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Incremental build /design suggestions?

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ae4pb

Incremental build /design suggestions?

My primary focus is DX and I'm trying to juggle priorities (cash) to build
my station.

I'm upgrading from a YAESU FT-897D which works ok but doesn't deal with
noise/band noise well.

The intended end result will be K3S, Panadapter, Amplifier, External Antenna
Tuner. The K3S will have the sub receiver, cw filters, ssb filters, data
mode filter.

At this time I don't have the ability to upgrade my low band antenna's
otherwise that would be my focus.

Ideally my antenna's will be resonant on my operational bands but may need
tweaking due to the bandwidth of the antenna.

Current Antenna is the Buckmaster 7Band OCF 300W dipole installed per spec
at 35'. All supported bands for this antenna have very good SWR except 10m
and 6m (I believe a nearby tree is affecting the antenna and it will be
trimmed soon).

I'm shooting for the cheapest setup that will be functional at the start and
then add on as I go. Trying to get the order of importance down.

Thoughts:

1. Base K3S 10w - stay CW mostly due to lower power.

2. Upgrade to 100w

3. Add sub receiver

4. Add better receive only antennas, vertical loop array or such.

5. Add filters to receiver and subreceiver

6. Add Panadapter

7. Add additional filters if needed ?

8. Add amplifier (if I can hear it I want to be able to work it).

9. Antenna tuner

Thanks in advance.

I'd really love to just walk in and buy a fully stuffed setup at the start
but I like to pay cash.

Jer / AE4PB

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Kevin Cozens-2

Re: Incremental build /design suggestions?

On 15-07-31 09:15 AM, [hidden email] wrote:

> I'm shooting for the cheapest setup that will be functional at the start and
> then add on as I go. Trying to get the order of importance down.
>
>
>
> Thoughts:
>
> 1. Base K3S 10w - stay CW mostly due to lower power.
>
> 2. Upgrade to 100w

[snip]
> 9. Antenna tuner

I took a quick look at the K3S info. If you are going to upgrade to 100W I
would think the K3A antenna tuner would be an item you might want as entry
number 3 on the list.

--
Cheers!

Kevin.

http://www.ve3syb.ca/ |"Nerds make the shiny things that distract
Owner of Elecraft K2 #2172 | the mouth-breathers, and that's why we're
| powerful!"
#include <disclaimer/favourite> | --Chris Hardwick
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Bob McGraw - K4TAX

Re: Incremental build /design suggestions?

Here's my basic configuration which is on order at present:

Item Ref. Price ea. Qty. Description

K3S/100-F $2899.95 1 K3S 100W Xcvr. (Assembled)
KAT3A-F $369.95 1 K3S ATU (Fact. Installed)
KFL3A-1.8K $139.95 1 K3 1.8 kHz, 8 pole filter
KFL3A-500 $89.95 1 K3 500 Hz, 5 pole filter
KTCXO3-1 $119.95 1 K3S TCXO (0.5ppm)

There's lots of room and options to "add on" later.

73 Bob, K4TAX

On 7/31/2015 12:55 PM, Kevin Cozens wrote:

> On 15-07-31 09:15 AM, [hidden email] wrote:
>> I'm shooting for the cheapest setup that will be functional at the
>> start and
>> then add on as I go. Trying to get the order of importance down.
>>
>>
>>
>> Thoughts:
>>
>> 1. Base K3S 10w - stay CW mostly due to lower power.
>>
>> 2. Upgrade to 100w
> [snip]
>> 9. Antenna tuner
>
> I took a quick look at the K3S info. If you are going to upgrade to
> 100W I would think the K3A antenna tuner would be an item you might
> want as entry number 3 on the list.
>

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Jim Brown-10

Re: Incremental build /design suggestions?

