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What made you decide on purchasing an Elecraft transceiver?

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Jeff Cochrane - VK4XA

What made you decide on purchasing an Elecraft transceiver?

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Phil Hystad-3

Re: What made you decide on purchasing an Elecraft transceiver?

The main thing:

1. The K3
2. Wayne and Eric
3. Everybody else (most everybody) on this list.

73, phil, K7PEH

On Feb 21, 2011, at 3:51 PM, Jeff Cochrane - VK4BOF wrote:

> Hi Wayne, Eric & everyone on the list,
> I thought that perhaps it was time to ask one of the most important questions ever for this mailing list,
> That is: What made you decide on purchasing an Elecraft transceiver?
>
> For me it was participating in the local (all VK) 'Shires' HF contest with my good friend Gary - VK4FD and his K3 #679.
> I was using my Yaesu FT847 during that contest sitting next to Gary and I could not help but notice that whilst my FT847 was handling the 2 lower bands (80 & 40M) fairly well it was still being desensed by Gary whenever he transmitted on 20M and up.
>
> Whilst it was bareable for me I also noticed that Gary did not have any such issues with his K3, he simply got on with the job at hand.
> (In fact he could listen on the same band I was on and have no issues at all, it was a real eye opener for me!)
>
> Now, I know that the FT847 is not a contesters radio on HF at all but it didn't do such a bad job, after all we got second place in the rover category that year with quite a large amount of the points scored being done by me and the FT847 but when I saw the performance of the K3 in comparison to the FT847 I thought, "maybe it is time for a change of radio".
>
> So, the seeds of change were now sown, the sticking point at the time was that I would lose the capability of operation on two bands that I was active on (2M and 70cm).
> (The 2M transverter wasn't available when I first started to entertain the idea of a K3 in my shack)
> The clincher for me was the announcment of the K144XV internal 2M transverter with it's impressive spec, I now HAD to have me one of those K3 radio's!
> I was willing to forego the 70cm band as it get's very little use in Nth Queensland except for contests but 2M was a must have.
>
> I knew that had to sell my beloved FT847 as well as my 2 other radios (Kenwood TS480SAT, Yaesu FT897D) to afford the K3 as the other half had said "No extra cost to the family, you pay for it with the proceeds of the sale of your other radio gear". (I miss the FT847 and the TS480SAT but not the FT897D, it was a pile of junk!)
>
> I pored over the options list and asked for Gary's advice on filters and options as well as looking at my own operating habits before settling on the radio's current configuration. (K3 #4257, DVR, ATU, 100W, KXV3A, TCXO, KBPF3, 13KHz, 6KHz, 2.8KHz, 2.1KHz, 400Hz, PR6, K144XV)
>
> Now that I have had my K3 for awhile I can say that I am very happy with my choice of not only the radio but the options that I had fitted.
> It has performed pretty much faultlessly since I got it with the exception of a faulty microphone and the original K144XV failing.
> (Both of which were replaced ASAP by Elecraft)
>
> If I had a choice, wouuld I change anything?
> The answer is:
> A resounding NO!, I would not change anything with the K3, Though I would encourage Elecraft to fit the PR6 internally in the K3, the external PR6 is a right royal PITA because it hangs out too far behind the radio!
> (I'd also like so firmware changes to be made to accomodate the saving of modes etc into the VFO memories for 2M FM Repeater operations but that apparently needs a complete firmware code rewrite)
>
> What's next on my list of things to have?
> I have tried out the P3 at Gary's (VK4FD) place and whilst it is a nice addition, I cannot see a real use for it here with my style of operating but I can see a real use for a KPA500 so I think that i will next set my sights on sidling one of those up beside my K3.
> (Added to the fact that I am losing my vision, which makes it kinda pointless to have a visual aid to help operate the radio) :-)
>
> So, there you have it, my reasons for owning one of the finest Amateur Radio transceivers on the market today, such as they are.
>
> PS: Wayne and Eric, You'll get no finer Australian ambassador for Elecraft than Gary VK4FD, he's singularly resposible for getting most the Aussie K3's owners to be, well........K3 owners!
> Cut him a good deal on his KPA500 (and mine too please!) :-)
>
> Thanks for taking the time to read my drivel......
>
> Jeff Cochrane - VK4BOF
> Innisfail, QLD, Australia
> Elecraft K3# 4257 + PR6 - K144XV = multiband goodness!
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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

Matt Zilmer

Re: What made you decide on purchasing an Elecraft transceiver?

In reply to this post by Jeff Cochrane - VK4XA

Other than the qualifications of the K3 itself, I had two driving
reasons to own a K3:

- I had built a K2 with most of the trimmings, and had ZERO trouble
with it. "It just works." Until the K3 came along, the K2 was my
main rig.

- Even though I didn't need to use Elecraft's support staff for the
K2, by the time the K3 was first shown, Elecraft's support level and
dedication was well-established in the Amateur community. I figured
that building even one of the first production K3 kits had very little
(ZERO) risk associated, even though only insiders had build them up
until this point.

So K3 #24 came to be owned, built, and operated by W6NIA in October
2007.

Similar to asking my wife of 26 years to marry me, buying the K3 was
one of the best moves I've ever made.

73,
matt W6NIA

On Tue, 22 Feb 2011 09:51:56 +1000, you wrote:

