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K3S and expectations

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dennis rosenbalm

K3S and expectations

It seems a disappointment that the newest Elecraft product is in fact, an old product upgraded to current modification state and given a different paint job and a new knob. I was hoping to see a totally new, interesting gizmo that would inspire me to rob the piggy bank or sell my K3 to fund the K4 (imaginary) replacement. I have noticed an increase in the number of K3's offered for sale the last couple of days. I'll wait for the K4 (or?) and hope it isn't seven years away.

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Doug Turnbull

Re: K3S and expectations

Dear OMs,
I for one am pleased. Elecraft might have held back on upgrades for
the K3 in order to make the difference greater! These radios are at the
leading edge in ham radio. Evolution is not always that fast. Mean
while many new KSYN cards are being sold and the K3 stays near the very
top. I made a wise decision in choosing the K3 and in recommending it to
close friends.
73 Doug EI2CN

On Saturday, 16 May 2015, GDR <[hidden email]> wrote:

> It seems a disappointment that the newest Elecraft product is in fact, an
> old product upgraded to current modification state and given a different
> paint job and a new knob. I was hoping to see a totally new, interesting
> gizmo that would inspire me to rob the piggy bank or sell my K3 to fund the
> K4 (imaginary) replacement. I have noticed an increase in the number of
> K3's offered for sale the last couple of days. I'll wait for the K4 (or?)
> and hope it isn't seven years away.
>
>
> ______________________________________________________________
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KEN-3

Re: K3S and expectations

In reply to this post by dennis rosenbalm

Wow! So you want more marketing hype to separate you from you money
than just continuous incremental improvements?

You want Elecraft to go back to the 1950;'s of automobile marketing and
come out with a flashy change that looks different every year rather
than just improve the subassenblies one at a time as the technology
improves?

The K3 isn't "an old product" but rather a top notch product with only
small areas for improvement over time.

Isn't it great that the K3 is modular and the subassemblies can be
upgraded without needing t o buy a whole new rig?

I applaud Elecraft for sticking to a great product and slowly improving
it. Some of the new upgrades seem worthwhile to my needs and I may take
advantage of them. But I would never spend the money on a totally new
rig that only had small, marginal improvements over what I have.

Personally, I like Elecraft's way of doing things! Thanks guys!

Ken WA8JXM
On 16/05/2015 08:21, GDR wrote:
> It seems a disappointment that the newest Elecraft product is in fact, an old product upgraded to current modification state and given a different paint job and a new knob. I was hoping to see a totally new, interesting gizmo that would inspire me to rob the piggy bank or sell my K3 to fund the K4 (imaginary) replacement. I have noticed an increase in the number of K3's offered for sale the last couple of days. I'll wait for the K4 (or?) and hope it isn't seven years away.
>

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Raymond Sills

Re: K3S and expectations

In reply to this post by Doug Turnbull

Hi Gang:

I don't have a horse in this race, because neither a K3 nor a K3S is
in my future. Nothing to do with price, just the case that I don't
have space for a hamshack at my QTH. So, I operate portable... quite
happily with my KX3 or KX1 or FT-817 or any of a bunch of QRP rigs.
With the KX3, I have a "world class" rig that I can hold in my hand.
Amazing!

And, we seem to reaching an area where performance improvements will
be hard to find, or possibly financially out of reach for both the
company and it's customers. Evolution does go in fits and starts;
it's rarely a smooth progression of improvements. Who knows where or
when the next major development will take place.

But as I see it, both the K3 and K3S offer a very high level of
performance and capability. It certainly looks like a K3 will be able
to be brought very close to the specs of the K3S. The fact that
Elecraft rigs -can- be upgraded and/or options added is remarkable in
itself. And, it may be a while before a "K4" is on the horizon. Such
a rig may depend on a new device or chip which has yet to be designed
or produced. In the meantime, the K3 offers performance and
performance per dollar that is undreamed of back when I got my first
ham license... (1956).

73 de Ray
K2ULR
KX3 #211

On May 16, 2015, at 8:50 AM, Doug Turnbull wrote:

> Dear OMs,
> I for one am pleased. Elecraft might have held back on
> upgrades for
> the K3 in order to make the difference greater! These radios are
> at the
> leading edge in ham radio. Evolution is not always that fast. Mean
> while many new KSYN cards are being sold and the K3 stays near the
> very
> top. I made a wise decision in choosing the K3 and in recommending
> it to
> close friends.
> 73 Doug EI2CN
>
> On Saturday, 16 May 2015, GDR <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
>> It seems a disappointment that the newest Elecraft product is in
>> fact, an
>> old product upgraded to current modification state and given a
>> different
>> paint job and a new knob. I was hoping to see a totally new,
>> interesting
>> gizmo that would inspire me to rob the piggy bank or sell my K3 to
>> fund the
>> K4 (imaginary) replacement. I have noticed an increase in the
>> number of
>> K3's offered for sale the last couple of days. I'll wait for the K4
>> (or?)
>> and hope it isn't seven years away.
>>

NK7Z

Re: K3S and expectations

Ray,

How much were Cat's whiskers back in the day? :)

--
Thanks and 73's,
For equipment, and software setups and reviews see:
www.nk7z.net
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On Sat, 2015-05-16 at 09:13 -0400, Ray Sills wrote:

> Hi Gang:
>
> I don't have a horse in this race, because neither a K3 nor a K3S is
> in my future. Nothing to do with price, just the case that I don't
> have space for a hamshack at my QTH. So, I operate portable... quite
> happily with my KX3 or KX1 or FT-817 or any of a bunch of QRP rigs.
> With the KX3, I have a "world class" rig that I can hold in my hand.
> Amazing!
>
> And, we seem to reaching an area where performance improvements will
> be hard to find, or possibly financially out of reach for both the
> company and it's customers. Evolution does go in fits and starts;
> it's rarely a smooth progression of improvements. Who knows where or
> when the next major development will take place.
>
> But as I see it, both the K3 and K3S offer a very high level of
> performance and capability. It certainly looks like a K3 will be able
> to be brought very close to the specs of the K3S. The fact that
> Elecraft rigs -can- be upgraded and/or options added is remarkable in
> itself. And, it may be a while before a "K4" is on the horizon. Such
> a rig may depend on a new device or chip which has yet to be designed
> or produced. In the meantime, the K3 offers performance and
> performance per dollar that is undreamed of back when I got my first
> ham license... (1956).
>
> 73 de Ray
> K2ULR
> KX3 #211
>
>
> On May 16, 2015, at 8:50 AM, Doug Turnbull wrote:
>
> > Dear OMs,
> > I for one am pleased. Elecraft might have held back on
> > upgrades for
> > the K3 in order to make the difference greater! These radios are
> > at the
> > leading edge in ham radio. Evolution is not always that fast. Mean
> > while many new KSYN cards are being sold and the K3 stays near the
> > very
> > top. I made a wise decision in choosing the K3 and in recommending
> > it to
> > close friends.
> > 73 Doug EI2CN
> >
> > On Saturday, 16 May 2015, GDR <[hidden email]> wrote:
> >
> >> It seems a disappointment that the newest Elecraft product is in
> >> fact, an
> >> old product upgraded to current modification state and given a
> >> different
> >> paint job and a new knob. I was hoping to see a totally new,
> >> interesting
> >> gizmo that would inspire me to rob the piggy bank or sell my K3 to
> >> fund the
> >> K4 (imaginary) replacement. I have noticed an increase in the
> >> number of
> >> K3's offered for sale the last couple of days. I'll wait for the K4
> >> (or?)
> >> and hope it isn't seven years away.
> >>
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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
> Message delivered to [hidden email]

W1KSZ

Re: K3S and expectations

The problem was getting the cat to hold still !!

73, Dick, W1KSZ

On 5/16/2015 6:56 AM, David Cole wrote:
> Ray,
>
> How much were Cat's whiskers back in the day? :)
>

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Gary Gregory-2

Re: K3S and expectations

Oh dear, maybe i have this all wrong, but, here goes anyway.

Just what has made my K3 less of a transceiver today vs yesterday?

Well "nothing" is the answer.

So what exactly would i notice if i replaced it with a K3S ?

I suspect very little. The changes made are a mix of cosmetics and
technology.

So, what can i do to "make" my current K3 better?

Answer. Add the new modules that i can and stick a photo of a K3S on the
wall above my operating desk.

Will i notice a huge difference in what i hear, will i work stations i
can't now, will i enjoy my hobby more?

Well maybe, maybe not , but, my bank balance will be a whole lot healthier
by NOT ordering a K3S.

So, i reckon i might hang on to my K3 for now.

Oh well thats what i think, which doesn't count for much to anyone but me,
but then it is my opinion that counts for me.

73

Gary
Vk1ZZ
K3, KPA500-FT, KAT500-FT
On 17/05/2015 12:01 AM, "Richard Solomon" <[hidden email]> wrote:

> The problem was getting the cat to hold still !!
>
> 73, Dick, W1KSZ
>
> On 5/16/2015 6:56 AM, David Cole wrote:
>
>> Ray,
>>
>> How much were Cat's whiskers back in the day? :)
>>
>>
> ______________________________________________________________
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>

Jim Bolit

Re: K3S and expectations

In reply to this post by dennis rosenbalm

I still use an IBM 286 computer with 640K RAM and DOS as I keep hearing they
are coming up with faster better computers every few months.

Jim
W6AIM

.

-----Original Message-----
From: Elecraft [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of GDR
Sent: Saturday, May 16, 2015 5:21 AM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: [Elecraft] K3S and expectations

It seems a disappointment that the newest Elecraft product is in fact, an
old product upgraded to current modification state and given a different
paint job and a new knob. I was hoping to see a totally new, interesting
gizmo that would inspire me to rob the piggy bank or sell my K3 to fund the
K4 (imaginary) replacement. I have noticed an increase in the number of K3's
offered for sale the last couple of days. I'll wait for the K4 (or?) and
hope it isn't seven years away.

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delivered to [hidden email]

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Bill Frantz

Re: K3S and expectations

In reply to this post by KEN-3

When I assembled my K3, I wondered, why all the different
boards? It would be more reliable if all those functions were on
the same board with fewer connectors to fail. When the new synth
was announced I got my answer.

Now I'm waiting for the QRM reduction feature. It helps when
trying to work through a pileup. It sends the necessary RF so
the stations QRMing you in the pileup have their RF canceled out
in the DX's antenna so your call sign stands out clearly. :-)

73 Bill AE6JV

On 5/16/15 at 6:11 AM, [hidden email] (WA8JXM) wrote:

>Isn't it great that the K3 is modular and the subassemblies can
>be upgraded without needing t o buy a whole new rig?

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