In reply to this post by ae4pb

On Fri,7/31/2015 6:15 AM, [hidden email] wrote:
> My primary focus is DX and I'm trying to juggle priorities (cash) to build
> my station.
>
> I'm upgrading from a YAESU FT-897D which works ok but doesn't deal with
> noise/band noise well.
>
> The intended end result will be K3S, Panadapter, Amplifier, External Antenna
> Tuner. The K3S will have the sub receiver, cw filters, ssb filters, data
> mode filter.

I'm going offer a very different suggestion. For the cost of a 10W K3S,
you can probably buy a fairly loaded used 100W K3 with 100W tuner and
other accessories. Another $220 gets you the new K3SYNA board, which is
about 90% of the improvement offered by the new K3S. You'll also want
the KXV3B module, which includes a very nice preamp that improves
performance on 10M and 6M. Both are easy to add. Now that 10M is dead
most of the time and 6M E-skip season is nearly over, you won't need
that preamp for a while. :)

I'm speaking from experience -- I've done exactly those upgrades to my
K3s, and have no plans to trade up to a K3S. You will find it a HUGE
upgrade from your 897.

73, Jim K9YC

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Don Wilhelm-4

Re: Incremental build /design suggestions?

In reply to this post by ae4pb

Jer,

Your list is OK -- unless -- if your goal is to minimize dis-assembly
when adding the items later in your list, then decide on the filters for
the main receiver before adding the subRX. The subRX must be removed to
add filters to the main board.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 7/31/2015 9:15 AM, [hidden email] wrote:

>
> Thoughts:
>
> 1. Base K3S 10w - stay CW mostly due to lower power.
>
> 2. Upgrade to 100w
>
> 3. Add sub receiver
>
> 4. Add better receive only antennas, vertical loop array or such.
>
> 5. Add filters to receiver and subreceiver
>
> 6. Add Panadapter
>
> 7. Add additional filters if needed ?
>
> 8. Add amplifier (if I can hear it I want to be able to work it).
>
> 9. Antenna tuner
>
>
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
> I'd really love to just walk in and buy a fully stuffed setup at the start
> but I like to pay cash.
>
>
>
> Jer / AE4PB
>
>
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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]
>

Jim Brown-10

Re: Incremental build /design suggestions?

In reply to this post by Bob McGraw - K4TAX

Some quibbles. First, Elecraft products in the K3 and KX3 generation are
trivially easy to build. All the modules have been factory aligned and
tested. They are "screw together" kits. Unless you have some physical
disability that prevents you from building it, ALWAYS buy in kit form.
It takes a day to build the 10W radio, another 3-4 hours for the 100W
amp. The cost saving, typically around 10%, will buy an accessory or
roofing filters.

Second, I can't think of a good reason for the TCXO in the K3 unless you
plan to do something quite special with the radio. The standard clock is
quite stable. K3s are on lots of DXpeditions, and they are almost always
within a few Hz of my dial readout for an even kHz. That is, if they
say they are going to be on 14,027, they are on 14,027.000 unless they
slid around to get away from lids.

Third -- I have 1.8 kHz 8-pole roofing filters in my K3s, and I find
them too narrow. I have a 2.1 kHz filter in my backup radio, and I like
it better. If I were doing it over, I would choose 2.1 kHz filters.

BTW -- the Elecraft webpage that shows prices is undergoing revision,
and is currently missing prices for several important K3 and K3S options.

73, Jim K9YC

On Fri,7/31/2015 11:13 AM, Bob McGraw - K4TAX wrote:

> Here's my basic configuration which is on order at present:
>
> Item Ref. Price ea. Qty. Description
>
> K3S/100-F $2899.95 1 K3S 100W Xcvr. (Assembled)
> KAT3A-F $369.95 1 K3S ATU (Fact. Installed)
> KFL3A-1.8K $139.95 1 K3 1.8 kHz, 8 pole filter
> KFL3A-500 $89.95 1 K3 500 Hz, 5 pole filter
> KTCXO3-1 $119.95 1 K3S TCXO (0.5ppm)
>
> There's lots of room and options to "add on" later.