[Elecraft] Fw: OT: Kenwood's new rig?

Wed May 9 10:04:53 EDT 2012

Guys,

I want to ring the bell to ham comunity abt new fancy radios with LED/OLED displays. In the last half year or so I've seen on FT5K forum lots of people complaining abt OLED display failure and I owne one...that scare me a lot. Being involved in R&D for over 20 years mostly in enterprise telecom I've notticed in the last year a massive invation of consumer grade  components into the enterprise/professional grade equipement. Starting with near suicide initiative BYOD (bring your own "crappy" device at work) an going forward with cost reduction lifecycle- a mandatory step in any lifecycle product, the MTBF of most critical components, like displays, encoders, mechanical components, start falling down dramatically. When you spend  few hundred bucks for a smartphone that anyway sooner or later in max 2 years you'll change it is not so severe but when you spend 5K+++ for a radio and after 2 years your displays are going down and guess what? that display
 is already obsolate part that scares me a lot. I am so happy the K3 does NOT have any tft/lcd/led display build in and I hope the next K line generation will avoid this big mistake of embedding displays in the radio and will stay like this. Just my 2 cents regarding new fancy color tv transceiver from kenwood. I have a strange feeling that we won't see aging this new transceivers generation on our desk and will become a consumer product like a coffee maker or toaster....so sad

VE3GNO Daniel

________________________________
From: Fred Smith <mfsj at mo-net.com>
To: 'Nate Bargmann' <n0nb at n0nb.us>; elecraft at mailman.qth.net 
Sent: Wednesday, May 9, 2012 7:47:39 AM
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Fw: OT: Kenwood's new rig?

Your correct to this point it's still vapor ware no published findings or
even FCC approval yet. I also think that QST and Sherwood's reports will
make or break this radio as they have with all other high end radios. The
first reports will be published in Japan well ahead of here like the Yaesu
one's did with the 5000 4 mo before here. I will be compared to the FT-5000,
K3, and Flex 5000 pretty much in that order in rankings as they are
published and see where it falls.

As we all know it has a tough row to hoe with that lineup and those who do
purchase we will see if they sell them as quickly as they have the TS-590s
which I have seen even cheaper than a used TS-2000. Numbers change almost
daily in the radio market what was on top one day could fall the next just
one of those facts will look forward to see the numbers on the 990.

73,

Fred/N0AZZ

-----Original Message-----
From: elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net
[mailto:elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Nate Bargmann
Sent: Wednesday, May 09, 2012 6:05 AM
To: elecraft at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Fw: OT: Kenwood's new rig?

* On 2012 09 May 05:28 -0500, VE3GNO Daniel wrote:
> without Rob Sherwood stamp nobody will spend big $$$ for colored displays.

I beg to differ.  I have seen plenty of postings that indicate a fair number
are wanting a "high end" Kenwood for their shack and I think plenty will
plunk down a deposit next weekend even though it is still almost sight
unseen.

It's almost comical reading the various forums where there seems to be a
thought of "anything but a K3" amongst some.  I have no doubt that Kenwood
will sell plenty '990s just as they have '590s.

Not to be snide, but the picture made me think I was looking at an Icom!

> So far nobody knows what is ethernet port is doing...web server? 
> sip+codec? or just firmware upgrade. Also why 2 USB's...is one 
> possible to be used for a keyboard? Hopefully next week we'll have 
> some answers

Apparently there won't be a real box to play with.  From what I've read the
disply will be a mock-up with no elecronics inside.  Of course, that
information is a few weeks old by this point.

73, de Nate, N0NB >>

-- 

"The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all possible worlds.
The pessimist fears this is true."

Ham radio, Linux, bikes, and more: http://www.n0nb.us
______________________________________________________________
Elecraft mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:Elecraft at mailman.qth.net

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
-----
No virus found in this message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 2012.0.1913 / Virus Database: 2425/4987 - Release Date: 05/09/12

______________________________________________________________
Elecraft mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:Elecraft at mailman.qth.net

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html