[Elecraft] Why I won't purchase K3

[Johnny Siu]

Hello Alexey,

Very good that you have put up such an agressive title.  

No worry, we often hear opinions from the opposite side in this mail reflector.  
I like to build as well and the building process will give me the 
chance to understand more about the architecture of modern radio.

However, due to the wide use surface mount technology, it will be too difficult 
for an untrained amateur like myself to handle surface mount work for modern 
radio.  The modular design of K3 is something that I can manage.

I bought my latest K3 from the second hand market and I needed to do some 
upgrade modification myself.  I find this minor soldering work is quite fun 
indeed.  This is all I can handle.

A basic K3 has already covered most of the functions of a fully fit K2 and in 
similar price range.  Therefore, I would go for a basic K3 instead of a fully 
fit K2.

 cheers, 


Johnny VR2XMC 




________________________________
寄件人﹕ Alexey Kats <alexeykats at gmail.com>
收件人﹕ elecraft at mailman.qth.net
傳送日期﹕ 2011/3/6 (日) 9:30:54 PM
主題： [Elecraft] Why I won't purchase K3

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)
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