>Hi Wayne, Eric & everyone on the list,
>I thought that perhaps it was time to ask one of the most important questions ever for this mailing list,
>That is: What made you decide on purchasing an Elecraft transceiver?
>
>For me it was participating in the local (all VK) 'Shires' HF contest with my good friend Gary - VK4FD and his K3 #679.
>I was using my Yaesu FT847 during that contest sitting next to Gary and I could not help but notice that whilst my FT847 was handling the 2 lower bands (80 & 40M) fairly well it was still being desensed by Gary whenever he transmitted on 20M and up.
>
>Whilst it was bareable for me I also noticed that Gary did not have any such issues with his K3, he simply got on with the job at hand.
>(In fact he could listen on the same band I was on and have no issues at all, it was a real eye opener for me!)
>
>Now, I know that the FT847 is not a contesters radio on HF at all but it didn't do such a bad job, after all we got second place in the rover category that year with quite a large amount of the points scored being done by me and the FT847 but when I saw the performance of the K3 in comparison to the FT847 I thought, "maybe it is time for a change of radio".
>
>So, the seeds of change were now sown, the sticking point at the time was that I would lose the capability of operation on two bands that I was active on (2M and 70cm).
>(The 2M transverter wasn't available when I first started to entertain the idea of a K3 in my shack)
>The clincher for me was the announcment of the K144XV internal 2M transverter with it's impressive spec, I now HAD to have me one of those K3 radio's!
>I was willing to forego the 70cm band as it get's very little use in Nth Queensland except for contests but 2M was a must have.
>
>I knew that had to sell my beloved FT847 as well as my 2 other radios (Kenwood TS480SAT, Yaesu FT897D) to afford the K3 as the other half had said "No extra cost to the family, you pay for it with the proceeds of the sale of your other radio gear". (I miss the FT847 and the TS480SAT but not the FT897D, it was a pile of junk!)
>
>I pored over the options list and asked for Gary's advice on filters and options as well as looking at my own operating habits before settling on the radio's current configuration. (K3 #4257, DVR, ATU, 100W, KXV3A, TCXO, KBPF3, 13KHz, 6KHz, 2.8KHz, 2.1KHz, 400Hz, PR6, K144XV)
>
>Now that I have had my K3 for awhile I can say that I am very happy with my choice of not only the radio but the options that I had fitted.
>It has performed pretty much faultlessly since I got it with the exception of a faulty microphone and the original K144XV failing.
>(Both of which were replaced ASAP by Elecraft)
>
>If I had a choice, wouuld I change anything?
>The answer is:
>A resounding NO!, I would not change anything with the K3, Though I would encourage Elecraft to fit the PR6 internally in the K3, the external PR6 is a right royal PITA because it hangs out too far behind the radio!
>(I'd also like so firmware changes to be made to accomodate the saving of modes etc into the VFO memories for 2M FM Repeater operations but that apparently needs a complete firmware code rewrite)
>
>What's next on my list of things to have?
>I have tried out the P3 at Gary's (VK4FD) place and whilst it is a nice addition, I cannot see a real use for it here with my style of operating but I can see a real use for a KPA500 so I think that i will next set my sights on sidling one of those up beside my K3.
>(Added to the fact that I am losing my vision, which makes it kinda pointless to have a visual aid to help operate the radio) :-)
>
>So, there you have it, my reasons for owning one of the finest Amateur Radio transceivers on the market today, such as they are.
>
>PS: Wayne and Eric, You'll get no finer Australian ambassador for Elecraft than Gary VK4FD, he's singularly resposible for getting most the Aussie K3's owners to be, well........K3 owners!
>Cut him a good deal on his KPA500 (and mine too please!) :-)
>
>Thanks for taking the time to read my drivel......
>
>Jeff Cochrane - VK4BOF
>Innisfail, QLD, Australia
>Elecraft K3# 4257 + PR6 - K144XV = multiband goodness!
>______________________________________________________________
>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

Nate Bargmann

Re: What made you decide on purchasing an Elecraft transceiver?

In reply to this post by Phil Hystad-3

For me, after Sweepstakes '09 I spent a bit more time listening to the
bands than I had for a while and the K3 was being talked about. A lot.

I had considered the INRAD roofing filter mod for my aging FT-920 and
decided against that. The K3's feature set intrigued me and the price
was well in the ballpark of my budget for its performance reputation. I
was pretty much sold on the idea by last July when I joined this list
and the interaction of Wayne, Eric, and Dick with their customers put me
over the top and I became a member of the family in October.

It is a decision I have not regretted for one moment. Bravo, Elecraft!
The downside is that I cannot be honest about this radio without
sounding like a salesman. ;-)

73, de Nate >>

--

"The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all
possible worlds. The pessimist fears this is true."

Ham radio, Linux, bikes, and more: http://n0nb.us/index.html
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Gary Gregory

Re: What made you decide on purchasing an Elecraft transceiver?

Nate,

I sure do know what you mean about an 'Elecraft Salesman'...Just
hanging out for a pay rise now....:-)

73's
Gary

On Tue, Feb 22, 2011 at 10:09 AM, Nate Bargmann <[hidden email]> wrote:

> For me, after Sweepstakes '09 I spent a bit more time listening to the
> bands than I had for a while and the K3 was being talked about. A lot.
>
> I had considered the INRAD roofing filter mod for my aging FT-920 and
> decided against that. The K3's feature set intrigued me and the price
> was well in the ballpark of my budget for its performance reputation. I
> was pretty much sold on the idea by last July when I joined this list
> and the interaction of Wayne, Eric, and Dick with their customers put me
> over the top and I became a member of the family in October.
>
> It is a decision I have not regretted for one moment. Bravo, Elecraft!
> The downside is that I cannot be honest about this radio without
> sounding like a salesman. ;-)
>
> 73, de Nate >>
>
> --
>
> "The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all
> possible worlds. The pessimist fears this is true."
>
> Ham radio, Linux, bikes, and more: http://n0nb.us/index.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
>

--

VK4FD - Motorhome Mobile
http://www.qsl.net/vk4fd/
K3 #679
Dare to be different!!!
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Don Wilhelm-4

Re: What made you decide on purchasing an Elecraft transceiver?

Gary,

Your current pay can be quadrupled before the end of the month :-) .

73,
Don W3FPR

On 2/21/2011 7:23 PM, Gary Gregory wrote:

> Nate,
>
> I sure do know what you mean about an 'Elecraft Salesman'...Just
> hanging out for a pay rise now....:-)
>
> 73's
> Gary
>
> On Tue, Feb 22, 2011 at 10:09 AM, Nate Bargmann<[hidden email]> wrote:
>> For me, after Sweepstakes '09 I spent a bit more time listening to the
>> bands than I had for a while and the K3 was being talked about. A lot.
>>
>> I had considered the INRAD roofing filter mod for my aging FT-920 and
>> decided against that. The K3's feature set intrigued me and the price
>> was well in the ballpark of my budget for its performance reputation. I
>> was pretty much sold on the idea by last July when I joined this list
>> and the interaction of Wayne, Eric, and Dick with their customers put me
>> over the top and I became a member of the family in October.
>>
>> It is a decision I have not regretted for one moment. Bravo, Elecraft!
>> The downside is that I cannot be honest about this radio without
>> sounding like a salesman. ;-)
>>
>> 73, de Nate>>
>>
>> --
>>
>> "The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all
>> possible worlds. The pessimist fears this is true."
>>
>> Ham radio, Linux, bikes, and more: http://n0nb.us/index.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
>>
>
>

AD4C2009

Re: What made you decide on purchasing an Elecraft transceiver?

In reply to this post by Nate Bargmann

These were my reasons:
1- The great reputation of Elecraft in the market.
2- The high performance ratings.
3-The best technical support in the world.
4-Its small size
5- The possibility of upgrading hardware and firmware with time.
6- The great support also from this group.

AD4C

"If freedom means something,it is the right to tell others what they don't want to hear" –George Orwell

--- On Tue, 2/22/11, Nate Bargmann <[hidden email]> wrote:

From: Nate Bargmann <[hidden email]>
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] What made you decide on purchasing an Elecraft transceiver?
To: [hidden email]
Date: Tuesday, February 22, 2011, 12:09 AM

For me, after Sweepstakes '09 I spent a bit more time listening to the
bands than I had for a while and the K3 was being talked about. A lot.

I had considered the INRAD roofing filter mod for my aging FT-920 and
decided against that. The K3's feature set intrigued me and the price
was well in the ballpark of my budget for its performance reputation. I
was pretty much sold on the idea by last July when I joined this list
and the interaction of Wayne, Eric, and Dick with their customers put me
over the top and I became a member of the family in October.

It is a decision I have not regretted for one moment. Bravo, Elecraft!
The downside is that I cannot be honest about this radio without
sounding like a salesman. ;-)

73, de Nate >>

--

"The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all
possible worlds. The pessimist fears this is true."

Ham radio, Linux, bikes, and more: http://n0nb.us/index.html
______________________________________________________________
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Post: mailto:[hidden email]

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

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Dick Dievendorff

Re: What made you decide on purchasing an Elecraft transceiver?

In reply to this post by Phil Hystad-3

I bought a KX1 because I saw one that someone had built when I was visiting
W1AW. I thought it would be fun, it was kinda cute, so I built it and had a
great time.

I built a couple of mini-module kits that went together easily and I had a
great time building them.

Then I built a K2. I had a few difficulties so I e-mailed for some help,
not expecting much. I was blown away by the level of support and
encouragement offered by Gary Surrency. I dropped a capacitor on my rug and
couldn't find it. So I e-mailed a part order, and Elecraft responded VERY
quickly, without a request for additional funds, without trite. I found the
capacitor a day later, of course.

Then I saw Eric and Wayne and a good-sized crowd at the Elecraft booth at
Visalia and wandered over, as my K2 was fairly new. They were showing the
K3 to the public for the first time. I made a fairly impulsive first-day
order. I didn't really know what I was going to get, but it looked good. My
K3 is S/N 00018.

I saw them again at Dayton and heard the buzz from my colleagues in the
contesting community about this new neat little radio. I had seen that one
of the WRTC teams in 1996 had chosen a pair of K2's, including a contester I
really respect, WN4KKN. My good friend from NCCC, Ed Muns, was the other
half of my carpool from the Crowne to Hara Arena (I had the car, he had the
speaker's pass) and he knew I'd just retired, and he mentioned that he was a
K3 Field Tester, and that maybe Eric and Wayne might be able to use some
help with the PC side software. I had just retired from 11 years at
Microsoft and thought I could spare a little time writing a firmware loader
for them. So I volunteered for a few months, and it worked into more than
I'd imagined I'd be interested in. I joined Elecraft primarily because I
like the way they deal with their customers.
It's a better radio than I had a right to expect, and I like the way it has
continued to develop. And there's more coming!

Dick, K6KR

-----Original Message-----
From: [hidden email]
[mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Phil Hystad
Sent: Monday, February 21, 2011 3:58 PM
To: Jeff Cochrane - VK4BOF
Cc: [hidden email]; Eric Swartz WA6HHQ
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] What made you decide on purchasing an Elecraft
transceiver?

The main thing:

1. The K3
2. Wayne and Eric
3. Everybody else (most everybody) on this list.

73, phil, K7PEH

On Feb 21, 2011, at 3:51 PM, Jeff Cochrane - VK4BOF wrote:

> Hi Wayne, Eric & everyone on the list, I thought that perhaps it was
> time to ask one of the most important questions ever for this mailing
> list, That is: What made you decide on purchasing an Elecraft transceiver?
>
> For me it was participating in the local (all VK) 'Shires' HF contest with
my good friend Gary - VK4FD and his K3 #679.
> I was using my Yaesu FT847 during that contest sitting next to Gary and I
could not help but notice that whilst my FT847 was handling the 2 lower
bands (80 & 40M) fairly well it was still being desensed by Gary whenever he
transmitted on 20M and up.
>
> Whilst it was bareable for me I also noticed that Gary did not have any
such issues with his K3, he simply got on with the job at hand.
> (In fact he could listen on the same band I was on and have no issues
> at all, it was a real eye opener for me!)
>
> Now, I know that the FT847 is not a contesters radio on HF at all but it
didn't do such a bad job, after all we got second place in the rover
category that year with quite a large amount of the points scored being done
by me and the FT847 but when I saw the performance of the K3 in comparison
to the FT847 I thought, "maybe it is time for a change of radio".
>
> So, the seeds of change were now sown, the sticking point at the time was
that I would lose the capability of operation on two bands that I was active
on (2M and 70cm).
> (The 2M transverter wasn't available when I first started to entertain
> the idea of a K3 in my shack) The clincher for me was the announcment of
the K144XV internal 2M transverter with it's impressive spec, I now HAD to
have me one of those K3 radio's!
> I was willing to forego the 70cm band as it get's very little use in Nth
Queensland except for contests but 2M was a must have.

>
> I knew that had to sell my beloved FT847 as well as my 2 other radios
> (Kenwood TS480SAT, Yaesu FT897D) to afford the K3 as the other half
> had said "No extra cost to the family, you pay for it with the
> proceeds of the sale of your other radio gear". (I miss the FT847 and
> the TS480SAT but not the FT897D, it was a pile of junk!)
>
> I pored over the options list and asked for Gary's advice on filters
> and options as well as looking at my own operating habits before
> settling on the radio's current configuration. (K3 #4257, DVR, ATU,
> 100W, KXV3A, TCXO, KBPF3, 13KHz, 6KHz, 2.8KHz, 2.1KHz, 400Hz, PR6,
> K144XV)
>
> Now that I have had my K3 for awhile I can say that I am very happy with

my choice of not only the radio but the options that I had fitted.
> It has performed pretty much faultlessly since I got it with the exception
of a faulty microphone and the original K144XV failing.
> (Both of which were replaced ASAP by Elecraft)
>
> If I had a choice, wouuld I change anything?
> The answer is:
> A resounding NO!, I would not change anything with the K3, Though I would
encourage Elecraft to fit the PR6 internally in the K3, the external PR6 is
a right royal PITA because it hangs out too far behind the radio!
> (I'd also like so firmware changes to be made to accomodate the saving
> of modes etc into the VFO memories for 2M FM Repeater operations but
> that apparently needs a complete firmware code rewrite)
>
> What's next on my list of things to have?
> I have tried out the P3 at Gary's (VK4FD) place and whilst it is a nice
addition, I cannot see a real use for it here with my style of operating but
I can see a real use for a KPA500 so I think that i will next set my sights
on sidling one of those up beside my K3.
> (Added to the fact that I am losing my vision, which makes it kinda
> pointless to have a visual aid to help operate the radio) :-)
>
> So, there you have it, my reasons for owning one of the finest Amateur
Radio transceivers on the market today, such as they are.
>
> PS: Wayne and Eric, You'll get no finer Australian ambassador for Elecraft
than Gary VK4FD, he's singularly resposible for getting most the Aussie K3's
owners to be, well........K3 owners!

> Cut him a good deal on his KPA500 (and mine too please!) :-)
>
> Thanks for taking the time to read my drivel......
>
> Jeff Cochrane - VK4BOF
> Innisfail, QLD, Australia
> Elecraft K3# 4257 + PR6 - K144XV = multiband goodness!
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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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k6dgw

Re: What made you decide on purchasing an Elecraft transceiver?

