I'm glad to have both the K3 and Orion, not to be tacky.
Orion for weak CW DXing and the K3 for all the digital modes with MixW, 6
meters and back-up. SSB, what little I do is a split. The K2 for QRP DXing
is a keeper for the past 8+ years. The FT-450 is an outstanding rig too.
BTW, some other fine rigs have only UCW and I like LCW far far better.
I never saw or used a rig I didn't like relative to at least one or two
features over others. The Orion and K3 could use a good DMU, right? hi.
I'd buy one for each in a heart beat.
73, lynn W4NL
- Original Message -
From: Doug k...@comcast.net
To: 'Steve Ellington' n...@carolina.rr.com; 'Gary Hinson'
g...@isect.com; elecraft@mailman.qth.net
Sent: Sunday, April 19, 2009 10:31 PM
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 #2887 - first impressions
And miss band stacking registers as well.
Small price to pay though.
-Original Message-
From: Steve Ellington [mailto:n...@carolina.rr.com]
Sent: Sunday, April 19, 2009 7:36 PM
To: Doug; 'Gary Hinson'; elecraft@mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 #2887 - first impressions
Doug
Having had the Orion II, what are the differences you have experienced?
Steve Ellington
n...@carolina.rr.com
- Original Message -
From: Doug k...@comcast.net
To: 'Gary Hinson' g...@isect.com; elecraft@mailman.qth.net
Sent: Sunday, April 19, 2009 8:09 PM
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 #2887 - first impressions
Just put sn:2950 together this weekend and would agree 100% with your
comments Gary. Also I would add that a picture showing the sub assembly
in
expanded (blow-out)form would be nice. I am pretty sharp most of the time
but I sat looking at both shells wondering what the hell I was supposed
to
do with them because I only ever saw one in the pictures.
Having assembled a KX1 with options in the past I was worried that I
would
get the K3 3/4 assembled just to have to tear 1/2 of it back down to
install
something that could have been done earlier. Kudos to Elecraft for option
breakouts in the manual preventing this from happening.
More clarity on the J92 setup on the sub assembly would be nice. I hooked
the aux RF port up and taped the tmp connector as instructed. Then it was
never referenced again. Then you get to the sub rec assembly and it has
j92
connecting to J63 on the KAT3. Left me wondering what the hell to do. In
the
end both got disconnected and taped up as I am not setup with two
antennas
at the moment and will just use the main for input for the time being.
A Matrix up-front in the K3 assembly instructions showing the 3 options
might not be a bad thing.
What a bad ass little radio. Coming from an Orion II this is a real
treat.
Off to drink more Kool-Aid as they say.
Cheers
Doug K0ZU
-Original Message-
From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net
[mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Gary Hinson
Sent: Saturday, April 18, 2009 4:54 AM
To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net
Subject: [Elecraft] K3 #2887 - first impressions
Hi all.
K3 #2887 lives! Config: K3/100, ATU, subRX, 250Hz + 400Hz filters (main
and
subRX), KXV3, DVR.
The kit build was relatively painless, certainly easier than the K2.
Package open to 1st QSO took me 1 fairly intense but enjoyable day
(Wednesday just gone). While they are still fresh in my mind, these were
the most significant problems I experienced with the build:
1. If I had realized I would need them, I would have bought the
antistatic
wrist-strap and desk pad between ordering the kit and it arriving in the
post, instead of having to go shopping after opening the box! Perhaps a
little reminder about which tools customers will need could be included
in
the Thanks for ordering your K3 email? [Maybe it was and I missed it
in
the excitement!]. Alternatively, could these be another option to buy
from
Elecraft?
2. It wasn't immediately obvious that most boards/options come with
their
own hardware in little envelopes, and several bits took a little while to
find (e.g. the bits for the standoffs near the display, fig 37 in the kit
assembly manual). I eventually got the hang of it but having a bunch of
spare bits left over and constantly changing from bag to bag got me a bit
confused at times.
3. It's not entirely clear what the display light blocker strips are
meant
to achieve, hence exactly where they should be fitted - should they stick
to
the main board, the edge of the display panel, or the strip of flexy foil
sticking out of the LCD panel? The manual, even with a photo, didn't
help.
The finished K3 looks fine now so I guess I made the right choices by
luck.
4. My LCD panel had some smudge marks. I very carefully and gently
cleaned
it as best I could with a cleaning cloth used for spectacles, and the few
marks that remained are invisible now under the Perspex face ... But I
wonder if perhaps it ought to have been shipped with a pull-off plastic
