[Elecraft] K3 Replaced Your Pro III?
Sorry if this has been posted before, but my eyes are bloodshot from searching the archives looking for a relevant post! If this HAS been posted, please point me to the thread... I'm considering selling my Pro III AND my early serial number K2 and getting a K3/100. I like to take my K2 in the field car camping, backyard patio, and on occasion, DX-peditions (PJ7/W6JHB) + several outings to NW Maui. The '756 isn't the radio for that, and the K3 appears far superior to the K2. I really don't need to have two HF rigs, if one will suffice for bench-top and portable use. Thus, consolidating into one, relatively high-end rig seems like a good choice. However, before I sell my equipment and set the XYL on the war path, I'd like to hear comments, good or bad, from anyone who has owned the 756 Pro III (not a Pro or Pro II) and replaced it with a K3. Thanks, Jim / W6JHB -- View this message in context: http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/K3-Replaced-Your-Pro-III-tp4957548p4957548.html Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] K3 Replaced Your Pro III?
Jim, What do you want to know? Whether anyone who has owned a Pro3 has replaced it with a K3? The answer to that is yes - hundreds of us - perhaps more. Your description of the K3 as relatively high-end is not quite right, as the K3 instead defines high end and sets the bar pretty high. You might want to hang on to your K2 for backyard excursions because of its size, but the K3 is substantially better than the Pro3 in most measures. The only area where the K3 is relatively deficient is in not having a built-in pan display, but the P3 seems to fill that void quite well. 73, Bob W5OV Sorry if this has been posted before, but my eyes are bloodshot from searching the archives looking for a relevant post! If this HAS been posted, please point me to the thread... I'm considering selling my Pro III AND my early serial number K2 and getting a K3/100. I like to take my K2 in the field car camping, backyard patio, and on occasion, DX-peditions (PJ7/W6JHB) + several outings to NW Maui. The '756 isn't the radio for that, and the K3 appears far superior to the K2. I really don't need to have two HF rigs, if one will suffice for bench-top and portable use. Thus, consolidating into one, relatively high-end rig seems like a good choice. However, before I sell my equipment and set the XYL on the war path, I'd like to hear comments, good or bad, from anyone who has owned the 756 Pro III (not a Pro or Pro II) and replaced it with a K3. Thanks, Jim / W6JHB -- View this message in context: http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/K3-Replaced-Your-Pro-III-tp4957548p4957548.html Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] K3 Replaced Your Pro III?
Well Jim,you get it,I owned a ProIII for 3 years and it was replaced for my actual K3. I was always thinking my ProIII was the jewel of hamradios but the day my friend AD4Z loaned me for a week his new K3 for comparison test against my ProIII my heart was broken. The K3 leaves the ProIII way back in the dust.Even the ProIII has an excellent receiver,the lack of roofing filter makes it useless when a strong station comes 2Khz close to your freq,it will desense and the AGC will start pumping badly,also the CW ringing noise starts after DSP selectivity is reduced below 500Hz,that won't happen with the K3. In audio quality terms even the ProIII sounds very good,the K3 has a better quality either on RX and TX. If you like to TX on ESSB,the ProIII has a very simple bass and treble equalization for the mic that is limited and sometimes there is no way to EQ properly your audio when the K3 has an excellent 8 bands EQ that will allow you to EQ any type of mic to your your needs. In general the K3 is a much better radio than the ProIII except that if you want to have the spectrum analyzer you will have to spend $700 more to have the P3. Go for it,you won't be disapointed. K3 is a winner and keeper.73 AD4C For a refined ham it is compulsory to own a k3 --- On Sun, 4/25/10, Jim bennett w6...@arrl.net wrote: From: Jim bennett w6...@arrl.net Subject: [Elecraft] K3 Replaced Your Pro III? To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Date: Sunday, April 25, 2010, 5:45 AM Sorry if this has been posted before, but my eyes are bloodshot from searching the archives looking for a relevant post! If this HAS been posted, please point me to the thread... I'm considering selling my Pro III AND my early serial number K2 and getting a K3/100. I like to take my K2 in the field car camping, backyard patio, and on occasion, DX-peditions (PJ7/W6JHB) + several outings to NW Maui. The '756 isn't the radio for that, and the K3 appears far superior to the K2. I really don't need to have two HF rigs, if one will suffice for bench-top and portable use. Thus, consolidating into one, relatively high-end rig seems like a good choice. However, before I sell my equipment and set the XYL on the war path, I'd like to hear comments, good or bad, from anyone who has owned the 756 Pro III (not a Pro or Pro II) and replaced it with a K3. Thanks, Jim / W6JHB -- View this message in context: http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/K3-Replaced-Your-Pro-III-tp4957548p4957548.html Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] K3 Replaced Your Pro III?
Hi Jim, Several years ago when I got my K3 (See http://wilcoxengineering.com/amateur-radio/elecraft-k3 ), I had the Icom 746-Pro. Not quite what you have now, but it didn't take me long to sell the Icom. The Icom is a nice rig, but as the other responses indicate, the K3 is far better. I like the Elecraft because it's so easily serviced, and if there's a problem, the folks at Elecraft respond quickly. A person answers the phone, and I really appreciate that. You have a good little K2, and you'll be happy keeping it along with your new K3! 73, Alan Alan D. Wilcox, W3DVX (K2-5373, K3-40) 570-321-1516 http://WilcoxEngineering.com Williamsport, PA 17701 Jim bennett wrote: Sorry if this has been posted before, but my eyes are bloodshot from searching the archives looking for a relevant post! If this HAS been posted, please point me to the thread... I'm considering selling my Pro III AND my early serial number K2 and getting a K3/100. I like to take my K2 in the field car camping, backyard patio, and on occasion, DX-peditions (PJ7/W6JHB) + several outings to NW Maui. The '756 isn't the radio for that, and the K3 appears far superior to the K2. I really don't need to have two HF rigs, if one will suffice for bench-top and portable use. Thus, consolidating into one, relatively high-end rig seems like a good choice. However, before I sell my equipment and set the XYL on the war path, I'd like to hear comments, good or bad, from anyone who has owned the 756 Pro III (not a Pro or Pro II) and replaced it with a K3. Thanks, Jim / W6JHB __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] K3 Replaced Your Pro III?
I never owned a Pro III, but elecrafts did _prevent_ me from buying one, I'll say that. Actually, it was my K2 that turned me away from it because even the K2 outperforms the Pro III RX by a bit and especially in close-in rejection/desense performance. True I had to build the K2 and it lacks the creature comforts but it's still actually a better basic performing RX (my #1 priority). There's no comparison with the K3, which is just better in every respect I could come up with. The Pro III has the pretty screen, but that didn't make the sacrifice in basic performance worth it to me. In fact, I haven't been able to find an RX that exceeds the overall performance of the K3 yet period, except the new Yaesu or maybe the 7800 or something like that. The bang/buck is heavily in favor of both the K2 and K3 by just about any metric for me. YMMV, tho 73, LS W5QD -- View this message in context: http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/K3-Replaced-Your-Pro-III-tp4957548p4958571.html Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] K3 Replaced Your Pro III?
My K3 has replaced the following; IC7800, IC7700, IC7600, and PROIII. Yes it was stupid for me to have all those Icoms. More money than good sense. It's the price I pay for hands on. I quit asking a long time ago for peoples opinions on what I should have. I try for myself. The only thing I don't care for on the K3 is the speaker audio for voice. Most everybody else I know does not have a problem with it. And I don't anymore since I operate 99% CW at this time. The K3 is the only HF/6m XCVR that I've never regretted getting. The build quality, the company leadership and location, the support from the company, the dynamic presence of K3 enthusiasts on the internet forums and email reflectors are things that all make something that nobody can touch right now. NOBODY!!! Even if for whatever reason you decided after purchasing and using the K3 you did not like it, you would have no trouble selling it, and would probably lose very little (if any!) of your money investment. I'll also speak from experience on this from earlier last year when I traded a used a K3 to another ham for a fully filtered Orion II/566AT which is also fine radio. I kicked myself for many months after that, and now finally have a K3/100 again. There is only one Icom HF/6m xcvr left here on the table, a second IC7700 that will probably be up for sale cheap since it gets no use these days. Sorry for the long ramble. I'll bet there are many others that feel the same way. -- View this message in context: http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/K3-Replaced-Your-Pro-III-tp4957548p4959029.html Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
[Elecraft] K3 Replaced Your Pro III?
