am considering which of my two rigs to keep, the K3+P3 or the
> KX3+PX3+KXPA100. My K3 is serial number 3799 and it has not been upgraded
> with the new hardware developed for the K3S and I have no interest in
> upgrading the K3.
>
> Sherwood engineering ranks (with its default ordering) the KX3 above the
> K3 but as for me, those subtle differences in performance factors have
> never been meaningful to me so that does not matter.
>
> The question is: If I sold off the K3+P3, what would I be missing with
> keeping just the KX3?
>
>
> 73, phil, K7PEH
>
> P.S. I almost put the K3 up for sale last year but covid changed my
> priorities.
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
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Bill Frantz

Re: Advice on K3 versus KX3

In reply to this post by jh3sif

On 5/23/21 at 7:01 PM, [hidden email] (Keith Onishi) wrote:

>Listening CW in crowded situation like contesting. K3 is much better than KX3.
>Operating in digital mode, you can neither listen to receiving
>signals nor monitor your own transmitting audio with KX3.

(No operating session is really complete without at least one
SSB, digital, and CW QSO.)

I like digital modes and run both radios, the KX3 for portable
operations and the K3 for "in the shack". Switching between
digital and SSB on the KX3 is a PITA compared with the K3. On
the KX3 I have to:

Unplug the microphone and plug in the computer sound card.
Turn off the mic bias.
Re-adjust the mic level.
Turn on the VOX.

On the K3 I just have to turn on the VOX. All the cables stay in place.

On the KX3, I monitor the RX audio with a spliter cable feeding
headphones and my computer. (I don't generally monitor TX audio
with headphones on either radio.) I do tune RTTY via the
monitored audio.

73 Bill AE6JV

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Bill Frantz | Since the IBM Selectric, keyboards have gotten
408-348-7900 | steadily worse. Now we have touchscreen keyboards.
www.pwpconsult.com | Can we make something even worse?

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Roger Meadows-3

Re: Advice on K3 versus KX3

Or you can just program a macro to do all that.

On Sat, May 22, 2021 at 10:34 PM Bill Frantz <[hidden email]> wrote:

> On 5/23/21 at 7:01 PM, [hidden email] (Keith Onishi) wrote:
>
> >Listening CW in crowded situation like contesting. K3 is much better
> than KX3.
> >Operating in digital mode, you can neither listen to receiving
> >signals nor monitor your own transmitting audio with KX3.
>
> (No operating session is really complete without at least one
> SSB, digital, and CW QSO.)
>
> I like digital modes and run both radios, the KX3 for portable
> operations and the K3 for "in the shack". Switching between
> digital and SSB on the KX3 is a PITA compared with the K3. On
> the KX3 I have to:
>
> Unplug the microphone and plug in the computer sound card.
> Turn off the mic bias.
> Re-adjust the mic level.
> Turn on the VOX.
>
> On the K3 I just have to turn on the VOX. All the cables stay in place.
>
> On the KX3, I monitor the RX audio with a spliter cable feeding
> headphones and my computer. (I don't generally monitor TX audio
> with headphones on either radio.) I do tune RTTY via the
> monitored audio.
>
> 73 Bill AE6JV
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> Bill Frantz | Since the IBM Selectric, keyboards have gotten
> 408-348-7900 | steadily worse. Now we have touchscreen keyboards.
> www.pwpconsult.com | Can we make something even worse?
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
> Message delivered to [hidden email]
>

--
Roger Meadows
AE4RM
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Elecraft mailing list

Re: Advice on K3 versus KX3

Thanks for all the replies — both online and off.

Looks like everyone suggests keeping the K3+P3. Since I have no plans to get rid of the KX3+ I will let the issue quietly drop into the back ground and revisit in another six months.

73, phil, K7PEH

> On May 22, 2021, at 7:36 PM, Roger Meadows <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
> Or you can just program a macro to do all that.
>
> On Sat, May 22, 2021 at 10:34 PM Bill Frantz <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
>> On 5/23/21 at 7:01 PM, [hidden email] (Keith Onishi) wrote:
>>
>>> Listening CW in crowded situation like contesting. K3 is much better
>> than KX3.
>>> Operating in digital mode, you can neither listen to receiving
>>> signals nor monitor your own transmitting audio with KX3.
>>
>> (No operating session is really complete without at least one
>> SSB, digital, and CW QSO.)
>>
>> I like digital modes and run both radios, the KX3 for portable
>> operations and the K3 for "in the shack". Switching between
>> digital and SSB on the KX3 is a PITA compared with the K3. On
>> the KX3 I have to:
>>
>> Unplug the microphone and plug in the computer sound card.
>> Turn off the mic bias.
>> Re-adjust the mic level.
>> Turn on the VOX.
>>
>> On the K3 I just have to turn on the VOX. All the cables stay in place.
>>
>> On the KX3, I monitor the RX audio with a spliter cable feeding
>> headphones and my computer. (I don't generally monitor TX audio
>> with headphones on either radio.) I do tune RTTY via the
>> monitored audio.
>>
>> 73 Bill AE6JV
>>
>> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
>> Bill Frantz | Since the IBM Selectric, keyboards have gotten
>> 408-348-7900 | steadily worse. Now we have touchscreen keyboards.
>> www.pwpconsult.com | Can we make something even worse?
>>
>> ______________________________________________________________
>> Elecraft mailing list
>> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
>> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
>> Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>>
>> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
>> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>> Message delivered to [hidden email]
>>
> --
> Roger Meadows
> AE4RM
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
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Igor Sokolov-2

Re: Advice on K3 versus KX3

In reply to this post by Jim Brown-10

Much better BDR on K3. KX3 switches preamp off at 59+20db automatically.
KX3 is really for travelling and receiver is not as good as one in K3. I
have early SN KX3 (051) and K3 and plan to continue keeping both.

73, Igor UA9CDC

23.05.2021 2:16, Jim Brown пишет:

> On 5/22/2021 1:57 PM, Phil Hystad via Elecraft wrote:
>> The question is: If I sold off the K3+P3, what would I be missing
>> with keeping just the KX3?
>
> Operating convenience in the shack if you do digital modes, ability to
> use narrower roofing filters, louder audio output.
>
> 73, Jim K9YC
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
> Message delivered to [hidden email] .