[Elecraft] Ideas - new Elecraft Products

Tue May 23 10:27:37 EDT 2006

I just want to offer a reality check from a person who runs a consumer
software company and gets dozens of emails every week from enthusiastic
customers who have new product/feature ideas. This is not meant to throw a
wet blanket on new product ideas but rather to suggest some reasons why a
company might not be as enthusiastic about a particular idea as one of their
customers is. And of course I'm speaking from my own experience, not on
behalf of Elecraft.

First, we spend 24x7 thinking about our products and where the company
should go next. There are few things that customers mention that we haven't
already mentioned, discussed, drawn up designs for, done the market research
for, etc. This doesn't mean we don't want to hear new ideas, it just gives
you an idea of why a company like ours might not be as excited as its
customers over their new ideas.

Second, we have significantly more information upon which to base a
decision. We have our own financial history and also have insight into the
financial position of our competitors that aren't obvious to customers. We
see every piece of customer feedback so we can gauge whether a new product
is something that would be in demand or not. The thing that really turns on
one customer to the point where he all but demands that we do it could be
something that nobody else has ever mentioned and two other companies have
tried to sell but nobody bought.

Third, we have more experience in all areas of our business, including
marketing, manufacturing, R&D, sales, and support. While a customer idea
might sound easy from an R&D perspective, it might be impossible to
manufacture or support. It could be that the new feature would be expensive
to implement and not have any marketing (and therefore sales) impact.

By all means keep sending in new product ideas. I got a feature suggestion
from a customer yesterday that is going to be easy to implement and will
significantly improve one of our products. I'm embarrassed I didn't think of
it myself. But that's a pretty rare occurrence. If you keep suggesting a
particular thing and it doesn't make it into the product line for months and
years, keep in mind that they know more than you do about their products,
the future of their company, their customers, and their business.

BTW check out www.telepostinc.com -- N8LP's digital wattmeter & other
products. They match some of your requests.

Craig
NZ0R
K1 #1966
K2/100 #4941
KX1 #1499 still in the box

-----Original Message-----
From: elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net
[mailto:elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Fred (FL)
Sent: Tuesday, May 23, 2006 7:19 AM
To: elecraft at mailman.qth.net
Subject: [Elecraft] Ideas - new Elecraft Products

K2/K1 Owner-builders

I posted a "Elecraft New Product Ideas" email last
week - which received mixed responses - "good",
"old stuff", "too difficult for Elecraft",
"done that ....", "won't work", etc.

I think Elecraft is a great ham company.  And as
every builder knows - their support to us the ham
community - is superb!  And their quality of products
and kits is excellent and higher.

I'd suggest, we K1/K2 builders - continue to send in
"product ideas" to Elecraft, via this email list - 
and let Elecraft Management know, what product ideas
we'd like to see and what product ideas might help us
in our amateur endeavors.  We might be surprised, and
see some of them come to reality.  If they have to
hire another designer & tech or two, so be it.

If you like the product(s) which Elecraft now markets
and sells - I myself, would like to continue to buy my
next products from them too.  Frankly I've never been
fully satisfied with MFJ items - for some reason many
of them look aluminish and of poorer quality.

BUY ELECRAFT, TELL ELECRAFT WHAT YOU'D LIKE and WHAT
YOU THINK WOULD BE HELPFUL, FOR OUR HOBBY!

My Kits - short list 5/23/2006:
- outboard RF OUTPUT METER Indicator (in-line)
- inboard RF OUTPUT INDICATOR (panel, neon/eye)
- outboard POWER METER (ala Birdy), w/SWR option
- poor man's 6146 200w PEP outboard TUBE AMPLIFIER
    (relive your youth) (FCC ham-project form)
- matching Elecraft 6146 AMP POWER SUPPLY
- 200w match-anything TUNER (coils, meters, R/L/C's)
- a HF K3 TRANSCEIVER, with general coverage, 2  
    meter, 440, and bigger footprint & displays
- an Elecraft K2/K3 MOBILE MIKE, w/up-down, functions
- an Elecraft quality, HEADPHONE set, K1/K2/K3
- a couple HF porta-ANTENNAs, back pack carryable
- a "hide-able" HF ANTENNA (gutter?, bush?)
- Elecraft Mobile VERTICAL ANTENNA (hf, tuneable)
- Elecraft SCOPE for alignment jobs
- Elecraft SIGNAL GENERATOR, for alignment jobs

Thanks, 73's
Fred N3CSY
FL/upstate NY
5/23/2006

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