K3 #2887 - first impressions

[Gary Hinson]

Hi all.

K3 #2887 lives!  Config: K3/100, ATU, subRX, 250Hz + 400Hz filters (main and
subRX), KXV3, DVR.  

The kit build was relatively painless, certainly easier than the K2.
Package open to 1st QSO took me 1 fairly intense but enjoyable day
(Wednesday just gone).  While they are still fresh in my mind, these were
the most significant problems I experienced with the build:

1.  If I had realized I would need them, I would have bought the antistatic
wrist-strap and desk pad between ordering the kit and it arriving in the
post, instead of having to go shopping after opening the box!   Perhaps a
little reminder about which tools customers will need could be included in
the "Thanks for ordering your K3" email?  [Maybe it was and I missed it in
the excitement!].  Alternatively, could these be another option to buy from
Elecraft?

2.  It wasn't immediately obvious that most boards/options come with their
own hardware in little envelopes, and several bits took a little while to
find (e.g. the bits for the standoffs near the display, fig 37 in the kit
assembly manual).  I eventually got the hang of it but having a bunch of
spare bits left over and constantly changing from bag to bag got me a bit
confused at times.  

3.  It's not entirely clear what the display light blocker strips are meant
to achieve, hence exactly where they should be fitted - should they stick to
the main board, the edge of the display panel, or the strip of flexy foil
sticking out of the LCD panel?  The manual, even with a photo, didn't help.
The finished K3 looks fine now so I guess I made the right choices by luck.

4.  My LCD panel had some smudge marks.  I very carefully and gently cleaned
it as best I could with a cleaning cloth used for spectacles, and the few
marks that remained are invisible now under the Perspex face ... But I
wonder if perhaps it ought to have been shipped with a pull-off plastic film
protector?

5.  Fitting the chassis stiffener towards the end is tricky because the
topmost screws are horizontally aligned with other boards or the rear panel
edge.  Maybe I should have found a slimmer Phillips #1 screwdriver?  Maybe
some other method of fixing it would help.

5.  The step-by-step instructions kind of lost the plot towards the end in
respect of fitting the 100W PA and subRX.  Up til then, the "install option
X now or move ahead to page Y" thing worked just fine.  [I was getting tired
by then: it was probably me losing the plot not the instructions!].

6.  The subRX is a tight squeeze, making it awkward to ensure the connectors
are fully aligned and cables are out of the way.  No easy solution there.

7.  Every option, I think, came with an installation manual plus its own
page/s of errata.  It's annoying to have to go through and fix the manuals
before starting.  The odd correction/clarification I could understand but
why so many?  Could the base manuals be updated and printed more often??

8.  The Anderson Powerpole connectors refuse to snap fully home into the
body of the connector, so the power lead sometimes slips out.  I probably
over-did the solder.  I think I'm going to have to cut them off and buy some
more, if I can even find them in ZL ...

The manual was definitely up to expectations and extremely helpful,
especially all those annotated photos that must have taken someone many
hours to produce.  BTW my "full inventory" consisted of checking that the
requisite main parts and options were present - I didn't bother trying to
count all of those little screws and washers (lesson learnt from the K2!
Kudos to the little army of Elecrafty packers and checkers - fantastic!).

There's a few minor niggles, queries or suggestions for the actual rig so
far, some no doubt due to my obvious inexperience with it after just a few
days  behind the wheel:

1.  At first the SubRX worked on every band *except* 40m ... until I
re-checked it this evening and mysteriously it is now working fine on all
bands.  Don't know what happened there.  It didn't seem to be anything as
obvious as ATT on, wrong antenna selected, crazy filtering etc.  There was
audio hiss but no signals, not even very weak sigs as far as I could tell.
I re-did the subRX synth calibration business this afternoon so maybe that
fixed it (after a power cycle too)?

2.  At first the S-meter was randomly flickering up to mid to full-scale, a
bit like if there is static on the coax.  This anomaly disappeared within an
hour or two of running the rig and has not reappeared since.  Maybe it *was*
static?!

3.  On semi-QSK, I've noticed occasional glitches with CW keying when I
release the PTT foot-switch.  The sidetone seems to indicate shortened
characters sometimes when I release the switch while still sending, but I
don't yet know if it affects the RF going out (it could just be a temporary
mute of the sidetone).  Although it's nice to be able to define the built-in
CW memories from the PC using the K3 Utility program, I'm currently using my
trusty old MM3 Morse Machine for keying, mostly because it has an external
memory trigger unit on a flying lead sitting on the desk near my non-paddle
hand (which would be a handy option for the K3 too!).  The MM3 always sends
complete characters so I know *that's* not the cause of this problem.

4.  Is there a simple way to step through the memories, manually i.e. not
using the scan and without doing the whole M>V + select-next-memory + M>V
thing?  I'd like to be able to select the memory bank, then tune up and down
through the bank one memory at a time, perhaps using the clarifier knob (not
the VFO as it's useful to be able to tune away from a memory), to listen to
the memorized channels as I step through them.

5.  The memory label function is handy but has too few characters for the
callsigns for many of the 10m beacons I watch.  How about making it scroll
to the left, just like the power-up banner function, if I input more than 5
characters?

6.  I miss the dedicated "Quick Memory" function from my TS850 already.  I'd
really like to program PF1 and PF2 or two other buttons for this function
i.e. press one button to store the current freq etc. in a dedicated Quick
Memo Last-In-First-Out bank, press another button to recall the info to the
VFO (optionally using the clarifier knob to select previously-stored
values).  [This is an easy way to store and later recall interesting but
temporary frequencies when tuning around the bands, without all the
button-pressing needed to store them in a main memory].

7.  On the TS850, I've got used to using LSB for CW reception but the K3
uses USB.  Short of changing my ways, I know I can hold the ALT-mode button
to change to CW REV, and this setting is remembered on each band, but I'd
prefer to be able to select LSB as my default, particularly as the K3 now
automatically reverts to USB for CW when I click an interesting spot in
Logger32.

8.  The auto-spot function works OK but tends to search a bit widely, and is
not consistent on the stop frequency, sometimes tuning some way off (even on
seemingly reasonable strength 20+WPM sigs).  It would be handy to have an
instant "undo-auto-spot" function a bit like the "undo-RIT-cancel" thing to
reset the VFO to the pre-auto-spot frequency if it fails to spot accurately.

9.  The maximum tuning rate on CW is not fast enough for my liking e.g.
scooting between the CW end and beacon sub-band on 10m.  I know I can use
the memories to go directly to a stored channel but it suits me to QSY
quickly through the band on the VFO.  I'm confused by the FINE and RATE
controls.  I'm not keen to change modes to change QSY rates.  I'd prefer
just to be able to set the clarifier-QSY function to step in, say, 5 or
10kHz or 12.5kHz steps, ideally with the first step being to the nearest
"round value" (e.g. if I'm on 28003, the first step would be 3kHz to 28005
then 5kHz to 28010 etc.).  [This is another idea borrowed from the TS850.  I
know I know, I'll get over it!  I've had 15 years of it!].  Alternatively,
how about an optional VFO accelerator go-faster function to speed up the QSY
rate if I 'spin' the main knob?

10.  I discovered by trial-and-error that sending from the internal CW
memories can be cancelled by clicking the REC button in the middle.  Not
entirely obvious (why not screen-print CNCL or CANCEL under or around the
REC button?).

11.  I haven't figured out what the type I and II filtering is all about
yet, nor how to manually tune the notch filter, but I'm confident it's all
in the manual somewhere ...

12.  There's a noticeable delay between putting in the headphones and muting
the speakers.

Those minor issues aside, the stereocode CW and NR functions are good, the
subRX is extremely helpful (I've already bagged S04R on 2 more bands much
more easily than otherwise thanks to being able to listen in the pileup and
to the S0 at the same time) and the no-ring filtering down to a few Hz is
great.  Overall the K3 RX sounds fantastic and I'm definitely looking
forward to the next big contest!  

73
Gary  ZL2iFB   www.g4ifb.com

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Post: mailto:[hidden email]

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[AC7AC]

CONTENTS DELETED

The author has deleted this message.

[k0zu]

Just put sn:2950 together this weekend and would agree 100% with your
comments Gary. Also I would add that a picture showing the sub assembly in
expanded (blow-out)form would be nice. I am pretty sharp most of the time
but I sat looking at both shells wondering what the hell I was supposed to
do with them because I only ever saw one in the pictures.

Having assembled a KX1 with options in the past I was worried that I would
get the K3 3/4 assembled just to have to tear 1/2 of it back down to install
something that could have been done earlier. Kudos to Elecraft for option
breakouts in the manual preventing this from happening.  

More clarity on the J92 setup on the sub assembly would be nice. I hooked
the aux RF port up and taped the tmp connector as instructed. Then it was
never referenced again. Then you get to the sub rec assembly and it has j92
connecting to J63 on the KAT3. Left me wondering what the hell to do. In the
end both got disconnected and taped up as I am not setup with two antennas
at the moment and will just use the main for input for the time being.

 A Matrix up-front in the K3 assembly instructions showing the 3 options
might not be a bad thing.


What a bad ass little radio. Coming from an Orion II this is a real treat.

