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K3 - it has spoiled part of my hobby

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Bill-3

K3 - it has spoiled part of my hobby

I bought the K3 a couple of years ago, then followed with the P3, and
soon after - the KAT500 and KPA500. Yep - I got it all.

It used to be that I would spend a large amount of my ham radio time in
reading about new ham equipment, buying and using same. With a fairly
healthy turnover rate, I enjoyed trying new rigs and searching for that
one single rig that would appease my needs. For over fifty years I had
been doing this - owning or using most every rig out there - except for
the latest $10,000+ rigs. Then I got the K-Line...................

That was the end of the quest - I no longer have any interest in looking
at new rigs, as I seriously doubt that I can find any new rig that will
improve my ham radio experience over the K3. It's performance, size,
layout, and individual custom setup suit my needs perfectly. I still
enjoy discussing rigs, but there is no desire to purchase another rig.

The only ham radio thing I have bought lately is a PigKnob - a small
programmable device for rig control. To that end, I no longer use HRD
for rig control.

Life is good!

Bill W2BLC K-Line
Note that I said, "...my ham radio experience" and "my needs......."
Other's mileage my vary.
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Deni F5VJC

Re: K3 - it has spoiled part of my hobby

Licensed now 50 years....SWL,, homebrew, Heathkit HW100 etc etc.

Elecraft saved me from giving up on Ham radio.

It all started in year 2000, with the K2 built from scratch, all options,
including winding all the Toroids.
I loved it, and ended up with a rig that performed amazingly, as well as
my then current big box rigs, the Kenwood TS950, a TenTec Corsair and a
TenTec Omni 6+, all very nice rigs which |I kept for some years.

Then, when the K3 came along I just had to have one # 325.
I eventually sold all my other gear and now I have the full K-Line, all
built from kits.
It still amazes me to be able to put together a kit of parts and end up
with such a top performing, full feature piece of radio equipment.
I love the ability to do software updates and hardware mods all to keep the
rig current to latest spec.

This together with all the amazing software available today interfaced to
this rig keeps my interest going.

Plug and play rigs (which is an Elecraft option of course) would soon bore
me.

I now have a super station indeed! Very happy.

Now if only I could get a 60' tower and a big beam, hmmm....

73, Deni F5VJC

On 24 June 2014 12:36, Bill W2BLC <[hidden email]> wrote:

> I bought the K3 a couple of years ago, then followed with the P3, and soon
> after - the KAT500 and KPA500. Yep - I got it all.
>
> It used to be that I would spend a large amount of my ham radio time in
> reading about new ham equipment, buying and using same. With a fairly
> healthy turnover rate, I enjoyed trying new rigs and searching for that one
> single rig that would appease my needs. For over fifty years I had been
> doing this - owning or using most every rig out there - except for the
> latest $10,000+ rigs. Then I got the K-Line...................
>
> That was the end of the quest - I no longer have any interest in looking
> at new rigs, as I seriously doubt that I can find any new rig that will
> improve my ham radio experience over the K3. It's performance, size,
> layout, and individual custom setup suit my needs perfectly. I still enjoy
> discussing rigs, but there is no desire to purchase another rig.
>
> The only ham radio thing I have bought lately is a PigKnob - a small
> programmable device for rig control. To that end, I no longer use HRD for
> rig control.
>
> Life is good!
>
> Bill W2BLC K-Line
> Note that I said, "...my ham radio experience" and "my needs......."
> Other's mileage my vary.
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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]
>

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Bill-3

Re: K3 - it has spoiled part of my hobby

It is interesting the large number of emails I received - yet on one
post was made. Is this how everything on this reflector is done? You can
learn nothing when responses are made via private email. The answers and
responses are all secret.

Bill W2BLC K-Line

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Charlie T, K3ICH

Re: K3 - it has spoiled part of my hobby

I think you have to consider the subject AND the fact that most of us have
been guilty recently of prolonging an OT thread too long.

If the private responses you received have been to this actual subject line
I think you can understand why most people would take that approach.

Now, if the subject were definitely on topic and consisted of a question,
then it's more likely to generate list-wide postings.

73, Charlie k3ICH

----- Original Message -----
From: "Bill W2BLC" <[hidden email]>
To: <[hidden email]>
Sent: Tuesday, June 24, 2014 8:55 PM
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 - it has spoiled part of my hobby

> It is interesting the large number of emails I received - yet on one post
> was made. Is this how everything on this reflector is done? You can learn
> nothing when responses are made via private email. The answers and
> responses are all secret.
>
> Bill W2BLC K-Line
>
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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]

Elecraft mailing list

Re: K3 - it has spoiled part of my hobby

In reply to this post by Deni F5VJC

I guess this story resonates with many of us. I had a resurging
interest in amateur radio and decided that Dayton would be a great
experience. I came across the Elecraft booth and couldn't believe what
I saw. Frankly I thought that Eric and Wayne were nuts to invest so
much in such a complex kit. Who would pay $600 for a 10 watt cw rig?
It did seem to have a lot of nice features and the possibility of SSB
made it seem a little more attractive.

