P3 Panadapter

[Don Schroder]

Morning!

I have a kit K2 s/n 7818 that is about 2/3rds complete. I’m a newbie and this is my first radio. I’ve been  looking at additions for my non-existent ham shack and am curious about the Elecraft P3. Looking at the advertising, I see it is for the K3 & K3s, and other radios.

Hence, my question. How many of you consider the P3 to be a must have, and can it be used with a K2 transceiver? As a side note, what other optional equipment to the K2 would you consider necessary?

Thanks, and 73!
Sent from Mail<https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=550986> for Windows 10

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[Don Wilhelm]

Don,

You can use it with the K3 (the P3 input can be tuned anywhere between
455kHz and 21 MHz).
You will have to add an IF output to the K2.  DX Engineering is now
selling the Clifton Labs buffer amplifier which can be used for that
purpose.

I don't know what documentation is being sent with the DX Engineering
kit, but if you need it, I can supply the original Clifton Labs document
for the K2.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 9/18/2018 12:53 PM, Don Schroder wrote:
> Morning!
>
> I have a kit K2 s/n 7818 that is about 2/3rds complete. I’m a newbie and this is my first radio. I’ve been  looking at additions for my non-existent ham shack and am curious about the Elecraft P3. Looking at the advertising, I see it is for the K3 & K3s, and other radios.
>
> Hence, my question. How many of you consider the P3 to be a must have, and can it be used with a K2 transceiver? As a side note, what other optional equipment to the K2 would you consider necessary?
>
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[George Thornton]

I have owned both the K2 and K3.  Perhaps the most fun I had in HAM radio was building the K2.   I learned a lot about soldering and assembly techniques.  

Electronics technology has advanced with miniaturization and surface mount parts.  The skill and equipment requirements for surface mount work is beyond the average amateur.  Elecraft does not offer kits that require surface mount work.

The assembly process for the K3 is much less satisfying than with the K2.   All circuit boards come pre-assembled and you are pretty much just building the box and plugging things in.  

I also have worked extensively with the P3.   I find it very helpful.  There is a wealth of knowledge you get from being able to visually see the spectrum you are working.  

That being said, some of the advantages of the P3 come from its close integration with the K3.  I would believe that close integration would not be possible with the K2.

There are also other panadapter options including the LP-Pan, which will allow you to view the K2's spectrum.   I much prefer the P3 because of the handy controls that allow you to adjust the image, but some of those other options may be less expensive.

Think also of where you might go with all this.  The K2 is a wonderful rig and more than adequate for HF work.  If yuou get really serious about this you may, as I did, choose to upgrade to either the K3s or KX3.  The P3 could be used with the K3s but the KX3 has a different, smaller unit.





-----Original Message-----
From: [hidden email] <[hidden email]> On Behalf Of Don Wilhelm
Sent: Tuesday, September 18, 2018 10:13 AM
To: Don Schroder <[hidden email]>; [hidden email]
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] P3 Panadapter

Don,

You can use it with the K3 (the P3 input can be tuned anywhere between 455kHz and 21 MHz).
You will have to add an IF output to the K2.  DX Engineering is now selling the Clifton Labs buffer amplifier which can be used for that purpose.

I don't know what documentation is being sent with the DX Engineering kit, but if you need it, I can supply the original Clifton Labs document for the K2.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 9/18/2018 12:53 PM, Don Schroder wrote:
> Morning!
>
> I have a kit K2 s/n 7818 that is about 2/3rds complete. I’m a newbie and this is my first radio. I’ve been  looking at additions for my non-existent ham shack and am curious about the Elecraft P3. Looking at the advertising, I see it is for the K3 & K3s, and other radios.
>
> Hence, my question. How many of you consider the P3 to be a must have, and can it be used with a K2 transceiver? As a side note, what other optional equipment to the K2 would you consider necessary?
>
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[k6dgw]

Congratulations on your K2 Don, I've had #4398 for many years and it is
a fun radio to operate, and will hold it's own with the "big guns" out
there.  Don, W3FPR, is your go-to guy for all things K2.

