Having the KX3 out and in operation for a few days this week was a bad idea. Using it always reminds me of how good it is and how it could so easily anchor my ham shack. And it’s not even the best Elecraft radio I own. That title belongs to my old Elecraft K2, number 524 that I built and put into service in 1999. Yeah, it’s the finest receiver I own and I don’t mean to offend you and your new Yaesu, but I’ve found nothing that can carry its jock strap.

Let me qualify that a bit, it’s super power is as a simple CW transceiver.

It doesn’t have two-hundred knobs and buttons and a hundred selection deep menu system. The K2 doesn’t have multiple ways of connecting to a computer, and it doesn’t have a built-in sound card. Mine is the original 15 watt version. It no longer appears regularly in all the major contest stations and DXpeditions.

But for the CW purist without need of a million creature features, it contains the sweetest receiver this side of heaven. My family have strict instructions that I am to be buried with my K2 just in case heaven doesn’t yet have anything that sweet.

It doesn’t occupy the central position in my shack because of the desire for BRE (big rig energy), vanity, and knee-deep levels of marketing bullshit from various vendors compounded with amplified nonsense from Sherwood and as my buddy calls them, “these young guys with beards who look like they drink only craft beers with ham radio YouTube channels…”

I bring this up because using the KX3 created crazy notions of ordering a K4 and continuing the Elecraft tradition spinning in my head. I have owned and built everything they offered right up to the K3 and I’ve tried to own a few more, but grew weary waiting for them to deliver. Now I see they have the shipping time for the K4 down to around a week. I could order one today and be on the air sometime late next week. A recent announcement from Eric says prices are going up in October so no pressure, but a quick decision could save me some money.

That same announcement also said, “KX2 and KH1 wait times have also rapidly decreased and we hope to be shipping them within 1-10 business days after order in several weeks” which should make long-suffering fans happy.

If I buy anything new it will replace my IC-7610. That transceiver has performed well, but is getting a little long in the tooth especially now that ICOM has released an upgraded version of it making ‘right now’ the peak re-sale value season for the 7610. If I order anything I will be forced to unload at least $10k worth of other equipment or build onto the house. Unused gear is stacking up so high around here it will take a year or more to sell, box, and ship it all.

Is that a possibility? Maybe. A definite maybe.