After evaluating my K3 (S/N 56) I sold an FT-1000D, FT-990 and IC-756 PRO II on e-Bay ... and my K2's no slouch either. (:-) 73! Ken Kopp - K0PP elecraftcov...@rfwave.net http://tinyurl.com/7lm3m5 __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
[Elecraft] K3 replaced your Pro III
Hi, I had an IC 7700 and bought my first K3. After using both alternately for weeks, I sold the IC 7700. Then I thought maybe I should have kept the 7700 and bought another since I like to have two radios set up a bit differently and also to use as a back-up. Went through the same process of comparing both and, again, determined the K3 was a far better radio and could have shot myself for my stupidity and for questioning my first decision. Then I had several significant problems with the second 7700 (finals blew for no apparent reason, pre-amp went south and had trouble with the AF gain pot --- this was a new radio). So, I donated the 7700 to a radio club if they would pay the enormous freight to send it back to ICOM and get it fixed. I promptly bought my second K3 and have had both K3s for a year and a half and couldn't be happier for all the reasons other posters noted -- performance, easy to repair, support is first class, continually being updated and enhanced and it is a joy to use. Of course, these are just my opinions and experiences, others may have had the opposite experience. Greg K2UM __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] K3 Replaced Your Pro III?
I always enjoy the Reflector coments, educational and occasionally funny. I own the K-2, K-3 and PRO 111. This site is great PR for Elecraft, but we should remember that their expensive wattmeter is inaccurate to the extreme although pretty, and the P3 (in my opinion anyway) appears to be pure fluff for a lot of bucks. While I like Elecraft, particularly the K-2, irrespective of all the testing results you can find ad nauseum all over the Internet, I find the PRO 111 equal to the K-3 and a lot easier to master. I intend to keep both and will still use the K-2 more than the K-3 or PRO 111, primarily QRP on 40. I think which radio you prefer is just a matter of personal choice and your level of frustration; the PRO 111 is basically plug-and-play while both the K-2 and K-3 demand excessive fine tuning, calibration, adjustments, and searching menu after menu for the simplest of tasks. These are trade-offs. Enjoy the hobby, but be careful what you wish for; those Japanese radios earned their markets. 73. -- View this message in context: http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/K3-Replaced-Your-Pro-III-tp4957548p4959337.html Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] K3 Replaced Your Pro III?
lstavenhagen wrote: In fact, I haven't been able to find an RX that exceeds the overall performance of the K3 yet period, except the new Yaesu or maybe the 7800 or something like that. Neither has Rob Sherwood...INCLUDING the IC-7800 (#14 on his list below): http://www.sherweng.com/table.html Time (and testing) will tell on the Yaesu FT5000 but I'm sure its Sub RX will be worse than its Main RX. 73, Bill -- View this message in context: http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/K3-Replaced-Your-Pro-III-tp4957548p4959507.html Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] K3 Replaced Your Pro III?
KM4VX Whilst I find your comments on the PROIII are correct in that it is an intuitive radio to use I am surprised at your level of enthusiasm. Recently we had a field day in VK and a good friend of mine who owns a PROIII and has always liked it after he used both of mine in the shack many times which got him hooked and he sold his FT-990 to buy the PROIII, he again used my K3 for several hours and made the comment that he preferred the K3 over the PROIII because the quality of the K3 receiver was definately better. I have now got my K3 set up to the point whereby I rarely have to touch any of the menu options. When we tried to set up the PROIII receiver to produce good audio with DSP activated on 160 and 80M we found it very difficult to copy any station that was close to the noise floor. We tried turning the AGC OFF on both radios and rode the RF Gain and the results were strikingly different. The K3 had even better copy but the PROIII struggled and the copy was very tiring on the ears. (SSB was used) We were using a Heil Pro Set on the PROIII and Yamaha CM500 on the K3, and we both agreed that the external speaker on the K3 was pretty awful to both our ears...