[Elecraft] Bug mode on K3?

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

On Wed, Dec 10, 2014 at 3:44 AM, Ian White <gm3sek at ifwtech.co.uk> wrote:
>
> That list would be a reasonable 'industry-wide benchmark' for the
> keying/timing modes that a premium CW transceiver like the K3 should
> offer as built-in options.
>

/rant mode on/
[Medical warning: delete this message now without reading if rants cause
you to break out in hives or have other side effects]

I specifically do not agree that Ian's list should be a benchmark. The only
fully debugged version of a lot of those is copyrighted code in a WinKey
product. Ask K1EL how much development and debugging time is vested in
that, how many solved once-perplexing problems are now water under the
bridge in that mature code. Should we be presuming that some non-licensed
code-from-scratch version, even from the gifted crew at Elecraft, could
emerge without some significant learning curve that duplicates K1EL's
experience in some measure?

Part of the problem with the no-external-boxes-need-apply take on this, for
many of the rather marvelous contest function integration boxes (like my
MicroHam u2R), to make it work the WinKey chip needs to be IN THE BOX,
fully integrated. This is so the state of all connected devices can be
situationally managed from the BOX's firmware, a really ridiculous task to
export to a transceiver. Ask the MicroHam people how much work that
firmware has been over the years.

Since integrating all of the box functions into the K3 is never going to
happen, I have to buy the integration box for the contests anyway. I have
the more-than-quite-adequate WinKey functionality in my u2R box. It comes
on with the K3, and my paddle is plugged into the u2R for all operations at
the shack.

So I really would prefer that Elecraft spend their time on stuff that MUST
be done in the transceiver, rather than turn half the firmware into
accessory routines, which by nature would be an endless source of
complaints. (Cue sound of soulful violins) "Why doesn't my transceiver only
blow smoke out of my right ear instead of my left when I'm operating SO2R
and focus is on the left transceiver?"

There are some number of ham entrepreneurs out there (like K4PN, etc) who
might do a WinKey chip based add-on board to go inside a K3, **IF** he felt
the market was a hundred times the size of the complainer's list here on
the reflector, and he could actually charge enough to cover what it cost
him, with a little reasonable profit tacked on. Maybe MicroHam could take
that on. From here they have the best vantage point to pull it off.

My K3 won't wipe my b*tt either, but I'm quite content to leave that means
hanging on the WC wall, and effect all that separately, and yes, (gasp)
operate it manually manually.

Again, it is all too easy to presume or spend someone else's time and
money. Bad habit.

Wayne and company have been fantastic at sorting out all the stuff, picking
out the essentials to spend time on. More more than ANY rig I have seen
since 1958, the K3 represents a sure classic, fully-fleshed-out rig that
serves just about any operating paradigm. AND, HE IS STILL DOING
FIRMWARE-ONLY STUFF FOR FREE (!!!). Match that anywhere else in hamdom.

Two WRTC's in a row, and WHAT rig was used most by the teams? By far, no
other rig in second place? In this case people are voting with their bank
balance. Those numbers are statistically very serious. By a very wide
margin, those paying voters have declared the K3 AS the industry-wide
benchmark, Ian's contrary declaration notwithstanding.

**IF** Wayne, for his own reasons, decides to add Ultimatic to the list of
keyer methods, I will certainly enjoy it in a very few specific situations
across the year.

But whatever else, for me the most annoying CW exercise will be trying to
operate the maddening dual-lever paddle on Iambic A on a run I picked up
sliding in as relief to a live operating position, and can't stop to switch
around cords and menu settings without losing the cool run frequency. And
there is nothing Wayne can add to a K3 to help me out. For me none of the
various frustrations voiced here rise anywhere near that level.

The one great satisfaction I have where I multi-op is that all the rigs at
all the positions are K3's, and I always have the benefit of K3 continuing
development at every position, and so am always operating the number one
rig in the world.

I have quit pushing on Elecraft for things that aren't firmware bugs or
aren't firmware design choices where 7 or 8 years of field operation have
uncovered unintended consequences. Wayne is far, far better at sorting out
the stuff than I. And he knows what to do to stay in business. What would
all you complainers do if Elecraft went out of business?

/rant mode off/

73, Guy K2AV