Off to drink more Kool-Aid as they say.

Cheers
Doug K0ZU

-----Original Message-----
From: [hidden email]
[mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Gary Hinson
Sent: Saturday, April 18, 2009 4:54 AM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: [Elecraft] K3 #2887 - first impressions

Hi all.

K3 #2887 lives!  Config: K3/100, ATU, subRX, 250Hz + 400Hz filters (main and
subRX), KXV3, DVR.  

The kit build was relatively painless, certainly easier than the K2.
Package open to 1st QSO took me 1 fairly intense but enjoyable day
(Wednesday just gone).  While they are still fresh in my mind, these were
the most significant problems I experienced with the build:

1.  If I had realized I would need them, I would have bought the antistatic
wrist-strap and desk pad between ordering the kit and it arriving in the
post, instead of having to go shopping after opening the box!   Perhaps a
little reminder about which tools customers will need could be included in
the "Thanks for ordering your K3" email?  [Maybe it was and I missed it in
the excitement!].  Alternatively, could these be another option to buy from
Elecraft?

2.  It wasn't immediately obvious that most boards/options come with their
own hardware in little envelopes, and several bits took a little while to
find (e.g. the bits for the standoffs near the display, fig 37 in the kit
assembly manual).  I eventually got the hang of it but having a bunch of
spare bits left over and constantly changing from bag to bag got me a bit
confused at times.  

3.  It's not entirely clear what the display light blocker strips are meant
to achieve, hence exactly where they should be fitted - should they stick to
the main board, the edge of the display panel, or the strip of flexy foil
sticking out of the LCD panel?  The manual, even with a photo, didn't help.
The finished K3 looks fine now so I guess I made the right choices by luck.

4.  My LCD panel had some smudge marks.  I very carefully and gently cleaned
it as best I could with a cleaning cloth used for spectacles, and the few
marks that remained are invisible now under the Perspex face ... But I
wonder if perhaps it ought to have been shipped with a pull-off plastic film
protector?

5.  Fitting the chassis stiffener towards the end is tricky because the
topmost screws are horizontally aligned with other boards or the rear panel
edge.  Maybe I should have found a slimmer Phillips #1 screwdriver?  Maybe
some other method of fixing it would help.

5.  The step-by-step instructions kind of lost the plot towards the end in
respect of fitting the 100W PA and subRX.  Up til then, the "install option
X now or move ahead to page Y" thing worked just fine.  [I was getting tired
by then: it was probably me losing the plot not the instructions!].

6.  The subRX is a tight squeeze, making it awkward to ensure the connectors
are fully aligned and cables are out of the way.  No easy solution there.

7.  Every option, I think, came with an installation manual plus its own
page/s of errata.  It's annoying to have to go through and fix the manuals
before starting.  The odd correction/clarification I could understand but
why so many?  Could the base manuals be updated and printed more often??

8.  The Anderson Powerpole connectors refuse to snap fully home into the
body of the connector, so the power lead sometimes slips out.  I probably
over-did the solder.  I think I'm going to have to cut them off and buy some
more, if I can even find them in ZL ...

The manual was definitely up to expectations and extremely helpful,
especially all those annotated photos that must have taken someone many
hours to produce.  BTW my "full inventory" consisted of checking that the
requisite main parts and options were present - I didn't bother trying to
count all of those little screws and washers (lesson learnt from the K2!
Kudos to the little army of Elecrafty packers and checkers - fantastic!).

There's a few minor niggles, queries or suggestions for the actual rig so
far, some no doubt due to my obvious inexperience with it after just a few
days  behind the wheel:

1.  At first the SubRX worked on every band *except* 40m ... until I
re-checked it this evening and mysteriously it is now working fine on all
bands.  Don't know what happened there.  It didn't seem to be anything as
obvious as ATT on, wrong antenna selected, crazy filtering etc.  There was
audio hiss but no signals, not even very weak sigs as far as I could tell.
I re-did the subRX synth calibration business this afternoon so maybe that
fixed it (after a power cycle too)?

2.  At first the S-meter was randomly flickering up to mid to full-scale, a
bit like if there is static on the coax.  This anomaly disappeared within an
hour or two of running the rig and has not reappeared since.  Maybe it *was*
static?!

3.  On semi-QSK, I've noticed occasional glitches with CW keying when I
release the PTT foot-switch.  The sidetone seems to indicate shortened
characters sometimes when I release the switch while still sending, but I
don't yet know if it affects the RF going out (it could just be a temporary
mute of the sidetone).  Although it's nice to be able to define the built-in
CW memories from the PC using the K3 Utility program, I'm currently using my
trusty old MM3 Morse Machine for keying, mostly because it has an external
memory trigger unit on a flying lead sitting on the desk near my non-paddle
hand (which would be a handy option for the K3 too!).  The MM3 always sends
complete characters so I know *that's* not the cause of this problem.

4.  Is there a simple way to step through the memories, manually i.e. not
using the scan and without doing the whole M>V + select-next-memory + M>V
thing?  I'd like to be able to select the memory bank, then tune up and down
through the bank one memory at a time, perhaps using the clarifier knob (not
the VFO as it's useful to be able to tune away from a memory), to listen to
the memorized channels as I step through them.

5.  The memory label function is handy but has too few characters for the
callsigns for many of the 10m beacons I watch.  How about making it scroll
to the left, just like the power-up banner function, if I input more than 5
characters?

6.  I miss the dedicated "Quick Memory" function from my TS850 already.  I'd
really like to program PF1 and PF2 or two other buttons for this function
i.e. press one button to store the current freq etc. in a dedicated Quick
Memo Last-In-First-Out bank, press another button to recall the info to the
VFO (optionally using the clarifier knob to select previously-stored
values).  [This is an easy way to store and later recall interesting but
temporary frequencies when tuning around the bands, without all the
button-pressing needed to store them in a main memory].

7.  On the TS850, I've got used to using LSB for CW reception but the K3
uses USB.  Short of changing my ways, I know I can hold the ALT-mode button
to change to CW REV, and this setting is remembered on each band, but I'd
prefer to be able to select LSB as my default, particularly as the K3 now
automatically reverts to USB for CW when I click an interesting spot in
Logger32.

8.  The auto-spot function works OK but tends to search a bit widely, and is
not consistent on the stop frequency, sometimes tuning some way off (even on
seemingly reasonable strength 20+WPM sigs).  It would be handy to have an
instant "undo-auto-spot" function a bit like the "undo-RIT-cancel" thing to
reset the VFO to the pre-auto-spot frequency if it fails to spot accurately.

9.  The maximum tuning rate on CW is not fast enough for my liking e.g.
scooting between the CW end and beacon sub-band on 10m.  I know I can use
the memories to go directly to a stored channel but it suits me to QSY
quickly through the band on the VFO.  I'm confused by the FINE and RATE
controls.  I'm not keen to change modes to change QSY rates.  I'd prefer
just to be able to set the clarifier-QSY function to step in, say, 5 or
10kHz or 12.5kHz steps, ideally with the first step being to the nearest
"round value" (e.g. if I'm on 28003, the first step would be 3kHz to 28005
then 5kHz to 28010 etc.).  [This is another idea borrowed from the TS850.  I
know I know, I'll get over it!  I've had 15 years of it!].  Alternatively,
how about an optional VFO accelerator go-faster function to speed up the QSY
rate if I 'spin' the main knob?

10.  I discovered by trial-and-error that sending from the internal CW
memories can be cancelled by clicking the REC button in the middle.  Not
entirely obvious (why not screen-print CNCL or CANCEL under or around the
REC button?).

11.  I haven't figured out what the type I and II filtering is all about
yet, nor how to manually tune the notch filter, but I'm confident it's all
in the manual somewhere ...

12.  There's a noticeable delay between putting in the headphones and muting
the speakers.

Those minor issues aside, the stereocode CW and NR functions are good, the
subRX is extremely helpful (I've already bagged S04R on 2 more bands much
more easily than otherwise thanks to being able to listen in the pileup and
to the S0 at the same time) and the no-ring filtering down to a few Hz is
great.  Overall the K3 RX sounds fantastic and I'm definitely looking
forward to the next big contest!  