(Grin)... The noise on both the bands was releatively high at the time and where the K3 DSP was excellent, the PROIII was again struggling to make good copy. Reducing receive bandwidth on the radios again produced a strikingly different result. The K3 was able to work at 1.20 BW yet the PROIII was unintelligble for practical copy and was quite hard to listen too. We also tried an FT-847 which the owner was very much in love with and he too found it difficult to copy the signals that were easily copied on the K3. We all came to the conclusion that the K3 receiver was indeed superior as the independant labs have shown and although sometimes these may be marginal improvements to the human ear, they do nevertheless show that the K3 is a very good radio. Although no longer made, the PROIII was the final evolution in ICOM's fine tuning by box replacement, of a radio that had been in production for years and my humble opinion is that it took a long time for them to respond to issues with this model and your only option was to upgrade by total replacement which is not cost effective for most of us. Well as a result of the field day, Jeff, the proud owner of the FT-847 has sold the radio and awaiting the arrival of his new K3. Dale, still has the PROIII but is now making noises that he would like to upgrade to a K3 if the Border Patrol will allow him...(:-)) We all have different perceptions of what makes a good radio, we all have varying degrees of what sounds good, but to my way of thinking it comes down to what you hear, not what you are told that is the only way you can make a valued decision when it comes to purchasing a new radio. When I turn on the K3 I miss the plain old fashioned band buttons but I have learnt to get by without them, I don't miss the Bandscope on the PROIII but then again I never used it that much, I don't miss the PROIII, but, when I sent my K3 to Aptos to get some updates and mods done I was forced to use my Poverty Pack radio, a TS-480SAT, and I guess I bitched so much about it my friends told me to get over it...(:-))...now the TS-480SAT has been sold off and I think I will just get another K3 to keep the current child company and they can play together while I am not around...(Grin) Aside from all that I have said, I found my PROIII's ( I had 2 of them) gave me reliable performance and I had no service issues, my FTdx-9000D was a total disaster and I lost all faith in Yaesu as a result and I also sold off the FT-2000D. That was one radio that needed to be fiddled with on almost every band change to get it to sound good on receive audio. I am portable of course and this severely limits my choices in radios. Most of the modern day radios do not like battery power when the voltage starts to drop, yes there are devices around that help, but they can produce their own issues also. The K3 has done a great job for over 2 years now. It get's to travel around a bit and most folks would say it has a hard life in comparison to others that get to live in the same nice shack all year round. I would not disagree with your comments on the P3, I don't know if I would get any benefit from it either as I remember I did not seem to use, or miss, the display on the PROIII. I would be interested in a P3 IF it evolves into a Spec-An type display whereby it will display true audio IN/OUT with an option to record the waveform displayed and could be saved to a Laptop. I can't comment on the W2, or any other high end wattmeter as I have not used anything other than an external CN-501 series cross needle meter. I use an analyser when I want to check my antennas and rely on the K3 swr display for general use. I use a 4 el;ement tri-band yagi and a 40M double extended Zepp 99% of the time. I have used EZ_K3 to plot both antennas and set
Re: [Elecraft] K3 Replaced Your Pro III?
I love you Elecraft folks! I will buy one of your wife's cases one of these days soon. Take care Mr Mrs Kopp es vy 73, terry ku5q _ From: Ken Kopp-3 [via Elecraft] [mailto:ml-node+4959118-397955650-520...@n2.nabble.com] Sent: Sunday, April 25, 2010 12:16 PM To: KU5Q Subject: K3 Replaced Your Pro III? After evaluating my K3 (S/N 56) I sold an FT-1000D, FT-990 and IC-756 PRO II on e-Bay ... and my K2's no slouch either. (:-) 73! Ken Kopp - K0PP [hidden email] http://tinyurl.com/7lm3m5 __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html _ View message @ http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/K3-Replaced-Your-Pro-III-tp4957548p4959 118.html To unsubscribe from Re: K3 Replaced Your Pro III?, click (link removed) 1cUB0eC5yci5jb218NDk1OTAyOXwtMTU0NTIzNzM1NQ== here. -- View this message in context: http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/K3-Replaced-Your-Pro-III-tp4957548p4959744.html Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] K3 Replaced Your Pro III?
Oh dear - I feel a thread shutdown coming on, so gg to say my piece quick hi hi. Yeah, it's a little embarrassing how much $ you have to spend to even achieve the performance level of the K2... much less the K3 Tho the ergonomics of the K3 are a problem for many OM's too and I can respect that. Even I still keep punching the band switch when I'm trying to change modes and still keep the user's manual on the table for the (increasingly rare) occasions when I have to go into the CONFIG menu. But I'm the guy who can get used to any UI in the world if it means using a good and suitable product (I ran Linux with TWM as my only window manager on my old PC for a few years) and for me the K2 and K3 have spoiled all other rigs for me. Now all I need is an antenna and I'm good to go hi hi... 73, LS W5QD -- View this message in context: http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/K3-Replaced-Your-Pro-III-tp4957548p4959834.html Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] K3 Replaced Your Pro III?
