[Elecraft] K3 (Documentation) ... a hint

[Matt Zilmer]

This has become a long thread.  At least this branch is shorter.

As an early adopter -production kit K3/10, #24-, I agree that the K3
manual, as it is today, is probably not the best introductory material
for new K3 owners.  It was quite different when the K3 was a new box.
Even though many advanced features were already incorporated and
working, there were far fewer people pleasers than is the case today.
The many specialized functions now in the K3 make it a transceiver for
"advanced amateur use", not an entry level rig.  The gap from
out-of-box to fully competent is a large one for at least some
end-users, and there isn't a bridge between the two.  Most companies
do this with a manual, some with tutorials, others with massive
customer support (expensive and time-consuming).

What may be needed is a use-case based guide to operations of the K3.
The user perspective could be based on type of operating (contest,
ragchew, etc.), on the mode (CW, data, SSB), with maybe an added
section on Elecraft or non-Elecraft accessories or add-ons (K144XV,
MicroHam, different types of logging or operating software, etc.).

With the relatively complex types of consumer electronics my company
produces, we try to divide manuals into four basic sections:
-Getting Started Guide
-Basic Operations
-Advanced and Specialized Operations
-Specific examples for 'how to'

Just some ideas.  One approach is to use a Wiki (others have done
these), but for the specific purpose of putting together operating
concepts as above, possibly fed by the K3 community.  Wayne has
already written one of these too, and it's available on the Elecraft
website.  However it's a point-by-point FAQ approach, and while good
for answering specific questions by point on feature, it's not a good
general guide to using the K3.

matt W6NIA



On Tue, 07 Dec 2010 10:41:51 -0500, you wrote:

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