The P3 is basically a tuneable receiver from just below the AM broadcast
band to somewhere around 20 MHz.  It will "work" with the K2 but you
have to bring out the IF signal.  I put "work" in quotes because the P3
will integrate with a K3 to give several modes of operation.  One very
popular one is "Fixed Tune" where the edges of the display remain fixed
and tuning the K3 moves a cursor.

With the K2, the only mode available is "Tracking Mode" where the center
of the screen is always where you are receiving, and as you tune, the
signals on the band all move.

As far as general P3 usefulness, for me it is huge.  It's all I look at
when I operate.  I operate W7RN remotely on occasion, I really miss the
P3, and I hope Elecraft is working on a remote capability for it.

73,

Fred ["Skip"] K6DGW
Sparks NV DM09dn
Washoe County

On 9/18/2018 9:53 AM, Don Schroder wrote:
> Morning!
>
> I have a kit K2 s/n 7818 that is about 2/3rds complete. I’m a newbie and this is my first radio. I’ve been  looking at additions for my non-existent ham shack and am curious about the Elecraft P3. Looking at the advertising, I see it is for the K3 & K3s, and other radios.
>
> Hence, my question. How many of you consider the P3 to be a must have, and can it be used with a K2 transceiver? As a side note, what other optional equipment to the K2 would you consider necessary?
>
>

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[Don Wilhelm]

The main difference between the P3 and PX3 is the input.  The P3 has an
IF input while the PX3 input must be baseband RX I and Q signals.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 9/18/2018 1:59 PM, George Thornton wrote:

>
> I also have worked extensively with the P3.   I find it very helpful.  There is a wealth of knowledge you get from being able to visually see the spectrum you are working.
>
> That being said, some of the advantages of the P3 come from its close integration with the K3.  I would believe that close integration would not be possible with the K2.
>
> There are also other panadapter options including the LP-Pan, which will allow you to view the K2's spectrum.   I much prefer the P3 because of the handy controls that allow you to adjust the image, but some of those other options may be less expensive.
>
> Think also of where you might go with all this.  The K2 is a wonderful rig and more than adequate for HF work.  If yuou get really serious about this you may, as I did, choose to upgrade to either the K3s or KX3.  The P3 could be used with the K3s but the KX3 has a different, smaller unit.
>
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [hidden email] <[hidden email]> On Behalf Of Don Wilhelm
> Sent: Tuesday, September 18, 2018 10:13 AM
> To: Don Schroder <[hidden email]>; [hidden email]
> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] P3 Panadapter
>
> Don,
>
> You can use it with the K3 (the P3 input can be tuned anywhere between 455kHz and 21 MHz).
> You will have to add an IF output to the K2.  DX Engineering is now selling the Clifton Labs buffer amplifier which can be used for that purpose.
>
> I don't know what documentation is being sent with the DX Engineering kit, but if you need it, I can supply the original Clifton Labs document for the K2.
>
> 73,
> Don W3FPR
>
> On 9/18/2018 12:53 PM, Don Schroder wrote:
>> Morning!
>>
>> I have a kit K2 s/n 7818 that is about 2/3rds complete. I’m a newbie and this is my first radio. I’ve been  looking at additions for my non-existent ham shack and am curious about the Elecraft P3. Looking at the advertising, I see it is for the K3 & K3s, and other radios.
>>
>> Hence, my question. How many of you consider the P3 to be a must have, and can it be used with a K2 transceiver? As a side note, what other optional equipment to the K2 would you consider necessary?
>>
> ______________________________________________________________
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>
> 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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[Alan Bloom]

To use the P3 with the K2, you have to modify the K2 to add an IF output
connector.  Clifton Labs used to sell an adapter kit which is now
offered by DX Engineering.

https://www.dxengineering.com/parts/dxe-z10000k2-kit

The P3 does work fine with the K2, but you don't get all the features
that you get with the K3.  For example, the P3 does not show the K2
frequency on its display, the fixed-tune mode is not available, and the
tap-to-QSY feature does not work.

Alan N1AL

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