OK folks - I've gotten some very good information. Someone had asked what information I was looking for. Kinda thought I had made that fairly clear - but I was simply interested to know how convertees liked their K3 compared to the Pro III. Lots of replies, and not one person said that it was a horrible mistake, or that they were sorry they did it. And that is exactly what I was interested in - if you felt it was a good decision and if you were happy with the K3's performance. So, now I've got a HUGE task before me. My Pro III is in it's original box, buried in a U-Store-It bin that is 30' deep, 10' wide, 10' high. And you guessed it, that box was the first thing put in storage. OMG, it is not gonna be fun getting to it! p.s. - quite certain that a return trip to PJ7-land is NOT going to happen. Sorry. That was back in the pre-parenthood days. Now have a 2-yr old son (yeah, I know - at MY age???); vacation priorities destinations have been drastically altered. As far as I'm concerned, the thread is dead. Thanks all, and 73 - Jim/W6JHB -- View this message in context: http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/K3-Replaced-Your-Pro-III-tp4957548p4959913.html Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] K3 Replaced Your Pro III?
The Elecraft K-3 is far superior to the Pro III in just about every respect. In the Receiver Test Data report from Sherwood Engineering, looking at 2KHz overload data for the receiver, the K-3 is #1 and the Pro III is some 20 to 30 units down the list with just about every radio on the market today being better. That is on narrow spaced tests only. If you are looking for a QRM fighter, the K-3 is at the top of the pile. 73 Bob, K4TAX - Original Message - From: Alan D. Wilcox a...@wilcoxengineering.com To: Jim bennett w6...@arrl.net Cc: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Sent: Sunday, April 25, 2010 8:39 AM Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 Replaced Your Pro III? Hi Jim, Several years ago when I got my K3 (See http://wilcoxengineering.com/amateur-radio/elecraft-k3 ), I had the Icom 746-Pro. Not quite what you have now, but it didn't take me long to sell the Icom. The Icom is a nice rig, but as the other responses indicate, the K3 is far better. I like the Elecraft because it's so easily serviced, and if there's a problem, the folks at Elecraft respond quickly. A person answers the phone, and I really appreciate that. You have a good little K2, and you'll be happy keeping it along with your new K3! 73, Alan Alan D. Wilcox, W3DVX (K2-5373, K3-40) 570-321-1516 http://WilcoxEngineering.com Williamsport, PA 17701 Jim bennett wrote: Sorry if this has been posted before, but my eyes are bloodshot from searching the archives looking for a relevant post! If this HAS been posted, please point me to the thread... I'm considering selling my Pro III AND my early serial number K2 and getting a K3/100. I like to take my K2 in the field car camping, backyard patio, and on occasion, DX-peditions (PJ7/W6JHB) + several outings to NW Maui. The '756 isn't the radio for that, and the K3 appears far superior to the K2. I really don't need to have two HF rigs, if one will suffice for bench-top and portable use. Thus, consolidating into one, relatively high-end rig seems like a good choice. However, before I sell my equipment and set the XYL on the war path, I'd like to hear comments, good or bad, from anyone who has owned the 756 Pro III (not a Pro or Pro II) and replaced it with a K3. Thanks, Jim / W6JHB __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
[Elecraft] K3 Replaced Your Pro III?
