Since my early days in the world of radio, there have been radios I found very intriguing, but have never owned. I’m sure I’m not alone in this regard.

These radios have enticed me, but not enough to pull the trigger…you know…to actually buy one.

Not yet, at least.

Here’s a small sampling of radios I currently window shop:

The Elecraft K3/K3s

There’s a reason this particular radio series has been on so many DXpeditions: it packs a lot of performance and is efficient for its size.

I’ve owned all of Elecraft’s QRP radios and I love them. I know I’d like the K3 or K3s as well.

There are a couple reasons why I haven’t purchased a K3 or K3s. First of all, I already own a KX3 with a CW roofing filter and a KXPA100 amplifier. In a sense, I feel like this is a rough equivalent of the K3. The KX3 doesn’t have all of the features or options of the K3 series, but it has everything I need as a primarily portable op. Secondly, the price of the K3 or K3s–depending on the installed options–range anywhere from $1,100 – 2,900 used. The lower priced ones tend to be QRP and lack some of the performance options.

That said, if I ever landed a super deal on a K3, there’s a decent likelihood I’d buy it.

The Yaesu FT-897D

I know what it is about the FT-897: it looks like it means business. I’ve always found the rugged design of the ‘897 appealing even though a friend jokes that it’s the ugliest radio Yaesu’s ever made. Of course, folks who buy an 897 aren’t looking at the form, they’re going for the function.