[Elecraft] Serial Number Update Status

[Gary Smith]

FWIW,

When I was choosing which rig to get, to upgrade from my TenTec Omni 
V, I wanted a radio that was going to be on the top of its game as 
long as there were parts available for it. I considered all the rigs 
available at the time and it was a close draw between the Orion & the 
K3. I eliminated the Asian rigs because of the extremely high cost 
and because there were problems that were seemingly eternal that the 
only fix was a new model and retiring the old one.

The Orion was and still is a really fine radio but there were a lack 
of updates to the software that for whatever reason, left their 
owners complaining and the solution never being made available. At 
the same time the K3 was seeing updates seemingly every month if not 
sooner and it was obvious Elecraft was trying to resolve every valid 
issue that it could. 

The Orion ran into issues with end of life components that could not 
be obtained and an Orion II was released. I'd decided to go with 
Elecraft, another US company and I felt badly not going with TenTec 
but to my impression, Elecraft was delivering and TenTec was not.

As it is today, I made the right choice; The Orion is no longer in 
production (which is a shame because it was a really nice radio) and 
the K3 is in production and Elecraft will make all of them as-new for 
a modest investment. No way I could afford to buy a new rig every 
couple of years but in the K3 I have a rig I am familiar with and it 
is newer and improved, just like buying a new & upgraded radio but 
one I don't have to learn about or the location/functions of buttons 
anew as a new rig would demand.

Would I like a newer serial #? Absolutely but only from the 
standpoint that people equate a higher serial with a better radio. 
With this upgraded/updated K3, it is exactly the same as a new one. 
When Elecraft comes up with a new update/upgrade, I'll be right there 
to buy that and keep my rig "brand new". What other manufacturer does 
that other than Elecraft? 

They have my business from now on.

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