73
Gary  ZL2iFB   www.g4ifb.com

______________________________________________________________
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

______________________________________________________________
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

[Steve Ellington]

Doug
Having had the Orion II, what are the differences you have experienced?
Steve Ellington
[hidden email]
----- Original Message -----
From: "Doug" <[hidden email]>
To: "'Gary Hinson'" <[hidden email]>; <[hidden email]>
Sent: Sunday, April 19, 2009 8:09 PM
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 #2887 - first impressions

> Just put sn:2950 together this weekend and would agree 100% with your
> comments Gary. Also I would add that a picture showing the sub assembly in
> expanded (blow-out)form would be nice. I am pretty sharp most of the time
> but I sat looking at both shells wondering what the hell I was supposed to
> do with them because I only ever saw one in the pictures.
>
> Having assembled a KX1 with options in the past I was worried that I would
> get the K3 3/4 assembled just to have to tear 1/2 of it back down to
> install
> something that could have been done earlier. Kudos to Elecraft for option
> breakouts in the manual preventing this from happening.
>
> More clarity on the J92 setup on the sub assembly would be nice. I hooked
> the aux RF port up and taped the tmp connector as instructed. Then it was
> never referenced again. Then you get to the sub rec assembly and it has
> j92
> connecting to J63 on the KAT3. Left me wondering what the hell to do. In
> the
> end both got disconnected and taped up as I am not setup with two antennas
> at the moment and will just use the main for input for the time being.
>
> A Matrix up-front in the K3 assembly instructions showing the 3 options
> might not be a bad thing.
>
>
> What a bad ass little radio. Coming from an Orion II this is a real treat.
>
> Off to drink more Kool-Aid as they say.
>
> Cheers
> Doug K0ZU
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [hidden email]
> [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Gary Hinson
> Sent: Saturday, April 18, 2009 4:54 AM
> To: [hidden email]
> Subject: [Elecraft] K3 #2887 - first impressions
>
> Hi all.
>
> K3 #2887 lives!  Config: K3/100, ATU, subRX, 250Hz + 400Hz filters (main
> and
> subRX), KXV3, DVR.
>
> The kit build was relatively painless, certainly easier than the K2.
> Package open to 1st QSO took me 1 fairly intense but enjoyable day
> (Wednesday just gone).  While they are still fresh in my mind, these were
> the most significant problems I experienced with the build:
>
> 1.  If I had realized I would need them, I would have bought the
> antistatic
> wrist-strap and desk pad between ordering the kit and it arriving in the
> post, instead of having to go shopping after opening the box!   Perhaps a
> little reminder about which tools customers will need could be included in
> the "Thanks for ordering your K3" email?  [Maybe it was and I missed it in
> the excitement!].  Alternatively, could these be another option to buy
> from
> Elecraft?
>
> 2.  It wasn't immediately obvious that most boards/options come with their
> own hardware in little envelopes, and several bits took a little while to
> find (e.g. the bits for the standoffs near the display, fig 37 in the kit
> assembly manual).  I eventually got the hang of it but having a bunch of
> spare bits left over and constantly changing from bag to bag got me a bit
> confused at times.
>
> 3.  It's not entirely clear what the display light blocker strips are
> meant
> to achieve, hence exactly where they should be fitted - should they stick
> to
> the main board, the edge of the display panel, or the strip of flexy foil
> sticking out of the LCD panel?  The manual, even with a photo, didn't
> help.
> The finished K3 looks fine now so I guess I made the right choices by
> luck.
>
> 4.  My LCD panel had some smudge marks.  I very carefully and gently
> cleaned
> it as best I could with a cleaning cloth used for spectacles, and the few
> marks that remained are invisible now under the Perspex face ... But I
> wonder if perhaps it ought to have been shipped with a pull-off plastic
> film
> protector?
>
> 5.  Fitting the chassis stiffener towards the end is tricky because the
> topmost screws are horizontally aligned with other boards or the rear
> panel
> edge.  Maybe I should have found a slimmer Phillips #1 screwdriver?  Maybe
> some other method of fixing it would help.
>
> 5.  The step-by-step instructions kind of lost the plot towards the end in
> respect of fitting the 100W PA and subRX.  Up til then, the "install
> option
> X now or move ahead to page Y" thing worked just fine.  [I was getting
> tired
> by then: it was probably me losing the plot not the instructions!].
>
> 6.  The subRX is a tight squeeze, making it awkward to ensure the
> connectors
> are fully aligned and cables are out of the way.  No easy solution there.
>
> 7.  Every option, I think, came with an installation manual plus its own
> page/s of errata.  It's annoying to have to go through and fix the manuals
> before starting.  The odd correction/clarification I could understand but
> why so many?  Could the base manuals be updated and printed more often??
>
> 8.  The Anderson Powerpole connectors refuse to snap fully home into the
> body of the connector, so the power lead sometimes slips out.  I probably
> over-did the solder.  I think I'm going to have to cut them off and buy
> some
> more, if I can even find them in ZL ...
>
> The manual was definitely up to expectations and extremely helpful,
> especially all those annotated photos that must have taken someone many
> hours to produce.  BTW my "full inventory" consisted of checking that the
> requisite main parts and options were present - I didn't bother trying to
> count all of those little screws and washers (lesson learnt from the K2!
> Kudos to the little army of Elecrafty packers and checkers - fantastic!).
>
> There's a few minor niggles, queries or suggestions for the actual rig so
> far, some no doubt due to my obvious inexperience with it after just a few
> days  behind the wheel:
>
> 1.  At first the SubRX worked on every band *except* 40m ... until I
> re-checked it this evening and mysteriously it is now working fine on all
> bands.  Don't know what happened there.  It didn't seem to be anything as
> obvious as ATT on, wrong antenna selected, crazy filtering etc.  There was
> audio hiss but no signals, not even very weak sigs as far as I could tell.
> I re-did the subRX synth calibration business this afternoon so maybe that
> fixed it (after a power cycle too)?
>
> 2.  At first the S-meter was randomly flickering up to mid to full-scale,
> a
> bit like if there is static on the coax.  This anomaly disappeared within
> an
> hour or two of running the rig and has not reappeared since.  Maybe it
> *was*
> static?!
>
> 3.  On semi-QSK, I've noticed occasional glitches with CW keying when I
> release the PTT foot-switch.  The sidetone seems to indicate shortened
> characters sometimes when I release the switch while still sending, but I
> don't yet know if it affects the RF going out (it could just be a
> temporary
> mute of the sidetone).  Although it's nice to be able to define the
> built-in
> CW memories from the PC using the K3 Utility program, I'm currently using
> my
> trusty old MM3 Morse Machine for keying, mostly because it has an external
> memory trigger unit on a flying lead sitting on the desk near my
> non-paddle
> hand (which would be a handy option for the K3 too!).  The MM3 always
> sends
> complete characters so I know *that's* not the cause of this problem.
>
> 4.  Is there a simple way to step through the memories, manually i.e. not
> using the scan and without doing the whole M>V + select-next-memory + M>V
> thing?  I'd like to be able to select the memory bank, then tune up and
> down
> through the bank one memory at a time, perhaps using the clarifier knob
> (not
> the VFO as it's useful to be able to tune away from a memory), to listen
> to
> the memorized channels as I step through them.
>
> 5.  The memory label function is handy but has too few characters for the
> callsigns for many of the 10m beacons I watch.  How about making it scroll
> to the left, just like the power-up banner function, if I input more than
> 5
> characters?
>
> 6.  I miss the dedicated "Quick Memory" function from my TS850 already.
> I'd
> really like to program PF1 and PF2 or two other buttons for this function
> i.e. press one button to store the current freq etc. in a dedicated Quick
> Memo Last-In-First-Out bank, press another button to recall the info to
> the
> VFO (optionally using the clarifier knob to select previously-stored
> values).  [This is an easy way to store and later recall interesting but
> temporary frequencies when tuning around the bands, without all the
> button-pressing needed to store them in a main memory].
>
> 7.  On the TS850, I've got used to using LSB for CW reception but the K3
> uses USB.  Short of changing my ways, I know I can hold the ALT-mode
> button
> to change to CW REV, and this setting is remembered on each band, but I'd
> prefer to be able to select LSB as my default, particularly as the K3 now
> automatically reverts to USB for CW when I click an interesting spot in
> Logger32.
>
> 8.  The auto-spot function works OK but tends to search a bit widely, and
> is
> not consistent on the stop frequency, sometimes tuning some way off (even
> on
> seemingly reasonable strength 20+WPM sigs).  It would be handy to have an
> instant "undo-auto-spot" function a bit like the "undo-RIT-cancel" thing
> to
> reset the VFO to the pre-auto-spot frequency if it fails to spot
> accurately.
>
> 9.  The maximum tuning rate on CW is not fast enough for my liking e.g.
> scooting between the CW end and beacon sub-band on 10m.  I know I can use
> the memories to go directly to a stored channel but it suits me to QSY
> quickly through the band on the VFO.  I'm confused by the FINE and RATE
> controls.  I'm not keen to change modes to change QSY rates.  I'd prefer
> just to be able to set the clarifier-QSY function to step in, say, 5 or
> 10kHz or 12.5kHz steps, ideally with the first step being to the nearest
> "round value" (e.g. if I'm on 28003, the first step would be 3kHz to 28005
> then 5kHz to 28010 etc.).  [This is another idea borrowed from the TS850.
> I
> know I know, I'll get over it!  I've had 15 years of it!].  Alternatively,
> how about an optional VFO accelerator go-faster function to speed up the
> QSY
> rate if I 'spin' the main knob?
>
> 10.  I discovered by trial-and-error that sending from the internal CW
> memories can be cancelled by clicking the REC button in the middle.  Not
> entirely obvious (why not screen-print CNCL or CANCEL under or around the
> REC button?).
>
> 11.  I haven't figured out what the type I and II filtering is all about
> yet, nor how to manually tune the notch filter, but I'm confident it's all
> in the manual somewhere ...
>
> 12.  There's a noticeable delay between putting in the headphones and
> muting
> the speakers.
>
> Those minor issues aside, the stereocode CW and NR functions are good, the
> subRX is extremely helpful (I've already bagged S04R on 2 more bands much
> more easily than otherwise thanks to being able to listen in the pileup
> and
> to the S0 at the same time) and the no-ring filtering down to a few Hz is
> great.  Overall the K3 RX sounds fantastic and I'm definitely looking
> forward to the next big contest!
>
> 73
> Gary  ZL2iFB   www.g4ifb.com
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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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[NZ0T]

Granted I had over a 4 month wait for SN 1502 but the assembly manual is available for download and I highly recommend that anyone ordering the kit download it and read before it arrives.  That way you have an idea of what to expect and the "gotta get it built" mistakes are minimized.  It was a great help to me.  I did the same for the K2 when I built it.

