I agree as well. Buying a K3S has been tempting in the way that buying the latest model car sometimes is - though I should disclose that one of my cars is 14 years old and well into its second 100,000 miles. But as a practical matter, with the K3 upgrades (which I am doing), that temptation hasn’t moved me to buy the new model. One improvement that would make me jump to a new model, almost regardless of the cost, probably won’t be available until the K8 or K9, namely a Blue Tooth-type system for ridding my desk of the cabling jungle connecting the K3 to the KPA500, the KAT500, the P3, the PR6-10 (yes, I know that one is in the K3S) and all the rest. OK, I’d allow two to remain - DC in and RF out.
As for the related question, of someone who has no K3 buying a used K3 versus a new K3S, two variables would be important to me. One would be cost. The other would be quality. I would rather buy a K3S kit than a used K3 even if factory-built, to have the advantage of knowing my radio more intimately by building it. That difference would be worth a goodly amount of difference in the price. In addition, buying a used anything is always a trip into the unknown, with no guarantees and the risk of problems, disagreements, and all of that. Avoiding that sort of risk is also worth a substantial amount of money. The analysis of that question is different from that of the question of upgrading an existing K3 versus buying a K3S: While I plan to keep my 100,000+ mile car indefinitely rather than trade it in on a new one, only someone truly desperate should want to buy the old one from me, regardless of the lower price. (But I am open to offers - it’s a cream puff 2001 Infiniti QX4 as is / where is - replies off-line, please.) Ted, KN1CBR >Message: 6 >Date: Wed, 29 Jul 2015 09:08:40 -0400 >From: Don Wilhelm <[email protected]> >To: [email protected] >Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Is there a good reason to buy a K3S >Message-ID: <[email protected]> >Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252; format=flowed > >David, > >A very good analysis. >I agree completely that the K3S is an upgrade to the K3, and an existing >K3 can be upgraded to almost the equal of the K3S - the RF board cannot >be upgraded, but just about all the other changes can be incorporated >into your K3 should that be desirable. > >I consider this upgrade to be similar to what happened to the K2 at >serial number 3000. The boards were redesigned, and all the prior >upgrades were incorporated into the new boards. The older A level >boards could be upgraded with the kits provided by Elecraft, and there >were only a few minor differences between an upgraded A level K2 and the >newer B level. > >I believe Elecraft is unique in allowing customers to upgrade to the >latest level by providing upgrade kits at a modest price. > >73, >Don W3FPR > ______________________________________________________________ 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]
