Sounds great, but how much is a 100 watt k3 and how much is the hambot. 
My 590 was $1600 as I erecall and the voice board around $70.  Other 
than what talks and doesn't, have you set this rig side by side to say a 
Kenwood 590?  Not saying it is better or worse, just curious.  I haven't 
had my hands on a k3, so can't judge anything, but I do like the 590.
73
Butch
WA0VJR
Node 3148
Wallace, ks.


On 
Wed, 22 Aug 2012, Armand Bakalian wrote:

> Greetings to All,
>
> Reviewing some of the message traffic on the list, I see a lively
> discussion about which rigs are more accessible for instance, the Kenwood
> TS2000, 480, 590, and some of the Icom radios, which in my opinion are
> limited in what they tell the operator.
>
> A week or so ago, I took the leap into the twenty-first century,
> when I purchased an Elecraft K3 transceiver. We know the reputation, and
> versatility, and expandability of the K3--why even some of the
> operators on this list have taken the plunge.
>
> In my humble opinion, after being a ham for forty-six years, there is
> no better combination than the Elecraft K3, and our own Rob
> Santello's Hampod. Kenwood, Icom, and lastly Yaesu, can't hope to
> hold a candle to what K6DQ has built, the Hampod K3 Reader.
>
> I seriously doubt that there isn't anything that the K3 Reader
> doesn't tell you about what the K3 is doing. Rob has even built in
> some macros that perform vital functions for blind ops, with a simple push
> of a button. Sighted folks don't get that kind of service from
> their visual display.
>
> Further, can you tell me which Kenwood rig will decode CW and PSK31, and
> and read it aloud to you? If there is one, I must have missed it.
>
> The elegance and cutting edge technology employed in the K3 is
> brought to life for the owner by the Hampod K3 Reader. I was amazed
> to find that the radio even has a temperature sensor in the front
> panel that can be queried by the Hampod, to tell you the ambient
> temperature. Now that's really slick. The K3 Reader which was developed by
> Rob, K6DQ over many months, and is still evolving is a labor of
> love from which we all can benefit. Rob hand-builds each unit, and,
> as some on this list can attest, he stands behind what he does, providing
> service that any larger company can't duplicate. It didn't work, and the
> owner had a brand new unit in his hands within less
> than a week, newly assembled and tested.
>
> Some may grumble that the Elecraft is expensive. In my opinion, the
> prospective owner can scale the radio to his budget. Limited funds,
> you can start small, and since the radio is modular in design and
> operation, you can add options to the radio as finances allow. Start out
> with the ten watt version of the K3, and see what it's like running
> QRP. When you have the bucks, you can add the watts, and any other options
> that are available.
>
> Sure, the K3 Reader doesn't cost what a VGS3 does, but it's not a
> VGS3 (hope I have that model right). The operator is not subject to
> the whims of Kenwood engineers who decide what's gonna talk, and what
> ain't. With the K3 Reader, if the radio shows it, the Hampod K3
> Reader says it. Ask a Hampod owner.
>
> So, if you want to cruise the bands in extraordinary style Elecraft
> and Hampod is a marriage of technology we can all appreciate.
>
> After exploring this rig for a few hours, I can't wait to learn the radio,
> and the K3 Reader. It'll take time, for both of these little boxes pack a
> lot of stuff inside. In the end, I know the investment
> will sure be worth it.
>
> So if you can swing the finances, go Elecraft and Hampod!
>
> Hear you on the air,
>
> Armand W B 2 Z E I, Sacramento
>
>