In reply to this post by Don Wilhelm-4

1. NorCal40
2. Trying out K6III's K2 at a club meeting
3. Meeting Wayne and Eric at Pacificon
4. This reflector

73,

Fred K6DGW
- Northern California Contest Club
- CU in the 2011 Cal QSO Party 1-2 Oct 2011
- www.cqp.org

On 2/21/2011 4:39 PM, Don Wilhelm wrote:
> Gary,
>
> Your current pay can be quadrupled before the end of the month :-) .
>
> 73,
> Don W3FPR
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k0wa@swbell.net

Re: What made you decide on purchasing an Elecraft transceiver?

In reply to this post by AD4C2009

Very simple....

My experience with the K2 and all the changes and upgrades. The K2 is a great
radio. Great engineering. Eric and Wayne are great too...as are all their
"minions" they have hired.

The K3 was a no-brainer.

Lee - K0WA
In our day and age it seems that Common Sense is in short supply. If you don't
have any Common Sense - get some Common Sense and use it. If you can't find any
Common Sense, ask for help from somebody who has some Common Sense. Is Common
Sense divine?

Common Sense is the image of the Creator expressing revealed truth in my mind.
- John W. (Kansas)
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AC7AC

Re: What made you decide on purchasing an Elecraft transceiver?

In reply to this post by Dick Dievendorff

CONTENTS DELETED

The author has deleted this message.

Johnny Siu

What made you decide on purchasing an Elecraft transceiver?

In reply to this post by Jeff Cochrane - VK4XA

Hello Jeff,

I am afraid that the rigs you used in the past were not in the same class as K3

I am using a number of Icom rigs but still keeping K3+P3+K144V for the following
reasons:

1. light weight and good for field day operation;
2. modular design, making servicing easy;
3. good supporting service from Elecraft (especially Gary and Dale);
4. very competitive in price especially if you buy from second hand market

All I looking for now from K3 are:

1. PR6 to be installed inside K3;
2. manual notch within AGC loop;
3. much smooth NR

cheers,

Johnny VR2XMC

________________________________
寄件人﹕ Jeff Cochrane - VK4BOF <[hidden email]>
收件人﹕ [hidden email]
副本(CC) Eric Swartz WA6HHQ <[hidden email]>
傳送日期﹕ 2011/2/22 (二) 7:51:56 AM
主題： [Elecraft] What made you decide on purchasing an Elecraft transceiver?

Hi Wayne, Eric & everyone on the list,
I thought that perhaps it was time to ask one of the most important questions
ever for this mailing list,
That is: What made you decide on purchasing an Elecraft transceiver?

For me it was participating in the local (all VK) 'Shires' HF contest with my
good friend Gary - VK4FD and his K3 #679.
I was using my Yaesu FT847 during that contest sitting next to Gary and I could
not help but notice that whilst my FT847 was handling the 2 lower bands (80 &
40M) fairly well it was still being desensed by Gary whenever he transmitted on
20M and up.

Whilst it was bareable for me I also noticed that Gary did not have any such
issues with his K3, he simply got on with the job at hand.
(In fact he could listen on the same band I was on and have no issues at all, it
was a real eye opener for me!)

Now, I know that the FT847 is not a contesters radio on HF at all but it didn't
do such a bad job, after all we got second place in the rover category that year
with quite a large amount of the points scored being done by me and the FT847
but when I saw the performance of the K3 in comparison to the FT847 I thought,
"maybe it is time for a change of radio".

So, the seeds of change were now sown, the sticking point at the time was that I
would lose the capability of operation on two bands that I was active on (2M and
70cm).
(The 2M transverter wasn't available when I first started to entertain the idea
of a K3 in my shack)
The clincher for me was the announcment of the K144XV internal 2M transverter
with it's impressive spec, I now HAD to have me one of those K3 radio's!
I was willing to forego the 70cm band as it get's very little use in Nth
Queensland except for contests but 2M was a must have.

I knew that had to sell my beloved FT847 as well as my 2 other radios (Kenwood
TS480SAT, Yaesu FT897D) to afford the K3 as the other half had said "No extra
cost to the family, you pay for it with the proceeds of the sale of your other
radio gear". (I miss the FT847 and the TS480SAT but not the FT897D, it was a
pile of junk!)

I pored over the options list and asked for Gary's advice on filters and options
as well as looking at my own operating habits before settling on the radio's
current configuration. (K3 #4257, DVR, ATU, 100W, KXV3A, TCXO, KBPF3, 13KHz,
6KHz, 2.8KHz, 2.1KHz, 400Hz, PR6, K144XV)

Now that I have had my K3 for awhile I can say that I am very happy with my
choice of not only the radio but the options that I had fitted.
It has performed pretty much faultlessly since I got it with the exception of a
faulty microphone and the original K144XV failing.

(Both of which were replaced ASAP by Elecraft)

If I had a choice, wouuld I change anything?
The answer is:
A resounding NO!, I would not change anything with the K3, Though I would
encourage Elecraft to fit the PR6 internally in the K3, the external PR6 is a
right royal PITA because it hangs out too far behind the radio!
(I'd also like so firmware changes to be made to accomodate the saving of modes
etc into the VFO memories for 2M FM Repeater operations but that apparently
needs a complete firmware code rewrite)

What's next on my list of things to have?
I have tried out the P3 at Gary's (VK4FD) place and whilst it is a nice
addition, I cannot see a real use for it here with my style of operating but I
can see a real use for a KPA500 so I think that i will next set my sights on
sidling one of those up beside my K3.

(Added to the fact that I am losing my vision, which makes it kinda pointless to
have a visual aid to help operate the radio) :-)

So, there you have it, my reasons for owning one of the finest Amateur Radio
transceivers on the market today, such as they are.

PS: Wayne and Eric, You'll get no finer Australian ambassador for Elecraft than
Gary VK4FD, he's singularly resposible for getting most the Aussie K3's owners
to be, well........K3 owners!
Cut him a good deal on his KPA500 (and mine too please!) :-)

Thanks for taking the time to read my drivel......

Jeff Cochrane - VK4BOF
Innisfail, QLD, Australia
Elecraft K3# 4257 + PR6 - K144XV = multiband goodness!
______________________________________________________________

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ussv dharma

Re: What made you decide on purchasing an Elecraft transceiver?

Aloha:
I wanted a state of the art rig...and my experience with the K3 and the customer service from wayne and dale....I MADE THE RIGHT CHOICE.

SUSAN

If you don't change direction you WILL arrive exactly where you're headed!! Susan Meckley, Skipper W7KFI-mm AFA9SM USSV DHARMA

t: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
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Gary Gregory

Re: What made you decide on purchasing an Elecraft transceiver?

