I use the KX3 as a base station, with a PX3, KXPA100, external paddle, external speakers, and an old laptop.
The biggest negative, I feel, is the amount of cabling I have ended up with. It requires assiduous use of cable ties to prevent my shack from turning into a cat's cradle. Reconfiguring from digital to voice requires some fiddly plugging and unplugging, and taking the KX3 out portable requires a _lot_ of it. With a K3(S), there'd be a lot less cable, and it would hardly ever change. Of course, I wouldn't even try to take it portable more than once a year, but now having the KX2, it will be interesting to see if I take my KX3 out of the house much at all. My shack is still amazing, and is much more capable than its operator, but cabling is its downside. Bruce On Mon, Jun 20, 2016, 16:44 Barry LaZar <[email protected]> wrote: > Enzo, > I may be a little more than a little biased, but I would say a KX3 > makes an excellent base station. The only add ons that I can think you > might want are the ATU and mic. If you use the 8 KHz shift, you can't > use the optional roofing filter. Everything else you need is already > there. > > Elecraft supplied the connector with I&Q signals out. From that you > connect up to a good, wideband sound card and you have spectrum display > out to about 125 KHz. That same data can be used with CW Skimmer for > viewing as much bandwidth as can be displayed but limited to the > parameters of the sound card. > > If you use Win4K3 and Hamradio Deluxe with your KX3, you can have a > fully integrated station operation, from spot to contact to log. > > If you contest as I do with my KX3, you can use contest logging > software with your spectrum display, you now have a serious contest > station. > > Power line noise is a problem regardless of the radio. The DSP in > the KX3 does a pretty fair job on noise around here, but nothing is > perfect. > > Bottom line in my opinion is the KX3 addresses more issues than any > other radio I know. It doesn't have a second receiver, but I believe > using a spectrum display is better for many things. The K3 and K3S both > can have a second receiver that can be put on another band other than > the one you are working. That is handy for operators with the skill to > use this capability; I'm not one. The KX3's performance is not quite > what the K3S has or the upgraded K3, but for ~90% or maybe more, it sure > does do the job. > > Since you are thinking SOTA, meaning portable, the KX3 works > marvelously for that. When you are finished, you bring the KX3 home and > connect the radio to its amplifier and you get your base back. > > All of today's radios have adequate sensitivity to hear weak > signals. The limitations today are associated with ambient noise; power > lines, plasma TVs, switching power supplies, etc. A good antenna helps > but the real receiver issues are dynamic range and reciprocal mixing > caused by your LO. The KX3 holds up really well in this area. > > I live on a small urban lot. I have a 40 meter center fed dipole and > a 40 meter delta loop. I have DXCC mixed, CW, and SSB. I have 156 > countries confirmed on 20, 15, and 10 with 50 on 80 and 87 on 40. All of > this was using my KX3. > > This weekend my KX3 will join several others for Field Day, We > operate 3AB, QRP. We took second last year in this fairly competitive > category. We fully expect to win this year. > > Hopefully, I've answered your questions and addressed your concerns. > > 73, > Barry > K3NDM > > ------ Original Message ------ > From: "Enzo Adrian-Reyes" <[email protected]> > To: "Elecraft List" <[email protected]> > Sent: 6/20/2016 7:03:42 PM > Subject: [Elecraft] Base Station > > >I know this list is a bit biased, however I am trying to set up my base > >station, I currently own a KX3 and an ICOM 7100, and I have an antenna > >that > >is an inverted V diapole, (Diamon W8010), which is hosted 6m up in the > >air. > > > >My problem is I live nearby a lot of interference due to high voltage > >power > >lines, now, my dilemma is > >I want to get rid of my ICOM 7100, and I have to replace it with a base > >station, so is the KX3 with the addons good enough for base station op, > >or > >shuold I sell that and get a K3S perhaps a KX2 for mobile ops? I would > >like > >to do SOTA really, and have a portable handy, I am only allowed to > >transmit > >for the moment 10W any way, so k3s/10 should be enough to start with, > >however I have a bucketload of noise, my KX3 is under going repairs and > >I > >wont know when it will be back,hopefully its not too expensive as I > >will > >def blow my budget over many times. > > > >So any body here have any experience on running their KX3 as their main > >base station? if so how well does it do? Would a k3s be better? what > >advantage would I have with the K3S (baseline) compared to an upgraded > >KX3 > >(ATU, 2m, Roof filters fitted) > > > >I am worried about sensitivity, and ability to pick weak signals, as I > >have > >very little room to fit larger an better antennas so I have to kind of > >work > >with what I have. > > > >Regards > >______________________________________________________________ > >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] > ______________________________________________________________ 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]
