[TenTec] OMNI VII vs. K3 ? Opinions invited.,

[Walt Amos]

I fiddled with the K-3 at first but haven't looked at the manual in a year 
now! It just chugs along but I don't fiddle with the DSP noise reduction and 
just have it set at 1, never did anything with the audio shaping and running 
an old version of the software as it does CW like a champ! :-)))

Walt K8CV Royal Oak, MI.


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Rick - NJ0IP / DJ0IP" <Rick at DJ0IP.de>
To: "'Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment'" <tentec at contesting.com>
Sent: Sunday, April 25, 2010 6:29 AM
Subject: Re: [TenTec] OMNI VII vs. K3 ? Opinions invited.,


> Nice info, Toby.
>
> My problem is, I'm both; rag chewer and contester.
> But your other good point is something I need to consider.
> Like you, I sometimes don't turn on the rig for weeks or even months at a
> time.
> And at my age, we all forget.
>
> I have an FT-900 which I use for occasional rag chewing.
> It has NO Menus.
> Everything has a knob.
> And that is one of my favorite rigs of all times.
> I move it around in the house or out to the patio and use it wherever I 
> am.
>
> When a contest comes, I turn to my contest rig.
> The Omni VI was good because there were few menu adjustments to make.
> The Omni VII was best because I didn't need the book much, after initially
> studying it.
> On this feature, it beats the K3 hands down.
>
> But what if I need a real weak one in the contest, and there is lots of
> QRM....
> The K3 beats about anything except the high end rigs.
>
> A lot of people keep bringing up the price of "full blown".
> I don't need that.
> I need a good transceiver.
> One SSB filter and one CW filter.
> We talking just over $2K.
> If you add in the band filter and 6kHz filter so that you get the general
> coverage RX, it comes in at the same price as the Omni VII.
> Viola!
>
> I'm going to read the manual for the K3 and study its setup procedures.
> If it scares me off, I will buy the O7.
>
> 73
> Rick
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: tentec-bounces at contesting.com [mailto:tentec-bounces at contesting.com]
> On Behalf Of Toby Pennington
> Sent: Saturday, April 24, 2010 10:33 PM
> To: Ten Tec List
> Subject: Re: [TenTec] OMNI VII vs. K3 ? Opinions invited.,
>
> I have not owned a Omni 7,  but I have owned two K3s over the past 12
> months.
>
> I sold the first K3 after trying to figure out how to use it.   Probably 
> had
> it about two weeks.
>
> The Second K3 was fully loaded and a late serial number.  This radio blew 
> a
> speaker audio chip,  and had to be sent back to Aptos for repair.  I
> probably had this one about a month.
>
> Both were bought used for a good price so did not lose a lot on resale.
> However,  the second rig if bought at todays prices would cost over 
> $5,000,
> so it is not really a low priced rig if fully featured....and in fact can 
> be
> very expensive.
>
> I tend to agree with Carl,  N4PY,  if you are not going to do serious
> contesting, or operate diversity receive,  it would be best to get 
> something
> more appropriate for what your style of operating is.  This rig is not 
> easy
> to set up and learn,  and will take a number of weeks plus several phone
> calls to Elecraft to get you out of messes you get yourself into.
>
> After about a month,  you should have every thing in the menus set up and
> operation should be easier.  However,   if you only operate the rig for a
> day or so every now and then,  you will forget how some things worked.
>
> MY biggest complaint with the K3 is there are no dedicated band buttons, 
> or
> band stacking registers,  and you are forced to work from the memories.
>
> I don't want to be negative,  as Elecraft rapidly over a two year period,
> has implemented the full feature set as originally advertised two years 
> ago.
> They have been good to their word with the feature set,  and keep in touch
> with their customers via their website and reflectors.  Updates come along
> frequently and the firmware has few bugs.  Bugs are fixed very quickly.
>
> Elecraft is on a roll and moving along with an excellent rig.  However, 
> if
> you are a rag chewer and not into contesting, or you are just a casual
> operator,  I think it would be best to choose a rig that is more intuitive
> and easier to operate.
>
> Toby    W4CAK
>
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> TenTec mailing list
> TenTec at contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec
>
> _______________________________________________
> TenTec mailing list
> TenTec at contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec