On a more technical note.....

[Mike Kasrich]

Are there any add ons that would be better ordered with a radio at the time of initial construction?  I'd hate to have to disassemble the entire radio to install the 2d rx for instance if it is better installed at the start.  Are the add on modules more like computer cards where you will put the card in the slot and then activate the feature?

Mike/aj9c
_______________________________________________
Elecraft mailing list
Post to: [hidden email]
You must be a subscriber to post to the list.
Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.):
 http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft   

Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm
Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com

[Gary Bartlett VE1RGB]

----- Original Message -----
From: <[hidden email]>


> Are there any add ons that would be better ordered with a radio at the
> time of initial construction?

Mike:

    Order the PA with the rig if you can.  It requires the installation of a
metal shield that, to retrofit, requires a bit of disassembly.  As the Ref C
instructions are currently written, allowance is made for you to put that
shield in on the first go-around (although you do not install the 100W amp
at that time) and that will save you a bunch of work later.

    #095 is a dream and worth every minute of the wait.

    73,
    Gary, VE1RGB
_______________________________________________
Elecraft mailing list
Post to: [hidden email]
You must be a subscriber to post to the list.
Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.):
 http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft   

Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm
Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com

[Dick Dievendorff]

My K3 has crystal filters, the KPA3 amplifier, the receive bandpass filter, the transverter interface and the antenna tuner.  I would say that none of these would require more than an hour to add individually.  It takes less time to install several options together than to install each option individually, because you have the covers off.

I bought the bandpass filter and some more filters after the initial assembly.

Of all these options, I'm glad I installed the ATU and transverter interface during initial assembly.  I performed the KPA3 install after the complete assembly of the base K3, and suggested to Elecraft that the KPA3 rear shield could perhaps have been installed during the initial assembly to some advantage. That suggestion worked its way into the next rev of the assembly manual (see page 46 of revision C of the K3 Assembly manual).  That actually was probably more rework than any of the other options.  But even that rework wasn't a whole lot of work.

The 2nd receiver and DVR option aren't yet shipping, so I'll be back in there again when my 2nd receiver arrives.  I'm looking forward to this, it's another pleasant little construction project that will take an hour or so.

All of the assembly manuals are available on the Elecraft web site, and each of the option installation manuals has complete instructions to deal with the situation where they're be installed during the initial build or later.  If you have any detailed "what if" sorts of questions, visit those manuals, they have nice pictures and you can get a feel for what's really involved.  Before you start building, verify that you're building from the most recent manual.  Sometimes a K3 ships, and the next manual rev becomes available before the K3 gets to its owner.  The "old" instructions will still work fine, but I found myself going through the new assembly manual and making slight adjustments (mine is S/N 00018, and after I built my unit slight adjustments were made of the nature of adding a split lock washer here and there, so I went back and made those changes).

My real message is that it isn't a huge amount of effort in any case.  There is a little bit of rework to add later as opposed to adding during the initial build, but not so much as to be tedious.  Opening it again after the initial build is sort of like visiting an old friend.  I took my time and looked around and enjoyed myself.  I'd plan on 5 to 8 hours to build the initial K3, add 15 minutes per option if performed during the initial assembly, and maybe half an hour per option if done all alone after the fact.  If I were assembling these day after day, I could cut that time down in half.  But for my own unit, where I'm savoring the whole experience, I wouldn't want to rush it.



73 de Dick, K6KR


-----Original Message-----
From: [hidden email] [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of [hidden email]
Sent: Friday, December 07, 2007 7:25 AM
Cc: elecraft
Subject: [Elecraft] On a more technical note.....

Are there any add ons that would be better ordered with a radio at the time of initial construction?  I'd hate to have to disassemble the entire radio to install the 2d rx for instance if it is better installed at the start.  Are the add on modules more like computer cards where you will put the card in the slot and then activate the feature?

Mike/aj9c
_______________________________________________
Elecraft mailing list
Post to: [hidden email]
You must be a subscriber to post to the list.
Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.):
 http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft   

Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm
Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com

_______________________________________________
Elecraft mailing list
Post to: [hidden email]
You must be a subscriber to post to the list.
Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.):
 http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft

Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm
Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com

[Craig Rairdin]

I think the hardest add-on to do after-the-fact is the transverter interface
KXV3. It requires removal of the KIO3 and the side and bottom panels. Based
on my guess about how the second RX board fits, I think adding the KXV3
might also require removal of the second RX.

I don't have the KDVR3 digital voice recorder option so I don't know how
hard that is to install. Otherwise I have all the rest of the options.

If I understand the second RX correctly, it will require removal of the top
and bottom panels and the stiffener. None of that is hard, and none of it
makes it worth waiting for the second RX before building the radio.

Craig
NZ0R
K3/100 #25

-----Original Message-----
From: [hidden email]
[mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of [hidden email]
Sent: Friday, December 07, 2007 9:25 AM
Cc: elecraft
Subject: [Elecraft] On a more technical note.....


Are there any add ons that would be better ordered with a radio at the time
of initial construction?  I'd hate to have to disassemble the entire radio
to install the 2d rx for instance if it is better installed at the start.
Are the add on modules more like computer cards where you will put the card
in the slot and then activate the feature?

Mike/aj9c
_______________________________________________
Elecraft mailing list
Post to: [hidden email]
You must be a subscriber to post to the list.
Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.):
 http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft   

Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm
Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com

_______________________________________________
Elecraft mailing list
Post to: [hidden email]
You must be a subscriber to post to the list.
Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.):
 http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft   

Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm
Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com

[KK7P]

> I don't have the KDVR3 digital voice recorder option so I don't know how
> hard that is to install.

Installation will require removal of the front panel assembly in such a
way as to allow removal of the DSP board.  The KDVR3 attaches to the DSP
board.

The KRX3 option also requires attaching a new PC board, in this case the
auxiliary DSP, to the DSP board.

Fortunately, these occupy different physical locations on the DSP board,
so you can install and use both options ;-)

73,

Lyle KK7P

_______________________________________________
Elecraft mailing list
Post to: [hidden email]
You must be a subscriber to post to the list.
Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.):
 http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft   

Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm
Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com