| HA4ZD |
Rating:      |
2011-02-24 | |
| Unbeatable |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
| I have mine for 2 years. Smart radio from smart guys. Mine is with 2nd receiver and cannot imagine any situation it can not be a winner. Readability of the signals are exceptional, easy to use, right sized for any application. I like the ergonomics as well. This the first radio I can understand weak SSB signals in noise or QRM with 2.8 kHz BW. BW reduction just very seldom, 1.8kHz helps when needed. It is a joy to understand stations others struggle with. 250Hz filter, diversity reception are far superior to the competition. I wish I could finance the P3. |
|
| W1TXT |
Rating:      |
2011-02-17 | |
| Excelllent Radio |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
So, my two cents regarding the K3 and Elecraft. I've owned a K3 since December, 2009 and purchased the K3 as part of my (seemingly) never ending search for best receiver available. If you're considering this radio and you're used to something like an ICOM 718, then think again as this radio probably isn't for you.
However, if you want a transceiver with outstanding performance, vendor support, and what seems like a never ending list of enhancements (keep 'em coming), then this is the radio (and vendor) for you. Elecraft has designed this radio for performance, modularity and extensability - pure and simple, but you must take the time to learn it's capabilities. A weekend of use or maybe even time on the air during a contest or field day will not give you a good understanding of this wonderful piece of equipment. IMO, if you're reading K3 reviews, you should consider the experience of the reviewer w/the K3. Very few K3 owners sell their radios and when they do, they're snatched up quickly.
I won't go into the incredible list of features and functions - others have already done that. But I will tell you I've been a ham for over 32 years and have owned many radios during that time. The K3, P3 and soon to purchase KPA500 linear will be on my desk for many years to come.
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|
| W6LG |
Rating:      |
2011-02-08 | |
| Hard to Beat |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
I have owned a K3 for about 3 years now. I have owned and used a large number of transceivers in the last few years. You can see a picture of my station on QRZ.com. I have been licensed since 1963. I primarily operate SSB. And, I am a DXer with 3 towers in the backyard.
I have learned to love the K3. For me, its size and weight has been a real advantage. The long list of features is almost endless. For example, I have some vintage amplifiers and did not want to hot switch the relay amplifier. There is a menu setting for that. The other day I needed a two tone oscillator to test an amplifier I had repaired. That too is a menu setting in the K3. To be honest, it has so many features available, there's not enough room to list them here.
I've found that the noise blanker works well on my power line noise. The noise blanker also has many settings as does the noise reduction feature.
I have the two receivers in the K3. They are independent and each has its own filters. So, working a DXpedition is so much easier.
My hearing is not so good after using headphones on 20 meters for almost 50 years. There is a menu setting for the receiver equalizer that really helps. There is also a transmitter equalizer. The transmit audio is punch and very effective.
If you want to know the temperature of the finals or the front panel during an RTTY contest, it has it. You can also get the time displayed on the front panel.
If you want to do some digital mode like WSPR, you just plug it into your computer with two audio cables. The interface is built into the K3.
I am not a good CW operator, but the K3 has some unbelievable features to enhance operating CW. For example, the APF will take a signal on a crowded band and make it sound like the guy is keying a code practice oscillator in the same room.
Speaking of features, the folks at Elecraft have added several features and improvements to the K3 over the years. There are reasonably frequent firmware updates that improve the operation of this already exceptional transceiver.
Another neat thing is the weight and plug in boards in the K3. If there is a failure of some part, the K3 weighs less than 20 pounds and is easily shipped. Or, if it is just a board, you can send the board to Elecraft via USPS Priority Mail for less than ten dollars. I have had the sad experience of shipping a 60 pound transceiver back to the manufacturer for a repair. It happens.
