[Elecraft] Competition coming for Elecraft?

[N2EY at aol.com]

In a message dated 11/1/05 11:37:54 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
eric_csuf at hotmail.com writes:


> The number of hams with $6000 who want to connect pre-made cables
> to pre-assembled boards chock full of SMDs is likely a tad on the small
> side. And both of those guys already bought an IC-7800.
> 

Maybe, but consider this:

Back in 1999, when the K2 hit the ham market, I recall a bit of negativity 
from
hams I knew. Typical comment went like this:

'The number of hams with $600 who want to stuff circuit boards, wind toroids 
and do all the other assembly and alignment work, just to get a QRP CW-only 
rig, is likely a tad on the small side.'

Or this:

'Why put a high-performance receiver on a QRP rig? You'll just hear a whole 
lot of stations you can't work'

Or this:

'The QRP market is too small to support such a complex and expensive rig. And 
in
a year or so Ikensu will come out with a competitor for less money'

Etc. Gloom and doom, yada yada yada.

5000+ K2's later, however, none of the gloom and doom has happened.

--

Is the Sienna "competition"? Not for Elecraft! Its competitors are rigs like 
the Orion, IC-7800, etc. 

To me the best features of the Sienna are:

- It offers the builder at least some level of repairability. 
- It can be configured the way you want it, rather than paying for features 
you don't want. Plus features can be added or removed in the future.

Gee, where have I seen those things before....

73 de Jim, N2EY