[Elecraft] On the advisability of selling kit radios

[Bob - W0GI]

<<<< How many additional K3's do you think Elecraft would sell
("pull-through") because they marketed a high power amplifier? >>>>

And how many less would they sell, if there were major problems with some
very expensive amps, causing a lot of negative talk?

We all know Elecraft has some fine engineers. At the same time, high power
solid state amps aren't exactly child's play to design with high
reliablilty. Add some users that do stupid things and connect horrific loads
to an amp, and it better have some serious design attributes to prevent
frying very expensive transistors.

Considering the high cost of the components that would fail, and the high
cost of shipping a heavy amp to and from Elecraft, it could become a very
bad and costly situation, very quickly.

Reputation shot to hell, and money down the drain.

Icom, Yaesu, and Kenwood all have waded in the amp market, but I bet there
are a lot more Alpha amps out there then all of their amps combined.  
 
And to be realistic, those of us that have Elecraft gear would look at an
Elecraft amp differently then the masses.

Everyone else would look at Alpha and some others as tried and true, and
Elecraft as that company that make those cool "little" radios, and question
how these new amps will hold up long term. It would take years of great
performance to get a great reputation out in the general ham population. But
only a few months of problems to get a poor reputation. People love to
complain.

Very risky stuff, when things are going so well with the current products.
:>)


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