Elecraft KX3 vs Elecraft KX2
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Elecraft KX3 or Elecraft KX2? I put the two radios side by side: data from the manufacturers’ spec sheets and photos to the same scale. The Elecraft KX3 comes out ahead: power on 6 m, and a spectrum scope and waterfall; the Elecraft KX2 wins on weight.
ElecraftKX3
HF · 6 m10 Wtuner0.7 kg
ElecraftKX2
HF10 Wtuner0.4 kg
Specs side by side
| ElecraftKX3▲ 2 | ElecraftKX2▲ 1 | |
|---|---|---|
| Bands and modes | ||
| Transmit bands | HF 1.8–29.7 MHz50–52 MHzoptional: 4 m, 2 m | HF 3.5–29.7 MHz (no 160 m) |
| Receive range | 0.31–32 · 44–54 MHz | 0.5–32 MHz |
| Modes | SSBCWAMFMPSKRTTY | SSBCWAMFMPSKRTTY |
| Transmit power | ||
| HF | 10 W | 10 W |
| 50 MHz (6 m) | 8 W ▲ | — |
| Receiver | ||
| Construction | SDR, quadrature mixer, I/Q output | SDR, 32-bit DSP |
| Second receiver | dual watch ±15 kHz (not a separate receiver) | dual watch ±23 kHz (not a separate receiver) |
| Spectrum and waterfall | none — optional PX3 panadapter | — |
| Features | ||
| Antenna tuner | optional internal KXAT3 | internal KXAT2 option |
| Display | monochrome LCD | monochrome LCD |
| LAN / remote operation | — | — |
| USB | KXUSB cable (CAT) | KXUSB cable (CAT, no audio) |
| SD card | — | — |
| Antenna connectors | 1× BNC | 1× BNC |
| Power and case | ||
| Power | 8–15 V DC or 8× AA inside | 8–15 V DC or optional internal battery |
| Transmit current draw | 2 A | 2 A |
| Dimensions | 188 × 88 × 41 mmwidth × height × depth | 147 × 72 × 40 mmwidth × height × depth |
| Weight | 0.7 kg | 0.4 kg ▲ |
| Other | ||
| Memory channels | 150 | 150 |
| Release | 2012 | 2016 |
Data: manufacturers’ spec sheets and manuals · as of 31.10.2026
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