Tag: k3s

Carlos Goes Under the Knife

Carlos is my Elecraft K3…”cause he’s so smooth”. I’ve had Carlos since June, 2023. He came to me as a basic 10 watt K3. He had the 144 MHz K144XV, the KXV3 interface option and 2, 5-pole filters. I got the radio in a trade. Owning a K3 always lingered in the back of my mind, so I took the trade. That started my journey.

Carlos has gone through several iterations since I got him. First I swapped out the 2, 5-pole filters for 5, 8-pole filters (2.8 KHz, 2.1 KHz, 1.0 KHz, 400 Hz, and 250 Hz). Second, I added the KAT3 autotuner. I wanted the internal tuner so I would have less stuff to fool with when using antennas like my random wire. My next upgrade was to add the KSYN3A synthesizer and KIO3B interface. This brought my radio up to a K3S. Finally, I added the KPA3 – 100 watt internal amplifier. I wanted the amp for a couple of reasons. I enjoy Winter Field Day and ARRL Field Day with my club, the West Georgia Amateur Radio Society. I am currently one of 2 CW ops in the club so I usually run CW to help with multipliers. The QSK, the filters, and the ability to run near other radios makes it a no brainer. Also, when I operate portable while camping, I like to run a little more power than QRP; usually in the 20-35 watt range. That is more than enough power for CW. I did all the mods myself and found them pretty straight forward. Elecraft did an excellent job kitting and making the instructions. The couple times I had an issue and they were mine, Elecraft did an excellent job helping me work through it. I did have to send it in last year because of a goof I made, but while it was in the shop, they completely went over the radio and brought it up to spec.

Carlos does scratch a couple of itches. To me, it is like owning a vintage car. It has a nostalgic look and feel about it. The radio was produced from 2008 until about 2015 when the K3S came out. Mine is a later edition with the serial number 8640. The radio is a generation or more older than the current flock of radios. Like a vintage car, I may have more money into it than I should have, but if only accounting for the enjoyment factor, it is money well spent.

I was first licensed in 1995 and my first radio was an old TenTec Omni D. The K3 has a similar look and feel as the old TenTec allowing me to reminisce about all the fun I had as a Tech+ making my first HF contacts using CW. During that time I worked second shift. When I came home from work at night I was able to slip on a pair of headphones and make contacts wihtout disturbing the family until I was sleepy enough to go to bed. My first DX contacts happened then. The K3 gives me the form factor of the older radios with the performance of the newer radios. One other difference is the ergonomics of the K3, which is best in class.

I was considering acquiring an older radio for fun and the K3 fell into my lap. It has become one of my favorite radios. I use it portable for things like POTA and Field Day. Because of its QSK, it is my favorite CW radio. When not in the field, it resides on my desk as a part of the home team. I have a set of paddles and a sideswiper hooked up to it. Hopefully I will get some time today to have some CW fun. 73 — Scott

The King is Dead, Long Live the King

Yesterday, I decided to list my Yaesu FTDX10 on QTH.com. Surprising to me, it sold in a couple of hours. I got my asking price and the guy I sold it to has been helpful and communicative. The radio ships out Monday morning. 

I am going to take the money and get the KPA3A 100 watt amp kit for my K3(s). It is currently a 10 watt radio. I put the 3 in parenthesis becuase my radio is a converted K3 to the S. I plan to use the radio in the shack and for field days. I mainly do CW these days and the QSK on the K3(s) is sublime.

Speaking of CW, I recently received 2 keys from KN4YB. He is a one man shop that makes Bugs and keys. I was intrigued by his designs and bought a couple to try out.

The first one is a bug, model DL-151RA. It is unique in that it is a dual lever. It has one paddle for the dits and one paddle for the dahs. By moving the dit weights, you can adjust the dit speed from about 13 wpm up to 40 wpm. Mine is set around 16.

As you can see, the bug is rather compact. I have it sitting on a silicone pad on my desk and it does not move.

The other paddle I got is a Single Lever Paddle/Sideswiper. The difference between a single lever and a sideswiper (also called a Cootie Key), is a single lever paddle is used with an electronic keyer where the keyer generates the dits and dahs automatically. Note: I use the term paddle to designate a key that uses an electronic keyer and a key to designate a straight key. A sideswiper is more like a straight key where the dits and dahs are generated by hand movement. This model, the SL85 has a shorting bar which allows you to set it up as either a single lever or a sideswiper.

It is also a compact key. The workmanship is excellent and the prices are reasonable.

I started my journey into mechanical keys as the civilty on POTA seems to have taken a turn for the worse. Not as bad as SSB but not like it used to be. I decided to give the Straight Key Century Club (SKCC) a try. They only allow straight keys, sideswipers, and bugs, keys where the dits and dah are formed by hand or mechanically. My fascination for CW goes back to the 60’s. I thought bugs were very cool and wanted a Vibroplex. I wasn’t licensed until the mid 90’s and then chose an electronic keyer. My first set of paddles were Benchers. This is my first experience with straight keys.

I spent time with both keys to see which one I was most comfortable with. I went with keys that had a side-to-side motion as that was my experience. I was curious to see how well I could transition from paddles to straight keys. The answer is, not to bad. I think my years of using paddles has helped me with dit and dah ratios. The ratio is already ingrained in my head. Right now, between the two keys, I am doing better with the bug, which surprised me. However, I think over time and practice, I can gain some level of mastery over both.

What about my paddles? They are not going away. I can still send faster with the paddles and will probably use them for Field Days and some contests. It will take me a while to be proficient with keys. Setting up the bug is an art all by itself. So I am off to a new adventure. My code buddies will now have a new challenge as I try to improve my key skills. 73 — Scott