[Elecraft] LP PAN and "Point and Click"

[Dick Williams]

I'm sure that Elecraft (or any other company) can design and produce just 
about whatever is technologically feasible.   However, the issue boils down 
to at what cost, and then what market is out there to recover the costs.

Yes, it will be great if Elecraft does come out with a Panadapter "add on"; 
the last figure I heard was in the $700 to $800 dollar price range. 
However, if one were to start "tacking on" all the features that every K3 
owner feels is a "must have", the price would probably triple.

Now granted,  if you add 2400 or so bucks to the price of the K3, it is 
still considerable less than the piece of junk Icom sells for 12,000 bucks 
(I guess 10,500 with all the discounts).   Personally though,  I don't think 
the majority of K3 owner would want to fork over much more than 700 dollars 
for a panadaptor.    And this is especially true when you can achieve the 
same results (and with a unit that will most likely do considerable more 
than what is in the works at Elecraft) right now for under $300.  A lot of 
the "features" that seem to wanted are already functional or soon will be 
with LP-Pan.

Yes, you do have to have a computer;  but what ham out there does not own a 
computer (especially amateurs that have found there "niche" in the hobby 
were they want and need the capabilities of the K3)?   If you can afford a 
K3 (and the cost of a add on panadapter), I will "go out on a limb" and say 
you can afford to purchase a computer.

You don't have to be a "computer geek" to install and configure LP-Pan, 
LP-Bridge, and Power SDR.   And if you run into problems, there seems to be 
plenty of help on the LP reflector and my dealings with Larry at Telepost 
leave me with the impression that he is more than willing to take the extra 
step in helping you to get his product up and running.

I have had LP-Pan hooked up to my K3 for about a week and I am really 
impressed with what it does.  Went out and bought a second monitor for the 
computer and I have PowerSDR displayed on it.  Right now the display is 14" 
wide and 7" in height;  I can damn near read it without my glasses!

That is my "two cents worth".

Dick K8ZTT





> Julian, G4ILO wrote:
>
> I disagree.  I think the folks at Elecraft are capable of  developing
> the software required to do point and click.
>
> In fact I would not purchase one if I couldn't do that.
>
> Tom, N5GE
>>
>> Maarten van Rossum wrote:
>>
>>> I too would like to express my desire for a build-in / stand alone unit
>>> for
>>> the K3. One were I can hook up a monitor, a key board and maybe even a
>>> mouse
>>> if I wanted too and do all the modes that are available. And also very
>>> important, it should be more or less plug and play.
>>>
>>> PC's and I don't go very well together and although the LP PAN stuff 
>>> looks
>>> and sounds very promising, it is way to complicated for me. I am glad 
>>> that
>>> I
>>> am able to update my K3 every once in a while. Kudo's to Elecraft for
>>> making
>>> it that simple.
>>>
>>>
>>
>> I think all of us find PCs a hassle. I worked with computers all my life 
>> but
>> there are still times when I want to attack the thing with a 4lb club
>> hammer.
>>
>> Unfortunately for your requirement I think a PC would be the most cost
>> effective platform to do all that. I think the most we can hope for is
>> something that is just a panoramic display. The question in my mind is,
>> since for most people the benefit is being able to point and click to 
>> QSY,
>> how would that work using a separate display? Most people will still be
>> using a PC for logging etc. Having a separate screen for the display is 
>> not
>> an issue (in fact it would be a benefit to keep the main screen clear) 
>> but
>> having a separate screen that your mouse cannot click on doesn't seem 
>> like
>> an ergonomic ideal to me.
>>
>> So I'm guessing that it will just be a passive display like the ones in 
>> the
>> Icom 756 series that you can look at but not click on.
>>
>> -----
>> Julian, G4ILO. K2 #392  K3 #222.
>> * G4ILO's Shack - http://www.g4ilo.com
>> * KComm - http://www.g4ilo.com/kcomm.html
>> * KTune - http://www.g4ilo.com/ktune.html
>>
>>
>
>
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