[Elecraft] K3 competition from Icom?

[David Wilburn]

If you notice, the USB port is fixed there.  The whole communications 
interface area of the K3 can be update, modified, and changed as the 
rig and firmware grows.  Elecraft chose the RS232, as a port that so 
many folks have used in the past.

If you listen to hams (like on this list) think about how many are 
resistant to change.  If they had come out with USB and no serial 
there would have been a cry from the masses of 
DOS/Win95/OS2/WinME/Win98 users that they could not use their serial 
ports.

Don't get me wrong, I find USB/Serial adapters annoying, but mine has 
worked great.  I get the Belkin ones that Staples sells, and 
everything has worked fine for me.  I would rather have a USB 
interface, and possibly an Ethernet interface.  But I am very happy to 
know that I have a rig that is getting firmware updates, and the 
hardware was developed in such a way, that it has the ability to grow 
and change, as the technology does.

David Wilburn
K4DGW
www.k4dgw.com
www.k4rc.net
Williamsburg Area Amateur Radio Club (K4RC)

My Current LOTW/DXCC/WAS status
www.k4dgw.com/WAS.DXCC.info.html



Matt Patterson wrote:
> If your PC has a open PCI slot there are high speed serial cards still
> available.  Think I paid $26 for the last one I purchased.
> 
> 73 Matt
> W5LL
> 
> 
> On Mon, 2008-08-25 at 07:24 -0500, R. Kevin Stover wrote:
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>>
>> DOUGLAS ZWIEBEL wrote:
>>> http://www.ab4oj.com/icom/ic7600/main.html
>>>
>>> not in my opinion!
>>>
>>> de Doug KR2Q
>> - --
>> Me neither but they did do something Elecraft had the chance to do and
>> didn't. USB ports for rig control. I've always considered a Serial to
>> USB adapter as a " box of chocolates", you never know what you're going
>> to get. Whether it works or not depends entirely on the chip set used
>> and the quality of the driver.
>>
>> Elecraft should have used USB ports. You can't buy a desktop motherboard
>> by any respected manufacturer that includes a serial port. The LGA 775
>> board I'm looking at for an upgrade has zero serial ports but 8 on the
>> mobo backplane and you can add four more to the front or back of the
>> case with cables and unused motherboard USB headers.
>>
>> It might be a trivial redesign of the KIO3 but I'm sure it's down the
>> list if at all.
>>
>> R. Kevin Stover, ACØH
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