Elecraft

Why so many problems with K3???

Classic

List

Threaded

5 messages Options

JIM DAVIS-11

Why so many problems with K3???

Our own K3 (s/n 2406) has been flying FB since it was ordered/built/ and sent out in Dec. 2008!
Maybe
everybody are asking TOO MUCH of the "Elecraft Guys"? Our latest rev. dwnload was #3.06, but with
"Beta" there are always problems, so most of us SHOULD WAIT until the gliches are worked through!

Or on the other hand maybe it kinda makes you wonder if maybe the Q/A isn't all it's supposed to
be at "Elecraft"?

THOUGH, our experience with the "TECH SUPPORT" (DALE) has been nothing short of phenomenal
especially
since he's always been very patient with our pleas for help!

Jim/nn6ee

Note: Webmaster! Are you not going to publish this either?

My gripes warrant note like everybody else out here!

Jim/nn6ee

______________________________________________________________
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

drewko

Re: Why so many problems with K3???

On Thu, 09 Apr 2009 16:53:13 -0700, JIM DAVIS wrote:

>"Beta" there are always problems, so most of us SHOULD WAIT until the gliches are worked through!
>

Why? It only takes a couple of minutes to load the F/W. It's not like
installing a new operating system or something. I will load any new K3
beta that has features I'm interested in. Haven't had a problem yet,
but if I do I'll just revert to an earlier version.

73,
Drew
AF2Z

______________________________________________________________
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

Don Wilhelm-4

Re: Why so many problems with K3???

In reply to this post by JIM DAVIS-11

Jim,

I would hesitate to say there have been a *lot* of problems, but each
has his own threshold of tolerance. Many items reported on the
reflector are neither firmware or hardware related but are 'cured' by
informing the operator of the proper sequence of "button-pushes" or menu
settings.

All the beta releases have been tested - admittedly, by a number of K3
owners that is smaller than the full number of K3 in use, and it not
released as a beta until all the bugs we find have been worked out.
The unfortunate fact is that we do not have all the various
configurations that are out there in the field, so there may be a few
bugs that are discovered only after the beta version has been released
and is in the hands of many more users
.
If you are using a beta version and find a bug, please report it. If it
is repeatable, it will be fixed.

Bugs discovered in any firmware version will be corrected in a
subsequent beta release.
A beta release that has been deemed OK (with noted exceptions) will be
changed to public release.
Note that bug fixes are not applied to prior releases, the fix will only
be seen in a future release (first beta and then possibly moved to a
public release).

So users have two choices:
1) If the current firmware installed in your K3 satisfies your needs,
there is no need to upgrade.
2) If you want to try out the new features and bug fixes that exist in
the new firmware, stay current with the beta release.

73,
Don W3FPR

JIM DAVIS wrote:

> Our own K3 (s/n 2406) has been flying FB since it was ordered/built/ and sent out in Dec. 2008!
> Maybe
> everybody are asking TOO MUCH of the "Elecraft Guys"? Our latest rev. dwnload was #3.06, but with
> "Beta" there are always problems, so most of us SHOULD WAIT until the gliches are worked through!
>
> Or on the other hand maybe it kinda makes you wonder if maybe the Q/A isn't all it's supposed to
> be at "Elecraft"?
>
> THOUGH, our experience with the "TECH SUPPORT" (DALE) has been nothing short of phenomenal
> especially
> since he's always been very patient with our pleas for help!
>
> Jim/nn6ee
>
>

______________________________________________________________
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

MontyS

Re: Why so many problems with K3???

The wealth of input from users on the K3's performance is a great sign of
vitality in the user community and receptiveness of the developers to user
input. If nobody reported anything I would be concerned.

The evolution of the K3 was one important factor in my choosing it. I want
to be a part of the evolution. With the K2 there was less opportunity to
participate - I did install a temperature compensating component change that
was fun to test and report on. The K3 beta firmware releases offer constant
opportunities to evaluate them.

As Don says, if you want a stable radio you can have it as easily as I have
my dynamic radio.

Monty K2DLJ, with well-worn black flat head screws.

______________________________________________________________
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

Guy, K2AV

Re: Why so many problems with K3???

In reply to this post by JIM DAVIS-11

Talk about a troll of a subject. It states in the question that K3 has too
many problems. Really now....but everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

Beta code is beta code. If one doesn't want to run into beta bugs, don't
load beta firmware. Gripe about problems in PRODUCTION firmware.

Not enough QA? Have any idea of the complexity of the functions being done
in the software defined radio that is most of the K3? Really think that a
3-4 kilobuck radio has the kind of margin that could hire 50-100 full-time
paid testers to do the code testing that would be necessary to release a
near production beta upgrade every couple of weeks?

Can do it the Ikensu way, take a year or two to develop a minimalist
firmware on a model that never gets upgraded, and has only a few un-risky
changes from the prior model.

What one has available with the K3, IF one wants to participate, and nobody
is forcing that, is join in the beta testing and make war on the technical
frontier in a radio one can actually afford to buy and still get upgrades.

And if someone DOESN'T want to beta test, no one is begrudging the benefit
from OUR work. But remember, criticise the Elecraft guys on Beta QA, and
criticise us as well, because if the QA isn't there, the list of the hundred
odd hams that do ALPHA and pre-Beta testing for Wayne et al and aren't on
his payroll (unpaid volunteers) didn't catch the problem either. And also
didn't find the problem in Beta testing soon enough to keep some folks
happy.

Should not be too quick to think of those volunteer testers as slow and
ineffective. The number with professional software developerment experience
in that list is impressive. They are the kind of people who by nature like
messing with software and can understand the kind of testing contribution
they are making.

Interesting thing is that a lot of us would have done the same thing for
Ikensu if they had Wayne's inclinations. But Ikensu never asked : >)

And if one thinks software should never have bugs, one is living on some
other planet. Software ALWAYS goes out with bugs in it. There's just
discovered bugs and undiscovered bugs. With some companies there's also
fixed bugs that got fixed before the next model. But only God can write
perfect software and hit a golf ball straight with a one iron.

Well....maybe Tiger Woods on the one iron....

73, Guy.

----- Original Message -----
From: "JIM DAVIS" <[hidden email]>
To: <[hidden email]>
Sent: Thursday, April 09, 2009 7:53 PM
Subject: [Elecraft] Why so many problems with K3???

> Our own K3 (s/n 2406) has been flying FB since it was ordered/built/ and
> sent out in Dec. 2008!
> Maybe
> everybody are asking TOO MUCH of the "Elecraft Guys"? Our latest rev.
> dwnload was #3.06, but with
> "Beta" there are always problems, so most of us SHOULD WAIT until the
> gliches are worked through!
>
> Or on the other hand maybe it kinda makes you wonder if maybe the Q/A
> isn't all it's supposed to
> be at "Elecraft"?
>
> THOUGH, our experience with the "TECH SUPPORT" (DALE) has been nothing
> short of phenomenal
> especially
> since he's always been very patient with our pleas for help!
>
> Jim/nn6ee
>
> Note: Webmaster! Are you not going to publish this either?
>
> My gripes warrant note like everybody else out here!
>
> Jim/nn6ee
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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
>