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Re: Is the KX3 a good choice for a new General?

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Phil Wheeler-2

Re: Is the KX3 a good choice for a new General?

I agree, NIck. In past years I made a point of
giving older rigs away to a new ham so they can
start in the hobby without committing funds.
That's where early Kenwoods (TS-520S, TS-440SAT)
went and where my TS-570DG will go as soon as I
find a local ham with interest.

New hams seldom know what areas of this hobby will
grab them, nor if they'll stay in the hobby long
term. Assuming they are of limited means, spending
$1K or more may not be a wise starting point if
they have other viable options.

Phil W7OX

On 12/6/14 1:50 PM, Nick Kemp wrote:

> Something new hams wrestle with is ... how much
> do I want to spend given that I don't know where
> this will take me or if I'll even stick with
> it? So the entry point price makes a
> difference. So does resell-ability in case I
> want out.
>
> The question of QRP operation is pertinent but
> not the whole discussion. .....
>
> Nick
> N1KMP

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Raymond Sills

Re: Is the KX3 a good choice for a new General?

While I think an Elecraft rig is not a bad choice for a committed ham,
or even an unsure newbie (because they retain value in the second hand
market), this is a situation where a local club might help.
Sometimes, hams will leave their radio estate to the club, for the
purpose of providing a "loaner" rig for new hams or for someone whose
rig went poof. It might be worth checking. And, some clubs have a
fully functioning station which is available for members to use. My
local club has dues of $20 a year... that's pretty cheap to get to use
a raft of nice ham gear, including the nicely built antenna systems.

73 de Ray
K2ULR
KX3 #211

On Dec 6, 2014, at 4:58 PM, Phil Wheeler wrote:

> I agree, NIck. In past years I made a point of giving older rigs
> away to a new ham so they can start in the hobby without committing
> funds. That's where early Kenwoods (TS-520S, TS-440SAT) went and
> where my TS-570DG will go as soon as I find a local ham with interest.
>
> New hams seldom know what areas of this hobby will grab them, nor if
> they'll stay in the hobby long term. Assuming they are of limited
> means, spending $1K or more may not be a wise starting point if they
> have other viable options.
>
> Phil W7OX
>
> On 12/6/14 1:50 PM, Nick Kemp wrote:
>> Something new hams wrestle with is ... how much do I want to spend
>> given that I don't know where this will take me or if I'll even
>> stick with it? So the entry point price makes a difference. So
>> does resell-ability in case I want out.
>>
>> The question of QRP operation is pertinent but not the whole
>> discussion. .....
>>
>> Nick
>> N1KMP
>
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Myron WVØH

Re: Is the KX3 a good choice for a new General?

And that is a great way to go. However, the eye candy of a the newer rigs is a big appeal to the uniformed and will likely be biased from then on and that's all they want. Until the day (maybe it never comes) they realize that their rig just doesn't seem to perform like someone else's, (ignoring the antenna system for the moment). Or they read on a list somewhere that their rig doesn't perform like the Humperdink 8000, then they will wish they had waited. Either way a good way to go, for sure. Visit someone's shack and even multiple stations to see what they like. Betcha it will be the eye candy rigs.

Myron WVØH
Printed on Recycled Data

> On Dec 6, 2014, at 3:07 PM, Ray Sills <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
> And, some clubs have a fully functioning station which is available for members to use
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Jim Brown-10

Re: Is the KX3 a good choice for a new General?

In reply to this post by g3ymc

Respectfully, 253 QRP DXCC is FAR easier from anywhere around the
northern Atlantic and Western EU than from many other parts of the
world. W6, for example. :)

On Sat,12/6/2014 12:49 PM, Dave Sergeant wrote:
> but having worked 253 DXCC with 5W and very modest antennas on my K2 I would not agree with that statement....And I never find myself 'struggling', I just work the stuff.
>
> 73 Dave G3YMC

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Richard-3

Re: Is the KX3 a good choice for a new General?

