[Elecraft] P3 Ubdate

[Ian White]

Don W3FPR wrote:

>
>A parallel example is my requests that the K2/K3/KX3 keying include
>Ultimatic mode.  I have been told in the past that it is being
>considered, but it has not yet materialized.  I do not think of that as
>making the K3 internal keyer "incomplete" - only that other things need
>attention from the limited Elecraft engineering staff than my request
>for Ultimatic keying.
>

Sorry, but I am no longer feeling so generous about and further delays
to features that have been waiting "on the list" for 7 years now. 

Given that the K3 aims to be the world's best CW transceiver,
"incomplete" seems a very appropriate word for an internal keyer that
offers fewer alternative timing options than a $6 WinKey. For anyone who
isn't already attuned to Curtis A or Curtis B modes, the K3's internal
keyer is of little use. The obvious remedy is to plug in a separate
keyer - and of course many people do, although that reduces the
much-vaunted portability of the K3 (and the KX3, even more so). 

But the internal keyer remains mandatory for paddle-sent RTTY or PSK.
Normal datamode keyboard speeds are 40-50wpm, so most paddle users will
try to send as close as possible to their personal top speed. This is
where the internal keyer needs to offer the maximum possible support for
alternative timing modes... and that support isn't there. 

User support has to start inside the transceiver itself, with the
facilities that it provides for everyday use. From both points of view -
the facilities that one expects in a premium transceiver, and fact that
the internal keyer is sometimes mandatory - the internal keyer really
does need attention. 


73 from Ian GM3SEK