Elecraft K3 band-select and quadripple band-stacking

Reading eham reviews you would think the K3 has none of the above features. The people who have made these remarks haven't RTFM. Band Select: To select the (10/12/15/17/20/30/40/80/160)m band I do the following: M>V and then press the appropriate keypad key (1/9/5/7/2/3/4/8/0) configurable. Band stacking: To select any portion/mode (cw/data/beacon/ssb) within any band I do the following: M>V and then press the appropriate memory key (M1/M2/M3/M4) configurable. In this way I can get to any band portion within 4 key presses. In some ways the Elecraft system is better than Yaesu/Icom/Kenwood as instead of scrolling round bandstacking registers with continual key presses of the band button, with the Elecraft system you select exactly which portion to jump to. Unfortunately the above system isn't implemented in the default menu settings of the K3, so the ops that give up too easily or that can't use menus don't get the benefit of these essential features. Pressing the band and mode up/down buttons is for appliance operators only :-).

Thanks eQSL

Some people have dedicated 50+ years collecting paper QSLs for awards, pleasure etc. They have spent hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars on cards, postage and storage over that period and then there's all that valuable time spent writing them out and cataloguing them. It doesn't matter how good eQSL is, some of these people will always regard eQSL as the devil's spawn, as it brought up the thorny question of 'was all this time and effort for nothing?'. Some who have considered this question, have pushed the unthinkable answer away by decrying eQSL and making sure eQSLs are not valid for awards etc. A quick look on QRZ.com will readily identify these people who normally state "no eQSL". eQSL is simple, effortless and automatic, what possible reason could their be for this statement, other than it being soley based on the principal of it. Another criticism is that eQSL lacks the security and validity of other systems that followed on from eQSL. With regards these other systems, please let us all remember that this only a hobby and people that cheat are only cheating themselves. In my opinion, additional levels of security are only necessary for the people that have forgotten that this is a hobby and want to protect their achievement whilst cheapening others achievements at the same time. eQSL was the perfect solution for radio hams to keep card collectors off their backs, now the next threat to using eQSL are award chasers. Why not petition the award organiser itself for not accepting eQSL instead of the pestering the eQSL user?
Anyway I'd like to personally thank eQSL and my logging program DXLAB for shielding me from most of the QSL nonsense for many years without me having to invest any of my own valuable radio time.
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you eQSL.

MM3T Croatian CW contest 2011

I took a snapshot of 28.025MHz at 12:50Z today during the Croatian CW contest.

The top station I'm listening to is RT3T, he's showing key clicks (top centre). He's just worked someone with a clean signal (top left).

The middle station is RN3F, he's also showing key clicks (centre left and right). He's just worked someone with a clean signal (centre).

The bottom station is K2SSS who's transmission is strong and clean.

I took this snap as it shows a nice comparison between clean and dirty transmissions. This is typical of what anyone in the UK has to put up with during every 10M contest. There really is no contest happening here as both RT3T and RN3F have a massive advantage over everyone having to put up with the effects of their transmissions. It must be bliss to able to run without your rx sounding like a machine gun and having to QSY every few minutes.

MM3T in ARRL 10M 2011

Great contest marred as usual by key clicks. Tried all sorts to survive, the only way I could run was to have AF limiter at 22, AGC off and preamp off.

Final score :

States worked:

Missed Idaho and Nevada for some reason.

Nice split between EU and NA.

Stns causing QRM :

RL3A
R5AJ
RA3AN
LZ9W
LZ2PL

Ridiculous key clicks from all the above. These were the top 5, but there were plenty others who didn't quite deserve being outed. The problem with good condx on 10M is that the UK is hammered by poorly set up stations who don't care (or don't understand) what effects they cause to others.

MM3T CQWW CW 2011

My rx got really hammered by two stations in particular this year:
HA1A and UA5A.

Both stations were super strong which isn't a problem with a good rx like the K3, but when they appear in my passband when I'm over 5KHz away, there is no contest.

With the contest element removed for my entry, I started to wonder what the point was and the fun just evaporated.

Who knows were the problem lies, but hopefully it will be sorted for next year.

Elecraft K3 Expensive from the UK?

I recently bought 2x 8-pole filters from Elecraft amounting to a US cost of $316.80:

2x $139.95 for filters
+ $36.90 postage

Considering that the item is barely more than a jiffy bag, the postage seems expensive. However this isn't the end of the story. Parcel Force intercepts the parcel in the UK from whoever the US postal company is, and then collects VAT (UK Import Tax) and adds their own handling charge:

import VAT £39.26 + Parcel Force Clearance fee £8 = £47.26 ($75.96)

To add insult to injury Parcel Force are located sparcely throughtout the UK, so if you aren't close enough to pickup the parcel and you work for a living (meaning you can't receive a parcel during working hours) you have to pay an additional fee of £12 to get it delivered on a Saturday.

So total cost to buy 2 filters from the US is approx $420!

Ok, after a few seconds to swallow that one, do I still consider a Elecraft K3 to be expensive to own in the UK? I bought my K3 back in June 2008 and up until then I was spending too much money swapping and changing radios every 6 months or so, buying the must haves and latest and greatest for contesting. I don't dare to think what I was spending! However since 2008 I haven't felt the need to change my radio, more so, there still isn't anything better than the K3 IMO out there. Ok I have been buying extras for it and upgrading parts, but I still feel that the investment is getting better with each passing year.

Don't get me wrong the K3 does have it's faults, but what radio doesn't? If you were to ask a K3 owner about his radio, he would most probably moan about this or that, but the deciding question should be whether he is willing to swap it for anything else around the same price..... The answer to that question currently (for the majority of owners, I would think) is a most resounding NO!

I still own all my old radios and at times where the K3 has annoyed me, I have rooted out an old favourite and apart from appreciating better ergonomics I immediately have been disappointed. I thought there must have been a fault developed in the RX due to lack of use, but no it's just that I knew no better when I used it last.

The K3 has definately spoilt me and my expectations are now so high, no other radio seems to come close. Your mileage may vary, but I judge a radio foremost by it's rx performance and for this amateur there just isn't anything else in the same price bracket.

MM3T CQWW Phone 2011

With the recent conditions on 10m being so good, I decided to do a single band entry this year (10m). This decision was helped by the fact that I have been concentrating on optimising my station for 10m in readyness for the up turn in the sun spot cycle.

This year I swapped my RG213 for Westflex and also got the 3 ele-yagi another 1m up above the ground (now 8m up). I can now only just lift it and the rotator into the vertical position and it is really the best I can get away with and keep the peace with the neighbours.

I haven't heard 10m in such good contion since I was licensed back in 86. I started at 0630 on Saturday morning and swung the beam round for ZL. As the day progressed I followed the greyline from North all the way through East, South, West and back to North. Highlights were JA/HL/XU/VU/V55/CX/KH7 and KL7.

My K3 had a faulty DVK card and I had hoped to get it replaced before the contest started. Unfortunately it arrived too late to risk installing it before the contest, so I soldiered on with the old faulty one until I couldn't stand it any longer. My throat was getting sore, so on Saturday night I finished early and swapped the DVK out with the new one. Luckily all went well and the new keyer worked perfectly.

I managed to work 39 out of 40 zones (missing zone 32) and also worked 140 countries. I closed the scoring early on Sun evening approaching the half million point mark. It had been a long weekend, low points were getting my frequency taken by a GW3 who couldn't hear me and also the usual splatter coming from south eastern EU. I think this is my best result yet.