My two cents to this endless topic. I am one of the many owners of both the K3 and the K2 and when I got recently my K2 which is fully loaded with every single board Elecraft designed and built,I had them both side by side for a month testing them day and night using always same antennas switched back and forward with a A/B coaxial switch,and these were my results: Sensitivity: both have equal sensitivity,both will be able to pull a weak station easily Noise level: (noise floor): The K2 has less noise than the K3 in all bands.So its easier to pull weak stations from the noise than at the K3.Most of the times there is no need to use the NR at the K2 when at the K3 has to be used. Selectivity:At the K2 Its hard to receive a weak station when at only 5Khz there is a strong one(on SSB) but when using the K3 and the proper roofer with the DSP set to same BW is very easy to have a clean signal even at 2Khz away from the strong one.The ladder filter at the K2 at least for SSB is not enough selective even using the FL4 at 1.8Khz,,but nevertheless for CW it works terrific on selectivity in spite of its not better than the roofers at the K3.In CW my K2 at 400hz BW has a little bit of ringing noise but then the K3 even at 50Hz BW has none at all. Audio quality:Even my K2 has the SSB board modified for 2.6Khz BW,its audio response is only from 180 to about 2800Hz,so its audio is not so wide as the one at the K3 that goes from 50 to 3800Hz,so when you want to hear AM broadcast or some of the guys who are transmitting ESSB,the K3 will not sound as pleasent as the K3 and after a while is tiring,I can be hours listening my K3 and will never be tired of it. On TX same deal,the K2 even sound very good, is limited strictly to what is needed for two way audio comunications,but if you want to tailor your voice with any mic there is no way to do it,just try different mics until you find the one that fits better with your personal pitch,in my case I found the Kenwood MC-43S to be the best for my voice.At the K3 you can use any mic that the builtin 8 bands EQ will make it sound very good and your audio well balanced at wider BW. Will I sell my K2 even is not so good as the K3? No way ! That's a keeper as much as the K3 is,but for not taking dust here at home,I have it now at my work shop to listen during my lunch time how the bands are and the day I travel or go to a field day or a picnic,the K2 will be the designated one. Both radios are different on design and use but both play high league. 73 AD4C
"For a refined ham it is compulsory to own a k3" "For a refined ham it is compulsory to own a k3" --- On Thu, 11/5/09, Bruce McLaughlin <bmcla...@bex.net> wrote: From: Bruce McLaughlin <bmcla...@bex.net> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] To those that have the K2 and K3 To: "'NZ0T'" <n...@cox.net>, elecraft@mailman.qth.net Date: Thursday, November 5, 2009, 1:13 AM I have a K2/100 and 2 K3s. They each have their place. I think it's a mistake to compare the two different radios because they were obviously intended for very different purposes. If I wanted a very portable CW rig which still offers me up to 100 W when needed and which also has some SSB capability, I think the K2 is certainly the ticket. But for kind contesting or serious DX chasing the K-3 is clearly the radio to use. I wouldn't for the world think of trying to make the K2 into a K-3 equivalent. It is what it is and what it does it does very well. I think a person contemplating purchasing a radio now should decide whether they would appreciate the kit building experience. I think there is something very satisfying in assembling a working radio from a large pile of parts. Putting together a K-3 from populated circuit boards is simply not the same experience. I know I purchased my K2/100 primarily for the kit building experience. I knew going into it that it was not perhaps as full-featured as some other radios but that was not why I wanted to buy it. I think I got what I was looking for. Bruce-W8FU -----Original Message----- From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net [mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of NZ0T Sent: Wednesday, November 04, 2009 5:27 PM To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: Re: [Elecraft] To those that have the K2 and K3 I built a K2/100 with every option except DSP and loved it. I planned to keep next to my K3 forever but I found that I was using the K2 less and less and favoring the K3 so I finally sold it. Wasn't easy as I had put so much into building it and the K2 is a great rig but it just didn't make sense to keep it if I wasn't using it. 73 Bill nz0t Ross Primrose wrote: > > Ted Roycraft wrote: >> Gary, >> >> I have both also and pretty much agree with what has been said. The >> only thing I can add is that the K2 has been capped and you can't expect >> much if anything in the way of new features from Elecraft while the K3 >> is under active development and there seems to be something new every >> couple of days. >> > It's even more difficult to choose if you don't currently have either > one. If you want a full-featured rig, the K2 is no bargain in comparison > to the K3. To equip a K2 so it's nearly equivalent to the base K3, it > comes in at only about $140 less than the K3. Like to work 6m? That's > another $400. Oops, now your K2 is $250 more than a K3, and still > doesn't have as good a receiver, IF DSP, excellent digital mode > support... Want AM or FM support? Not there, or even available on the > K2... > > 73, Ross N4RP > > -- > FCC Section 97.313(a) “At all times, an amateur station must use the > minimum transmitter power necessary to carry out the desired > communications.” > > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > > -- View this message in context: http://n2.nabble.com/To-those-that-have-the-K2-and-K3-tp3947624p3948743.html Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com. ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