Obviously, there are some for whom the K3 is not a good fit. And that is the way it should be with any product. Not everyone is going to love a product. For me, the K3 represents the best transceiver I have ever owned. I plan to use it until I become an SK. |
|
| AB4KJ |
Rating:      |
2011-01-19 | |
| Great radio |
Time Owned: 3 to 6 months. |
| I have recently got back into the hobby and bought several radios. The K3 was recommended to me. After waffling on whether to buy the radio, I took the plunge. This radio can be configured so many ways and to suit so many different tastes. It is simply amazing. The performance for weak signals and pile ups is fantastic. I got mine with the P3 and it is the coolest thing to point and click on a signal and have the radio quickly retune and be ready to fire of your call sign. It takes a bit to learn the dual purpose keys, but very quickly becomes pretty intuitive in its operation. The manual is pretty good, at least it worked for me as someone just getting back into the hobby. The support is very strong, both the user community and the owners and employees of the company. I had a couple of minor issues and they went out of their way to resolve them. |
|
| F6DFZ |
Rating:      |
2011-01-17 | |
| Impressive system |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
I shall try to review aspects not too much covered by other hams. I waited 2 monthes before doing this review. My K3 is equiped with the second receiver, 2700, 500 and 200 Hz 5 poles filters, and the P3.
Even with great pictures, assembly commands to understand well english and to be well organised, with the right tools ; not a difficult task, but quite a delicate one.
I have read that K3 is not as well finished as japanese rigs. I do not agree, and you must understand that you buy a rig in kit form, not a rig made in a factory ; manufacture process and finition are not the same. In the past I had to service my FT1000MP MkV (change the display neon tube) ; reassembly of the front panel was a nightmare, with those multiple floppy pcb films to interconnect it to the main frame, and also those metallic twisted tabs that break after 2 or 3 twists. K3 is way better, can be dissasembled many times, and in fact reminds me of my Drake TR-7. Friends looking at K3 for the first time are very impressed by its finish (but my friends love Drake and Collins rigs !).
Even with a good back ground, fisrt hours with the K3 were quite disturbing. You have to master its ergonomy, very different from Kenwood, Yaesu or Icom rigs for exemple, and you also have so much parameters to tune. It took me a few days to master it but the result is impressive.
Ergonomy is a result of the small size of the rig, and by way of consequence of its display. But after you have mastered it, it's very good, and you have very powerfull tools as macros to operate efficiently this rig. But I understand that hams comming from rigs with large displays and a lot of knoks/swithches can be lost. I believe that in the future P3 bandscope display should be used by Elecraft to help ergonomy.
After much tuning of parameters, K3 was brought up to my very difficult ears, and the result is outstanding. Crisp SSB and CW audio, no artifacts, no hiss (Aiwa HP-XF215 headphones), no noise during T/R switching. This subject has been discussed on the web, and I know Elecraft made some hardware/firmware mods, but for me the receive audio is perfect.
Also a detail, the S meter. It's the first rig I own that has a so precise S meter. It near perfectly tracks my HP RF generator from S1 to S9+60 dB, something I never saw on the numerous rigs I owned. You can also equalize various filters gain and have the same results when switching bandwidth.
The great surprise was transmit quality. I use it with a Turner +3, and all my correspondants praise the speech quality. I never had so much favorable comments with my former rigs.
P3 bandscope is one of the main reasons that led me to buy the K3. It's absolutly perfect, way better than other bandscopes I saw (IC-7600, DMU-2000). For Dx split working, it's a must. Also very usefull for reviewing speech caracteristics of correspondants.
I respect the work of Rob Sherwood ; the problem is that its chart is taken for granted by many people. They buy the rig on top of chart, without taking into account other parameters. Take the FT-5000 on top of chart for exemple ; some other parameters are very poor like image, IF and spurious rejections. The IMD2 of the second receiver is the lowest ever reviewed in QST.
Not so with the K3. Elecraft made a good balance between all parameters, and the result is a very good receiver in all aspects.
Last but not least, you are directly connected with the staff of Elecraft, a unique case on the ham market. New features are periodicaly added, new options are proposed, and you are sure to have well spend your money.
Best regards
Georges F6DFZ
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|
| PY2ADR |
Rating:      |
2010-11-20 | |
| SIMPLE & FANTASTIC |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
Really happy w/ my choice. Bought mine just to enjoy my trip to US. Quickly became the 1st TX on the shack. Nice filters, lot's of usable features. Buy another? YES I WILL !!!
