[Elecraft] Visalia

[Vic K2VCO]

Several people asked if anything had been/was going to be announced at Visalia. I asked at 
the Elecraft booth, and the answer was "not here, but soon -- stay tuned".

They are definitely working on something, but whatever it is they are doing a good job of 
keeping it secret.

I noticed that the new K3's have what appears to be an improved finish on the sheet-metal 
parts, compared to my serial no. 0007. I also met K0PP and his XYL and admired her soft 
carrying cases for Elecraft radios.

I was impressed by a huge prop-pitch rotor at one of the exhibits. I commented that my 
dream was to have an antenna big enough need such a monster. "Move to Finland" was the answer.

I also looked at the Yaesu and Icom radios. Icom has very nice displays. I am hoping that 
Elecraft will produce a stand-alone panadapter as cool. Yaesu's FTDX9000 evoked one 
feeling: excess! You really have to see it in person to 'appreciate' (or not) the array of 
knobs and buttons. The front panel is vast.

I saw a neat little SPE MOSFET linear amplifier which included power supply and autotuner 
in a box the size of two K3's. I think it was rated at 900w CW, but at $3850 I am sticking 
with my SB1000.
-- 
73,
Vic, K2VCO
Fresno CA
http://www.qsl.net/k2vco