[Elecraft] wherefore art thou, K3?

[David Toepfer]

Someone's already done this.  I forget his reason, but if I recall, he used a
pic controller to send commands to the i/o connection.  I immagine such a
device could be made to be quite flexable/programmable.

--- "Solosko, Robert B (Bob)" <solosko at lucent.com> wrote:

> It seems to me that the K2 does everything I want it to do from a feature and
> performance point of view - where it's lacking, as may people have said,  is
> in user ergonomics. There are just too many functions that are squeezed into
> the limited front panel to make it very easy to use. While I haven't yet
> hooked my K2 to a computer, it looks like a number of the programs that work
> with the K2 effectively expand the front panel with more "push buttons" and
> controls. But since I don't want to have to haul a laptop with me when I
> travel with my K2, what I would like is not another bigger (and more
> expensive) K2+ or K3 but a simple, and small front panel extension box...
> perhaps something about the size of a KX-1. This box would have separate push
> buttons for each XTAL and DSP filter and for each of the  tuning rates - that
> way I can just press a button and not have to cycle around all of the
> different choices to get to the one that I want. And, each button would have
> a built in L!
>  ED that would light to indicate which button I pushed so that the choice is
> immediately obvious. This front panel extension box could also have a number
> of buttons for other functions that now require several menu steps, such as
> turning the DSP noise filter on and off, displaying the clock, etc. It can
> also have separate LED indicators to indicate when the RIT is on, when the
> XIT is on, etc. The box wouldn't duplicate any of the functions that are now
> directly available on the K2 front panel but would make it much easier to get
> to the frequently used functions that require multiple pushes of a button or
> multiple menus. 
> 
> The nice thing about such a front panel extension, besides making the K2 much
> more user friendly, and being small and light enough to take along, is that
> it could be easily implemented with a small processor that interfaces to the
> K2 via the remote K2 commands through the KIO2. 
> 
> So, would you buy such a front panel extension? How much would this go toward
> satisfying your desire for a K2+ or a K3, and how much would you be willing
> to pay for it?
> 
> Bob W1SRB
> 
> P.S. I sent this idea to Wayne and Eric several months ago.
> 
> 
> 	. 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net
> [mailto:elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net]On Behalf Of Fred (FL)
> Sent: Monday, August 28, 2006 3:13 PM
> To: elecraft at mailman.qth.net
> Subject: RE: [Elecraft] wherefore art thou, K3?
> 
> 
> I feel, all Elecraft needs to consider - is creating
> a 2007 version of the K2, updated with 2006
> technology, 2006 microelectronics, better display,
> and a few bells and whistles to play with.
> 
> What the HOO ---- bigger knobs, larger front
> panel to boot.  
> 
> Call it the K2+ or K2MKII or K207 .... IMHO many
> new and previous K2 owners would buy it.  Consider
> how many auto owners upgrade to buy the latest
> VERSION of their favorite auto.  Happens every day.
> Unfortunately, in the U.S. auto industry - NEW
> MODELS may contain less features, and less
> quality. Ala no chrome, no metal bumpers, no
> HP, no 8 cylinders, no oil pressure ....
> 
> If Elecraft told me I could buy the K2+ or K207
> - why wouldn't I want one?
> 
> And this would give the Elecraft principals - more
> memory to play around in, and more technology to
> beef up the performance even more.  Its a win,
> win.
> 
> Thanks,
> Fred
> N3CSY
> 
> 
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