In reply to this post by Johnny Siu

Johnny

Yes to all your 'wishes'...:-)

I know Eric doesn't like 'me too's'...but...me too :-)

73's
Gary

On Tue, Feb 22, 2011 at 2:57 PM, Johnny Siu <[hidden email]> wrote:

> Hello Jeff,
>
> I am afraid that the rigs you used in the past were not in the same class as K3
>
> I am using a number of Icom rigs but still keeping K3+P3+K144V for the following
> reasons:
>
> 1. light weight and good for field day operation;
> 2. modular design, making servicing easy;
> 3. good supporting service from Elecraft (especially Gary and Dale);
> 4. very competitive in price especially if you buy from second hand market
>
> All I looking for now from K3 are:
>
> 1. PR6 to be installed inside K3;
> 2. manual notch within AGC loop;
> 3. much smooth NR
>
> cheers,
>
>
> Johnny VR2XMC
>
>
>
>
> ________________________________
> 寄件人﹕ Jeff Cochrane - VK4BOF <[hidden email]>
> 收件人﹕ [hidden email]
> 副本(CC) Eric Swartz WA6HHQ <[hidden email]>
> 傳送日期﹕ 2011/2/22 (二) 7:51:56 AM
> 主題： [Elecraft] What made you decide on purchasing an Elecraft transceiver?
>
> Hi Wayne, Eric & everyone on the list,
> I thought that perhaps it was time to ask one of the most important questions
> ever for this mailing list,
> That is: What made you decide on purchasing an Elecraft transceiver?
>
> For me it was participating in the local (all VK) 'Shires' HF contest with my
> good friend Gary - VK4FD and his K3 #679.
> I was using my Yaesu FT847 during that contest sitting next to Gary and I could
> not help but notice that whilst my FT847 was handling the 2 lower bands (80 &
> 40M) fairly well it was still being desensed by Gary whenever he transmitted on
> 20M and up.
>
>
> Whilst it was bareable for me I also noticed that Gary did not have any such
> issues with his K3, he simply got on with the job at hand.
> (In fact he could listen on the same band I was on and have no issues at all, it
> was a real eye opener for me!)
>
> Now, I know that the FT847 is not a contesters radio on HF at all but it didn't
> do such a bad job, after all we got second place in the rover category that year
> with quite a large amount of the points scored being done by me and the FT847
> but when I saw the performance of the K3 in comparison to the FT847 I thought,
> "maybe it is time for a change of radio".
>
> So, the seeds of change were now sown, the sticking point at the time was that I
> would lose the capability of operation on two bands that I was active on (2M and
> 70cm).
> (The 2M transverter wasn't available when I first started to entertain the idea
> of a K3 in my shack)
> The clincher for me was the announcment of the K144XV internal 2M transverter
> with it's impressive spec, I now HAD to have me one of those K3 radio's!
> I was willing to forego the 70cm band as it get's very little use in Nth
> Queensland except for contests but 2M was a must have.
>
> I knew that had to sell my beloved FT847 as well as my 2 other radios (Kenwood
> TS480SAT, Yaesu FT897D) to afford the K3 as the other half had said "No extra
> cost to the family, you pay for it with the proceeds of the sale of your other
> radio gear". (I miss the FT847 and the TS480SAT but not the FT897D, it was a
> pile of junk!)
>
> I pored over the options list and asked for Gary's advice on filters and options
> as well as looking at my own operating habits before settling on the radio's
> current configuration. (K3 #4257, DVR, ATU, 100W, KXV3A, TCXO, KBPF3, 13KHz,
> 6KHz, 2.8KHz, 2.1KHz, 400Hz, PR6, K144XV)
>
> Now that I have had my K3 for awhile I can say that I am very happy with my
> choice of not only the radio but the options that I had fitted.
> It has performed pretty much faultlessly since I got it with the exception of a
> faulty microphone and the original K144XV failing.
>
> (Both of which were replaced ASAP by Elecraft)
>
> If I had a choice, wouuld I change anything?
> The answer is:
> A resounding NO!, I would not change anything with the K3, Though I would
> encourage Elecraft to fit the PR6 internally in the K3, the external PR6 is a
> right royal PITA because it hangs out too far behind the radio!
> (I'd also like so firmware changes to be made to accomodate the saving of modes
> etc into the VFO memories for 2M FM Repeater operations but that apparently
> needs a complete firmware code rewrite)
>
> What's next on my list of things to have?
> I have tried out the P3 at Gary's (VK4FD) place and whilst it is a nice
> addition, I cannot see a real use for it here with my style of operating but I
> can see a real use for a KPA500 so I think that i will next set my sights on
> sidling one of those up beside my K3.
>
> (Added to the fact that I am losing my vision, which makes it kinda pointless to
> have a visual aid to help operate the radio) :-)
>
> So, there you have it, my reasons for owning one of the finest Amateur Radio
> transceivers on the market today, such as they are.
>
> PS: Wayne and Eric, You'll get no finer Australian ambassador for Elecraft than
> Gary VK4FD, he's singularly resposible for getting most the Aussie K3's owners
> to be, well........K3 owners!
> Cut him a good deal on his KPA500 (and mine too please!) :-)
>
> Thanks for taking the time to read my drivel......
>
> Jeff Cochrane - VK4BOF
> Innisfail, QLD, Australia
> Elecraft K3# 4257 + PR6 - K144XV = multiband goodness!
> ______________________________________________________________
>
>
>
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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

Ken G Kopp

What made you decide on purchasing a K3?

In reply to this post by Gary Gregory

I bought a K2/100 (S/N 5665) with all the options and took
delivery at an Oregon State Park where Rose and I were
campground hosts ... building the kit was something to do
in the RV during drippy Oregon evenings.

It had been a long time since I'd built anything and really
enjoyed the build. I stopped at the K2/10 point , put the
IC-756ProII under the bed, and put the K2/10 on the air
using a much-modified High Sierra screwdriver on the RV.
This was about four years ago ... one of these days I'll get
around to building the PA portion of the kit.

I was watching the Elecraft Reflector the Friday evening
that the K3 was announced from Visalia. After a few
minutes "consultation" with Rose I sent an e-mail message
to Eric ordering a ... sight unseen ... K3.

Seven months later K3 kit S/N 56 arrived and after a few
weeks "evaluation" I sold my FT-990, FT-1000D and the
IC-756ProII on E-Bay.

73!

Ken Kopp - K0PP
[hidden email]

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Vic K2VCO

Re: What made you decide on purchasing an Elecraft transceiver? (long)

In reply to this post by Gary Gregory

It's hard to find something to add. I bought a K2 in 1999 after seeing a demonstration of
a prototype at a NORCAL QRP Club meeting. I liked it because it was small and good enough
to use in my shack as well as to take camping. I liked the clean audio, and I absolutely
loved building it. When I invisibly broke a capacitor lead, Tom, N0SS explained to me how
to find it using an antenna as a signal tracer.

