Elecraft KX3
$$$$$
| Frequency | TX 160–6 m; RX 0.31–32 & 44–54 MHz (+2 m option) |
| TX power | 10 W (10W PEP 160-15m, 8W PEP 12-6m from external supply. Up to ~5W from internal AA batteries (3W recommended). 100W with KXPA100 amplifier. ATU rated 15W.) |
| Modes | CW, SSB, AM, FM, Data |
| Weight | 680 g (24 oz) |
| Connector | BNC |
| Year | 2012 |
| antenna | BNC |
| mic | 3.5mm TRRS (Elecraft MH3 mic or compatible) |
| headphone | 3.5mm stereo |
| key | 3.5mm TRS stereo (tip=dit, ring=dah) |
| acc1 | ACC1 3.5mm jack (RS-232 serial CAT via Elecraft KXUSB or KXSER cable) |
| dc power | 5.5/2.1mm barrel jack (8-15 VDC) |
| acc2 | ACC2 2.5mm jack (PTT in, KEY out) |
| iq out | RX I/Q audio outputs for panadapter (PX3 or PC software) |
| speaker | internal speaker + headphone/ext speaker jack |
| antenna sma | SMA jack (optional 2 m whip / transverter control) |
| power req | 8-15 VDC external (5.5/2.1mm barrel jack) OR internal 8-AA battery holder (any type AA — alkaline, NiMH, or lithium). Optional KXBC3 internal NiMH charger. |
A popular portable that helped drive the SOTA/POTA boom. The KX3 offers receiver performance approaching the K3S in a 1.5-pound package, with an SDR architecture and optional roofing filters. It has an internal 8-AA battery holder, low 150 mA receive current, and built-in PSK/RTTY/CW decode (digital modes without a PC). CAT control runs through the ACC1 serial port (KXUSB cable), and I/Q outputs feed the PX3 panadapter or PC SDR software. Optional internal ATU, 2m module, NiMH charger, and KXPD3 paddle make a complete station, with 100W via the KXPA100. Available as a kit or assembled, made in the USA.
10W from an external supply but only ~3-5W from internal AA batteries (a real limitation on batteries). Heavier than the KX2 (680g vs 369g) with a larger footprint. Expensive before options (ATU, filters, 2m, charger, paddle add up). Mono internal-speaker audio. No built-in panadapter (the PX3 is separate). The KX2 has largely replaced it for pure SOTA/POTA use, though the KX3 has a better receiver and more options.
A capable portable-to-base HF/6m transceiver. The KX3 is light enough for SOTA yet capable enough for a home shack, and its modular options (ATU, 2m, roofing filters, PX3, KXPA100) let you build the station you need. The KX2 is smaller; the K3S is a better receiver. The KX3 sits in between for operators who want one radio that does most things.
The Elecraft KX3 is an ultra-portable, all-mode HF transceiver that punches far above its 1.5-pound weight. Introduced in 2012 and covering 160 through 6 meters (with an optional 2-meter module) in CW, SSB, AM, FM, and data, it is a software-defined radio at heart but needs no computer — everything runs from its own knobs and buttons, and its receive coverage reaches down to about 0.31 MHz, making it a genuine general-coverage receiver too.
The KX3 became famous for receiver performance: in independent lab testing its dynamic range placed it at or near the top of all amateur transceivers regardless of price, an extraordinary result for a radio you can hold in one hand. Elecraft rates it at 10 watts (8 watts on 12, 10, and 6 meters), it sips about 150 milliamps on receive, and it carries a built-in keyer, an optional automatic antenna tuner, and PSK/RTTY/CW decode without a PC; an external KXPA100 amplifier takes it to 100 watts.
As of 2026 it is still sold by Elecraft, as a kit or factory-assembled. The main antenna connector is a BNC, with a separate SMA jack for the optional 2-meter whip or a transverter. Compare it with the desktop K2 and the CW-only K1.