loaded K2 vs K3
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The conclusion one can draw is that there won't be many K2s sold for
exclusively home (base) use. The more options one puts on a K2, the less value it presents. The market for those who want a low power consumption rig must be close to saturated, or at least will be if lots of K2s hit the market in anticipation of their owners moving up to a K3. To me, the K2/100 seems doomed as the price differential, as you point out, needless to mention the value, is clearly in the favor of the K3. And the big advantage of the K2, low power consumption, doesn't really come into play with these QRO rigs. Speaking of value, I have a bare K2 with no options here on the desk. How many other K2s are there out there with no options? - Dr. Megacycle KK6MC/55 -- James Duffey KK6MC/5 Cedar Crest NM 87008 DM65 _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com |
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I'm glad my K2 is setup for portable operation... battery, KAT2, etc. It
is also my demo rig for shows like Dayton to power my wattmeter kits, and will remain so. I can't imagine risking my shiny new K3 getting scratched or damaged at a show ;-) You won't see my K2 on eBay! 73, Larry N8LP James Duffey wrote: > The conclusion one can draw is that there won't be many K2s sold for > exclusively home (base) use. The more options one puts on a K2, the > less value it presents. The market for those who want a low power > consumption rig must be close to saturated, or at least will be if > lots of K2s hit the market in anticipation of their owners moving up > to a K3. > > To me, the K2/100 seems doomed as the price differential, as you point > out, needless to mention the value, is clearly in the favor of the K3. > And the big advantage of the K2, low power consumption, doesn't really > come into play with these QRO rigs. > > Speaking of value, I have a bare K2 with no options here on the desk. > How many other K2s are there out there with no options? - Dr. > Megacycle KK6MC/55 > -- > James Duffey KK6MC/5 > Cedar Crest NM 87008 > DM65 > > _______________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Post to: [hidden email] > You must be a subscriber to post to the list. > Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): > http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm > Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com > > Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com |
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In reply to this post by James Duffey
You forget that some people will buy a K2 because it's the only option out
there for someone who wants to experience building and testing a radio from discrete parts. That's the reason I chose a K2 over a ready-built radio that cost the same, or even less. Julian, G4ILO James Duffey wrote: The conclusion one can draw is that there won't be many K2s sold for exclusively home (base) use. The more options one puts on a K2, the less value it presents. The market for those who want a low power consumption rig must be close to saturated, or at least will be if lots of K2s hit the market in anticipation of their owners moving up to a K3. To me, the K2/100 seems doomed as the price differential, as you point out, needless to mention the value, is clearly in the favor of the K3. And the big advantage of the K2, low power consumption, doesn't really come into play with these QRO rigs. _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com |
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In reply to this post by James Duffey
On Sun, 13 May 2007, James Duffey wrote: > The conclusion one can draw is that there won't be many K2s sold for > exclusively home (base) use. The more options one puts on a K2, the less > value it presents. The market for those who want a low power consumption rig > must be close to saturated, or at least will be if lots of K2s hit the market > in anticipation of their owners moving up to a K3. I expect that most of the K2s sold for base use go to people who are interested in building and maintaining their own base rigs. Whether they go for 10w or 100w is then simply a matter of operating style and time/budget. I agree that the K3 will eat into K2/100 sales in this market, but I don't think it'll destroy it. With all respect to the K3, it's a computer, and swapping boards isn't this community's idea of building and maintaining. I also don't think you'll see many of these K2 owners selling. We put a lot of love into building them. The QRP builders' market has always been niche, but it is full of active, vocal enthusiasts. This market can be saturated by any given product, but I doubt it ever actually saturates. I don't even want to count the number of rigs I have in this category. These folks will probably buy a lot of K3s -- when they would never buy a similarly classed or priced YaeComWood -- simply because of the brand loyalty. At the same time, I don't see them dumping their K2s, and I see continued K2 sales to this group as builders work up to bigger and more complex kits. The K2/100 as a dedicated contesting rig is an interesting emergent market. Most people who are serious about their contesting have a "big rig" at home, and take one of the mid-sized high end commercial boxes to the field. The K2's entry into this market has been fascinating and mostly driven by the quest for performance. This is where I think we'll see the most turn-over, and that's nothing new. These folks have been buying the latest and selling what they aren't using ever since the hobby began. _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com |
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In reply to this post by James Duffey
James Duffey wrote:
The conclusion one can draw is that there won't be many K2s sold for exclusively home (base) use. I disagree! It all depends on the situation. Not everybody wants/needs a fully-loaded K2. Taking out a couple of options radically lowers the price. For example, the KDSP2 costs $229 - that's more than a third of the cost of the basic K2. The KPA100 is more than half the cost of the basic K2. I'm not complaining about those prices, just noting that it's only a fully-loaded K2 which approaches the price of a bare-bones K3. The more options one puts on a K2, the less > > value it presents. I would say "the less *value differential*" The market for those who want a low power consumption > > rig must be close to saturated, or at least will be if lots of K2s hit the > market in anticipation of their owners moving up to a K3. > > To me, the K2/100 seems doomed as the price differential, as you point out, > needless to mention the value, is clearly in the favor of the K3. And the > big advantage of the K2, low power consumption, doesn't really come into > play with these QRO rigs. > > I agree that if someone is looking for a high performance Elecraft rig (yes, I know that's redundant) in the 100W class, they're not going to save much between a fully-loaded K2 and the K3/100. But if someone is willing to forego a few options it becomes a different game entirely. There's also the 'pay-as-you-go' factor. For at least some of us it is *much* easier and more practical to make several small purchases rather than one big purchase. Suppose a ham can save a dollar a day for rig purchases. At that rate, a basic K2 kit can be bought in less than two years of savings. Once the basic K2 is working, most of the options can be added every few months, except for DSP, 100W and ATU. But a basic K3 would require almost 5 years of saving up! It looks to me like Elecraft has placed the K3 in just the right spot to expand their line. Of course the different products interact. The introduction of the KX1 probably deflected some K1 sales to folks who wanted a high-performance backpacking rig. The four-band K1 probably took some K2 sales to folks on tight budgets. Etc. --- What really tickles me is that a small American company quietly announces a couple-of-kilobucks high-performance HF transceiver *kit*, announced *before* Dayton, and their biggest problem is being absolutely snowed under by orders, many from folks who have never even seen the rig. That's what I call a Good Problem. 73 de Jim, N2EY ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com. _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com |
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Well, I look forward to getting my K3. But I won't be selling my loaded K2.
I bought the K2, not because it was a kit, but because the receiver performs well. It is a very compact rig and easy to carry onboard when I go offshore to operate. I have a nice small aluminum case with foam that is cut out for the K2. So my K2 will continue to be a backup rig when home and my primary rig to take with me on trips. When trekking through airports every pound matters when you have a rig in one hand and a laptop over the other shoulder. N2TK, Tony -----Original Message----- From: [hidden email] [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of [hidden email] Sent: Sunday, May 13, 2007 1:15 PM To: [hidden email] Subject: Re: [Elecraft] loaded K2 vs K3 James Duffey wrote: The conclusion one can draw is that there won't be many K2s sold for exclusively home (base) use. I disagree! It all depends on the situation. Not everybody wants/needs a fully-loaded K2. Taking out a couple of options radically lowers the price. For example, the KDSP2 costs $229 - that's more than a third of the cost of the basic K2. The KPA100 is more than half the cost of the basic K2. I'm not complaining about those prices, just noting that it's only a fully-loaded K2 which approaches the price of a bare-bones K3. The more options one puts on a K2, the less > > value it presents. I would say "the less *value differential*" The market for those who want a low power consumption > > rig must be close to saturated, or at least will be if lots of K2s hit the > market in anticipation of their owners moving up to a K3. > > To me, the K2/100 seems doomed as the price differential, as you point out, > needless to mention the value, is clearly in the favor of the K3. And the > big advantage of the K2, low power consumption, doesn't really come into > play with these QRO rigs. > > I agree that if someone is looking for a high performance Elecraft rig (yes, I know that's redundant) in the 100W class, they're not going to save much between a fully-loaded K2 and the K3/100. But if someone is willing to forego a few options it becomes a different game entirely. There's also the 'pay-as-you-go' factor. For at least some of us it is *much* easier and more practical to make several small purchases rather than one big purchase. Suppose a ham can save a dollar a day for rig purchases. At that rate, a basic K2 kit can be bought in less than two years of savings. Once the basic K2 is working, most of the options can be added every few months, except for DSP, 100W and ATU. But a basic K3 would require almost 5 years of saving up! It looks to me like Elecraft has placed the K3 in just the right spot to expand their line. Of course the different products interact. The introduction of the KX1 probably deflected some K1 sales to folks who wanted a high-performance backpacking rig. The four-band K1 probably took some K2 sales to folks on tight budgets. Etc. --- What really tickles me is that a small American company quietly announces a couple-of-kilobucks high-performance HF transceiver *kit*, announced *before* Dayton, and their biggest problem is being absolutely snowed under by orders, many from folks who have never even seen the rig. That's what I call a Good Problem. 73 de Jim, N2EY ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com. _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com |
