[Elecraft] OT: Flex 5000, ADAC Shmaydac

[DOUGLAS ZWIEBEL]

All I know is:

1.  I have zero IMD in real life with the K3 used at my QTH.  I could
not say this about any other radio used during a contest.

2.  From QST Product Review (c):
CW Choices
New with the FLEX-5000A is a real keyer plus provisions for CW
keyboarding, CW memories, dot-to-dash ratio and waveform shaping. Even
so, CW operation
was a somewhat less enjoyable experience than SSB. While the
manufacturer claims the FLEX-5000A is capable of full-break-in (QSK)
CW, most CW aficionados would call it "near QSK." If another station
can't break you with a single dit while you're sending, it's not true
QSK.

No QSK?  For me, kiss it goodbye...it's a no-starter.  I am NOT a "phone guy."

3.  Nothing is so "natural" for the human interface as a knob...or
several of them.  A mouse?  Yuck...good for the computer which has 2D
navigation, but not much else.  And even a mouse now comes standard
with a knob (scroll wheel).  Would you want to drive you car with a
mouse or knob (steering wheel)?  For 1D navigation, knobs are VFB.  No
wonder Flex offers an external knob as an option.  So...do you want to
have a line up of external knobs on your desk top (not your computer
desktop) - one for VFO A, one for VFO B, one for RIT/XIT, one
for......?

de Doug KR2Q