Why not have both?:) Actually, its all a matter of what features one
needs most and the type of building experience wanted.
K3 appears to have been designed to be the best competative full
featured HF + 6M or contest rig possible that could be assembled,
aligned, and repaired by the user from premade SMT circuit boards and
components. SMT technology was necessary to achieve the high
performance design objectives for the K3 wanted by the designers and
requested by K2 users.
The K2 was designed to be assembled from individual components and be
the best possible portable QRP CW/SSB rig having the lowest electric
power demand possible. The K2 design objectives limited certain
features desirable for a base/contest rig, but it is still arguably the
best rig for its intended purpose.
Although the K2 has been found to perform unusually well as a
base/contest rig, that was not its intended purpose as it is for the
K3. The K3 should be better as a base rig as it did not have the K2's
design goals limiting its performance possibilities for base rig use.
The K3 should also be a good portable rig for Field Day type events
where moving weight and the provision of electric power is not overly
difficult.
The KX1 and K1 are best for backpacking to distant remote sites using
CW mode on minimal battery power. The K2 can provide greater TX power
and performance features where it is possible to transport some
additional weight and battery power as well as TX/RX in SSB mode.
Although the K3 is not able to provide the individual component based
construction desired by many, others will prefer the simpler
construction for the user, or wish to forego building entirely. The K3
may be less user repirable than the K2, K1, and KX1 as replacement
surface mount circuit boards are likely to be available only from
Elecraft while the other Elecraft kits have circuit board components
that are not only more user replacable but available, if necessary,
from multiple sources. The K3 should be well ahead of other rig makers
products when it comes to repairability as K3 users should be able to
easily repair their rigs through board replacement and perform
realignment.
de KB1IKD
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: [email protected]
Sent: Sat, 12 May 2007 8:56 PM
Subject: [Elecraft] loaded K2 vs K3
Hope I've done the math correctly.
K2 $629 (40 hours average 1st time build?)
KSB2 $ 99
K160rx $ 39
K60XV $ 89
KNB2 $ 39
KDSP2 $229
KIO2 $ 89
Total $1,213
K3/10 $1,399 (tons more features/ability than K2)
---OR----
K2 $629 (50++ hours average 1st time build??)
KPA100 $389
KSB2 $ 99
K160rx $ 39
K60XV $ 89
KNB2 $ 39
KDSP2 $229
KAT100 $239
Total $1,752
K3/100 $1,749 (7-10 hours mechanical assembly)
KAT3 $ 259
total $2,008
Comments?
de Doug KR2Q
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