PY2ADR / ZY2C |
|
| WA6MOW |
Rating:      |
2010-11-15 | |
| Old school operators beware, an extensive menu. |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
The K3 rigs are finally hitting the used market. Out of curiosity I called a number of sellers and the response was almost always "it isn't for me"! How can a rig with rave reviews not be for you? Here is the answer, two to be exact. (1)The menu system. (2) The fact that to some the DSP and over all sound quality is irritating after a few hours of listening. I had to find out for myself so I purchased an almost new bare bones K3 100 watt factory assembled unit with the general coverage board as the only option. The first night or two with this radio was a disappointment. Since I am one of smartest people that I have run across, I set the radio up without the manual, quickly wading through the menu. I just could not get it to perform as well as my reference 756 Pro 2. I only work cw so I immediately ordered the 400hz filter from Elecraft and had it within two days. After installing the filter, I decided to thoroughly read the manual and spend time with each menu function until I had it memorized. THIS IS MANDATORY!!!!(memorizing might be a little extreme) My opinion changed dramatically. The menu is awesome. Time has to be spent with the the various adjustments as they can interact with each other. This radio is so selective that I was missing people responding to my CQ's unless I used the RIT. I was still fatigued listening to the K3. I own a number of head phones and realized that they all sounded very different with the K3. I finally found one set that sounded sweet. It was the Bose with non electronic noise canceling. That solved the issue and my K3 sounds phenomenal. Here is what I like as a cw operator:
QSK, better than TenTec. Internal keyer is as good or better than any internal or external keyer that I have ever used (I have used many). The controls are all in the right places. With multi functions, make for fast changes. A great receiver with the right filters installed.
Here is what I don't like; a piece of felt for the main tuning knob friction control(el cheapo). The radio feels flimsy, some of the controls wobble. It is very light for its size. A marketing guy must have decided that a larger radio would justify more money. Load this radio up with options and it can get expensive.
That said, I love this radio. The more I use it, the more attached I am getting to it. I am not a contester and work dx only when it hits me in the face. This radio does what it is supposed to do, and does it very well. American technology and ingenuity at its best. |
|
| W6GF |
Rating:      |
2010-10-28 | |
| My second K3 |
Time Owned: 3 to 6 months. |
I now have my second K3. I love using them both. The fact I have a second one and still own the best and the newest from the far east, and they are gathering dust, should say it all. And Elecraft knows how to spell transceiver!!
George, W6GF |
|
| W4ZW |
Rating:      |
2010-10-17 | |
| Comparason vs FTDX-5000 & TS-590S |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
Wrote this for my FCG gang, but of interest to many.
Received the K-3 back from Elecraft with a note that said it exceeded specs.
Since they knew I was doing a comparison reviews, they asked me to turn off
the 2nd receiver because there is a 3dB loss when both receivers are active
since they share the same front end and the signal is split. They also
asked that I set all radios to the same NR/DSP/filter/ etc.
So I did. I completely revamped the shack since it had grown in stages as I
added gear and was becoming somewhat of a rat's nest of cables and wires,
many without tags so that I was constantly tracing cables to see what when
where. Removed everything, designed a layout, and marked every cable. I
have pictures of the setup; three rigs in a line with an "ABC" switch to
quickly switch from one to other.
Some minutiae:
YAESU FTDX-5000 K-3 Kenwood TS-590S
Knobs 90/8 Concentric 45/2 Conc 47/2 Concentric
(Most are dual/multiple function)
Antenna Ports 4/1RX 2/1RX 2/1RX
(Not incl Transverters, etc)
Size/Weight
Yaesu FTDX-5000 18.2x5.3x15.3/ 46.3lbs
Elecraft K-3 11.1x 4.4x11.8/9.5lbs
Kenwood TS-590S 10.63x3.78x11.46/16.3lbs
(Width/height/depth ", Lbs)
SW Updates 2 1 0
(Since purchase 8/10)
Cost: $5,600(w/300Hz Roofing) $4,100(2nd RX/Filters) $1,800
See the respective manuals for the details. Many ask about the TX/RX EQ
capabilities. Both the Yaesu and the K-3 use parametric EQ, but with
different methods. The K-3 uses a more traditional 8 segment band with
adjustments of -16 to +16dB in each segment; while the Yaesu uses a nine
segment matrix of center frequency, parametric gain, and Q (bandwidth) with
-20dB to +10dB in the matrix. There is a completely separate matrix for
"Processor On." The Kenwood sounds absolutely great out of the box, but
offers seven different preset selections separately for both TX and RX, or
you can roll your own with their ARCP-590 software designed for the
TS-590S.