I have built nearly all the Heathkit line as well as KnightKits and
Eico. I was a prodigious kit builder and I built many HW-101s for
Senior Citizens. The HW-101 was a great bargain for its time. I could
only wonder if Elecraft was really going to pick up where Heath left off.

I visited the booth time after time and listened to Wayne explain the K2
time after time. I didn't bite. A year or so later I ran into them
again at the Charlotte, NC hamfest and I realized they were vastly more
successful than I had ever expected. I bought a K2. The build was
amazing. Certainly the biggest kit I ever built. Although, I think the
HeathKit color TV was a pretty big kit, too.

When it was finally done, debugged and ready, I got on 20 cw. I'm not
much of a cw op, but the K2 blew my mind. Running full QRO at 15 watts
out, it seemed like the world was waiting in line to work me at my
meagre 12 WPM. Seriously hooked, I built and sold 3 more. What a joy.

My K2/100 sits in my living room. I consider it a work of art. When I
show people what amateur radio is - I show them the K2. Nothing in my
mind better defines "Amateur Radio Equipment" than a K2. I built it
with my own hands, part by part.

I now have the full K-line, K1, KX1, KX3 with all the accessories. All
great radios. The K2 however, is the single most fascinating amateur
radio transceiver kit ever created. It is a major milestone in the
history of "ham" radio.

73, Doug -- K0DXV
(52 years of hamming and still going strong)

On 06/24/2014 08:43 AM, F5vjc wrote:

> Licensed now 50 years....SWL,, homebrew, Heathkit HW100 etc etc.
>
> Elecraft saved me from giving up on Ham radio.
>
> It all started in year 2000, with the K2 built from scratch, all options,
> including winding all the Toroids.
> I loved it, and ended up with a rig that performed amazingly, as well as
> my then current big box rigs, the Kenwood TS950, a TenTec Corsair and a
> TenTec Omni 6+, all very nice rigs which |I kept for some years.
>
> Then, when the K3 came along I just had to have one # 325.
> I eventually sold all my other gear and now I have the full K-Line, all
> built from kits.
> It still amazes me to be able to put together a kit of parts and end up
> with such a top performing, full feature piece of radio equipment.
> I love the ability to do software updates and hardware mods all to keep the
> rig current to latest spec.
>
> This together with all the amazing software available today interfaced to
> this rig keeps my interest going.
>
> Plug and play rigs (which is an Elecraft option of course) would soon bore
> me.
>
> I now have a super station indeed! Very happy.
>
> Now if only I could get a 60' tower and a big beam, hmmm....
>
> 73, Deni F5VJC
>
>
>
> On 24 June 2014 12:36, Bill W2BLC <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
>> I bought the K3 a couple of years ago, then followed with the P3, and soon
>> after - the KAT500 and KPA500. Yep - I got it all.
>>
>> It used to be that I would spend a large amount of my ham radio time in
>> reading about new ham equipment, buying and using same. With a fairly
>> healthy turnover rate, I enjoyed trying new rigs and searching for that one
>> single rig that would appease my needs. For over fifty years I had been
>> doing this - owning or using most every rig out there - except for the
>> latest $10,000+ rigs. Then I got the K-Line...................
>>
>> That was the end of the quest - I no longer have any interest in looking
>> at new rigs, as I seriously doubt that I can find any new rig that will
>> improve my ham radio experience over the K3. It's performance, size,
>> layout, and individual custom setup suit my needs perfectly. I still enjoy
>> discussing rigs, but there is no desire to purchase another rig.
>>
>> The only ham radio thing I have bought lately is a PigKnob - a small
>> programmable device for rig control. To that end, I no longer use HRD for
>> rig control.
>>
>> Life is good!
>>
>> Bill W2BLC K-Line
>> Note that I said, "...my ham radio experience" and "my needs......."
>> Other's mileage my vary.
>> ______________________________________________________________
>> 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]
>>
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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]
>

Bill-3

Re: K3 - it has spoiled part of my hobby

In reply to this post by Charlie T, K3ICH

The subject is the K3 and it's surrounding hardware. I cannot think of
anything more on topic.

Bill W2BLC K-Line
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Lynn W. Taylor, WB6UUT

Re: K3 - it has spoiled part of my hobby

When posts outside the list charter start to overwhelm the list, and we
see the volume of complaints that have been on here recently, people get
gun-shy.

They're afraid to post to the list and add even more angst to the group.

I've asked many times that replies to on-topic, legitimate posts be on-list.

Often, those posts are on topics that I don't care about. I don't have
a K3 or a P3, I'm not a CW op (or a SSB op). To me, those posts are boring.

But they're useful to others, and sometimes there is a gem buried in a
post that is otherwise uninteresting to me.

We (and I mean all of us, myself included) need to learn when to
moderate ourselves -and- we need to be a little more tolerant when there
is a great discussion going on that simply doesn't match our personal
interests.

I would personally be happy if the list volume tripled, as long as we
the additional posts are within the list charter, and as long as we can
be courteous to each other.

73 -- Lynn

On 6/25/2014 3:22 AM, Bill W2BLC wrote:
> The subject is the K3 and it's surrounding hardware. I cannot think of
> anything more on topic.
>
> Bill W2BLC K-Line

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