[Elecraft] K2 NB design contest ?

[Marinos Markomanolakis, M.D.]

Hi Stewart,
I have to admit that fortunately the K2 has been a design in progress at 
least for the last 4 years that I know about Elecraft and its products. My 
1st K2 was serial# 26xx, and having built my 2nd one recently #4618, I have 
seen many significant improvements.

This is the greatest thing about this radio: Improved versions are adopted, 
but the earlier models remain upgradable and you do not have to worry about 
buying another K2 down the road in order to get the newer version (eg 756 
"family").

I really do not think that the K2NB will become the exception to this, and I 
am happy to see some immediate positive comments from Wayne, N6KR  about the 
project. I personally can not point to a specific design source that 
Elecraft can hire to help, but have an interesting idea:

What if Elecraft declared a K2NB "design contest", where every one with the 
necessary technical background would be welcome to experiment and then 
submit his final design to Elecraft for evaluation. The best design could be 
selected and the inventor rewarded with a specific winning price.....
This way everyone can be benefited and we can expect to see an improvement 
within a reasonable time frame.

Just some (maybe crazy) ideas.

Marinos, ki4gin

>From: Stewart Baker <stewart at baker.nildram.co.uk>
>To: "Marinos Markomanolakis, M.D." 
><sv9dru at hotmail.com>,<elecraft at mailman.qth.net>
>CC: <gmk at gm4esd.fsworld.co.uk>
>Subject: Re: K2 NB
>Date: Sun, 13 Feb 2005 17:41:20 GMT
>
>Interesting comments Marinos,
>
>Had not thought of NB improvements in the same light as KDSP2 costs.
>It would be nice to think of the K2 as an evolving design, but have not 
>noticed
>much evidence of that recently. Small CW rigs seem to be the way it's 
>going.
>
>73
>Stewart G3RXQ
>
>
>On Sun, 13 Feb 2005 14:35:31 +0000, Marinos Markomanolakis, M.D. wrote:
> > A comment about the K2NB and the different reasons that we perceive as 
>being
> >
> > responsible for the lack of its improvement:
> > Just how much would an optimized NB design cost as to become prohibitive 
>for
> > the average Elecraft customer ??? We already have a DSP option costing 
> >$300
> > which many people think as very important and continue buying. An 
>optimized
> > NB is guarantied to be both more important and more desirable feature, 
>which
> > I doubt it very much can approach the above cost. (even if it did I, and
> > many other fellow Elecrafters would still go for it)
> >
> > On the other hand, having such an expensive NB available does not
> > necessarily mean that the current design would have to be discontinued. 
>I am
> > sure there are also many of us absolutely satisfied and delighted by the
> > current NB, and some lucky hams do not even get pulse noise ever at 
>their
> > QTH's. These customers could still have the option of getting this K2NB 
>at
> > its low cost and complexity, but for heaven's sake, give the rest of us
> > urban dwellers the chance to optimize our K2s.
> >
> > Marinos, ki4gin
>
>
>