After receiving quite a good annual bonus, I looked at my wish list and decided to buy a new portable HF radio. Based on my massive satisfaction with the Elecraft K2, the decision was quite easy really. Yes, I’ve joined the KX3 brigade.
I ordered it in kit form from Waters & Stanton on Good Friday and it appeared at my front door the following Tuesday. I reckon it took about 3 and a half hours to assemble. Why would anybody buy it assembled?
Included in the purchase were the KXFL3 roofing filter, KXAT3 internal ATU and KXBC3 battery charger. I also bought the MH3 microphone.
I debated about the ATU and charger as I will mostly be using this portable. I nearly always use tuned antennas when portable and I will be using a LiFePo4 battery pack for external power. That said, there are bound to be occasions when I would like to tune up a piece of string; and I’m nervous about taking the (homemade) LiFePo4 4S1P pack through airport security. So, I may end up using some Panasonic Eneloop Pro 2450 mAh NIMH batteries for overseas activations.
First impressions are excellent. The receiver sensitivity is superb: even better than the K2, which is pretty good.