[Elecraft] K3 issues..

[AJSOENKE at aol.com]

In a message dated 12/3/2007 2:04:14 P.M. Pacific Standard Time,  
brett.gazdzinski at verizon.net writes:
I have been looking at the reflector  from time to time,
and was shocked to read that the 100 plus K3's that have  shipped
do not have many options they were supposed to have, like
AM mode,  FM mode, AM sync detection, a working noise blanker,
the high accuricy  frequency readout, the variable bandwidth filters.

Did any of the K3's  ever have this stuff, did it ever work on any K3 ever,
and if not, why do  they think they can get it to work, and if they did get
it to work,
how  come its not on the many units that have shipped???

It does not seem  right to ship radios without most of the features
they were supposed to have,  no other manufacturer could get away with that,
or do I have it all wrong and  the things listed above work great on all the
new  K3's?

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 
Having had the pleasure of operating my K3 in at least two of the last  three 
major contests, I am so glad to have the rig in my shack, I could only  
express disappointment had I to wait even another month for it. 
 
I can listen to AM quite well for now. The accuricy[sic] of frequency  does 
not lack for precision(1Hz) and accuracy is only limited by the reference  
source (available since the start of shipment). (Why is accuracy so important  
with an AM signal that can be easily zerobeat anyway?) The noise blanker is  
highly effective on the type of noise that can be blanked and is extremely  
adjustable. It'll still be a while before conditions make 10M FM fun again.  I'll be 
pleased when the AM is fully implemented, although I probably won't  care to 
use it as a transmit mode - mainly SWL there. I am also happy with  Elecraft's 
announcing the rig well in advance, so I didn't waste my time or  money with 
something else. The variable bandwidth filters were not announced  until well 
after the K-3 was announced and made available to purchase.
 
As far as low serial numbers are concerned, if I was worried about that I'd  
have kept the 1967 AC Cobra I had instead of selling it to finance a college  
education. AC Cobra $250,000, College education $priceless..
Having passed up years of hamming to focus on family and career, I would  
have bought the K3 with only a promise of ssb just to get on the air  again.
 
Maybe age has something to do with it or maybe just being the first kid on  
the block thing. I've had more fun with this rig than the last 4 I've had. It  
makes retirement fun while I can still have fun and I've pretty well debunked  
that a weak sunspot cycle is grounds for not working dx. 
But what really intrigues me is this: There has never been a rig available,  
save the K2, with the potential for the future. So many features that can be  
implemented by a firmware change - that doesn't require hardware changes, So  
many possibilities to add features with a hardware plug in!
 
Let's get REAL - This radio NEVER will be finished, it will just keep  
getting better. Wouldn't it be great if our bodies were so well endowed. 
 
I guess I'm a sucker for buying a glass of water that was only half full.  
Some will always be half empty, sorry!
 
73 es my best to all,  Al WA6VNN
 



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