[Elecraft] Drifting Away...Does it matter?

[rlewis@staffnet.com]

I imagine that the drift issue depends on the stability of the ambient temperature to a large degree. As I recall, the drift complaints didn't start really appearing until the 100W amp came into being. The heat generated by the amp causes a wider change in internal temperatures.

A drift spec doesn't nail things down very well unless you also specify the ambient temperature range over which the drift spec will be maintained. Sitting on the table at home is one thing while putting it in a car or a tent is something else.

Remember, Elecraft used a rather stright-forward frequency control scheme in an effort to minimize such things as phase noise and power consumption (it was after all originally a QRP rig). You shouldn't expect it to have the same drift performance as one of the big rigs with a temperature controlled oven and all oscillators locked to the reference. You just can't have everything - designers have to make trade-offs to enhance the type of operation they are targeting.