I recall the afternoon I went to EGGHEAD software and they had an AST computer demo there. The instant I sat in front of that screaming 286/12 mhz computer, my prized $2000 IBM PS/2 (8086) became a broken heart. ;-) This was True Blue - IBM after all. Figure out what $2000 was worth in 1986 and that was with two floppies, no hard disk. A lowly Ten Tec CORSAIR II (a very old transceiver with no memories and a -bandswitch-) replaced my 756Pro. I used 756Pro for 1.5 years, figured it was NIRVANA, blinky lights, etc. and this old TT radio was dropped in my lap for a song. I was bored, figured what's the harm? One A/B test on CW was all it took. Talk about a puzzled look on my face. At 500hz the TT was S3 quiet on 40m cw at night and when signals appeared they had SLOPE - meaning incredible signal to noise. Room filling backround silent audio was easily possible even on bad nights on 40. Using the same antenna, the 756p started at three S units higher backround noise than TT and had this kind of a low frequency rumble and notable ticks, blurps and pops with heavy DSP filter skirt noise. Bad nights (static) on 40 and you have S8 of this stuff. The signal needed to be a coule S-units higher than the resting noise to have the AGC take out that rumble and there was no SLOPE to speak of, meaning an S6 signal sounds the same as S9. That is great for SSB, and good for headphones, but CW to speaker - not good at all. The K3 is so much more flexible and reliable than Corsair, yet in contrast to 756Pro, we kept Corsair. After you have had your hands and head in a good radio with some success, it's just a different animal than anything purchased on the phone with a credit card, and that has an unbroken factory seal. [Elecraft] K3 Replaced Your Pro III?Hector Padron ad4c2008 at yahoo.com Sun Apr 25 07:36:07 EDT 2010 Well Jim,you get it,I owned a ProIII for 3 years and it was replaced for my actual K3. I was always thinking my ProIII was the jewel of hamradios but the day my friend AD4Z loaned me for a week his new K3 for comparison test against my ProIII my heart was broken. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] K3 Replaced Your Pro III?
Let's see..the Corsair II was reviewed in 1986 and sold new for $350.00. So I guess what we're saying is that receiver technology/performance has not changed much if any in some 20 years. As to whistles and bells..radios are loaded today with them and the 756 Pro III is an example. But even with many other models, all the whistles and bells, dual receivers, 1000's of memories, dual VFO's and band scanners, the bottom line is if one can't here 'em they can't work 'em. Sherwood Engineering has the Corsair II listed in the top 15 with regard to receiver performance. I think Don's comments are a testament to the fact our objective to radio performance has vastly changed. But as hams, we are driven to have the latest and greatest regardless. 73 Bob, K4TAX - Original Message - From: Don Rasmussen wb8...@yahoo.com To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Sent: Sunday, April 25, 2010 7:18 PM Subject: [Elecraft] K3 Replaced Your Pro III? I recall the afternoon I went to EGGHEAD software and they had an AST computer demo there. The instant I sat in front of that screaming 286/12 mhz computer, my prized $2000 IBM PS/2 (8086) became a broken heart. ;-) This was True Blue - IBM after all. Figure out what $2000 was worth in 1986 and that was with two floppies, no hard disk. A lowly Ten Tec CORSAIR II (a very old transceiver with no memories and a -bandswitch-) replaced my 756Pro. I used 756Pro for 1.5 years, figured it was NIRVANA, blinky lights, etc. and this old TT radio was dropped in my lap for a song. I was bored, figured what's the harm? One A/B test on CW was all it took. Talk about a puzzled look on my face. At 500hz the TT was S3 quiet on 40m cw at night and when signals appeared they had SLOPE - meaning incredible signal to noise. Room filling backround silent audio was easily possible even on bad nights on 40. Using the same antenna, the 756p started at three S units higher backround noise than TT and had this kind of a low frequency rumble and notable ticks, blurps and pops with heavy DSP filter skirt noise. Bad nights (static) on 40 and you have S8 of this stuff. The signal needed to be a coule S-units higher than the resting noise to have the AGC take out that rumble and there was no SLOPE to speak of, meaning an S6 signal sounds the same as S9. That is great for SSB, and good for headphones, but CW to speaker - not good at all. The K3 is so much more flexible and reliable than Corsair, yet in contrast to 756Pro, we kept Corsair. After you have had your hands and head in a good radio with some success, it's just a different animal than anything purchased on the phone with a credit card, and that has an unbroken factory seal. [Elecraft] K3 Replaced Your Pro III?Hector Padron ad4c2008 at yahoo.com Sun Apr 25 07:36:07 EDT 2010 Well Jim,you get it,I owned a ProIII for 3 years and it was replaced for my actual K3. I was always thinking my ProIII was the jewel of hamradios but the day my friend AD4Z loaned me for a week his new K3 for comparison test against my ProIII my heart was broken. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
