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Elecraft Wish List

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William Schmidt

Elecraft Wish List

How about making the K3 an honest to goodness kit like the K2? Elecraft started out as a kit company
but lately seems to be drifting away from the concept. Assembling modules is just not the same for me. The building of the kit was the reason I chose the K2 and there are over 7000 other hams out there who felt the same.

Bill, WV1N

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Don Wilhelm-4

Re: Elecraft Wish List

Bill,

I sympathize with you, but the reality is that a large scale SMD kit
would create a great number of customer support problems. You and I may
be able to do SMD, but that is not the majority.. Add to that the fact
that the "board houses" can produce boards fully populated with SMD
parts for a price that is less than what it would cost Elecraft to
provide an SMD kit with the assembly manual.

So the situation comes down to both economics and the customer support
potential if an SMD kit were to be offered.

Elecraft does stand behind its products, and "standing by" an SMD kit of
the size of the K3 would likely be the downfall of Elecraft.

Just my not so humble opinion.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 8/22/2013 7:43 PM, William Schmidt wrote:
> How about making the K3 an honest to goodness kit like the K2? Elecraft started out as a kit company
> but lately seems to be drifting away from the concept. Assembling modules is just not the same for me. The building of the kit was the reason I chose the K2 and there are over 7000 other hams out there who felt the same.
>
>

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David Gilbert

Re: Elecraft Wish List

In reply to this post by William Schmidt

That's kind of like saying you'd like to be able to build your own cell
phone. Possible in theory, but you wouldn't like the result.

Dave AB7E

On 8/22/2013 4:43 PM, William Schmidt wrote:
> How about making the K3 an honest to goodness kit like the K2? Elecraft started out as a kit company
> but lately seems to be drifting away from the concept. Assembling modules is just not the same for me. The building of the kit was the reason I chose the K2 and there are over 7000 other hams out there who felt the same.
>
> Bill, WV1N
>

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Dave Van Wallaghen

Re: Elecraft Wish List

Well Dave, that made me laugh out loud ;-)

And can you imagine trying to be responsible for kitting and supporting
that cell phone kit? What a killer...

No disrespect to you at all Bill - I'm with you in theory. Loved that
build of my K2 and all that came with her. Just don't think they could
ever make the quoted specs with the K3 in that fashion though.

Oh well, there's always mini-module kits.

73,
Dave W8FGU

On 08/22/2013 08:15 PM, David Gilbert wrote:

>
> That's kind of like saying you'd like to be able to build your own cell
> phone. Possible in theory, but you wouldn't like the result.
>
> Dave AB7E
>
>
>
> On 8/22/2013 4:43 PM, William Schmidt wrote:
>> How about making the K3 an honest to goodness kit like the K2?
>> Elecraft started out as a kit company
>> but lately seems to be drifting away from the concept. Assembling
>> modules is just not the same for me. The building of the kit was the
>> reason I chose the K2 and there are over 7000 other hams out there who
>> felt the same.
>>
>> Bill, WV1N
>>
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>

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EricJ-2

Re: Elecraft Wish List

In reply to this post by Don Wilhelm-4

It would be a nightmare for Elecraft. I do some SMT work on small kits
like the AmQRP DDS and some homebrew. I keep a stock of all the common
parts because I've tweezered them across the room more than a few times.
Elecraft would come to a halt trying to fill requests for dupe parts.

Eric
KE6US

On 8/22/2013 5:09 PM, Don Wilhelm wrote:

> Bill,
>
> I sympathize with you, but the reality is that a large scale SMD kit
> would create a great number of customer support problems. You and I
> may be able to do SMD, but that is not the majority.. Add to that the
> fact that the "board houses" can produce boards fully populated with
> SMD parts for a price that is less than what it would cost Elecraft to
> provide an SMD kit with the assembly manual.
>
> So the situation comes down to both economics and the customer support
> potential if an SMD kit were to be offered.
>
> Elecraft does stand behind its products, and "standing by" an SMD kit
> of the size of the K3 would likely be the downfall of Elecraft.
>
> Just my not so humble opinion.
>
> 73,
> Don W3FPR
>
> On 8/22/2013 7:43 PM, William Schmidt wrote:
>> How about making the K3 an honest to goodness kit like the K2?
>> Elecraft started out as a kit company
>> but lately seems to be drifting away from the concept. Assembling
>> modules is just not the same for me. The building of the kit was the
>> reason I chose the K2 and there are over 7000 other hams out there
>> who felt the same.
>>
>>
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>
>

bhtoub

Re: Elecraft Wish List

In reply to this post by William Schmidt

Too many surface mount devices. Not everyone has that skill for that
kind of kit.

On Thu, 22 Aug 2013 19:43:54 -0400 William Schmidt <[hidden email]>
writes:

> How about making the K3 an honest to goodness kit like the K2?
> Elecraft started out as a kit company
> but lately seems to be drifting away from the concept. Assembling
> modules is just not the same for me. The building of the kit was the
> reason I chose the K2 and there are over 7000 other hams out there
> who felt the same.
>
> Bill, WV1N
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>