Over the years I made many mods, official and not. Wayne and Eric were unfailingly polite
and helpful even when I was a pest, even when I was fooling the firmware to get 25 watts
out of a K2/10 to drive an amplifier before there was a 100-watt option (it worked well
enough), or trying to marry an INRAD filter to it (it worked poorly). Despite having a
more 'sophisticated' TS850s, I mostly preferred my K2.

And then... but let me present something I wrote at the time. It's probably too long for
an email, but just delete it if you get bored:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
My K3 Diary
By K2VCO

26 June 2006

I’m speeding along California route 152 at about 85 mph, on my way to Aptos. Security
dictates that my friends are told that it’s a business trip, and my wife thinks that it’s
‘some radio thing’. In fact, it will be the first time I see Henry. I check the mirrors
for the CHP and step a bit harder on the gas.

It began in the summer of 2004, when I posted a message on the Elecraft reflector, listing
some of the features that I would like to see in the K2’s successor, should there be such
a thing. Wayne answered, saying “Everything that’s on your list is on ours. That’s all I
can say for now.” Later that day I received an email from Eric, inviting me to join the
focus group discussing the next generation Elecraft radio!

For the next two years, as the Elecraft team proceeded with development, the focus group
looked at pictures of the proposed radio and discussed such things as the placement and
function of controls, i/o options, firmware features, the degree of preassembly, etc. Of
course I can’t really compare the process to what other manufacturers do, but I was
tremendously impressed with Elecraft’s dedication to getting it exactly right.

And now for the first time I am about to see the prototype Henry (a code name invented so
that Wayne and Eric can safely converse in public without saying ‘K3’).

I arrive at Eric’s home in Aptos significantly early and without a speeding ticket. Eric
has a lot of ‘junk’ like most hams, although it was neat and well organized. He has a
bunch of non-Elecraft radios for comparison and is an authority on what’s wrong with them.
Lerma serves us cookies, etc., while we wait for Wayne to arrive with the guest of honor.

Wayne shows up with a box. We are required to wait outside while it is set up. We enter,
sit down, and Wayne pulls away the cloth which with it’s covered (OK, the drama is
possibly overdone) and – surprise – it looks exactly like the design renderings! If you
are reading this, you’ve seen the pictures, so I won’t describe it in detail. The K3 is
larger than the K2 but smaller than an FT1000, about the size of the TS570. It is solid
and professional looking, with the knobs, buttons, LCD and sheet metal all working
together. It doesn’t look homebrew and it doesn’t look like plastic ‘consumer
electronics’. It looks competent, like the cockpit of a jet aircraft.

We discuss how it will be packaged. There will be an assembled version, and there will be
some kind of kit version. We discuss the amount of preassembly. SMT parts will be
pre-mounted, but the builder may install the through-hole parts. Or it might be a
screwdriver assembly, like a PC, in which the builder selects from pre-built and tested
modules -- about a 6 hour job. Or both.

We get a demo of the user interface. Wayne seems to have anticipated all of my questions
and there’s a clean way to do everything that I want to do. A big problem in interface
design is to provide the necessary functions with a reasonable number of controls without
creating a Chinese puzzle. The IC-7800 represents one extreme, with its countless knobs
and buttons, while the K2’s DSP adjustments illustrate the other side. The K3’s interface
is intuitive, with just the right amount of feedback provided by panel LEDs and the
display. I’m impressed again by the amount of thought that has gone into this.

I am surprised at how complete the prototype is, although a number of modules such as the
100 watt amplifier and antenna tuner, some of the I/O options, and much of the firmware is
not finished. I try out the noise blanker (it works) and the QSK. The QSK is much faster
than the K2 (finally!) and already relatively clean sounding with preliminary DSP code.
There are still some audible artifacts in the sidetone, which Wayne assures me will be
gone in the final firmware.

Unfortunately, I have to leave before I can really play with the radio. I drive the 160
miles home, thinking that the K3 is closer to fruition than I’d believed, looking forward
to the field test, and hoping to get a low serial number. Since I’ve already used up much
of my luck for the day, I drive more slowly.

29 July 2006

A quiet period. Wayne asks for information about RTTY watering holes on the reflector. I
know he’s testing Henry’s built-in digital mode functionality, a clue to the rapid
progress of the firmware. He reports that it works ‘incredibly well’.

24 August 2006

I read the QST review of the Orion II. It seems to have some rough edges, especially the
user interface. Receiver numbers are good, though. I pry some information about the
project out of Wayne. Lots of improvements and possibly another demo in October.

9 November 2006

No demo yet. I make 775 QSOs in the CW Sweepstakes with my K2. I had hoped to have an
alpha test unit for the contest, but that was not to be. We get a (very) preliminary
version of the user manual. I don’t have a K3 yet but it seems like an old friend.

30 November 2006

Today is my birthday. There’s a funny noise in my K2. I tell Wayne that it can’t be
fixed and I need an immediate upgrade. He doesn’t buy it.

20 February 2007

There hasn’t been much activity during the winter. But today Wayne sends an email that
“We're on track for beta sometime in April. Eric has serious purchasing and manufacturing
ramping up. Lyle and I are honing the firmware for an early demo, and Bob Friess is doing
final tests at 100-W on the PA and internal ATU. I've tested the prototype subreceiver and
hope to have that option ready toward the end of April.”

April probably means August, I tell myself. Maybe I’ll be pleasantly surprised. I tell
Wayne that I’ll take one of everything.

11 March 2007

AB7R and N7DZU get a demo from Lyle in Oregon. Too far for me to drive. Some reflector
chatter about making it do SO2R out of the box. Please, just make it do SO1R in my shack!

29 March 2007

Lyle played with his prototype in the BARTG RTTY contest a couple of weeks ago. Otherwise,
silence. April is in a few days. I wonder if I’ll get a single digit serial number?

24 April 2007

Wayne says that the K3 will be announced before Dayton! This year! Beta units will be out
before that. Fabrication of boards, etc. looks good, he says.

26 April 2007

Better – it will be at Visalia, tomorrow! Soon I won’t have to keep my mouth shut about it.

27 April 2007

Several K3s are shown at Visalia! Reflector traffic goes through the roof. Big crush at
the Elecraft booth, but I forget my camera, as always. Oh well, lots of guys are taking
pictures. Elecraft is taking deposits for the first 200 units, to be delivered in July. I
predict they will all be spoken for by Tuesday. Eric tells me that the beta test units
will be ready in a few weeks. I prepare my XYL. Tomorrow I will clean up my workbench.

13 May 2007

I get the green light to submit my order for a FT unit. I’m ordering the works – three
8-pole filters (2.8, 1.0 and 0.4 KHz), the 100 watt amplifier, tuner, subreceiver,
transverter interface (for the rx antenna jacks). A big blow to my credit card, but I have
been saving up for two years. We’ll be getting them a bit at a time: the 10 watt basic rig
first, and then later the amplifier and finally the sub-receiver.