73,

Bill NZ0T

[k0zu]

A bit early in the game to build a list but here goes...

-THE DSP NR WORKS...amazing concept I guess.
-QSK is amazing...sucked on the OII
-Shift and width controls amazing compared to Pass band tuning that the OII
called it.
- Receive quality really appeals to my ears...OII never sounded this good.  
-ATU is nothing short of brilliant compared to the OII. Faster, quieter, can
tune a soup can.
-Metering functions such as RF out, signal strength, SWR actually mean
something and have some level of detailed definition. OII, the sub S-
   meter was pretty good but the main was a joke due to tap point
implementation. SWR readings on the OII shotty at best. Overall
  ...metering on the OII was pointless.
-AGC is much easier to manage that it was on the OII and much more effective
as well even compared to the latest FW release of the OII
- Even thought the Elecraft is much smaller that the OII...the front panel
packs some serious punch on functions and layout.

There is a long list of things I am liking over the OII but these are the
ones that hit me first. Hate to bag on the OII but I gave it 3 years to get
things worked out.

Cheers
Doug K0ZU

-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Ellington [mailto:[hidden email]]
Sent: Sunday, April 19, 2009 7:36 PM
To: Doug; 'Gary Hinson'; [hidden email]
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 #2887 - first impressions

Doug
Having had the Orion II, what are the differences you have experienced?
Steve Ellington
[hidden email]
----- Original Message -----
From: "Doug" <[hidden email]>
To: "'Gary Hinson'" <[hidden email]>; <[hidden email]>
Sent: Sunday, April 19, 2009 8:09 PM
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 #2887 - first impressions

> Just put sn:2950 together this weekend and would agree 100% with your
> comments Gary. Also I would add that a picture showing the sub assembly in
> expanded (blow-out)form would be nice. I am pretty sharp most of the time
> but I sat looking at both shells wondering what the hell I was supposed to
> do with them because I only ever saw one in the pictures.
>
> Having assembled a KX1 with options in the past I was worried that I would
> get the K3 3/4 assembled just to have to tear 1/2 of it back down to
> install
> something that could have been done earlier. Kudos to Elecraft for option
> breakouts in the manual preventing this from happening.
>
> More clarity on the J92 setup on the sub assembly would be nice. I hooked
> the aux RF port up and taped the tmp connector as instructed. Then it was
> never referenced again. Then you get to the sub rec assembly and it has
> j92
> connecting to J63 on the KAT3. Left me wondering what the hell to do. In
> the
> end both got disconnected and taped up as I am not setup with two antennas
> at the moment and will just use the main for input for the time being.
>
> A Matrix up-front in the K3 assembly instructions showing the 3 options
> might not be a bad thing.
>
>
> What a bad ass little radio. Coming from an Orion II this is a real treat.
>
> Off to drink more Kool-Aid as they say.
>
> Cheers
> Doug K0ZU
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [hidden email]
> [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Gary Hinson
> Sent: Saturday, April 18, 2009 4:54 AM
> To: [hidden email]
> Subject: [Elecraft] K3 #2887 - first impressions
>
> Hi all.
>
> K3 #2887 lives!  Config: K3/100, ATU, subRX, 250Hz + 400Hz filters (main
> and
> subRX), KXV3, DVR.
>
> The kit build was relatively painless, certainly easier than the K2.
> Package open to 1st QSO took me 1 fairly intense but enjoyable day
> (Wednesday just gone).  While they are still fresh in my mind, these were
> the most significant problems I experienced with the build:
>
> 1.  If I had realized I would need them, I would have bought the
> antistatic
> wrist-strap and desk pad between ordering the kit and it arriving in the
> post, instead of having to go shopping after opening the box!   Perhaps a
> little reminder about which tools customers will need could be included in
> the "Thanks for ordering your K3" email?  [Maybe it was and I missed it in
> the excitement!].  Alternatively, could these be another option to buy
> from
> Elecraft?
>
> 2.  It wasn't immediately obvious that most boards/options come with their
> own hardware in little envelopes, and several bits took a little while to
> find (e.g. the bits for the standoffs near the display, fig 37 in the kit
> assembly manual).  I eventually got the hang of it but having a bunch of
> spare bits left over and constantly changing from bag to bag got me a bit
> confused at times.
>
> 3.  It's not entirely clear what the display light blocker strips are
> meant
> to achieve, hence exactly where they should be fitted - should they stick
> to
> the main board, the edge of the display panel, or the strip of flexy foil
> sticking out of the LCD panel?  The manual, even with a photo, didn't
> help.
> The finished K3 looks fine now so I guess I made the right choices by
> luck.
>
> 4.  My LCD panel had some smudge marks.  I very carefully and gently
> cleaned
> it as best I could with a cleaning cloth used for spectacles, and the few
> marks that remained are invisible now under the Perspex face ... But I
> wonder if perhaps it ought to have been shipped with a pull-off plastic
> film
> protector?
>
> 5.  Fitting the chassis stiffener towards the end is tricky because the
> topmost screws are horizontally aligned with other boards or the rear
> panel
> edge.  Maybe I should have found a slimmer Phillips #1 screwdriver?  Maybe
> some other method of fixing it would help.
>
> 5.  The step-by-step instructions kind of lost the plot towards the end in
> respect of fitting the 100W PA and subRX.  Up til then, the "install
> option
> X now or move ahead to page Y" thing worked just fine.  [I was getting
> tired
> by then: it was probably me losing the plot not the instructions!].
>
> 6.  The subRX is a tight squeeze, making it awkward to ensure the
> connectors
> are fully aligned and cables are out of the way.  No easy solution there.
>
> 7.  Every option, I think, came with an installation manual plus its own
> page/s of errata.  It's annoying to have to go through and fix the manuals
> before starting.  The odd correction/clarification I could understand but
> why so many?  Could the base manuals be updated and printed more often??
>
