[Elecraft] With all the problems...

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

I bought a used K2/10 with battery for portability reasons, and have
frequently used it as a "sniffer" and walk around radio.  I went nuts using
the controls on it at first until one day it sorta sunk in, like the lights
going on, from a headache to whatwasiupsetabout.  It happened quicker than
learning to use my FT1000MP.  That was tough learning something more modern
than my FT101ZD and Heath SB300/400 of antiquity.

I did all the K2 A to B board mods, which was actually fun.  Reliving my
Heathkit and Knight-kit experiences.  Added DSP in the process, got all the
alignment spot on and that K2 became one very fine RX radio.

After those, I was onto a K3 the first time I saw one, in the first couple
hours of a DX contest at NY4A.  Struggled for the first night with an Orion
out there, but got that one too.

Given the history above, the K3 was the easiest to use first time radio for
me since way back in the analogs.  I never had any trouble using an R390A,
a Collins S line, or a 75A3/4.

I will never forget the surprise of listening to the K3 on 40 meters on
NY4A's humongous five element 178' "boom" quad fixed on EU, and realizing
that the noise down at the bottom was now more like a hiss, that in the
past the bottom noise had been made by the FT1000MP, and the bottom layer
of stations was no longer the basement noodle antenna QRP crowd from DL and
OK, which were almost all now in the clear, and in their place was a nearly
inexhaustible string of 100 watt low dipole Russians.   I would have stayed
with the radio if it was slapping me with a stick.

Koolaid?  With those kinds of results, who needs Koolaid.  You need Koolaid
when you've bought it, the results aren't there, and you can't bear to
admit you've paid a lot of money for a dud.

The only reason there's a Yaesu 5000 with a good front end, is them getting
their b*tt kicked by the rush to Elecraft with undeniable results, endless
word of mouth propagation of same, and half the radios at the Radiosport
site coming up K3.  And the silly string of excuses following why there
should be so many K3's.

Yakencom folks could have easily installed the principles demonstrated in
the early Orion radios.  They could have bought a K2.  Wasn't until they
got their b*tts stomped they even bothered to look at the problem.

Too bad that JA1MP was lost to SK so early on.  I'm sure he was turning in
his grave over his beloved company taking such a slaggard path to front end
equality.

Of course that let Elecraft in the door, so I can't commiserate too much
:>)

I still use my K2.

Problems?   Clearly someone has never been stuck with a broken Yakencom
radio with NO hope of it ever being upgraded, or even just repaired.  I
will SO take what I have with Elecraft, even if it DOES take them a year
plus longer to get their KAT500 out.  Now I'm waiting for their outdoor
sealed remote version of same.  That's the one I need.  And I'll wait
around for it, unless The Shadow tells me they're not going to do it.

Koolaid?  What Koolaid.

73, Guy.

On Thu, Nov 15, 2012 at 8:02 PM, Gary Smith <Gary at ka1j.com> wrote:

> When I was first licensed I bought a then brand new Kenwood 820S from
> an Amateur Radio dealer in CT, it was boxed, never opened from
> Kenwood. At the same time I ordered all the accessories to go with
> it. Within a month I started having display issues and some of the
> LED display would be dark. It started shifting in frequency and I
> took it to the place I bought it and asked for repair. They said they
> stopped selling Kenwood Amateur gear shortly after I bought it. I
> took it to a local repair shop and the tech said the solder
> connections were cold soldered and it should be returned for a
> replacement.
>
> I contacted Kenwood in CA and told them what had happened and they
> told me I had bought it from a currently unauthorized dealer. I
> explained it was new, they were a dealer at that time and it needed
> to be repaired. Kenwood said I could send it to them but I would be
> responsible for the full cost of repair. I asked a Japanese friend to
> write a letter to Kenwood in Japan telling them of the situation and
> asking for help. I never heard back.
>
> That is my own personal experience with Kenwood and I have never
> bought another Kenwood anything.
>
> I say that here because the kind of attention you get with Elecraft
> assistance and service is the exact opposite of my experience with
> Kenwood. Go with the Elecraft rig of your choice and you will be much
> more than satisfied.
>
> Gary
> KA1J
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