[Elecraft] K3 capabilities

[Fred Jensen]

G4ILO wrote:

> OK, I understand where they are coming from, even though it's not my
> interest. Making a living is competitive enough. Hobbies are for relaxing.
> 
> My objection to this particular suggestion is that it seemed to me
> counter-intuitive. I have visions of the K3 starting to behave like
> Microsoft Office, and trying to second-guess what I want to do based on some
> programmer's ill-conceived algorithm, which is usually NOT what I wanted to
> do at all.
> 
> Basically I prefer computers (and radios) to do JUST what I tell them, no
> more and no less. That way I know what is happening, and feel that I am in
> control, not the machine. If I want to do several things at once they can
> allow me to create a macro.
> 

PC's used to "just do what you told them," it was called "DOS," and 
there generally was one and only one way to do things.

I'm sort of with you Julian.  With so much functionality located in the 
software, Elecraft could tweak everything essentially forever and 
probably not satisfy every thing that every person wants.  I'm a bit 
reluctant to upgrade the firmware on my K3 because I'm just getting to 
know it and tracking the firmware functional changes takes a lot of time.

It seems to me there are three categories of firmware changes:

Bug fixes:  "It didn't do what was planned, but now it does"

Additions:  "This wasn't implemented in previous versions, so the knob 
didn't do anything, but now it does."

Changes:  "Memories didn't remember the power level, but now they do and 
Oh yes, you can now tune them."

Bug fixes are great, nothing to unlearn or learn, it just works now. 
Additions are great, I wasn't using the function anyway since it wasn't 
implemented.  Nothing to unlearn, something new to learn [and I can 
ignore it or defer learning it if I choose], but all the rest works as 
it did.

It's the Changes that scare me.  Something worked one way and I'm used 
to it, and now it works another way.  Something to unlearn, something to 
learn, and I have to figure out if it is going to affect the way I use 
the radio.  I'm not at all sure I want tunable memories [every memory is 
in effect a VFO].  Two VFO's and a bunch of memories works great for me, 
and I can generally keep track of which VFO I'm on at the moment.

Then of course, younger folks may have no problem with this ... I can 
remember when dirt was young :-)

73,

Fred K6DGW
- Northern California Contest Club
- CU in the 2008 Cal QSO Party  4-5 Oct 08
- www.cqp.org