[Elecraft] Rig Rumbles?

[Gary and Kathleen Pearse]

Earlier, "rumbles" were mentioned along with "artifacts" and all  
manner of audible squeaks and chirps generally hidden in the K3. I  
thought I had finally fully recovered from my IC-756 experience, and  
now this issue reminds me of that old unpleasantness.

Background: I like ICOMs and have owned or operated very many  
including the all 756 series through Pro II. My early Pro had low  
level "rumbles/artifacts", barely audible in quality headsets on a  
quiet band. I reported same to my Dealer, ICOM, and finally the ARRL  
during their initial testing. Read their review for a discussion of  
that discovery.

It was really there but at a low level, and thanks to a couple of  
gifted HAMs, the source was discovered and remedies suggested. ICOM  
denied the issue in written and spoken coms to me and others (I sent  
mine in for an ICOM checkup, and no problems were noted). They later  
fixed it by offering us a new improved model that was rumble-free,  
the new Pro II. It was an expensive repair to say the least versus  
potentially what could have been a few changes in circuit components.

Patience, and reconsider any suspicions surrounding Elecraft's  
continuing development policy. Their improved DSP board is a  
relatively free gift compared with buying a complete new radio as  
ICOM once offered the amateur community. Thanks to it's design, the  
K3 platform is simply a work in progress.

I'm looking forward to additional upgrades by Elecraft as time goes  
by and the K3 evolves. That's one reason why I decided to support our  
American company with my $. Thanks for your time.

73, Gary NL7Y