In reply to this post by Nick Kemp

I bought my K3 and KX3 in stages because I could not afford all at
once. I owned an IC-718, IC-706mkII and an IC-746 (all previously used)
as first radios. I decided to buy the K3 because of my first experience
with it. I got a late night shift during a contest and suddenly had to
figure it out with no introduction, and was up and running shortly. No
worries. I did have guest op experience with Yaesu, Kenwood, TenTec and
Icom radios. I found the K3 easy to set up and adjust. If you can
afford one, it will save you much pain and frustration. On the other
hand, starting with a less expensive radio will teach life lessons
regarding the value of a well designed radio system.

For a new ham that has some interest in contesting and dxing with CW,
the feature that would sell me is APF:
http://www.elecraft.com/KX3/tips/Using%20APF%20for%20weak%20signal%20CW%20work%20the%20K3%20and%20KX3.pdf

APF makes learning CW much more comfortable than I expected. I am
unaware of a similar feature on other radios, but may just be ignorant.
It is critical for my hearing weak signals, but also critical for
hearing good signals in bad conditions.

There are many great features, but for someone learning CW, APF is
wonderful.

Richard Hill
KG6JOT, AE6JW, NU6T (Tech to Extra in 2002)

On 12/6/2014 1:50 PM, Nick Kemp wrote:

> Something new hams wrestle with is ... how much do I want to spend
> given that I don't know where this will take me or if I'll even stick
> with it? So the entry point price makes a difference. So does
> resell-ability in case I want out.
>
> The question of QRP operation is pertinent but not the whole discussion.
>
> Antennas are very important but any antenna a new ham puts up will
> likely be the same regardless of what unit they are operating from and
> as such the focus goes back to the equipment usability.
>
> A problem with the question ... Is the KX3 (/or any other model/) a
> good choice for a new General (/ham/)? ... is that it is _/*toooooo*/_
> broad. It is kinda like asking if someone is pretty/handsome. It all
> depends on the observer. For either question, there is no one answer!
>
> Relative to _usability _for a new ham (as opposed to flat out
> comparing equipment spec) mode of operation makes a huge difference to
> the question:
>
> If you are operating from home base (not mobile or portable) then the
> options increase and are different than the next modes. Now there are
> more options relative to used, new and power.
>
> If you are operating from vehicle mobile then the options change as well.
>
> If the ham wants portable (not mobile) then the options are severely
> reduced. For example, what if the final three are the 817ND, 857D and
> the KX3. Now the applicability to a new ham questions include:
> - Which of the three is a better new ham choice without any options?
> - If I add a $150 amp (not Elecraft) to the 817ND or the KX3 now how
> does it compare to the 857D (given that final power out is not
> identical) as it applies to usability by a new ham
> - If I add a antenna tuner to the 817ND, 857D & KX3 and the $150 power
> amp, how do they compare relative to usability to a new ham.
> - If I take out the 817 & 857 then what units should be considered in
> addition to the KX3? And how does operation compare relative to a new
> ham.
>
> - What if the new ham only is interested in CW? Or Digital? Now is
> the KX3 a good choice?
>
> If you follow my drift, the permutations and combinations of the
> question explode. And note that I'm not trying to explode the
> discussion/question:-)
>
> Here are some variations on the original KX3 question:
> For fixed base, mobile, portable, Other?:
> - Where/why is the KX3 a good choice for a new ham?
> - Where/why is the KX3 a bad choice for a new ham?
> - What things/actions/options/etc can make a new ham successful with a
> KX3?
>
> Nick
> N1KMP
>
>
>
>
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>

Tom McCulloch

Re: [Bulk] Re: Is the KX3 a good choice for a new General?

In reply to this post by Nick Kemp

Just my two cents before Eric shuts this thread down:

I haven't been following this thread too closely so I'll assume you're
talking about a base station. I'd say to put your money in the best
and highest antenna you can find and erect, this is by far the most
important component of a base station. Whatever funds you have left in
your budget, put towards a rig with a good receiver (K3 or K2 are
excellent).

Tom, wb2qdg
K2 #1103

On 12/6/2014 4:50 PM, Nick Kemp wrote: