[Elecraft] K4: serious challenge for the $10K toys

[Johnny Siu]

Hello Doug,

For the market of 10k and 15k rig, it has to be supported by a large instit=
utional market which is the most profitable.

The requirements from institutonal users could be different from hams.  Dur=
ability, physcial strength and easiness of operation could be another areas=
 to look into.  I fully appreciate that Elecraft is a very clever manufactu=
ring engineer and marketing manager.  When you examine both K2 and K3, for =
all the non-essential parts (including the fat head and pan head cabinet sc=
rews), I am rude to say that they use the cheapest materials.  For the T/R =
switch of KPA100, they only use the cheap IN4007 diodes for the switching (=
but works very well!!).

On the other hand, for the criticial parts such as the front end of XV144 t=
hey use an excellent MOSFET.  Elecraft is very clever in a way that they ca=
n mimize the production costs against performance.

K2 and K3 are excellent in specifications but I doubt whether they can real=
ly operate under full institutional usage 7/24 a week.  May be there is ano=
ther version of K3 for institutional users which I don't know.

I am an ICOM user as well.  I understand that ICOM earns huge revenue from =
the institutional version of their IC7800, IC7700 and ICR9500.  For a purch=
ase of 10k or over, the prospective purchaser will look into other issues. =
 For me, I would also think of resell value of my used gears if I invest 10=
k or more.

May be I am lucky that in Hong Kong, all the top gears (except K3) are only=
 80% of the US prices.  Therefore, when I sell my IC7800 or IC7700 in futur=
e, the loss to me could be minimal.

With the clever minds in Elecraft, I think they have the capability and tal=
ent to enter the profitable institutional market.  Perhaps, they may go for=
 IPO in due course (of course not now) for funding.

cheers,

Johnny Siu VR2XMC



--- 2009=A6~1=A4=EB3=A4=E9 =ACP=B4=C1=A4=BB=A1ADOUGLAS ZWIEBEL <dougzzz at gma=
il.com> =BCg=B9D=A1R

> =B1H=A5=F3=A4H: DOUGLAS ZWIEBEL <dougzzz at gmail.com>
> =A5D=C3D: [Elecraft] K4: serious challenge for the $10K toys
> =A6=AC=A5=F3=A4H: "Elecraft Reflector" <elecraft at mailman.qth.net>
> =A4=E9=B4=C1: 2009 1 3 =ACP=B4=C1=A4=BB =A4W=A4=C8 10:57
> Hi Joe...
>=20
> Yes, I'm sure a K4 (or how about a K88 so the SE Asia
> guys would buy
> in big time) could be "easily" made.  In fact,
> for "that" group, it
> might make sense to price it even higher than
> "theirs"...say $15 or
> $20k.  You know, when you get into the upper tiers of any
> market, it's
> the HIGH PRICE that convinces folks that it's good.=20
> And if it really
> is good (as I'm sure the K88 would be), then bingo.=20
> Tons of profit
> margin....with a concomitant lower volume.  It all balances
> out.
>=20
> However, if you look at the track record of Elecraft, they
> appear to
> be very good at identifying very tiny niche markets
> (although the K3
> seems to have a wide appeal...wider than expected?).=20
> Somehow,
> competing "head to head" with a "big"
> radio doesn't seem to fit the
> "Eric/Wayne" approach.
>=20
> As I recall (it's probably on their web site
> somewhere), the K3 was
> targeted to be a "high performance, very portable,
> light weight"
> radio...with some very neat features too.  They have
> certainly
> achieved that.  If I were them (which I am not), I'd be
> focusing on
> refining what I have (which they are obviously doing).  It
> is probably
> just a matter of time before the FT9009 and IC7878 come
> out, using
> nearly identical receiver design approaches to those used
> in the K3
> (and Orion).  Citing my own previous post today, this could
> be the
> Trophy wife with four PhD degrees.  It's got to be only
> a matter of
> time.  Of course, it will still be a BIG, HEAVY radio,
> taking up lots
> of real estate and providing lots of future opportunity for
> Herniorrhaphy surgeons.  The K3 will still have its niche
> market.
>=20
> Okay..end of make-believe "I can see the future"
> diatribe.  :-)
>=20
> de Doug KR2Q
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