Unique features:
Yaesu FTDX-5000: Control your Yaesu rotor from the front panel; sloped AGC
setting which preserves the "relative" signal strength of stations;
individually programmable CW key ports; built-in voice/cw keyer/RX
recorder; bandscope w/ hi fi speakers (D & MP models); DMU-2000 with the
FTDX-5000 updated SW gives you finals temp, SWR chart across band, most
radio settings, bandscope, etc etc.
Elecraft K-3: Built-in PSK-RTTY-CW decoder; super-fast ATU; phase locked
dual diversity receivers (2nd RX option - tks Lu and Joe); built-in voice/CW
keyer (option);
Kenwood TS-590S: Excellent ATU. Fast and tunes almost anything. Intuitive
front panel with great graphical display of bandwidth/filtering; very good
NB and NR; really great audio out of the box
How do they work? Remember, I'm primarily a CW guy so my opinion is
somewhat biased.
Spent the first evening sorting through the pile-ups on 40CW, mainly to see
how effective they were at digging out the weak signals sandwiched between
big signals. And when the DX wasn't working split, that was real work. I
did use Joe's recommended settings for the K-3, because like Will, I just
can't get used to the high pitched noise hiss. Lu calls it "edgy", but my
ears were trained on old tube rigs, and I guess I'm just dragging OOTC ears
into this fray. Joe's settings weren't that far away from the ones I used
before, but I still find the K-3 tiring to listen to. Rob Sherwood did an
excellent analysis of the K-3 and found it superior in almost every aspect,
but he did find the 9th order harmonics could be tiring for extended use.
High impedance headphones should significantly reduce this. I tried my Heil
Pro Plus, Bose QC3's, my favorite Optimus Titanium 'phones, and various
others here in the shack, but just couldn't get used to that "edgy" sound.
I have no lack of ESP signals up here in the high mountains of the "black
hole", especially from EU and AF; nothing like those great signals in
Florida! Set up on 40CW with a huge pile-up on a weak African, and once
again, I am amazed to barely hear the weak signal muddled in the noise level
on the K-3 and on the Kenwood, but it's Q5 when switched to the Yaesu
FTDX-5000; still weak, but perfectly readable. This was repeated time
after time, first on 40CW and then on 80CW. 20M wasn't really open or
suitable, so stuck with 40M and 80M. The Kenwood TS-590S was the equal to
the K-3 in every test, able to hear the weak CW signal, but not able to copy
like the Yaesu. After Elecraft's assurances that my K-3 "exceeded specs", I
can only conclude that the FTDX-5000 is much better than I had expected.
And the TS-590S proved to be worthy of the fan-fare preceding its release.
I don't think it's a K-3 "killer", but it is a very serious competitor,
especially at its price point.
The two most important things for a CW contester are noise floor and dynamic
range. All three have excellent dynamic range, at least in my ABC
comparisons in crowded conditions and published specs, but I still found the
noise floor of the K-3 too high to my ears, at least compared with the Yaesu
and the Kenwood. I'm going to drag out my TS-570SG and TS-2000 for a quick
comparison, since comparing these three high tech, quasi-SDR radios to each
other will probably be on another plateau from my older rigs. They are all
three marvelous radios and represent a quantum leap forward. I wish I had a
FLEX5000 to compare. My friend, W4MO, has been trying to get me to buy one
for two years now.
