A very difficult choice indeed. The P3 display can be studied to
understand how a DX operator is working the pile. You can tell if he is
working up or down the split or where in split in the case of large
splits of late or if he is shotgunning it.
I use both constantly. The 2nd receiver can be set up with just a
couple of filters and you are good to go. The 2nd receiver is great to
listen on a 2nd band if you have a 2nd antenna to use.
Mike W0MU
On 3/14/2015 10:42 PM, dyarnes wrote:
Hi All,
There has been a fair amount of discussion here about which accessory
for the K3 trumps the other --a P3 or a 2nd RX. I don't have an
answer, but I do have an opinion.
I have the full K-Line here, but due to neighborhood restrictions, my
antennas are modest. I use an R8 and a vertical dipole (Sigma 40XK)
set up for 40 meters. That gives me decent coverage from 40 meters
up, but nothing really fancy--and not a sure fire pile up buster! I'm
certainly no threat to the "honor roll!" Hi. I think I have been a
bit cavalier about relying too much on the P3 to spot DX listening
frequencies with just the P3. I love the P3, but I can't say I have
been particularly accurate by using it. I do turn on the 2nd RX fairly
often, but more often than not, I get lazy about doing just that.
The recent K1N Dxpedition was sort of a wake-up call for me about
using the 2nd RX more. I'd use the P3, and think I had ID'd the
listening freq., but it just wasn't producing any results. Their
split was very wide, and besides that, stations were calling and
calling, even though they weren't the station K1N had acknowledged.
That' nothing new, but it was particularly bad on this operation. I
was getting a lot of "false" readings just using the P3. For days I
had "zero" success. Eventually I went to the 2nd RX, and the results
improved dramatically. I got 5 band slots in fairly short order by
doing so. There just doesn't seem to be a really good substitute for
knowing exactly which freq. the DX station is listening on at the
time. It doesn't guarantee success, but it sure gives you a leg up!
I think, in my case at least, the 2nd RX may be the more advantageous
for this kind of thing. Stations with more power, and bigger
antennas, have a definite advantage. They can be picked out of the
pile much more readily than I can. Some of the big guns have signals
so strong they are like magnets! I think anyone in my shoes, who is
trying to nab a good DX contact here or there, is apt to find the 2nd
RX to be a great accessory, and more productive than the P3 for that
particular purpose. Chances are I'm not using the P3 to it's best
advantage, but I am trying to get better at it. I'm sure there are
"tricks" I'm not aware of.
Since the K1N DXpedition, there have been 4 or 5 other situations
where the 2nd RX got me a contact in fairly short order--a couple of
them just this weekend. Anyway, I'm getting more and more convinced
that the 2nd RX was a good move on my part. The P3 was too, but it is
more useful to me for other reasons. If I had it to do all over, and
could only get one accessory, or only one at a time, I would start
with the 2nd RX.
By the way, on the KX3, the "dual watch" feature is priceless, and
very effectively emulates a 2nd RX! K1N probably stretched the limits
of that feature (15 khz), but generally that is more than adequate.
The KX3 is just a super slick radio, and with the PX3 you have a
dynamite combo!
Dave W7AQK
______________________________________________________________
Elecraft mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:[email protected]
This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Message delivered to [email protected]
______________________________________________________________
Elecraft mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:[email protected]
This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Message delivered to [email protected]