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In reply to this post by James Duffey
Recently Tony (N2TK) wrote:
... I won't be selling my loaded K2. I bought the K2, not because it was a kit, but because the receiver performs well. ... -- In contrast, I love kit building and bought my K2 solely because it was a kit. In fact, it wasn't until several weeks afterwards that I learned of the K2's awesome receiver. Beyond getting to melt solder and build it, I've had even more fun designing the PCBs for aftermarket K2 accessories. Gary KI4GGX K2 #4067 _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com |
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In reply to this post by James Duffey
Gee thanks Doc!,
Here I come to the conclusion that the only way for me to convince the wife to let me have a radio that has more than one band was to get a base K2. The reason being that then I could add to it over the months, get the SSB, and wait awhile get the 100 watt amp etc. and have a decent base rig. I can't get my wife to understand one might need to spend some money on a rig; she seems to think I should find something in the $500 range not the $1000 range. Man do I envy you guys who can just drop whatever and get the top of the line stuff. Tom kf4yyd > -----Original Message----- > From: [hidden email] [mailto:elecraft- > [hidden email]] On Behalf Of James Duffey > Sent: Sunday, May 13, 2007 10:51 AM > To: [hidden email]; [hidden email] > Cc: James Duffey > Subject: [Elecraft] loaded K2 vs K3 > > The conclusion one can draw is that there won't be many K2s sold for > exclusively home (base) use. The more options one puts on a K2, the > less value it presents. The market for those who want a low power > consumption rig must be close to saturated, or at least will be if > lots of K2s hit the market in anticipation of their owners moving up > to a K3. > > To me, the K2/100 seems doomed as the price differential, as you > point out, needless to mention the value, is clearly in the favor of > the K3. And the big advantage of the K2, low power consumption, > doesn't really come into play with these QRO rigs. > > Speaking of value, I have a bare K2 with no options here on the desk. > How many other K2s are there out there with no options? - Dr. > Megacycle KK6MC/55kml,jim f No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.467 / Virus Database: 269.7.0/801 - Release Date: 5/12/2007 6:40 PM _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com |
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In reply to this post by James Duffey
I personally love my K2 and will keep it.
I have the 100 watt amp, and the built in antenna tuner. I may sell the amp, since I would have the K3, but the basic K2 with the tuner seems like a really nice simple to use rig, plus I built it! CW only K2 and the built in antenna tuner is a very small, easy to use radio at a very low price. A qrp K3 with the tuner and some filters is a LOT more money, and you don't really get to build it like the K2. Brett N2DTS > The conclusion one can draw is that there won't be many K2s sold for > exclusively home (base) use. The more options one puts on a K2, the > less value it presents. The market for those who want a low power > consumption rig must be close to saturated, or at least will be if > lots of K2s hit the market in anticipation of their owners moving up > to a K3. > > To me, the K2/100 seems doomed as the price differential, as you > point out, needless to mention the value, is clearly in the favor of > the K3. And the big advantage of the K2, low power consumption, > doesn't really come into play with these QRO rigs. > > Speaking of value, I have a bare K2 with no options here on > the desk. > How many other K2s are there out there with no options? - Dr. > Megacycle KK6MC/55 > -- > James Duffey KK6MC/5 > Cedar Crest NM 87008 > DM65 > > _______________________________________________ > _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com |
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In reply to this post by James Duffey
My wife is mad on gardening. The only thing she notices is plants. Last
weekend, I printed off the PDF K3 brochure, showed it her, and told her I had ordered this radio. A couple of days ago she came into the shack / office and noticed the K2, which happened to be on. "Oh, your new radio has come, then!" "Er, no. That's the old one. It's been there since 1999!" Julian, G4ILO "Thomas Butchers" wrote: Here I come to the conclusion that the only way for me to convince the wife to let me have a radio that has more than one band was to get a base K2. .. I can't get my wife to understand one might need to spend some money on a rig; she seems to think I should find something in the $500 range not the $1000 range. Man do I envy you guys who can just drop whatever and get the top of the line stuff. _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com |
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Every Ham needs a wife like that.
Stan Rife W5EWA Houston, TX K2 S/N 4216 -----Original Message----- From: [hidden email] [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of [hidden email] Sent: Monday, May 14, 2007 4:02 AM To: [hidden email] Subject: Re: [Elecraft] loaded K2 vs K3 My wife is mad on gardening. The only thing she notices is plants. Last weekend, I printed off the PDF K3 brochure, showed it her, and told her I had ordered this radio. A couple of days ago she came into the shack / office and noticed the K2, which happened to be on. "Oh, your new radio has come, then!" "Er, no. That's the old one. It's been there since 1999!" Julian, G4ILO _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com |
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