[Elecraft] KXPA100 Shipping Status Update

[amsctalx at comcast.net]

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Another perspective is that this part of Elecraft's business is excellent (instead of "sucks") because we get advance visibility of products. At the same time we should realize the risk of advance notice is that factors out of Elecraft's control, e.g. parts availability, may slip the actual ship date. 

Ed W0YK/4 

Excellent observations. The typical consumer electronic device product development cycle (not including market analysis and requirements development) is about three years, so Elecraft is completely within norms in this respect. You don't know, despite all of the modern analysis and modeling tools available, how something is going to perform until you build production-intent prototypes and start putting pressure on your supply chain. 

I think that this is another case where Elecraft's transparency has a down-side, and that down-side is that some of us have unrealistic expectations based on knowing when development started and the forecast start of production. I think that we need to remember that Elecraft is doing the best that they can to meet their forecasts and they give us a chance to participate in the specification of the product. This is, to me, greatly preferred to being forced to accept what a handful of detached, insulated engineers think that we need. 

Mike - N8MSA