Specifications

From April 2008 QST © ARRL
PRODUCT REVIEW
Mark J. Wilson, K1RO

Product Review Editor

[e-mail]
Key Measurements
Summary
Reviewed by Bruce Prior, N7RR
ARRL Technical Advisor
Elecraft entered the market with the
K2, a rather good multiband low power
(QRP) transceiver kit with a well-regarded
receiver.
1
Over time, with options the K2
developed into a 100 W SSB/CW radio with
digital signal processing (DSP).
2
Ideas about further improvements even-
tually outgrew the K2 box, so the folks at
Elecraft decided to go back to the drawing
board. The result is the K3, a software-
defined radio with sophisticated DSP, great
receiver performance, and a wide range
of features and options in a handsome and
ergonomically well-executed, but traditional-
looking package.
Unlike the K2, the K3 is not a kit of
parts. It comes either factory assembled or
as a solderless kit of fully tested and aligned
modules. Festooned with surface mounted
parts, in traditional kit form the K3 would be
impractical for most amateurs to build.
With a huge selection of options, K3
configurations range from about $1400 for
a basic K3/10 (10 W) radio in kit form to
well over $4000 for a K3/100 (100 W), fac-
First Look: Elecraft K3
HF/6 Meter Transceiver
tory assembled with all the options. Check
out Elecraft’s Web site (www.elecraft.com)
for full details of the many options and con-
figurations available. With the wide range of
possibilities, the QST staff decided to review
two separate K3 transceivers: a bare-bones
modular kit and an as-complete-as-possible
factory assembled version.
This review spotlights the basic K3/10 kit
with an overview of the kit building process,
a description of the features and a somewhat
abbreviated battery of ARRL Lab tests.
Later this year we’ll take a closer look at an
assembled K3/100 loaded up with options
(some are not yet available) and with more
mature firmware, and perform additional
ARRL Lab testing.
The Basic K3/10: A QRP Super-Rig
Selling for $1399.95 in modular kit form
($1599.95 assembled), the K3/10 probably
represents the current summit of QRP level
transceivers. The basic K3/10 transmits and
receives CW, SSB and data modes on all ama-
teur bands from 1.8 through 54 MHz at the
10 W power level. Adding AM and FM
operat ion requires just two optional filters.
Except for the transmitter power, it’s the
same radio as the K3/100. Any K3 options
can be added to the K3/10 model, and it’s
easily upgraded to 100 W any time you
want. Assemble the built and tested modules
and you end up with a K3/10 identical to the
factory assembled version. No soldering is
required.
-20
-70
I
9
TX
Transmit 9th-order IMD (dB)
-35
TX
I
3
Transmit 3rd-Order IMD (dB)
-27
-53
-40 +35
I
3
2
-40
+35
I
3
20
50
110
I
3
2
2 kHz 3rd-Order Dynamic Range (dB)
20 kHz 3rd-Order Intercept (dBm)
2 kHz 3rd-Order Intercept (dBm)
50
110
I
3
20
2
70
140
70
139
139
103
102
+26
+26
140
20
20 kHz Blocking Gain Compression (dB)
2 kHz Blocking Gain Compression (dB)
20 kHz 3rd-Order Dynamic Range (dB)
50
10
T-R
22
Tx-Rx Turnaround Time (ms)
80 M
20 M
Dynamic range and intercept
values with preamp off.
Intercept values were determined
using –97 dBm references.
Key:
pr029
-20
Elecraft’s K3/10 modular kit is easy
and enjoyable to assemble. Once built,
you’re rewarded with a feature-laden
transceiver with receiver performance
rivaling the best available at any price.
You can customize your radio with a
wide range of options at any time as your
interests and needs change.
Bottom Line
1
L. Wolfgang, WR1B, “Elecraft K2 HF Trans-
ceiver Kit,” Product Review, QST, Mar 2000,
pp 69-74. QST Product Reviews are available
on the Web at www.arrl.org/members-only/
prodrev/.
2
L. Wolfgang, WR1B, “Elecraft KPA100: A 100 W
Upgrade for Your Elecraft K2 HF Transceiver,”
Product Review, QST, Feb 2004, pp 76-80.