[Elecraft] Fwd: K3 Failed DSP Firmware Download

[Jack Brabham]

On 2/6/2011 8:40 AM, K9ZTV wrote:
>
>
> On 2/6/2011 7:49 AM, Jack Brabham wrote:
>> Baring the remote possibility that Elecraft comes up with a more
>> sophisticated system for doing these down loads, my plan is to limit
>> doing these in the future to about once a year, due to their being such
>> a PITA.
> Not a good idea, Jack.  You should always run the latest firmware, 
> including Betas.  There are tweaks and fixes in nearly every upgrade 
> not major enough to warrant documentation but
> significant enough to have none the less.
Actually it is a real good idea.   Not being a QRQ Op, the last year of 
updates has bought me a improved noise gate and an APF, neither of which 
was a "must have" for my operating.   On the other hand, doing the 
updates has resulted in a couple of days of down time and a lot of 
aggravation.   Not a particularly good trade off.

>> The problem seems to be a general lack of robustness and intelligence in
>> the K3's bootstrap loader.   For my money, a less simple minded method
>> of doing these updates would be a welcomed new feature.
> Not so for a variety of reasons exhaustively discussed by others on 
> the Elecraft reflector since the debut of the K3.  I am using the 
> original USB-232 cable ordered at the same time I ordered the K3 
> (serial number 21) which uses Prolific drivers.  It is used with a 
> Toshiba Vista laptop and has never failed to load firmware.  As 
> indicated by those honest enough to follow up their complaints with a 
> solution-report posting, the problems are seldom (if ever) K3, 
> Utility, or Converter-cable related.  They are nearly always computer, 
> driver, or operator related.   With 5000 K3s out there, and so few 
> reports of firmware issues, it is clear the problems lay on the 
> owner's side of the equation and not on Elecraft's side.
All sorts of people have all sorts of different problems doing K3 
firmware down loads and "cockpit trouble" certainly plays it's part on 
occasion.   However when connectivity that normally works can not be 
used for downloads the problem is with the K3 and the downloading 
system.    The "fix" is always elsewhere because owners are left to find 
a "workaround" with the things they can change.

I've been following these threads for the last year.  The only thing 
that has been done "exhaustively" is the usual making up excuses, 
pointing blame anywhere else, and generally questioning the intelligence 
of anyone who finds a fault with anything made by Elecraft.


>
> If I can help you at all, let me know.

Thanks.

73 Jack KZ5A

>
> 73,
>
> Kent  K9ZTV
>
>
>