I'll second K8AC's comment. I went with the K3 because of it's weight (or rather the lack thereof), it's size, great Elecraft service and receiver performance. I was really starting to get serious in contesting so I just wanted the best.
A year later I nearly sold it because I was really unhappy with it because I just didn't sound right to me.
After studying some notes from other K3 users I slowly began to understand how to properly set-up and use my K3. Now (two years after purchase) it sounds great and even my friends who use IC 7700's were amazed with how "quiet" it was and how good it sounds.

I now have some sort of love hate relationship with it. I love a lot of the great features it offers such as the great digital voice recorder, great DSP and crystal filtering and many others. On the other hand, when I spin the big knob in the middle it does feel a bit... eh... cheap. Same thing goes when you want to switch bands and have to scroll through them to get to another band.
You can work around these problems when you use programs such as HRD to control the rig but to me that just doesn't cut it.

Fortunately, to me the good points greatly outweigh the bad ones so I'll be happy to keep using my K3 for a long time.

Good luck making your choice, I had fun making mine.

John,

Thanks for your reply. This rule was brought to my attention in a reply on another forum and it is very clear and probably the only correct answer as to why it's not possible to use the same call sign.

What I was trying to say is that some of the replies I got insinuated that my question was rather dumb. However, very few people provided me with the right answer. Most just gave me their own interpretation of the rules.
 
I work as an instructor at a Fire and Rescue Training Center and I learned that the only dumb question is a question you didn't ask. (although some people really push the envelope  )

Well Ed, It's clear to me that we should use different call sings.
However, there is nothing in the rules that defines a "club station area". If we were to use separate call signs at that very same club station, things would be just fine.

When I asked this question on another forum I got a whole bunch of replies stating that we should use different call signs. The funny this was however that almost everybody had different reasons as to why we couldn't use the same call signs.

Maybe the answer to my question was pretty straight forward. The reason why it's not possible is another story all together.

When you are watching a NASCAR race (or whatever you folks like to watch in the US), do you also wander why they drive so fast and hope they would slow down for a minute?    


I too get a little carried away sometimes and raise my voice when working a weak station. When I notice that I'm raising my voice I often crank up the monitor volume.

As for the phonetics, I used to say that people should use proper NATO phonetics. Nowadays I don't really care anymore. I'm even learning to copy call signs without phonetics at all.
I agree with K0OD, use whatever works best given the circumstances.

Best 73, PD2R
PI4DX contest group

Contesters,

Just wandering about this one:
Is it possible for two operators to enter the ARRL International DX contest, one in the Single Operator Single Band 40 meter and the other in the Single Operator Single Band on 20 meter category, to use the same club call sign?
I guess there could be a problem with the submission of the logs. The Robot may not recognize the logs as two different logs since they both have the same call sign. The robot may reject the log that was uploaded the first and only check the log that was uploaded second.

Can anyone shed some light on this one?

Best 73,
Maarten PD2R

Or you can go the expensive way and buy a stack match like the ones WX0B makes (Array Solutions). Then you are able to switch between the two and combine them.

But like I said, that's going the expensive way...

At the Contest University at Wyboston (UK) I learned that Tim (K3LR) sends return card once every year. Dozens of boxes with QSL cards, amazing.

We, the PI4DX crew, also send return cards for every card we receive.

So, like the others mentioned, just send them in.

73

KB6VIV:
ya·gi   (yä'gē, yāg'ē)  
n.   pl. ya·gis
A directional radio and television antenna consisting of a horizontal conductor with several insulated dipoles parallel to and in the plane of the conductor.

The conductor is more or less horizontal in a W shape and it has parasitic element (reflector) to provide directivity.

http://www.qsl.net/wy3a/G3TXQ_Broadband_Hex.htm

So yes, in my book that makes it a yagi ;-)

73, Maarten

I think your best bet would be a Hexbeam. Small, lightweight, no traps, low wind load and a good performer.
I have not yet build a Hexbeam but I have build 2 Spiderbeams. Both are wire yagis but the Spiderbeam is much lager. It's one of the best, if not the best lightweight yagis out there.

I have a TH2 MK3 from Hy-Gain which does a reasonable job. I choose the Hy-Gain because I think the Hexbeam is quiet ugly. We do not have any trees surrounding our house so everything that sticks out from the roof is highly visible.
If the Hy-Gain is to be replaced, I would now go for a Optibeam OB6-3M.

Please keep in mind that any antenna which has a shorter radiator the half a wave length always will go at the expense of the performance.

By the way, I alway use a headset/boom mic such as a Heil pro set plus.

Nowadays I use VOX occasionally during contests. I used to use it all te time during contesting. Once the set up was good (on a FT 1000MP) you never had a problem.
The VOX of the K3 I now use works FB but in a multi two contest station (www.pi4dx.com) with both opperators fairly close to one another, I prefer a good footswitch.
But after hours of using the footswitch, I'm glad that I can use VOX for a while.

At home I use VOX almost all the time. The only down side is that on the K3 you have to push and hold the button to activate of deactivate the VOX wich is a pain compared to the Isukenyaecomwood transceivers, especially when I have to sneeze.

LOL

A couple of years ago me and my wife were riding our R 1100 GS in the Belgium Ardennes. Great twisty roads so I was really enjoying myself.
My wife on the other hand was not. In every corner she shouted via the intercom that I was cornering to fast.
After a couple of bends I disconnected the cable from the intercom box to my helmet and all was quiet again.
A few corners later I could hear her shout even without the intercom system!

Nowadays I ride mostly solo ;-)

Yes this could work fine and you could even use this for bike-to-bike communication.
However, VOX could be a problem because most HT do not have a way to control the VOX sensitivity.
Which means that when riding your bike, at certain speeds the VOX could engage on it's own.
A PPT switch would be better and it allows you to speak without your wife hearing it (could come in handy from time to time ;-))

Also make sure you invest in good microphones or chances are that the background noise will be stronger the your voice.

BMW R 1150 GS Adventure with Autocom intercom

How about a vertical dipole strung along that fiber glass pole? No need for radials.
Do some testing and after that put it up as an inverted V. Do some more testing and find out what works best for you.

I personally have had good results with a vertical dipole on 20 meters during the last IOTA contest. We compared it to a ground mounted 1/4 wave vertical for the same band and it won hands down. I do have to mention that the antenna´s were nearby salt water, 50 meter or so.

73, Maarten
PD2R

Just about any microphone will work with the K3. Kenwood mics will work great and they connect to the radio without rewiring.

Spending some money on the auto tuner en 1 or 2 extra filters (2.1 kHz is great foor SSB) is not bad.

You could build it your self with some help of an Elmer. Maybe someone in your local club can help you out. That´s how I got mine put together. It is great to get to know your radio.

73, Maarten
PD2R