Switched to SSB, where close in spacing is not such a big deal as with CW,
and there the difference was not so obvious. The Yaesu still did a
wonderful job isolating the weak signals, but the difference was not so
evident. The Kenwood had that great "broadcast" audio sound that is a
Kenwood tradition but could use one more roofing filter (maybe 1.8), but
the K-3 was a very effective SSB radio; very crisp audio and great signal
isolation with the filtering system. I can see why it is a favorite with
SSB contesters; but I still preferred the Yaesu over the K-3 or the Kenwood;
for me it was just more comfortable to use. In on air tests, almost
everyone gave all three very high marks for the audio. I had a round-table
on 75SSB and they were delighted to compare ABC without my telling them
which was which. Some liked the Yaesu because it "sounded bigger", but they
were the weaker stations and the Yaesu's slightly higher power was more than
likely the difference.
I have been very impressed with this Kenwood TS-590S. With its price point,
it is a lot of radio for the money. It has great audio and very pleasant to
listen to like the Yaesu. I could probably get used to the K-3, but
listening to the other two for extended periods on CW would not be as tiring
as I find the K-3 on CW.
Which is the best? Depends on what you want. As Charlie, 'VUD, pointed
out, they are more similar than different. The value rig is the Kenwood
TS-590S which is an amazing radio for the money. I predict they will sell
tons of them! The do-everything, Swiss Army knife K-3 is a great SSB
contesting rig that you can tailor to your desires but that may take a
while. Lu pointed out that he is finally comfortable with his after almost
a year. But my personal choice is the Yaesu FTDX-5000 for all around
operation. Almost every feature you could want, tailoring to whatever you
wish, and solid feel and build. It was my go-to radio every time conditions
and copy got rough. You won't go wrong with any of these three. |
|
| VA7CRH |
Rating:      |
2010-09-28 | |
| Premium rig - premium experience |
Time Owned: 3 to 6 months. |
(K3 Ser #04438) The best review of a K3 needs to be done side by side with similar rigs - like an Icom 7600. I have not owned a premium rig before, so can only compare to lesser priced products.
I have owned a Kenwood 480SAT, TS-2000, and an Icom IC-718. Dollar for dollar, the 718 is a very good rig. A TS-2000 is a better rig, but more expensive.
Given all this a K3 is simply a pleasure to use. After three months I am still learning its capabilities - eg. I'm just getting used to on-board RTTY and PSK31. The real weakness of the rig is its operator! But I am game to learn. After a while the ergonomics begin to make sense.
Eg. The front panel filter control knobs make trimming the filters a bit of a breeze, even if the operator needs to practise more to get it right. On other rigs, the filter controls are buried in menus making them hard to get at. Being on the front with dual-knob control with hi/lo or width/shift options make it easy to learn which filter setting is best. Roofing filters (mine is KFL3A-2.1K) really DO do the job.
The very best part of this experience has been the customer support. They are eager to make sure you are satisfied, and will stay on the phone with you until THEY are convinced you have what you need.
I will not go into the benefits of the guts of the rig. As expected, it is head and shoulders above rigs marketed at lower prices. I also use this for SWLing, with the KBPF3 General Coverage RX Bandpass Module. This performs like an NRD 545 worldclass receiver.
About the only negative I can muster is the difficulty in installing a USB/Serial port driver so as to use the K3 Utility and access the terminal program, etc. The PL2303 driver on their webpage is subgrade as USB/Serial drivers go.
However, tech support at Elecraft simply "works the problem" with you. Even the annoying ones like making your computer fit the K3!
A P3-K DSP Panadapter at first seemed superfluous, but the K3 on-board PSK and RTTY all of a sudden seems to be screaming for spending another $750 for a P3. The K3 Utility makes RTTY and PSK31 managable, and the front display scorlling of PSK and RTTY is an exercise in manual operation at its nest!
In the future are some of the Transverters - which require a KFL3B-FM filter for FM operation as well as KXV3A RX Ant IF Out and Xverter Interface. As you may guess a modular rig like this can quickly get expensive.
Finally, it is just possible that this is really a software based transceiver, that just happens to be in a box with knobs. The frequent firmware updates mean that the K3 is continually updateable... that alone may be the reason to choose this over an IC-7600.
Fully decked out with the add-ons, prices can go as high as $5,500.
If you are looking for a premium rig, and have the money, a K3 is for you. Dollar for dollar, if you get my drift, it is better than an IC-718. But if money is an issue, something like a 718 will do fine. |
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