[Elecraft] K3 Programmable Split?

[Joe Subich, W4TV]

Ian,

 > Joe, your personal dislike for alternative behaviours for the Split
 > button does not change the facts. Yaesu and Icom, the two largest
 > transceiver manufacturers, *have* been providing Programmable Split
 > Offset as a selectable configuration option for up to 20 years. It's
 > right there in the user manuals.

I said before that I'm not opposed to a programmable Quick Split as
long as it does not change the default behavior of the Split button
(A>B Hold).  No new operating feature or option should cause a user
familiar with the K3 to have difficulty operating any other K3.

> We already know that it works for the K3 as well, in the form of
> custom macros.

That's very true and you are welcome to your custom macros, button box
or whatever method you choose to implement Quick Split.  However,
unless the general user interface (and front panel) is changed to make
Split the primary function on its own button, any change to the current
UI should be off limits as it can and will cause more problems than it
"solves."

Both Icom and Yaesu make Quick Split an *optional* HOLD of the split
button - it's right there in their manuals.  Further, Icom is almost
forced to equalize VFOs (and moving the controls to the "back" VFO)
when turning on split because they are dealing with *single receiver*
transceivers with no separate controls for the transmit frequency.
As far as I know neither of the other "major" transceiver manufacturers
- Kenwood or TenTec - offer Quick Split (at least it does not show up
in a search of their current top of the line product manuals).  That
two of five major transceiver manufacturers offer a feature (and one
does so because their UI is so screwed up) hardly makes it an "industry
standard."   Playing "monkey see, monkey do" with transceiver makers
with some of the worst phase noise in the industry (IC-7600: -121
dBc/Hz @ 10 KHz, IC-7410: 121 dBc/Hz @ 10 KHz, Yaesu FTdx3000: -127
dBc/Hz @ 10 KHz per NC0B) in their single receiver transceivers is
hardly a virtue worthy of Elecraft's aspirations.

It is never wise for any equipment manufacturer to have versions of the
same model in which the primary controls (and Split is a "primary
control") behave differently from unit to unit.  If you want to talk
about a new feature set for a new model with a different UI, that's
fine but don't mess with Split - even the current basic implementation
is obviously a problem.  Overload the control or [optionally] change
the basic behavior of that control and you are going to cause real
confusion.

73,

    ... Joe, W4TV