[Elecraft] Why I won't purchase K3

[Alexey Kats]

Ladies, gentlemen, and all the other species of HAM community,

I apologize for such aggressive and somewhat insulting subject of my
posting. But after reading all the "why I purchased Elecraft radio" reasons
I felt like chirping in.

I like radios, I like to find out what I can do with it. I like building
things with my own hands. I didn't have so much fun building fully loaded
K1, K2, and KX1 in years... like... like.. like I had when I was assembling
my own computer with nothing but pliers, 40W soldering iron and individually
acquired spare parts back in 90es. It felt like I was giving birth to a baby
or something - making sure that it is in the best state I could possibly
make it. And I could also learn from it, a lot, in fact.

Now, don't get me wrong, when it comes to the specs of K3 I bow my head to
the designers of it - it's truly a one son of a  gun radio. It's pretty much
the heaven dream for CW. I know that. But there is one thing which makes me
uneasy - it's not the radio I built. It's not even the radio I assembled.
It's the radio someone else built, and all I am reduced to is plates
arrangements and screwdriver turning. It's almost like I am not sure whether
I should be thanking Wayne and Eric, or curse them. (Probably thank them
more than anything...)

My gripe with K3 is that even if I buy it, build it, and use it, I can't
honestly say that I BUILD it. Simply because I didn't build it. With K1, K2,
KX1 I learned a lot from its schematics, I was able to figure out what went
wrong if something went wrong (just to prove to myself that it was me who
was an idiot). I loved the process of making sure that I understand each and
every piece of it, to the last capacitor, even if I don't understand the
assembler code of its main controller (I spend enough time with computers to
hate them thoroughly as it is). My problem is I can't do the same with K3.
I'd love to own it. I'd love to use it. But I'd hate to build it.

I am sorry if this posting makes no sense to all of you. I was simply trying
to express my feelings...

I think I'll try to find more money to build another K1 or K2. (Actually, I
like K1 more, don't ask me why.)

-- 
Alexey Kats (neko)