> 8.  The Anderson Powerpole connectors refuse to snap fully home into the
> body of the connector, so the power lead sometimes slips out.  I probably
> over-did the solder.  I think I'm going to have to cut them off and buy
> some
> more, if I can even find them in ZL ...
>
> The manual was definitely up to expectations and extremely helpful,
> especially all those annotated photos that must have taken someone many
> hours to produce.  BTW my "full inventory" consisted of checking that the
> requisite main parts and options were present - I didn't bother trying to
> count all of those little screws and washers (lesson learnt from the K2!
> Kudos to the little army of Elecrafty packers and checkers - fantastic!).
>
> There's a few minor niggles, queries or suggestions for the actual rig so
> far, some no doubt due to my obvious inexperience with it after just a few
> days  behind the wheel:
>
> 1.  At first the SubRX worked on every band *except* 40m ... until I
> re-checked it this evening and mysteriously it is now working fine on all
> bands.  Don't know what happened there.  It didn't seem to be anything as
> obvious as ATT on, wrong antenna selected, crazy filtering etc.  There was
> audio hiss but no signals, not even very weak sigs as far as I could tell.
> I re-did the subRX synth calibration business this afternoon so maybe that
> fixed it (after a power cycle too)?
>
> 2.  At first the S-meter was randomly flickering up to mid to full-scale,
> a
> bit like if there is static on the coax.  This anomaly disappeared within
> an
> hour or two of running the rig and has not reappeared since.  Maybe it
> *was*
> static?!
>
> 3.  On semi-QSK, I've noticed occasional glitches with CW keying when I
> release the PTT foot-switch.  The sidetone seems to indicate shortened
> characters sometimes when I release the switch while still sending, but I
> don't yet know if it affects the RF going out (it could just be a
> temporary
> mute of the sidetone).  Although it's nice to be able to define the
> built-in
> CW memories from the PC using the K3 Utility program, I'm currently using
> my
> trusty old MM3 Morse Machine for keying, mostly because it has an external
> memory trigger unit on a flying lead sitting on the desk near my
> non-paddle
> hand (which would be a handy option for the K3 too!).  The MM3 always
> sends
> complete characters so I know *that's* not the cause of this problem.
>
> 4.  Is there a simple way to step through the memories, manually i.e. not
> using the scan and without doing the whole M>V + select-next-memory + M>V
> thing?  I'd like to be able to select the memory bank, then tune up and
> down
> through the bank one memory at a time, perhaps using the clarifier knob
> (not
> the VFO as it's useful to be able to tune away from a memory), to listen
> to
> the memorized channels as I step through them.
>
> 5.  The memory label function is handy but has too few characters for the
> callsigns for many of the 10m beacons I watch.  How about making it scroll
> to the left, just like the power-up banner function, if I input more than
> 5
> characters?
>
> 6.  I miss the dedicated "Quick Memory" function from my TS850 already.
> I'd
> really like to program PF1 and PF2 or two other buttons for this function
> i.e. press one button to store the current freq etc. in a dedicated Quick
> Memo Last-In-First-Out bank, press another button to recall the info to
> the
> VFO (optionally using the clarifier knob to select previously-stored
> values).  [This is an easy way to store and later recall interesting but
> temporary frequencies when tuning around the bands, without all the
> button-pressing needed to store them in a main memory].
>
> 7.  On the TS850, I've got used to using LSB for CW reception but the K3
> uses USB.  Short of changing my ways, I know I can hold the ALT-mode
> button
> to change to CW REV, and this setting is remembered on each band, but I'd
> prefer to be able to select LSB as my default, particularly as the K3 now
> automatically reverts to USB for CW when I click an interesting spot in
> Logger32.
>
> 8.  The auto-spot function works OK but tends to search a bit widely, and
> is
> not consistent on the stop frequency, sometimes tuning some way off (even
> on
> seemingly reasonable strength 20+WPM sigs).  It would be handy to have an
> instant "undo-auto-spot" function a bit like the "undo-RIT-cancel" thing
> to
> reset the VFO to the pre-auto-spot frequency if it fails to spot
> accurately.
>
> 9.  The maximum tuning rate on CW is not fast enough for my liking e.g.
> scooting between the CW end and beacon sub-band on 10m.  I know I can use
> the memories to go directly to a stored channel but it suits me to QSY
> quickly through the band on the VFO.  I'm confused by the FINE and RATE
> controls.  I'm not keen to change modes to change QSY rates.  I'd prefer
> just to be able to set the clarifier-QSY function to step in, say, 5 or
> 10kHz or 12.5kHz steps, ideally with the first step being to the nearest
> "round value" (e.g. if I'm on 28003, the first step would be 3kHz to 28005
> then 5kHz to 28010 etc.).  [This is another idea borrowed from the TS850.
> I
> know I know, I'll get over it!  I've had 15 years of it!].  Alternatively,
> how about an optional VFO accelerator go-faster function to speed up the
> QSY
> rate if I 'spin' the main knob?
>
> 10.  I discovered by trial-and-error that sending from the internal CW
> memories can be cancelled by clicking the REC button in the middle.  Not
> entirely obvious (why not screen-print CNCL or CANCEL under or around the
> REC button?).
>
> 11.  I haven't figured out what the type I and II filtering is all about
> yet, nor how to manually tune the notch filter, but I'm confident it's all
> in the manual somewhere ...
>
> 12.  There's a noticeable delay between putting in the headphones and
> muting
> the speakers.
>
> Those minor issues aside, the stereocode CW and NR functions are good, the
> subRX is extremely helpful (I've already bagged S04R on 2 more bands much
> more easily than otherwise thanks to being able to listen in the pileup
> and
> to the S0 at the same time) and the no-ring filtering down to a few Hz is
> great.  Overall the K3 RX sounds fantastic and I'm definitely looking
> forward to the next big contest!
>
> 73
> Gary  ZL2iFB   www.g4ifb.com
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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 

