[Elecraft] RE: K3: is it SDR?

[Joel R. Hallas]

Well, there is no "official ARRL position" on what is and isn't an SDR, but
there is an FCC definition.

This is part of an article on SDR I wrote for my every-other month beginner
column in QST:

<<from article text>>

The FCC has defined the SDR concept in terms of their commercial
certification process as:
".a radio that includes a transmitter in which the operating parameters of
the transmitter, including the frequency range, modulation type or conducted
output power can be altered by making a change in software without making
any hardware changes." 
The FCC expects this to yield streamlined equipment authorization procedures
by allowing "manufacturers to develop reconfigurable transceivers that can
be multi-service, multi-standard, multi-mode and multi-band.."

In this context, they are envisioning radios that can be modified at the
factory by using different software to meet different requirements. While
they allow for field changes, their focus is different than ours....

<<end article quote>>

In any event, In the article, I include the K3 within my definition of SDR
(in contrast to what I call "software controlled radios") since its
modulation and signal processing is under the control of user modifiable or
upgradable firmware. The article is scheduled for Sept 08, so I'd appreciate
any comments, since I'm sure other people might have different ideas. BTW,
it has passed (with some minor suggestions) a sanity check from Gerald
Youngblood and his team from FlexRadio.

Regards, Joel
Joel R. Hallas, W1ZR
Technical Editor, QST
ARRL