The cats have messed up my workbench, which won’t be a problem, since to my sorrow, we can
only get assembled radios, which will be assembled and shipped after Dayton (next week). I
guess I’ll have to take it apart and put it together again.

14 July 2007

“Everything happens that you don’t expect and it always takes longer than you think.” –
Wayne. Most of the other field testers have their K3’s, some for a week. Mine was getting
set up on Thursday (today is Saturday), so I’m pretty sure I’ll have it next week.
Preliminary dynamic range numbers are in the Orion II class, and the lucky guys that have
their radios are reporting that a/b comparisons with FT1KMKV’s and Pro-III’s are very
favorable for the K3 when trying to copy weak signals next to strong ones.

Wayne and Lyle are working very, very hard on the firmware. There are so many functions
and features to implement, and make sure that it all works smoothly together. The FT’s are
feeding them issues and they’re fixing them. It’s exciting to monitor the FT reflector. I
can hardly wait to become a part of it.

1 August 2007

I just got the magic email from Lisa. It will be here tomorrow, with the 100w amp and the
autotuner. Serial number: 00007! It will have 2.8 KHz and 400 Hz filters, with the 1000 Hz
filter and the sub-receiver on backorder. Will I be able to sleep tonight?

2 August 2007

At last! It looks better in person than in the pictures. I open the box…quickly.

12 September 2007

I’ve been part of the field test for a bit more than a month. We are receiving updates to
the main processor (MCU) and DSP every few days, sometimes every day (Wayne and Lyle do
not appear to require sleep, or else they code in their sleep). Things change – I have
little labels pasted on my front panel where control functions have changed. But very few
of the changes have been hardware; almost all are firmware.

Changes are debated passionately among the development team and field testers. I am amazed
at the ability of some testers to find bugs and of Wayne and Lyle to fix them. The radio
gets better and better, with new features and performance improvements appearing in every
update. I am also impressed with the way the developers listen to us.
--------------------------------------------

The field test continued for some time while Elecraft dealt with all of the sourcing and
manufacturing issues. The rest was history!

--
Vic, K2VCO
Fresno CA
http://www.qsl.net/k2vco/
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David Herring-3

Re: What made you decide on purchasing an Elecraft transceiver?

In reply to this post by Jeff Cochrane - VK4XA

There were three things that pushed me over the top to buy a K3:

1) The receiver. Everything out here in Hawaii is more or less DX, and I knew I would be dealing with "compromise" antennas, so a good receiver was important to me.

2) The price of admission. I liked the fact that it was a kit so I would be familiar with how it worked, and modular so that I could start affordable and upgrade as funds and interest permit.

3) Life span. Other rigs can become obsolete way too fast -- I've owned a few. With simple firmware upgrades and the rare hardware upgrade, the K3 I bought a couple of years ago is still bleeding edge with all the newest and latest upgrades. This is a rig I won't have to or want to replace for many, many years.

Ok, ok, I know I said there were three reasons, but I just thought of another one:

4) No offense to our Japanese brothers & sisters, but after watching them out-do the US on so many things for so many years, it tickles me just a little bit that a US company in this day and age was able to "open up a serious can of whoop-a$$" on them and design and engineer such a remarkable rig.

Nicely done.

David, AH6TD

On Feb 21, 2011, at 1:51 PM, Jeff Cochrane - VK4BOF wrote:

Gary Gregory

Re: What made you decide on purchasing an Elecraft transceiver?

Jeff,

I am now officially embarrassed :-)

Eric, can I get a pay rise soon?

My reasoning was pretty simple and non-technical. I needed a radio
that was compact but with as many features as I could dream up.

I agonised over a brand name I had never heard of. I had never worked
a station using an Elecraft radio that I could recall.

I bit the bullet 3 years ago and it has been a heck of a ride.

Wayne, Eric and the team are amazing eh?....The support is not great,
it is absolutely outstanding, period!

My K3 is almost ready to make some offspring, BUT, the folks at
Elecraft keep bringing out more toys that seem to have my name
on'em..why is that?

Oh well, Elecraft have just about got signature rights on my bank
account so I may as well capitulate and order some new 'stuff'.... :-)

Well done to ALL the folks at the factory, simply amazing, now back to
pounding the bands. Their latest creation is superb too....but then
you expect that right?

73's and best wishes to all,

Gary

On Tue, Feb 22, 2011 at 4:35 PM, David Herring <[hidden email]> wrote:

> There were three things that pushed me over the top to buy a K3:
>
> 1) The receiver. Everything out here in Hawaii is more or less DX, and I knew I would be dealing with "compromise" antennas, so a good receiver was important to me.
>
> 2) The price of admission. I liked the fact that it was a kit so I would be familiar with how it worked, and modular so that I could start affordable and upgrade as funds and interest permit.
>
> 3) Life span. Other rigs can become obsolete way too fast -- I've owned a few. With simple firmware upgrades and the rare hardware upgrade, the K3 I bought a couple of years ago is still bleeding edge with all the newest and latest upgrades. This is a rig I won't have to or want to replace for many, many years.
>
> Ok, ok, I know I said there were three reasons, but I just thought of another one:
>
> 4) No offense to our Japanese brothers & sisters, but after watching them out-do the US on so many things for so many years, it tickles me just a little bit that a US company in this day and age was able to "open up a serious can of whoop-a$$" on them and design and engineer such a remarkable rig.
>
> Nicely done.
>
>
>
> David, AH6TD
>
>
> On Feb 21, 2011, at 1:51 PM, Jeff Cochrane - VK4BOF wrote:
>
>> Hi Wayne, Eric & everyone on the list,
>> I thought that perhaps it was time to ask one of the most important questions ever for this mailing list,
>> That is: What made you decide on purchasing an Elecraft transceiver?
>>
>> For me it was participating in the local (all VK) 'Shires' HF contest with my good friend Gary - VK4FD and his K3 #679.
>> I was using my Yaesu FT847 during that contest sitting next to Gary and I could not help but notice that whilst my FT847 was handling the 2 lower bands (80 & 40M) fairly well it was still being desensed by Gary whenever he transmitted on 20M and up.
>>
>> Whilst it was bareable for me I also noticed that Gary did not have any such issues with his K3, he simply got on with the job at hand.
>> (In fact he could listen on the same band I was on and have no issues at all, it was a real eye opener for me!)
>>
>> Now, I know that the FT847 is not a contesters radio on HF at all but it didn't do such a bad job, after all we got second place in the rover category that year with quite a large amount of the points scored being done by me and the FT847 but when I saw the performance of the K3 in comparison to the FT847 I thought, "maybe it is time for a change of radio".
>>
>> So, the seeds of change were now sown, the sticking point at the time was that I would lose the capability of operation on two bands that I was active on (2M and 70cm).
>> (The 2M transverter wasn't available when I first started to entertain the idea of a K3 in my shack)
>> The clincher for me was the announcment of the K144XV internal 2M transverter with it's impressive spec, I now HAD to have me one of those K3 radio's!
>> I was willing to forego the 70cm band as it get's very little use in Nth Queensland except for contests but 2M was a must have.
>>
>> I knew that had to sell my beloved FT847 as well as my 2 other radios (Kenwood TS480SAT, Yaesu FT897D) to afford the K3 as the other half had said "No extra cost to the family, you pay for it with the proceeds of the sale of your other radio gear". (I miss the FT847 and the TS480SAT but not the FT897D, it was a pile of junk!)
>>
>> I pored over the options list and asked for Gary's advice on filters and options as well as looking at my own operating habits before settling on the radio's current configuration. (K3 #4257, DVR, ATU, 100W, KXV3A, TCXO, KBPF3, 13KHz, 6KHz, 2.8KHz, 2.1KHz, 400Hz, PR6, K144XV)
>>
>> Now that I have had my K3 for awhile I can say that I am very happy with my choice of not only the radio but the options that I had fitted.
>> It has performed pretty much faultlessly since I got it with the exception of a faulty microphone and the original K144XV failing.
>> (Both of which were replaced ASAP by Elecraft)
>>
>> If I had a choice, wouuld I change anything?
>> The answer is:
>> A resounding NO!, I would not change anything with the K3, Though I would encourage Elecraft to fit the PR6 internally in the K3, the external PR6 is a right royal PITA because it hangs out too far behind the radio!
>> (I'd also like so firmware changes to be made to accomodate the saving of modes etc into the VFO memories for 2M FM Repeater operations but that apparently needs a complete firmware code rewrite)
>>
>> What's next on my list of things to have?
>> I have tried out the P3 at Gary's (VK4FD) place and whilst it is a nice addition, I cannot see a real use for it here with my style of operating but I can see a real use for a KPA500 so I think that i will next set my sights on sidling one of those up beside my K3.
>> (Added to the fact that I am losing my vision, which makes it kinda pointless to have a visual aid to help operate the radio) :-)
>>
>> So, there you have it, my reasons for owning one of the finest Amateur Radio transceivers on the market today, such as they are.
>>
>> PS: Wayne and Eric, You'll get no finer Australian ambassador for Elecraft than Gary VK4FD, he's singularly resposible for getting most the Aussie K3's owners to be, well........K3 owners!
>> Cut him a good deal on his KPA500 (and mine too please!) :-)
>>
>> Thanks for taking the time to read my drivel......
>>
>> Jeff Cochrane - VK4BOF
>> Innisfail, QLD, Australia
>> Elecraft K3# 4257 + PR6 - K144XV = multiband goodness!
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John Ragle