______________________________________________________________
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

[k0zu]

I do miss the remote vfo pod though...

-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Ellington [mailto:[hidden email]]
Sent: Sunday, April 19, 2009 7:36 PM
To: Doug; 'Gary Hinson'; [hidden email]
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 #2887 - first impressions

Doug
Having had the Orion II, what are the differences you have experienced?
Steve Ellington
[hidden email]
----- Original Message -----
From: "Doug" <[hidden email]>
To: "'Gary Hinson'" <[hidden email]>; <[hidden email]>
Sent: Sunday, April 19, 2009 8:09 PM
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 #2887 - first impressions

> Just put sn:2950 together this weekend and would agree 100% with your
> comments Gary. Also I would add that a picture showing the sub assembly in
> expanded (blow-out)form would be nice. I am pretty sharp most of the time
> but I sat looking at both shells wondering what the hell I was supposed to
> do with them because I only ever saw one in the pictures.
>
> Having assembled a KX1 with options in the past I was worried that I would
> get the K3 3/4 assembled just to have to tear 1/2 of it back down to
> install
> something that could have been done earlier. Kudos to Elecraft for option
> breakouts in the manual preventing this from happening.
>
> More clarity on the J92 setup on the sub assembly would be nice. I hooked
> the aux RF port up and taped the tmp connector as instructed. Then it was
> never referenced again. Then you get to the sub rec assembly and it has
> j92
> connecting to J63 on the KAT3. Left me wondering what the hell to do. In
> the
> end both got disconnected and taped up as I am not setup with two antennas
> at the moment and will just use the main for input for the time being.
>
> A Matrix up-front in the K3 assembly instructions showing the 3 options
> might not be a bad thing.
>
>
> What a bad ass little radio. Coming from an Orion II this is a real treat.
>
> Off to drink more Kool-Aid as they say.
>
> Cheers
> Doug K0ZU
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [hidden email]
> [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Gary Hinson
> Sent: Saturday, April 18, 2009 4:54 AM
> To: [hidden email]
> Subject: [Elecraft] K3 #2887 - first impressions
>
> Hi all.
>
> K3 #2887 lives!  Config: K3/100, ATU, subRX, 250Hz + 400Hz filters (main
> and
> subRX), KXV3, DVR.
>
> The kit build was relatively painless, certainly easier than the K2.
> Package open to 1st QSO took me 1 fairly intense but enjoyable day
> (Wednesday just gone).  While they are still fresh in my mind, these were
> the most significant problems I experienced with the build:
>
> 1.  If I had realized I would need them, I would have bought the
> antistatic
> wrist-strap and desk pad between ordering the kit and it arriving in the
> post, instead of having to go shopping after opening the box!   Perhaps a
> little reminder about which tools customers will need could be included in
> the "Thanks for ordering your K3" email?  [Maybe it was and I missed it in
> the excitement!].  Alternatively, could these be another option to buy
> from
> Elecraft?
>
> 2.  It wasn't immediately obvious that most boards/options come with their
> own hardware in little envelopes, and several bits took a little while to
> find (e.g. the bits for the standoffs near the display, fig 37 in the kit
> assembly manual).  I eventually got the hang of it but having a bunch of
> spare bits left over and constantly changing from bag to bag got me a bit
> confused at times.
>
> 3.  It's not entirely clear what the display light blocker strips are
> meant
> to achieve, hence exactly where they should be fitted - should they stick
> to
> the main board, the edge of the display panel, or the strip of flexy foil
> sticking out of the LCD panel?  The manual, even with a photo, didn't
> help.
> The finished K3 looks fine now so I guess I made the right choices by
> luck.
>
> 4.  My LCD panel had some smudge marks.  I very carefully and gently
> cleaned
> it as best I could with a cleaning cloth used for spectacles, and the few
> marks that remained are invisible now under the Perspex face ... But I
> wonder if perhaps it ought to have been shipped with a pull-off plastic
> film
> protector?
>
> 5.  Fitting the chassis stiffener towards the end is tricky because the
> topmost screws are horizontally aligned with other boards or the rear
> panel
> edge.  Maybe I should have found a slimmer Phillips #1 screwdriver?  Maybe
> some other method of fixing it would help.
>
> 5.  The step-by-step instructions kind of lost the plot towards the end in
> respect of fitting the 100W PA and subRX.  Up til then, the "install
> option
> X now or move ahead to page Y" thing worked just fine.  [I was getting
> tired
> by then: it was probably me losing the plot not the instructions!].
>
> 6.  The subRX is a tight squeeze, making it awkward to ensure the
> connectors
> are fully aligned and cables are out of the way.  No easy solution there.
>
> 7.  Every option, I think, came with an installation manual plus its own
> page/s of errata.  It's annoying to have to go through and fix the manuals
> before starting.  The odd correction/clarification I could understand but
> why so many?  Could the base manuals be updated and printed more often??
>
> 8.  The Anderson Powerpole connectors refuse to snap fully home into the
> body of the connector, so the power lead sometimes slips out.  I probably
> over-did the solder.  I think I'm going to have to cut them off and buy
> some
> more, if I can even find them in ZL ...
>
> The manual was definitely up to expectations and extremely helpful,
> especially all those annotated photos that must have taken someone many
> hours to produce.  BTW my "full inventory" consisted of checking that the
> requisite main parts and options were present - I didn't bother trying to
> count all of those little screws and washers (lesson learnt from the K2!
> Kudos to the little army of Elecrafty packers and checkers - fantastic!).
>
> There's a few minor niggles, queries or suggestions for the actual rig so
> far, some no doubt due to my obvious inexperience with it after just a few
> days  behind the wheel:
>
> 1.  At first the SubRX worked on every band *except* 40m ... until I
> re-checked it this evening and mysteriously it is now working fine on all
> bands.  Don't know what happened there.  It didn't seem to be anything as
> obvious as ATT on, wrong antenna selected, crazy filtering etc.  There was
> audio hiss but no signals, not even very weak sigs as far as I could tell.
> I re-did the subRX synth calibration business this afternoon so maybe that
> fixed it (after a power cycle too)?
>
> 2.  At first the S-meter was randomly flickering up to mid to full-scale,
> a
> bit like if there is static on the coax.  This anomaly disappeared within
> an
> hour or two of running the rig and has not reappeared since.  Maybe it
> *was*
> static?!
>
> 3.  On semi-QSK, I've noticed occasional glitches with CW keying when I
> release the PTT foot-switch.  The sidetone seems to indicate shortened
> characters sometimes when I release the switch while still sending, but I
> don't yet know if it affects the RF going out (it could just be a
> temporary
> mute of the sidetone).  Although it's nice to be able to define the
> built-in
> CW memories from the PC using the K3 Utility program, I'm currently using
> my
> trusty old MM3 Morse Machine for keying, mostly because it has an external
> memory trigger unit on a flying lead sitting on the desk near my
> non-paddle
> hand (which would be a handy option for the K3 too!).  The MM3 always
> sends
> complete characters so I know *that's* not the cause of this problem.
>
> 4.  Is there a simple way to step through the memories, manually i.e. not
> using the scan and without doing the whole M>V + select-next-memory + M>V
> thing?  I'd like to be able to select the memory bank, then tune up and
> down
> through the bank one memory at a time, perhaps using the clarifier knob
> (not
> the VFO as it's useful to be able to tune away from a memory), to listen
> to
> the memorized channels as I step through them.
>
> 5.  The memory label function is handy but has too few characters for the
> callsigns for many of the 10m beacons I watch.  How about making it scroll
> to the left, just like the power-up banner function, if I input more than
> 5
> characters?
>
> 6.  I miss the dedicated "Quick Memory" function from my TS850 already.
> I'd
> really like to program PF1 and PF2 or two other buttons for this function
> i.e. press one button to store the current freq etc. in a dedicated Quick
> Memo Last-In-First-Out bank, press another button to recall the info to
> the
> VFO (optionally using the clarifier knob to select previously-stored
> values).  [This is an easy way to store and later recall interesting but
> temporary frequencies when tuning around the bands, without all the
> button-pressing needed to store them in a main memory].
>
> 7.  On the TS850, I've got used to using LSB for CW reception but the K3
> uses USB.  Short of changing my ways, I know I can hold the ALT-mode
> button
> to change to CW REV, and this setting is remembered on each band, but I'd
> prefer to be able to select LSB as my default, particularly as the K3 now
> automatically reverts to USB for CW when I click an interesting spot in
> Logger32.
>
> 8.  The auto-spot function works OK but tends to search a bit widely, and
> is
> not consistent on the stop frequency, sometimes tuning some way off (even
> on
> seemingly reasonable strength 20+WPM sigs).  It would be handy to have an
> instant "undo-auto-spot" function a bit like the "undo-RIT-cancel" thing
> to
> reset the VFO to the pre-auto-spot frequency if it fails to spot
> accurately.
>
> 9.  The maximum tuning rate on CW is not fast enough for my liking e.g.
> scooting between the CW end and beacon sub-band on 10m.  I know I can use
> the memories to go directly to a stored channel but it suits me to QSY
> quickly through the band on the VFO.  I'm confused by the FINE and RATE
> controls.  I'm not keen to change modes to change QSY rates.  I'd prefer
> just to be able to set the clarifier-QSY function to step in, say, 5 or
> 10kHz or 12.5kHz steps, ideally with the first step being to the nearest
> "round value" (e.g. if I'm on 28003, the first step would be 3kHz to 28005
> then 5kHz to 28010 etc.).  [This is another idea borrowed from the TS850.
> I
> know I know, I'll get over it!  I've had 15 years of it!].  Alternatively,
> how about an optional VFO accelerator go-faster function to speed up the
> QSY
> rate if I 'spin' the main knob?
>
> 10.  I discovered by trial-and-error that sending from the internal CW
> memories can be cancelled by clicking the REC button in the middle.  Not
> entirely obvious (why not screen-print CNCL or CANCEL under or around the
> REC button?).
>
> 11.  I haven't figured out what the type I and II filtering is all about
> yet, nor how to manually tune the notch filter, but I'm confident it's all
> in the manual somewhere ...
>
> 12.  There's a noticeable delay between putting in the headphones and
> muting
> the speakers.
>
> Those minor issues aside, the stereocode CW and NR functions are good, the
> subRX is extremely helpful (I've already bagged S04R on 2 more bands much
> more easily than otherwise thanks to being able to listen in the pileup
> and
> to the S0 at the same time) and the no-ring filtering down to a few Hz is
> great.  Overall the K3 RX sounds fantastic and I'm definitely looking
> forward to the next big contest!
>
> 73
> Gary  ZL2iFB   www.g4ifb.com
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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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Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:[hidden email]

