[Elecraft] smaller caps?

[AJSOENKE at aol.com]

I can think a few reasons, in addition to the aforementioned reduction in  
inventory costs and shipping charges.
 
It makes for smaller PCB assemblies - less copper/solder, etc. smaller  
packaging means less resources. If the foundries don't need to produce huge  
volumes of plastics, ceramics and other materials, then they may be able to  improve 
the purity and quality of the materials also. It leads more toward throw  
away modules which can fit in you're recyclers bin.  If all I had was one  radio, 
I wouldn't care too much how big it is but wouldn't expect a truck load  of 
features either, like we get now. With three rigs on the desk, it's nice  they 
all fit on it.
 
So there is a strong 'green' incentive from many angles. The average refuse  
company in CA now collects a $20-$35 fee for that old monitor. Thank goodness  
for the flat screens!  I remember the first transistor radio I had - a  
Regency. Cost $65 in 1956. Ge transistors too, and it ate those 22v mercury  stack 
batteries for a snack. But what a dream to carry around while delivering  
papers after school. (I think I needed so many batteries from falling asleep at  
night listening to it.) 
 
So the tiny parts make it harder to kit build - wait til it comes  in fully 
integrated VLSI. That's already revolutionized the PC business. I  see the 
entire radio in a couple chips sooner than you can imagine. The ONLY  reason its 
not there now is the lack of volume in those markets. Case in point  is the 
cellphone or maybe the pda is a better example - with video graphics,  it's a 
better computer than we had 15 years ago, camera, music all day, actually  more 
music in one of those than my entire collection of 40 years. It goes on and  
on. If we have a reason for 20 or 30 million people to be hams - the K4 will  
probably fit in the palm of your hand.
 
PS I love to build kits and really miss Heath. I'm buying up as many QRP  and 
other kits as I can to fill the future void. After that  I guess we'll  just 
need to design some.
 
Al WA6VNN



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