[Elecraft] KIO3B

[Robert Nobis]

Jim,

Well said. A great overview of a great company and great radio.

73,


Bob Nobis - N7RJN
n7rjn at nobis.net


> On Dec 17, 2015, at 21:53, Jim Ewing <ewinginator at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Regarding posts reflecting impatience with KIO3B deliveries, other
> displeasure:  I don't agree with you.  I have owned my K3 for about 2
> months, after researching matters fully and finally making my decision to
> buy.  As a benchmark, I also collect and operate Collins radios, which are
> works of art and evoke the character, talent, vision and elegance of Art
> Collins.  I love my K3 and greatly admire Elecraft for reasons that
> parallel why I love Collins radios and the legacy of Art Collins.  In at
> least these respects:
> 
> 
> 
> 1.            Elecraft are people who clearly build these radios as a labor
> of love.  They operate cw (sometimes during lunch break!), do QRP, hike and
> accordingly know what’s needed to build radios that are a joy to operate –
> even outdoors and on the trail where radios are put to the greatest test.
> They come from a long line of great radios, having built the NorCal 40 and
> the Sierra, among other great radios.  I can tell from the craftsmanship,
> design, attention to detail and ergonomics, that my K3 is a labor of love.
> 
> 
> 
> 2.            I admire their story.  I admire how Wayne Burdick left his
> day job to start this company, and how Eric also bet his assets on the
> venture as well.  They believe in and love what they do, and my K3 sitting
> in my shack always reminds me of that powerful story.  They are not
> beholden to the bankers who might encourage more massive production, corner
> cutting and expediency, next-Q profit mentality over quality.  They have
> the discipline to avoid spreading themselves too thin.  They have the
> courage to keep their focus on doing things well, even if that sometimes
> means we have to wait.  Sometimes, as here, good things come to people who
> wait.
> 
> 
> 
> 3.            Their manual is well written, well organized, cogent, and
> pleasing-to-read – some of the best technical prose I have ever read (this
> I can say after practicing telecoms patent law for 33 years).  The manual
> is not just some random listing of buttons and features like you see in
> other manufacturers’ manuals, but rather reflects the thought, care and
> organization of someone who has put himself or herself in the operator’s
> shoes.
> 
> 
> 
> 4.            As a builder, I appreciate the thought, competence and
> innovation reflected in how their circuits are designed, for maximum
> performance and reliability, and minimal power consumption.  I also think
> it’s great they don’t seem to feel compelled to hire a Jony Ive for the
> latest cosmetic design in order to sell radios.
> 
> 
> 
> 5.            Their customer support is orders of magnitude above everyone
> else.  The other night, for example, I sent an email about some error
> messages I was getting, and Elecraft responded with the correct fix early
> the next morning.  Turns out I had inadvertently, in boneheaded fashion,
> hit the Config button and changed a setting.  The level of care, tact and
> patience reflected in the email, on top of the raw technical competence,
> were not lost on me.
> 
> 
> 
> 6.            That said, I am doubly dismayed, saddened and annoyed when my
> reflector message list is fouled with the whining of people who seem blind
> to these great radios and this great company.  People who whine because
> they want whatever *right now *so they can dash off to their island without
> delay, who are cheesed because the knobs are not sufficiently shiny, who
> seem affronted by the notion of having to open their radio up to add some
> of the amazing boards and circuits offered by this best-of-planet company
> because it might mar the paint job.  I am reminded of that New Yorker
> cartoon some years ago that shows a Met Patron standing in front of a Monet
> and complaining, reflecting more on herself than on the artist.  Would you
> people please *just stop*?
> 
> 
> 
> Thank you.
> 
> 
> 
> Jim Ewing
> 
> N4TMM
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