Here's a question for all you lucky K3 owners. Given my financial situation right now - a daughter in high school, needs braces, two cars that need to be replaced soon, she'll need a car next year, a deck on the house that's about to fall down from rot, a yard that becomes a mudslide whenever it rains, and so on, my wife would pack up and hit the road if she heard me mention buying a new radio. Furthermore, she'd probably hit me over the head 4 or 5 times with a frying pan before slamming the door.
And I'd deserve it. That'd be irresponsible and us hams NEVER do anything irresponsible, right? OK, I'm exaggerating a little, I'm not in dire financial straits. If I was, I wouldn't even be concocting this hair-brained plan. Nevertheless, running out and buying a K3 is out of the question.
Or is it?
I've got two main radios that I currently use. I'm not set up as SO2R, but I can switch between the two rigs in seconds. One is an Elecraft K2 with about every option for HF they offer - 100 watt amp, 100 watt antenna tuner, SSB, Noise Blanker, 160m option, DSP, etc. I have the QRP top and tuner too. I've also got a Yaesu FT-1000MP with the TXCO option, 250 Hz Inrad CW filter, and it is in immaculate shape - not a scratch and works flawlessly. I've also got a Yaesu FT-857D that's been used about 100 hours, 500 Hz CW filter, pretty much like new. An impulse purchase when I had great aspirations of operating remotely. Never happened and isn't going to, at least not in the near future.
You know where I'm headed.
WHAT IF...
What if I sold all three of those radios, combined the take and put it towards a K3? The way I figure it, I just might have enough to get the K3 in kit...er..."assembly" form, with the 100 watt option, antenna tuner, and the second receiver. If not, I think I'd be pretty darn close. Close enough that I might just have to weather a lump or two on the head. An even Steven trade, in other words.
Now, for you K3 owners, some of you I know have moved up from K2's and 1000MP's (and other fine radios)...would it be worth it? Am I really going to be moving up enough to justify parting with both of those fine radios, or am really splitting hairs? If you've not followed my blog, I'm about 95% CW, 4% SSB, and 1% digital. I don't anticipate that changing either. I do some light contesting but my primary focus is CW DXing. Is the performance gain in "real world" usage going to justify that type of consideration? I don't need to know numbers and specs, I've read them, compared them, and I probably wouldn't understand them anymore than I already do. But I understand enough to know that the K3 blends a lot of features from both of those radios together and provides what I've perceived to be significant improvement at the same time. I'm sure that could apply to other combinations of radios too. Am I wrong about those real world gains?
So, I guess rather than a pro's and con's, if YOU had to do it over, or you were in my shoes (and it wouldn't impact your family's well-being and no knots on your head from frying pans), would you go for it?
7 comments:
I think the resulting simplification alone would justify it. You'd end up with a single radio that does more than your other three put together (with the exception of your 857D's UHF capabilities).
But before making a final decision, maybe you could test drive a K3 of someone's in your area.
I'd consider the frying pan before anything else. In the hands of WV women, they can be lethal.
Just kidding of course, but the wives are very important. Just not the same without them. Hihi (and I've been there before)
Wish you the best in whatever your decision might be.
Good morning, Well I am one of the op's that had the FT-1000mp MKV, K2, FT-857D and the KX1 before the K3 arrived home. I am left with a K2 and KX1. Would I do it again....in an instant. Mind you that is knowing what I know now about the K3. When I was in the transition period I did hold onto the FT-1000 just in case the hype about the K3 was just that hype. It was not, I too am like you a CW op. I will say there was a learning curve with the K3 compared to the FT-1000. Bottom line it is well worth the leap and you wont (I think) look back with any regrets. If you do you can always give the K3 to me....:)
Oh and Ed if I may add it's great to see your blog active again!!!
Since no one else chooses to play devil's advocate, I see an opportunity.
I don't own a K3, but I've probably got about 40 to 50 hours of chair time in front of one. I would suggest that you think long and hard about the reasons you want to trade up.
I'd expect you will notice that the K3 is indeed a very good radio, but without the others in the shack for A/B comparisons, that will be hard to quantify in terms of "how much better than radio-xyz".
The A/B comparisons of my K2 against my FT-920 are always interesting. The 920 may have a slight edge on sensitivity. FT-920 SSB audio quality is superb-except for when the K2 wins due to its superior selectivity. On CW, the comparisons are more similar, but the superb selectivity of the K2 is still noticeably better.
The main advantages I've run across using the K3 are with the second receiver an the possibilities for diversity reception. The K3 filtering is also a real treat in crowded conditions. Another consideration is the size - much more compact than MP-1000, just a tad wider than K2. And 6m.
The second RX is not a big deal for my own purposes. I'd love to toy with the diversity reception more, but I expect to get a chance to do that as guest Op during contest multi's or on expedition.
But for the way I use my own home radio, I'd not see any advantage for the additional cash required over the $1200 I have sunk into the K2. I would be much better spending money on improving the antenna systems. I'm also not sure that it would make sense to put a premium performance radio behind the mediocre antenna farm.
So - back to brass tacks. Yes, the K3 is just as good as they say. Its SSB performance is noticeably better than K2, but I would need to do a lot of A/B comparisons to convince myself there was $2000 worth of advantage over K2.
A compromise idea would be to dump the MP and 857, then spend time comparing the K3 and K2. Whichever you then decide to keep, I'm pretty sure you can find a buyer for the loser. Then you are only out of pocket for the interim.
BTW - K2 purchase was financed via sale of an FT-100D and a VX-5R. THAT was a very good exchange of value.
73 de w4kaz
Thanks to all for your responses. In a way the water is still as muddy as ever, but I wanted all perspectives. Keith, as far as your playing devil's advocate, I'm glad that someone did present the opposite side, so to speak, while still acknowledging the performance gains of the K3. I sort of expected a 100% response in favor of the K3, but I was wrong. It has made me step back and reevaluate somewhat.
But I think what I hear all of you saying is to take a thorough test drive with the K3 and, if possible, keep one of the two radios to perform A/B comparisons with (and duck if I see a frying pan coming). I have used a K3 for a short period of time, but never in my own station. That's where the real evaluation would matter and all of you are right in recommending that I take a good, hard look at the K3 in person before getting myself to a point of no-return or regret.
Another approach - to keep the financial picture stable - would be to nix the 2nd receiver option until down the road. A 2nd receiver is very important to me, not only because of the diversity reception, but having had it on the 1000MP, I know what a difference it makes when chasing DX. But I could live without it for a while if I had to.
I think the suggestion to retain either the K2 or the 1000MP for comparison is really worth considering, otherwise I've lost my frame of reference. If I had to decide between the two, I might opt to keep the 1000MP, knowing that in a worst case scenario, I could still buy another K2 and build it, but finding another 1000MP in this kind of condition might be awfully tough.
I will try to speak as an impartial observer but I one who adds to rather than exchanges kit. I do not have either the K2 or K3 but have salivated from afar over those owned by my buddies.
The two guys I know who built the K2 had every intention of selling their rigs when their K3s were completed. Several years later they still have their K2s (and K3s)and I think someone with have to prise the rigs from their cold dead hands before they give them up. Another I know did sell his K2 and spent a fortune buying a replacement from eBay when he could not live without it.
I cannot pretend to understand the emotional attatchment that these chaps have with their radios but I suggest that selling the wife and kids may prove less of a wrench than saying goodbye to your K2.
You have been warned ;0)
Post a Comment