Flex 3000 or KX3...

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Flex 3000 or KX3...

John Ragle
Having owned a Flex 3K for a year or so, I can attest it definitely is
NOT a portable/mobile radio. You must have an accompanying computer that
supports IEEE 1394 (Firewire) and an antenna tuner that makes up for the
deficiencies in the F3K. If you operate CW, with the F3K you have lost
QSK operation. Perhaps the F1.5K is a better comparison, but from the
number of these I see on eBay, I would say they also fall somewhat short
on capabilities.

I suggest you look into the K2/100; it has the makings of a very compact
transceiver with moxie, and they appear on eBay with some frequency,
probably being sold to finance K3 purchases.

If you intend to  operate digital with a K2, you will need the SSB unit.
I ran one of these for about 2 years before I succumbed to technolust
and bought a F3K. Big mistake! With the F3K, digital operation was a
nightmare, and CW without QSK was like groping through fog. The F3k
antenna tuner would not tune my antennas on 10 or 6 meters, and I had to
move to an external tuner.

John Ragle -- W1ZI

=====

On 4/2/2012 10:16 PM, Joe K2UF wrote:

> You might want to drive around the block for awhile in a used ford or chevy
> before you jump into Ferrari (read as Elecraft).  Put your extra money into
> some good antenna hardware.  After a few months you will have a better idea
> of your operating habits and preferences.  Meanwhile you will have a ball.
>
> Good luck and congratulations.  Welcome to our world.
>
> 73  Joe K2UF
>
>
> No trees were harmed in the sending of this e-mail; however, many electrons
> were inconvenienced.
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From:[hidden email]
> [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Steve Hamon
> Sent: Monday, April 02, 2012 8:53 PM
> To:[hidden email]
> Subject: [Elecraft] Flex 3000 or KX3
>
> Hello--I am perplexed about the choice of which HF rig to get.  I just
> passed my General and am trying to put together my first "shack."  I have
> heard fantastic, rave reviews about the Flex and also about the KX3.  My
> only concerns about the KX3 is that after putting out about $1,500 for the
> basic KX3 and Tuner and Filter added, I still will only have a 10 watt
> unit.  I want it to be my mobile and my base unit.  Will I have to chuck
> out another thousand bucks for the 100 watt amp?
>
> Thanks and 73s--Steve
>
--
Sent from my lovely old Dell XPS 420

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Re: Flex 3000 or KX3...

Don Wilhelm-4
I really should add to my webpage K2 filter settings page (part of the
K2 Dial Calibration article) information about setting the K2 RTTY
filter set.  My settings work well with PSK31 or RTTY and many other
digital modes.

I normally set the K2 RTTY filter FL1 settings the same as the setting
for SSB - the "width" is FL1, and the BFO settings are the same as for
SSB FL1 - those settings allow "full waterfall display" operation from
the low 100 kHz range to the upper limits of the SSB filter (2.3 kHz to
2.8 kHz).  So the RTTY filter set for the FL1 position is exactly the
same as the SSB FL1 position.

For the more narrow rtty filter settings, I prefer to set the widths at
1.00, 0.70, and 0.40 kHz - then set the BFOs so those filters are
centered at 1000 Hz.  It would be nice to use a higher frequency, but
the BFO may run out of range if you try to push the limits.

If you have the KDSP2 installed, edit the KDSP2 center frequencies for
the RTTY filter set and adjust them to the 1,00 frequency to agree with
your new IF filter settings.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 4/2/2012 10:45 PM, John Ragle wrote:
> If you intend to  operate digital with a K2, you will need the SSB unit.
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Re: Flex 3000 or KX3...

Bill Clarke
In reply to this post by John Ragle
I had a Flex 3000 for a month and returned it (actually had two of them
- one as a replacement for the first). They both put out big spikes
every time I hit the PTT.

Support ran me in circles over it - wasting a lot of time and never
solving the problem. They had me reconfigure everything about my shack
and computer (a quad built specifically for the Flex) - all for nothing.
On CW it was terrible.

I now have a K3 and love it.

Bill W2BLC
--
IN GOD I TRUST (but, NOT a single politician)
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