[Elecraft] K2: Firmware Escrow

[Brian Lloyd]

I am sorry to hear that this topic annoys some of you. I assure you  
that it is not my intention.

I have been playing with amateur radio kit for about 45 years now. I  
also play with old airplanes. One of the things that one begins to  
see is that sometimes parts become unavailable. Some vacuum tubes  
have become more difficult to acquire. That disturbs me because I  
have some treasured old radios and audio equipment that I want to  
keep working. Likewise with airplanes. Parts for older airplanes are  
getting very difficult to acquire, so much so that I have started  
combing the junkyards for usable obscure parts just-in-case. I grab  
those things that I am unlikely to be able to manufacture on my own.

The same goes for radios. One of the things that has come over time  
is that short lifetime of some systems. We don't keep our computers  
for years and years anymore. Five years and it is junk. But we do  
tend to keep our radios for a long time. All I want is to ensure  
that, if I have to repair or modify my radio, I will have *all* the  
parts I need to do so. Software is now a part.

YMMV

73 de Brian, WB6RQN
Brian Lloyd - brian HYPHEN wb6rqn AT lloyd DOT com