What made you decide on purchasing an Elecraft transceiver?

In reply to this post by Jeff Cochrane - VK4XA

After some very lean years as a high school and college student, I
allowed myself the luxury of commercial rigs. They included Heathkit,
Kenwood, and TenTec boxes. My first experience with a TenTec Triton IV
and real QSK made me a TenTec fan for years, and the final one in this
sequence was an Omni VI-plus. In the interval I also owned a couple of
VHF/UHF single-band all mode rigs and a small FM box for the car. The
Kenwood TS-520 was deliberately chosen to be somewhat portable, as I
bought it before spending 15 months in Germany. I think it was the
handle on the side that convinced me (joke).

The Omni VI+ was IMHO a bloated piece of hardware, though it worked
just fine. It was early in the sequence of enormous boat-anchors now
prevalent from the Land of the Rising Sun. When it came time to pass on
to the next xcvr, I looked for something that was petite, modular, and
inexpensive. At the time I was recovering from a serious illness, and
wasn't sure that my finger dexterity would permit either fast QSK CW or
assembly of a kit, and I specifically wanted a kit that was of the
"hole-stuffing" variety with no (or pre-installed) SM components. The
low-end K2 served my needs very well, and I found I could manage the
assembly without any problems. Over the subsequent few months, I added
the ATU, the PA100, and the SSB modules to the base K2.

About this time, ads for the FLEX series of rigs in QST started
catching my eye, and after building a small all-band software controlled
receiver, I decided to graduate to a FLEX-1500. I had acquired a Tokyo
Hi-Power 45-watt amp, and figured that the resulting power level would
be plenty satisfactory with a gain antenna and CW, RTTY, and PSK.
Unfortunately, for a long time, the FLEX-1500 was vaporware, and after
waiting almost a year for it to materialize, I canceled my order, sold
off the augmented K2and bought a FLEX-3000 instead. This was a serious
mistake. The F3K would not do QSK, it would not tune my triband or 50
MHz Yagis, requiring an external tuner, and its horrific IEE-1394
interface kept spontaneously un-installing every few weeks. In fact, the
CW part of the F3K was so bad that it would not follow my paddles and CW
had to be done from the keyboard of the computer.

After struggling with the FLEX for a year or so, I sold it off to a
'phone operator and purchased a fully elaborated K3/100. It matched the
portability requirements, did QSK beautifully, managed to tune my
antennas without the external tuner, and so on. For digital modes other
than straight CW, I have chosen to use a SignaLink USB with FLDIGI, and
I have added a 144 MHz transverter and a pair of TE systems amps for 6
and 2 meter operation. I am very fond of this combination. In
particular, it is "pluck and go" if I want to operate portable from the
car with a 12-Volt battery or from a hotel, although of course I leave
all the ancillary components behind. I use it with a BuddiPole, which
can also be configured as a small 6-meter Yagi, or a wire tossed out the
window. On the road, I can run the rig from a netbook using DigiPan,
though this means that I lose the CAT ability. So far, I am still able
to turn the tuning knob!

In summary, the K3 is a very nice base station rig. It does not
dominate the desktop, it is portable, and it does very nice CW and
digital communication. It is not inexpensive, but it is
inexpensive-enough to be manageable, particularly in its less elaborated
versions. Interfacing it to the outside world is easy, though there was
the oft-cited difficulty of finding a USB->serial converter that worked
when using it with FLDIGI. The factory support system is excellent. The
Elecraft list-server is a world unto itself, easily as entertaining as SNL.

73 to all,

John Ragle -- W1ZI
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mikerodgerske5gbc

Reason for choosing Elecraft

In reply to this post by Jeff Cochrane - VK4XA

Hi All, a couple reasons that stand out for me are that I like or love width and shift and if you notice all or most other rigs have done away with them. Oh yeah, their replaced by lo/ high cut or dual passband tuning. A lot of elecrafters say that it's not needed on ssb that lo/ hi cut is much easier on ssb ( not cw) but that don't CUT it for me. Pun intended. I really like the fact that the shift is numbered. I have a little chart with which shift works best with corresponding width.

2. I like the idea of narrow roofing filters although havnt proven their $130 value on ssb and I find myself using a width of 1.6 a lot on ssb.

3. I like the idea of being able to use a multitude of different microphones and not having to shell out $150-$200 on a good mic.

73
Mike R
K3 5047

Sent from my spy ring
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