[Elecraft] K3 firmware 2 years on and still much to do

[juergen piezo]

K3 firmware 2 years on and still much to do?

I  still dont own a K3. I just cant bring myself to  buy the K3 because 
of its front panel layout and its operation. Although I would very much
like its receiver performance. 

 I have used one at a contest station and all that I can
say is that I would not buy one until a new front panel layout is 
designed. 

The band switching, VFO management, mode switching and many
aspects of its front panel design needs a rework. Most of the contest
operators that I know seem to own a FT2000, they will all acknowledge that
its no  K3, however they all feel the same as I do about the K3 and its
ergonomics. Most of us are just not portable operators, so dont need
small size 12 volt radios.

There are many good radios that  would be a good front panel design model
for the K3a. The FT950, FT920, Icom 737series, TS850 etc all have a very
workable ergonomic front panel layouts that are easy to use. The FT950 is so well layed out and very attractive and it would be  a good one to copy
for a new K3 front panel.

If the K3 is so modular, why would it be so hard not to  offer a bigger
box with a new front panel? There are many off the shelf 19 inch rack 
boxes that could be used with a new front panel styling. 

I would suggest that a new K3 panel  with built in P3, power supply and
200 watt PA stage would be a big hit.  Everyone seems to be so over the
moon with the K3's small size, I must be a freak with alien genes to not
like the radios front panel  layout and operational ergonomics.

The firmware feature list or lack of progress I can live with. However a
awkward  panel layout and poor ergomics thats carved in rock I cant really live  with.  When I used the K3 all that I ever used was the band switch, volume and RIT control.... thats all, just like a Mil-spec radio.  It was  very hard to do otherwise, so I probably missed a lot of the K3's potential. 

I too live in hope that a new K4 is coming! I could even live with a K3 junior with one receiver and a new front panel design.

John

--- On Sat, 9/19/09, Dave G4AON <elecraft at astromag.co.uk> wrote:

> From: Dave G4AON <elecraft at astromag.co.uk>
> Subject: [Elecraft] K3 firmware 2 years on and still much to do
> To: elecraft at mailman.qth.net
> Date: Saturday, September 19, 2009, 1:58 AM
> Unfortunately the K3 firmware seems
> to have wandered off track a bit,
> two years ago when the K3 started rolling out the following
> were on the
> "to do" list and formed part of the specification:
> 
> 0.5 ppm TCXO calibration
> Synchronous AM
> 
> These might not be the most important issues in the world,
> but were
> included in the original specification and are in the Oct
> 24th 2007 "B1
> manual". Currently the K3 fails to meet specification!
> 
> Can we have some indication of their position on the
> firmware roadmap?
> 
> 73 Dave, G4AON
> K3/100 #80
> 
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