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Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html

[k0zu]

And miss band stacking registers as well.

Small price to pay though.

-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Ellington [mailto:[hidden email]]
Sent: Sunday, April 19, 2009 7:36 PM
To: Doug; 'Gary Hinson'; [hidden email]
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 #2887 - first impressions

Doug
Having had the Orion II, what are the differences you have experienced?
Steve Ellington
[hidden email]
----- Original Message -----
From: "Doug" <[hidden email]>
To: "'Gary Hinson'" <[hidden email]>; <[hidden email]>
Sent: Sunday, April 19, 2009 8:09 PM
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 #2887 - first impressions

> Just put sn:2950 together this weekend and would agree 100% with your
> comments Gary. Also I would add that a picture showing the sub assembly in
> expanded (blow-out)form would be nice. I am pretty sharp most of the time
> but I sat looking at both shells wondering what the hell I was supposed to
> do with them because I only ever saw one in the pictures.
>
> Having assembled a KX1 with options in the past I was worried that I would
> get the K3 3/4 assembled just to have to tear 1/2 of it back down to
> install
> something that could have been done earlier. Kudos to Elecraft for option
> breakouts in the manual preventing this from happening.
>
> More clarity on the J92 setup on the sub assembly would be nice. I hooked
> the aux RF port up and taped the tmp connector as instructed. Then it was
> never referenced again. Then you get to the sub rec assembly and it has
> j92
> connecting to J63 on the KAT3. Left me wondering what the hell to do. In
> the
> end both got disconnected and taped up as I am not setup with two antennas
> at the moment and will just use the main for input for the time being.
>
> A Matrix up-front in the K3 assembly instructions showing the 3 options
> might not be a bad thing.
>
>
> What a bad ass little radio. Coming from an Orion II this is a real treat.
>
> Off to drink more Kool-Aid as they say.
>
> Cheers
> Doug K0ZU
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [hidden email]
> [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Gary Hinson
> Sent: Saturday, April 18, 2009 4:54 AM
> To: [hidden email]
> Subject: [Elecraft] K3 #2887 - first impressions
>
> Hi all.
>
> K3 #2887 lives!  Config: K3/100, ATU, subRX, 250Hz + 400Hz filters (main
> and
> subRX), KXV3, DVR.
>
> The kit build was relatively painless, certainly easier than the K2.
> Package open to 1st QSO took me 1 fairly intense but enjoyable day
> (Wednesday just gone).  While they are still fresh in my mind, these were
> the most significant problems I experienced with the build:
>
> 1.  If I had realized I would need them, I would have bought the
> antistatic
> wrist-strap and desk pad between ordering the kit and it arriving in the
> post, instead of having to go shopping after opening the box!   Perhaps a
> little reminder about which tools customers will need could be included in
> the "Thanks for ordering your K3" email?  [Maybe it was and I missed it in
> the excitement!].  Alternatively, could these be another option to buy
> from
> Elecraft?
>
> 2.  It wasn't immediately obvious that most boards/options come with their
> own hardware in little envelopes, and several bits took a little while to
> find (e.g. the bits for the standoffs near the display, fig 37 in the kit
> assembly manual).  I eventually got the hang of it but having a bunch of
> spare bits left over and constantly changing from bag to bag got me a bit
> confused at times.
>
> 3.  It's not entirely clear what the display light blocker strips are
> meant
> to achieve, hence exactly where they should be fitted - should they stick
> to
> the main board, the edge of the display panel, or the strip of flexy foil
> sticking out of the LCD panel?  The manual, even with a photo, didn't
> help.
> The finished K3 looks fine now so I guess I made the right choices by
> luck.
>
> 4.  My LCD panel had some smudge marks.  I very carefully and gently
> cleaned
> it as best I could with a cleaning cloth used for spectacles, and the few
> marks that remained are invisible now under the Perspex face ... But I
> wonder if perhaps it ought to have been shipped with a pull-off plastic
> film
> protector?
>
> 5.  Fitting the chassis stiffener towards the end is tricky because the
> topmost screws are horizontally aligned with other boards or the rear
> panel
> edge.  Maybe I should have found a slimmer Phillips #1 screwdriver?  Maybe
> some other method of fixing it would help.
>
> 5.  The step-by-step instructions kind of lost the plot towards the end in
> respect of fitting the 100W PA and subRX.  Up til then, the "install
> option
> X now or move ahead to page Y" thing worked just fine.  [I was getting
> tired
> by then: it was probably me losing the plot not the instructions!].
>
> 6.  The subRX is a tight squeeze, making it awkward to ensure the
> connectors
> are fully aligned and cables are out of the way.  No easy solution there.
>
> 7.  Every option, I think, came with an installation manual plus its own
> page/s of errata.  It's annoying to have to go through and fix the manuals
> before starting.  The odd correction/clarification I could understand but
> why so many?  Could the base manuals be updated and printed more often??
>
> 8.  The Anderson Powerpole connectors refuse to snap fully home into the
> body of the connector, so the power lead sometimes slips out.  I probably
> over-did the solder.  I think I'm going to have to cut them off and buy
> some
> more, if I can even find them in ZL ...
>
> The manual was definitely up to expectations and extremely helpful,
> especially all those annotated photos that must have taken someone many
> hours to produce.  BTW my "full inventory" consisted of checking that the
> requisite main parts and options were present - I didn't bother trying to
> count all of those little screws and washers (lesson learnt from the K2!
> Kudos to the little army of Elecrafty packers and checkers - fantastic!).
>
> There's a few minor niggles, queries or suggestions for the actual rig so
> far, some no doubt due to my obvious inexperience with it after just a few
> days  behind the wheel:
>
> 1.  At first the SubRX worked on every band *except* 40m ... until I
> re-checked it this evening and mysteriously it is now working fine on all
> bands.  Don't know what happened there.  It didn't seem to be anything as
> obvious as ATT on, wrong antenna selected, crazy filtering etc.  There was
> audio hiss but no signals, not even very weak sigs as far as I could tell.
> I re-did the subRX synth calibration business this afternoon so maybe that
> fixed it (after a power cycle too)?
>
> 2.  At first the S-meter was randomly flickering up to mid to full-scale,
> a
> bit like if there is static on the coax.  This anomaly disappeared within
> an
> hour or two of running the rig and has not reappeared since.  Maybe it
> *was*
> static?!
>
> 3.  On semi-QSK, I've noticed occasional glitches with CW keying when I
> release the PTT foot-switch.  The sidetone seems to indicate shortened
> characters sometimes when I release the switch while still sending, but I
> don't yet know if it affects the RF going out (it could just be a
> temporary
> mute of the sidetone).  Although it's nice to be able to define the
> built-in
> CW memories from the PC using the K3 Utility program, I'm currently using
> my
> trusty old MM3 Morse Machine for keying, mostly because it has an external
> memory trigger unit on a flying lead sitting on the desk near my
> non-paddle
> hand (which would be a handy option for the K3 too!).  The MM3 always
> sends
> complete characters so I know *that's* not the cause of this problem.
>
> 4.  Is there a simple way to step through the memories, manually i.e. not
> using the scan and without doing the whole M>V + select-next-memory + M>V
> thing?  I'd like to be able to select the memory bank, then tune up and
> down
> through the bank one memory at a time, perhaps using the clarifier knob
> (not
> the VFO as it's useful to be able to tune away from a memory), to listen
> to
> the memorized channels as I step through them.
>
> 5.  The memory label function is handy but has too few characters for the
> callsigns for many of the 10m beacons I watch.  How about making it scroll
> to the left, just like the power-up banner function, if I input more than
> 5
> characters?
>
> 6.  I miss the dedicated "Quick Memory" function from my TS850 already.
> I'd
> really like to program PF1 and PF2 or two other buttons for this function
> i.e. press one button to store the current freq etc. in a dedicated Quick
> Memo Last-In-First-Out bank, press another button to recall the info to
> the
> VFO (optionally using the clarifier knob to select previously-stored
> values).  [This is an easy way to store and later recall interesting but
> temporary frequencies when tuning around the bands, without all the
> button-pressing needed to store them in a main memory].
>
> 7.  On the TS850, I've got used to using LSB for CW reception but the K3
> uses USB.  Short of changing my ways, I know I can hold the ALT-mode
> button
> to change to CW REV, and this setting is remembered on each band, but I'd
> prefer to be able to select LSB as my default, particularly as the K3 now
> automatically reverts to USB for CW when I click an interesting spot in
> Logger32.
>
> 8.  The auto-spot function works OK but tends to search a bit widely, and
> is
> not consistent on the stop frequency, sometimes tuning some way off (even
> on
> seemingly reasonable strength 20+WPM sigs).  It would be handy to have an
> instant "undo-auto-spot" function a bit like the "undo-RIT-cancel" thing
> to
> reset the VFO to the pre-auto-spot frequency if it fails to spot
> accurately.
>
> 9.  The maximum tuning rate on CW is not fast enough for my liking e.g.
> scooting between the CW end and beacon sub-band on 10m.  I know I can use
> the memories to go directly to a stored channel but it suits me to QSY
> quickly through the band on the VFO.  I'm confused by the FINE and RATE
> controls.  I'm not keen to change modes to change QSY rates.  I'd prefer
> just to be able to set the clarifier-QSY function to step in, say, 5 or
> 10kHz or 12.5kHz steps, ideally with the first step being to the nearest
> "round value" (e.g. if I'm on 28003, the first step would be 3kHz to 28005
> then 5kHz to 28010 etc.).  [This is another idea borrowed from the TS850.
> I
> know I know, I'll get over it!  I've had 15 years of it!].  Alternatively,
> how about an optional VFO accelerator go-faster function to speed up the
> QSY
> rate if I 'spin' the main knob?
>
> 10.  I discovered by trial-and-error that sending from the internal CW
> memories can be cancelled by clicking the REC button in the middle.  Not
> entirely obvious (why not screen-print CNCL or CANCEL under or around the
> REC button?).
>
> 11.  I haven't figured out what the type I and II filtering is all about
> yet, nor how to manually tune the notch filter, but I'm confident it's all
> in the manual somewhere ...
>
> 12.  There's a noticeable delay between putting in the headphones and
> muting
> the speakers.
>
> Those minor issues aside, the stereocode CW and NR functions are good, the
> subRX is extremely helpful (I've already bagged S04R on 2 more bands much
> more easily than otherwise thanks to being able to listen in the pileup
> and
> to the S0 at the same time) and the no-ring filtering down to a few Hz is
> great.  Overall the K3 RX sounds fantastic and I'm definitely looking
> forward to the next big contest!
>
> 73
> Gary  ZL2iFB   www.g4ifb.com
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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 

______________________________________________________________
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

[Lynn Lamb, W4NL]

I'm glad to have both the K3 and Orion, not to be tacky.

Orion for weak CW DXing and the K3 for all the digital modes with MixW, 6
meters and back-up.  SSB, what little I do is a split.  The K2 for QRP DXing
is a keeper for the past 8+ years.  The FT-450 is an outstanding rig too.
BTW, some other fine rigs have only UCW and I like LCW far far better.

I never saw or used a rig I didn't like relative to at least one or two
features over others.  The Orion and K3 could use a good DMU, right?  hi.
I'd buy one for each in a heart beat.

73, lynn W4NL


----- Original Message -----
From: "Doug" <[hidden email]>
To: "'Steve Ellington'" <[hidden email]>; "'Gary Hinson'"
<[hidden email]>; <[hidden email]>
Sent: Sunday, April 19, 2009 10:31 PM
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 #2887 - first impressions

