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Reviews For: Elecraft KXBC3

Category: Batteries & Chargers for Amateur Radio

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Review Summary For : Elecraft KXBC3
Reviews: 1MSRP: 80
Description:
Battery Charger and Real Time Clock
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.elecraft.com/collections/kxbc3-internal-nimh-charger-real-time-clock_compatible-products
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
0013
G4VRR Rating: 2019-06-13
Functional KX3 Accessory Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Please refer to the image. I've done the decent thing and shown the business side of the PCB. Busy isn't it? I'm not exactly over the moon with this item. Fair enough- a large part of that is because we are being rushed £100 for it here in The UK. £100! Let's look at it from an uninformed standpoint; in the first instance, it's such a basic function that it should be included. Secondly, bang for buck it's not exactly a deal even at the USA price. Why? because if we ignore the real time clock, it's not really any better than the kludge in the FT817nd. Guessing the state of charge and taking a stab at presettable hours? Really? A RTC then? a five dollar board on eBay? Automatically fire up the radio? really? I think I'd like to be there myself.

Next, the countersunk hole does not allow for a flush installation, so unless you "adjust" it, the shield doesn't lay flat. Fair enough, it does point that out in the installation instructions, so fix it. It's been on the market a fair amount of time. Moving on, one or two of the references to image numbers in the instructions are incorrect. Review and if appropriate up-issue the instructions because for me it reduces confidence in the product. I've been given the run around by QA at Airbus and especially Boeing, so for me it is annoying.

I've awarded three stars because A/ although you know what you're buying into with the Elecraft marque, objectively speaking- there is no alternative so I reaffirm that the charge facility should be supplied as standard, and B/, Fewer stars would be troll behaviour, but I cannot raise that tally due to the foregoing observations. I have two excellent quality 1-4 cell chargers that monitor the cells individually, discharge, refresh and so on and only cost £20 each. In my consumer opinion, the KXBC3 is overpriced. I'm not trying to put anyone off here- plenty of folks are happy enough and now that the beer tokens are history so am I. I'm gradually getting my head around the roofing filter at £190...

The radio itself is a peach though!