Taking a Look at the Elecraft K3
I have been looking at the Elecraft K3. I remember the talk about it in the development stage. People were saying this was going to be the best radio ever created as part of the design process included consulting with top DX'ers and contesters to create a radio that would stand up to their high-demand environments. Based on Sherwood Engineernig's results it does just that - in fact, it hits the the top of the list being the first radio in Amateur Radio history to break 100dB of close-in (2kHz) dynamic range.
Based on my earlier experience with Elecraft's KX1 (post about 3 weeks ago) I know Elecraft makes seriously high quality receivers. I would expect the K3 to be no exception and would trust the data without hearing one myself. The only thing I don't like about the K3 is it's looks. For as high-performance as it has proven to be the display resembles that of my IC-718 - the amber LCD with coarse alphanumeric and information segments. Though, as with everything under the sun, it isn't how it looks that matters it is how it works.
So how about how it works. Well, for one, the radio is offered assembled or, what they call, a modular kit. If you have ever built a computer or swapped out a video card, mother board, sound card, what have you, then you already are familiar with this type of "kit". It is all plug and play and when it is all together you load the software for the parts. Though, in the K3's case, the components are already all designed to work with each other, therefore the only "programming" you need to do is adjust some menu items and calibrate.
In watching Paul M0BMN's videos (part 1 rig, part 2 100w module) of the assembly of the K3 you get a sense of how easy it is. If you look at a K2, K1, or KX1 and all the soldering, getting components straight, etc, the K3 looks like a walk in the park. For $250 less than the factory assembled and tested unit, the kit version really looks like a lot of fun! Not to mention you get an idea of how the radio works - how all the modules work together in making "radio magic" happen.
The nice thing about the K3 is, just as with the K2, you build it the way you want it. It is not an "off the shelf" rig where everything is included (outside of the power supply, microphone options, or optional crystal filters). The K3 can be built as a 10 watt version or 100 watt version, you can build it as a stock single receiver rig or slide in the optional receiver (which, by the way, is the SAME as the main = same high performance, not a dumbed-down rx), internal tuner, or no internal tuner, provisions for transverter hookup and extra receive antenna, etc, etc. I would say the K2 is a little more versatile as it can be built as a CW only rig or sideband too and has 160 meters as an option, rather than a stock item. However, considering the class of radio the K3 fits in to - the top of the line (any one's line), you can't complain - the fact it has as many options as it does, and offers the performance it does, is really remarkable.
Based on the current options out there in the high performance HF transceiver class (mostly looking at the receiver side of things) the K3 looks like a heck of a deal at $1850 for the 100w kit. That's about what my TS-2000 was 5 or 6 years ago - and falls miserably short in HF performance.
Based on my earlier experience with Elecraft's KX1 (post about 3 weeks ago) I know Elecraft makes seriously high quality receivers. I would expect the K3 to be no exception and would trust the data without hearing one myself. The only thing I don't like about the K3 is it's looks. For as high-performance as it has proven to be the display resembles that of my IC-718 - the amber LCD with coarse alphanumeric and information segments. Though, as with everything under the sun, it isn't how it looks that matters it is how it works.
So how about how it works. Well, for one, the radio is offered assembled or, what they call, a modular kit. If you have ever built a computer or swapped out a video card, mother board, sound card, what have you, then you already are familiar with this type of "kit". It is all plug and play and when it is all together you load the software for the parts. Though, in the K3's case, the components are already all designed to work with each other, therefore the only "programming" you need to do is adjust some menu items and calibrate.
In watching Paul M0BMN's videos (part 1 rig, part 2 100w module) of the assembly of the K3 you get a sense of how easy it is. If you look at a K2, K1, or KX1 and all the soldering, getting components straight, etc, the K3 looks like a walk in the park. For $250 less than the factory assembled and tested unit, the kit version really looks like a lot of fun! Not to mention you get an idea of how the radio works - how all the modules work together in making "radio magic" happen.
The nice thing about the K3 is, just as with the K2, you build it the way you want it. It is not an "off the shelf" rig where everything is included (outside of the power supply, microphone options, or optional crystal filters). The K3 can be built as a 10 watt version or 100 watt version, you can build it as a stock single receiver rig or slide in the optional receiver (which, by the way, is the SAME as the main = same high performance, not a dumbed-down rx), internal tuner, or no internal tuner, provisions for transverter hookup and extra receive antenna, etc, etc. I would say the K2 is a little more versatile as it can be built as a CW only rig or sideband too and has 160 meters as an option, rather than a stock item. However, considering the class of radio the K3 fits in to - the top of the line (any one's line), you can't complain - the fact it has as many options as it does, and offers the performance it does, is really remarkable.
Based on the current options out there in the high performance HF transceiver class (mostly looking at the receiver side of things) the K3 looks like a heck of a deal at $1850 for the 100w kit. That's about what my TS-2000 was 5 or 6 years ago - and falls miserably short in HF performance.
posted by Steve at
4:43 PM
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