> And miss band stacking registers as well.
>
> Small price to pay though.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Steve Ellington [mailto:[hidden email]]
> Sent: Sunday, April 19, 2009 7:36 PM
> To: Doug; 'Gary Hinson'; [hidden email]
> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 #2887 - first impressions
>
> Doug
> Having had the Orion II, what are the differences you have experienced?
> Steve Ellington
> [hidden email]
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Doug" <[hidden email]>
> To: "'Gary Hinson'" <[hidden email]>; <[hidden email]>
> Sent: Sunday, April 19, 2009 8:09 PM
> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 #2887 - first impressions
>
>
>> Just put sn:2950 together this weekend and would agree 100% with your
>> comments Gary. Also I would add that a picture showing the sub assembly
>> in
>> expanded (blow-out)form would be nice. I am pretty sharp most of the time
>> but I sat looking at both shells wondering what the hell I was supposed
>> to
>> do with them because I only ever saw one in the pictures.
>>
>> Having assembled a KX1 with options in the past I was worried that I
>> would
>> get the K3 3/4 assembled just to have to tear 1/2 of it back down to
>> install
>> something that could have been done earlier. Kudos to Elecraft for option
>> breakouts in the manual preventing this from happening.
>>
>> More clarity on the J92 setup on the sub assembly would be nice. I hooked
>> the aux RF port up and taped the tmp connector as instructed. Then it was
>> never referenced again. Then you get to the sub rec assembly and it has
>> j92
>> connecting to J63 on the KAT3. Left me wondering what the hell to do. In
>> the
>> end both got disconnected and taped up as I am not setup with two
>> antennas
>> at the moment and will just use the main for input for the time being.
>>
>> A Matrix up-front in the K3 assembly instructions showing the 3 options
>> might not be a bad thing.
>>
>>
>> What a bad ass little radio. Coming from an Orion II this is a real
>> treat.
>>
>> Off to drink more Kool-Aid as they say.
>>
>> Cheers
>> Doug K0ZU
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: [hidden email]
>> [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Gary Hinson
>> Sent: Saturday, April 18, 2009 4:54 AM
>> To: [hidden email]
>> Subject: [Elecraft] K3 #2887 - first impressions
>>
>> Hi all.
>>
>> K3 #2887 lives!  Config: K3/100, ATU, subRX, 250Hz + 400Hz filters (main
>> and
>> subRX), KXV3, DVR.
>>
>> The kit build was relatively painless, certainly easier than the K2.
>> Package open to 1st QSO took me 1 fairly intense but enjoyable day
>> (Wednesday just gone).  While they are still fresh in my mind, these were
>> the most significant problems I experienced with the build:
>>
>> 1.  If I had realized I would need them, I would have bought the
>> antistatic
>> wrist-strap and desk pad between ordering the kit and it arriving in the
>> post, instead of having to go shopping after opening the box!   Perhaps a
>> little reminder about which tools customers will need could be included
>> in
>> the "Thanks for ordering your K3" email?  [Maybe it was and I missed it
>> in
>> the excitement!].  Alternatively, could these be another option to buy
>> from
>> Elecraft?
>>
>> 2.  It wasn't immediately obvious that most boards/options come with
>> their
>> own hardware in little envelopes, and several bits took a little while to
>> find (e.g. the bits for the standoffs near the display, fig 37 in the kit
>> assembly manual).  I eventually got the hang of it but having a bunch of
>> spare bits left over and constantly changing from bag to bag got me a bit
>> confused at times.
>>
>> 3.  It's not entirely clear what the display light blocker strips are
>> meant
>> to achieve, hence exactly where they should be fitted - should they stick
>> to
>> the main board, the edge of the display panel, or the strip of flexy foil
>> sticking out of the LCD panel?  The manual, even with a photo, didn't
>> help.
>> The finished K3 looks fine now so I guess I made the right choices by
>> luck.
>>
>> 4.  My LCD panel had some smudge marks.  I very carefully and gently
>> cleaned
>> it as best I could with a cleaning cloth used for spectacles, and the few
>> marks that remained are invisible now under the Perspex face ... But I
>> wonder if perhaps it ought to have been shipped with a pull-off plastic
>> film
>> protector?
>>
>> 5.  Fitting the chassis stiffener towards the end is tricky because the
>> topmost screws are horizontally aligned with other boards or the rear
>> panel
>> edge.  Maybe I should have found a slimmer Phillips #1 screwdriver?
>> Maybe
>> some other method of fixing it would help.
>>
>> 5.  The step-by-step instructions kind of lost the plot towards the end
>> in
>> respect of fitting the 100W PA and subRX.  Up til then, the "install
>> option
>> X now or move ahead to page Y" thing worked just fine.  [I was getting
>> tired
>> by then: it was probably me losing the plot not the instructions!].
>>
>> 6.  The subRX is a tight squeeze, making it awkward to ensure the
>> connectors
>> are fully aligned and cables are out of the way.  No easy solution there.
>>
>> 7.  Every option, I think, came with an installation manual plus its own
>> page/s of errata.  It's annoying to have to go through and fix the
>> manuals
>> before starting.  The odd correction/clarification I could understand but
>> why so many?  Could the base manuals be updated and printed more often??
>>
>> 8.  The Anderson Powerpole connectors refuse to snap fully home into the
>> body of the connector, so the power lead sometimes slips out.  I probably
>> over-did the solder.  I think I'm going to have to cut them off and buy
>> some
>> more, if I can even find them in ZL ...
>>
>> The manual was definitely up to expectations and extremely helpful,
>> especially all those annotated photos that must have taken someone many
>> hours to produce.  BTW my "full inventory" consisted of checking that the
>> requisite main parts and options were present - I didn't bother trying to
>> count all of those little screws and washers (lesson learnt from the K2!
>> Kudos to the little army of Elecrafty packers and checkers - fantastic!).
>>
>> There's a few minor niggles, queries or suggestions for the actual rig so
>> far, some no doubt due to my obvious inexperience with it after just a
>> few
>> days  behind the wheel:
>>
>> 1.  At first the SubRX worked on every band *except* 40m ... until I
>> re-checked it this evening and mysteriously it is now working fine on all
>> bands.  Don't know what happened there.  It didn't seem to be anything as
>> obvious as ATT on, wrong antenna selected, crazy filtering etc.  There
>> was
>> audio hiss but no signals, not even very weak sigs as far as I could
>> tell.
>> I re-did the subRX synth calibration business this afternoon so maybe
>> that
>> fixed it (after a power cycle too)?
>>
>> 2.  At first the S-meter was randomly flickering up to mid to full-scale,
>> a
>> bit like if there is static on the coax.  This anomaly disappeared within
>> an
>> hour or two of running the rig and has not reappeared since.  Maybe it
>> *was*
>> static?!
>>
>> 3.  On semi-QSK, I've noticed occasional glitches with CW keying when I
>> release the PTT foot-switch.  The sidetone seems to indicate shortened
>> characters sometimes when I release the switch while still sending, but I
>> don't yet know if it affects the RF going out (it could just be a
>> temporary
>> mute of the sidetone).  Although it's nice to be able to define the
>> built-in
>> CW memories from the PC using the K3 Utility program, I'm currently using
>> my
>> trusty old MM3 Morse Machine for keying, mostly because it has an
>> external
>> memory trigger unit on a flying lead sitting on the desk near my
>> non-paddle
>> hand (which would be a handy option for the K3 too!).  The MM3 always
>> sends
>> complete characters so I know *that's* not the cause of this problem.
>>
>> 4.  Is there a simple way to step through the memories, manually i.e. not
>> using the scan and without doing the whole M>V + select-next-memory + M>V
>> thing?  I'd like to be able to select the memory bank, then tune up and
>> down
>> through the bank one memory at a time, perhaps using the clarifier knob
>> (not
>> the VFO as it's useful to be able to tune away from a memory), to listen
>> to
>> the memorized channels as I step through them.
>>
>> 5.  The memory label function is handy but has too few characters for the
>> callsigns for many of the 10m beacons I watch.  How about making it
>> scroll
>> to the left, just like the power-up banner function, if I input more than
>> 5
>> characters?
>>
>> 6.  I miss the dedicated "Quick Memory" function from my TS850 already.
>> I'd
>> really like to program PF1 and PF2 or two other buttons for this function
>> i.e. press one button to store the current freq etc. in a dedicated Quick
>> Memo Last-In-First-Out bank, press another button to recall the info to
>> the
>> VFO (optionally using the clarifier knob to select previously-stored
>> values).  [This is an easy way to store and later recall interesting but
>> temporary frequencies when tuning around the bands, without all the
>> button-pressing needed to store them in a main memory].
>>
>> 7.  On the TS850, I've got used to using LSB for CW reception but the K3
>> uses USB.  Short of changing my ways, I know I can hold the ALT-mode
>> button
>> to change to CW REV, and this setting is remembered on each band, but I'd
>> prefer to be able to select LSB as my default, particularly as the K3 now
>> automatically reverts to USB for CW when I click an interesting spot in
>> Logger32.
>>
>> 8.  The auto-spot function works OK but tends to search a bit widely, and
>> is
>> not consistent on the stop frequency, sometimes tuning some way off (even
>> on
>> seemingly reasonable strength 20+WPM sigs).  It would be handy to have an
>> instant "undo-auto-spot" function a bit like the "undo-RIT-cancel" thing
>> to
>> reset the VFO to the pre-auto-spot frequency if it fails to spot
>> accurately.
>>
>> 9.  The maximum tuning rate on CW is not fast enough for my liking e.g.
>> scooting between the CW end and beacon sub-band on 10m.  I know I can use
>> the memories to go directly to a stored channel but it suits me to QSY
>> quickly through the band on the VFO.  I'm confused by the FINE and RATE
>> controls.  I'm not keen to change modes to change QSY rates.  I'd prefer
>> just to be able to set the clarifier-QSY function to step in, say, 5 or
>> 10kHz or 12.5kHz steps, ideally with the first step being to the nearest
>> "round value" (e.g. if I'm on 28003, the first step would be 3kHz to
>> 28005
>> then 5kHz to 28010 etc.).  [This is another idea borrowed from the TS850.
>> I
>> know I know, I'll get over it!  I've had 15 years of it!].
>> Alternatively,
>> how about an optional VFO accelerator go-faster function to speed up the
>> QSY
>> rate if I 'spin' the main knob?
>>
>> 10.  I discovered by trial-and-error that sending from the internal CW
>> memories can be cancelled by clicking the REC button in the middle.  Not
>> entirely obvious (why not screen-print CNCL or CANCEL under or around the
>> REC button?).
>>
>> 11.  I haven't figured out what the type I and II filtering is all about
>> yet, nor how to manually tune the notch filter, but I'm confident it's
>> all
>> in the manual somewhere ...
>>
>> 12.  There's a noticeable delay between putting in the headphones and
>> muting
>> the speakers.
>>
>> Those minor issues aside, the stereocode CW and NR functions are good,
>> the
>> subRX is extremely helpful (I've already bagged S04R on 2 more bands much
>> more easily than otherwise thanks to being able to listen in the pileup
>> and
>> to the S0 at the same time) and the no-ring filtering down to a few Hz is
>> great.  Overall the K3 RX sounds fantastic and I'm definitely looking
>> forward to the next big contest!
>>
>> 73
>> Gary  ZL2iFB   www.g4ifb.com
>>
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