[Elecraft] The Cost Of Amateur Radios

[Chris Tate - N6WM]

Isn't it great to have choices?  :-).  

FWIW

I have a K line, and a flex 6500.  Flex has some more homework to do before their platform is fully contest ready.  But they are working on it and I really see it as a work in development, many of the control knob and button issues have been addressed adequately with apps(ipad) and the flex control knob and the pan display is nothing short of amazing.  I have gotten major contest loggers interfaced successfully.

 The 6300 is an entry level rig and as such will not hold up too well in battle with its lack of preselectors.   The 6500 has preselectors but only 1 FPGA spectral capture unit.. (e.g. no diversity)  only the $7000+ 6700 has diversity capability but both the 6500 and 6700 can replace 2 K3's with various SO2R tasks and that could make it attractive and a possible good value.

Their most recent software update has supposedly cleaned up their tx..(I just committed tonight to bring my 6500 over to YC for a test)

After running the lot..  I still show up to a contest and do my serious dxing with my K-line.  but the improved capability of the 6500 is quite intriguing.. (and it has improved significantly).  Its ability to produce its feature set remotely is pretty far out as well.   I think this thing could develop into a contest friendly rig with future updates....   or then again.. we shall see. 

But hey it the operator and not the rig right?   :-).

Summary:
Love and live by my Elecraft rigs.  (Particularly my k-line. wont sell them.. no way no how)
Intrigued with my flex 6500 experiment..  could grow on me if they makes various specific improvements.  Their eco-system(reflectors..  support) also need work along with the rig itself.  

IMHO There are many lessons they could learn from the Elecraft eco-system in general.

73
Chris
N6WM

-----Original Message-----
From: Elecraft [mailto:elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Jim Brown
Sent: Thursday, April 9, 2015 11:46 PM
To: elecraft at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] The Cost Of Amateur Radios

On Thu,4/9/2015 4:48 PM, Bill Turner wrote:
> Cons:

You left out the fact that the K3 is a MUCH cleaner rig than the 6300 tested by ARRL, the Flex radios have only one RF chain, so they cannot do diversity, and the UI is something that only the programmer's mother could love. :)

People buy radios for different uses.  I would hate to use any of the current crop of SDRs in a contest. Someone buying for casual operation could reasonably make a very different decision.

I don't know how you operate, but I suggest you use that new box for a while before selling your K3/P3.

73, Jim K9YC
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