[Elecraft] Shipping Status Page

[Dave Yarnes]

Hi All,

Clearly production of the K3 has been a task of proportions not clearly 
contemplated by the principals at Elecraft.  It is certainly understandable 
that a lot of people are very anxious, if not upset, by all the delays.  But 
I think it's only fair to remember that probably nobody is more anxious to 
get K3's out the door than Wayne and Eric.  After all, they aren't doing all 
this for fun, and I can't see how they are making any money on all this 
effort until they actually go out the door.

If you think about other rigs that are out there, it does seem to take an 
inordinate amount of time to get them from prototype to market product.  The 
IC-7000, for example, was shown at Dayton nearly a year before it actually 
became available.

I'm not making excuses for Elecraft, but it does seem obvious to me that 
there are enormous problems getting something like this done.  And we can't 
really do anything about it, which only adds to the frustration.

So, I think it is counterproductive to slam Elecraft too hard.  Obviously 
they grossly underestimated the problems facing them, but apparently that's 
not hard to do in this business.  My only caveat would be that I hope Eric 
and Wayne are not exhibiting the same degree of patience with their 
suppliers that they are asking for folks waiting for their K3.  Hopefully 
they have been pounding on desks and raising their voices at least somewhat. 
But do remember that these delays are costing them, and maybe a lot!  I 
shudder to think how much extra time they have had to spend getting the K3's 
out the door that have shipped.  Good grief!  They had the whole staff 
winding toroids!  Off hand, I bet their profit plan has been shot in the 
ass!

Dave W7AQK

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Don Ehrlich" <ehrlich at clallambroadband.com>
To: "Julian G4ILO" <julian.g4ilo at gmail.com>; "elecraft" 
<elecraft at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Thursday, December 06, 2007 5:37 PM
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Shipping Status Page


> Right on Julian,  I think you speak for a lot of us.  The list has been 
> very calm and relaxed about this issue compared to the more personal 
> conversations I have had on the air with fellow K3 customers-to-be which 
> exhibit some very blunt language.  The gist of what I am hearing is that 
> most folks, like me, are mature and aware adults who do understand how 
> 'Murphy' can mess up the best laid plans ... but we expect to be kept 
> informed.
>
> Julian said:
>> It's nearly Christmas. How do you think your kids would react if you
>> told them they'd have to wait for their presents until March next
>> year? We may not be kids, but I think there is not a lot of difference
>> with many of us especially where our hobby is concerned.
>
> but you left out the part about:
>
> ...and then in March said nothing at all until, sometime in April, revised
> the date only when nagged ... and then missed that one also followed by a
> series of promised weekly "status update" dates which passed by without
> updates ... and on and on and on.
>
> The Elecraft mojo has been seriously damaged and I am tired of biting my
> tongue .. so there!
>
> Don K7FJ
>
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