[Elecraft] Unhappy With Your KX3?

[Oliver Dröse]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Rich" <rehill at ix.netcom.com>
I'm curious, where has Elecraft advertised or marketed the KX3 as a
"base station" radio?  My quick review only finds portable operation
references.  The only references to base station use I find is from user
comments.  Am I missing  something?

Rich
NU6T

----------

Hi Rich & all,

to my mind, yes, you are missing something. ;-)

First of all: I do not want to diss Elecraft, I like their products! 
Nevertheless I think they are not that good concerning marketing and 
full-filling customer expectations, that's why I bring up all those points! 
So if you are open to criticism read on, otherwise directly delete this 
mail, please. ;-)

So where did Elecraft market the KX3 as a base station radio? Well, it was 
mentioned several times here and on the KX3 mailing lists by Eric and Wayne 
themselves during the last 15 month' since introducing the radio. That was 
one of the reasons why I bought my KX3 as I wanted K3-like performance in a 
small package as the KX3 is that can be used portable but also be used at 
home with big antennas, i.e. in contests. Sorry guys, but the KX3 is really 
not up to that task yet, see belwo and also W4ZV's mail (but might improve 
in the future with new firmware). Besides this I want to use it as a 2 m 
portable and microwave transverter radio. So for the moment it is still a 
keeper until the KX-2M comes out and hopefully proves it's capabilities 
there.

Back to marketing as base station radio: If you open your operating manual 
and turn to page 3 at leat in mine ;-) it reads:

"The KX3 is a compact, 160-6 meter, all-mode transceiver that's ideal for 
both new and experienced operators. It's unique features meet the 
requirements for home use, portable, mobile and even hand-held operation."

Maybe my English is too bad but home use = use as a base station, isn't it? 
Otherwise please explain the difference, I am eager to improve my English. 
Further down that same page you will read:

"For mobile and home use, you can boost the KX3's output to 100 watts with 
the optional KXPA100 amplifier."

Again, home use. Why does it have an I/Q output? Isn't a panorama display 
rather something you'll use at home than portable? Yes, there will be 
exceptions (somebody with a netbook on a hill-top) but the typical 
application for that is rather home use I suppose (but I might be wrong, of 
course).

Even on the Elecraft website it says "Ultra-Compact Home/Portable/Mobile 
Station" as well as the QST ad which states "... the ultra-compact KX3 is 
equally at home on your desktop, in a vehicle, or in remote field 
locations."

So once again: Sorry guys, but to me that is clearly marketing the rig for 
use as a base station, too. And be sure it's not only me thinking that way! 
I cannot preclude that it might be due to different mind-sets and thus 
probably different expectations between Americans and Europeans (or Germans 
to be specific) but then again that's some food for thought for Elecraft how 
to market things and how to address features and capabilities when they want 
to sell internationally. I am sure they are open to it!

And this base station "issue" is not about the small speaker. As I already 
mentioned I know that small transducer cannot perform like a device four 
times as big and have no problem using external speakers. Obviously some 
guys got me wrong so please go re-read my mails (or I used the wrong wording 
as a non-native English speaker). It is about the whole package, i.e. still 
missing features that are clearly advertised and described in the manual but 
non-existing in firmware (see my mention of voice keyer). It's about roofing 
filter and dual watch (both actively marketed and with the roofing filter 
even expensively paid for!) that will not work when RX shift is enabled 
which you have to do in Europe when using the radio on something bigger than 
20 m of wire as the radio is prone to AM breakthrough! a.s.o.

Again: *I* know that the radio will evolve over time (and Wayne already 
promised at least a few fixes for those issues) but many first time buyers 
don't and they are simply disappointed after opening the box and finding 
things will not work! Those guys are not used to it as Elecraft is the only 
company bringing out "half-ready" radios and making them better only over 
time with firmware updates. No problem with me, *I* know how that works. But 
all those customers mentioned above (a few of them direct friends of mine) 
don't and do you really believe they will recommend such a product? Maybe 2 
years after the initial launch when all features are finally in there and 
working as expected. If they still own the radio then ... For me that is a 
lost chance for Elecraft (and I really like to see Elecraft grow). That's 
why I suggest to re-think their "marketing strategy", that's all. I don't 
want to diss them, I want to help them.

73, Olli - DH8BQA
K3 #4546 + K144XV, KPA500 #431, KAT500 #???, KX3 #602
--> So yes, I like Elecraft gear, but that does not make me blind! ;-)