Elecraft

[K5KRH]

Remember, Elecraft is a relatively new company. It earliest offerings (K1, K2 series), while still available, did not originally sell in huge quantities -- certainly enough to fuel the success of the company, though. The equipment is top notch, and they have an excellent reputation (well deserved) for quality, and for customer support.

As a result, Elecraft gear tends to be sparse on the used market. It tends to command a premium, and sell quickly.

BTW, I know of a K3/100 owner who is considering parting with his K2. Want me to let you know if he decides to sell it?

No thanks. Thinking along lines of K3

[N0NB]

If you're a member of the Elecraft Yahoo! group you will see various items posted for sale there. Most is snapped up quite quickly. I managed to get an extra filter that way but am usually too late to reply when something pops up I'm interested in.

As you're not going to save much more than 20% off new price, you just as well place the order with Elecraft and outfit your rig down a bit and then update as you get the funds. Sometimes the option you want will show up on the list and you can get a bit of a discount. Remember that anything purchased from Elecraft does have a warranty. I don't think they're transferable. Doing so lets you find out if the upgrade was worth it.

Some people do post "wanted" messages and perhaps that works as well.

[KT1F]

Speaking of Elecraft, I wonder how long it would take the average person to put a K3 together. Anyone have any idea?

You probably want to plan at least three or four solid evenings work of several hours each or a full weekend if you really want to work at it.

I took the day off work when my K3 arrived so I'd be there to sign for the package.

It took an hour or two to unpack the box and identify everything.

I spent all of that afternoon and a few hours into the evening working quite intensely on it.

Continued next evening and I think it was late that night for the first switch on test. Then a couple hours the next night to get it operational in 10 watt mode.

It was a few more hours the following weekend to install the 100w power amplifier and run the calibration procedure etc.

It wasn't hard but you really need to be careful to follow the instructions exactly, especially what size screw goes where. The construction manual is excellent. The little footnotes etc really covered everything.

I'm really quite happy with it. I can't imagine selling it unless I desperately needed the money or they come out with a K4 and there's still a market for K3s.

[KJ4VTH]

I count ten recent K3 for sale ads on this site alone, although most are probably sold already.

[N2EY]

Elecrafts show up on the watery auction place, on eham and here. They tend to sell fast. They also show up on various reflectors.

The thing is, most owners don't sell them.

73 de Jim, N2EY

[WB2WIK]

K3s have a little bit of a cult following, as do many things.

Not a big surprise.

So do '65 Mustangs, although it wasn't a great car and the 2012 Mustang beats it in every possible respect.

I think it's a marginal SSB rig, but excellent on CW and may be the best CW rig out there.

[NL7W]

Roger dat. Qth.com is a great place for gear, and has been for years and years. I hope this isn't a secret.

Three of them for sale on QTH.com right now. Elecrafts For Sale

I have had terrific success with QTH.com in terms of purchasing radio gear. Compared to eBay it's 20dB better & compared with the stuff on QRZ it's_____________.




Tom KCØW

[KF7ORO]

It's nice to see a great American company building truly world-class stuff. I don't own an Elecraft yet but I will. When I get decent at CW, I'll probably build a KX-1 if they still make them by then.

[N0NB]

Approximately ten hours of assembly time for a base K3. Installing a number of options will add a bit more to the time.

I don't often debate the local guru as it's pointless to take on an ego, but I'd like to know on what planet the K3 is a "marginal SSB radio". That has to be among the more misinformed statements I've read in some time. I will admit that you're not likely to be able to get the most out of the radio by sitting in front of it for a few hours, but like any tool designed for experts, it has a learning curve. I dedicated myself to at least six months of operating time on a daily basis before passing judgment on the radio. My patience has paid off handsomely.

[AD7N]

There's a couple factors:
1) Elecraft makes great stuff, so there's more tendency to hold on to it.
2) Elecraft is a small company compared to Yaesu/Icom/Kenwood, so the volume of radios on the used market from the "big three" is going to be proportionally higher simply because there's more of their rigs.
3) Elecraft is "relatively new", so a lot of the rigs are still "relatively new" to most of the hams who buy them.