[Elecraft] Dreaming...a challenge for the Elecraft team (fwd)

[Julian (G4ILO)]

It matters if they are having trouble copying you. The original K2 was
famous and distinctive as a 10W radio, and people would make an effort to
read you because they would realise you were running low power. Now there's
no clear distinction, we've lost that advantage. Instead of feeling
special, a 10W K2 now feels a bit like the poor cousin, like using the 10W
"S" versions of some of the early JA rigs.

I don't recall making any claim that running only QRP is morally or
environmentally better or in any other way better than using QRO, though I
might feel there is some truth in the matter. However, I don't feel that
those who use QRP occasionally, just for a change or to give the linear a
rest, can really understand the motivation of those who use low power all
the time. It may be asceticism for some, but it's a necessity for many.
Whatever the reason, I think that it is true to say that it is important to
many of us who work low power to feel part of a distinctive branch of the
hobby and not just someone with a poor station and weak signal. It doesn't
help in that regard that the K2 is no longer immediately identifiable as a
QRP rig. That's all I was trying to say in my previous post.

I'll be away for a few days so I won't be around to respond to any replies
to this thread, if there are any, but I'll look forward to reading them
when I get back.

73,
--
Julian, G4ILO. (K2 #392)
Homepage: http://www.qsl.net/g4ilo

Vic Rosenthal rakefet@rakefet.com wrote:

I wasn't going to join in this discussion, because it is off-topic and can
become inflammatory.  But I need to make two points (not necessarily
directed at
Julian, just the issue):

1) Who cares how much power people think you're running?  If you want to
cheat,
you can buy an Alpha and claim it's an SST.  Who will be the loser, you or
the
guy who believes you?

2) Although it may be a worthwhile challenge for some to operate only QRP,
it
isn't morally better to do so.  Legal and gentlemanly (or -womanly)
operation is
of course a matter of ethics, but radio asceticism is private matter and
not
something akin to environmentalism. 

Vic K2VCO