[Elecraft] Elecraft's source code

[Kevin - K4VD]

​I agree with Ken's conclusion that the current answer is, unfortunately,
no. I definitely do not agree with his reasoning. Car analogies aside, if
the code was open for experimentation and improvement by the wider
community then we could all benefit. ​Android, Arduino, Raspberry Pi,
Linux, ... are all examples of things that have been improved because they
can be programmed by just about anyone. Those who don't like your
improvements or don't feel their device will any longer be what they bought
and love can just not install your code changes.

But that's all a moot point as there is no access to the source code. But
unlike many other products, there seems to be pretty quick response to
requests for improvements and fixes.

Elecraft does have pretty rich macro commands allowing some nice external
software to be written. Win4K3 comes to mind. I'm pretty amazed at what has
been accomplished using the available macros. A true API from Elecraft
might improve things even further?

73,
Kev


On Fri, May 12, 2017 at 5:33 AM, Matt Maguire <matt.vk2rq at gmail.com> wrote:

> If you want to play around with and learn about SDR, I suggest you build a
> soft rock kit. Keep your Electaft rig for listening on the bands while you
> work in the kit :-)
>
> 73 de Matt VK2RQ
>
> > On 12 May 2017, at 1:30 pm, Ken G Kopp <kengkopp at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > Hi Mike!
> >
> > Your question has been asked before in several forms.  AFAIK, the answer
> is
> > "No", and I hope it remains so.
> >
> > If you were able to change your Elecraft's "personality" in some way to
> > make it unique ... regardless of the merit of your change ... it would no
> > longer really be an Elecraft would it?
> >
> > If you were to sell your unit ... or need to send it somewhere for repair
> > ... what / who would know what had been altered in the radio's "brains"?
> >
> > In my view, it would be akin to putting an engine from a Ford under the
> > hood of a Buick.  The result might well result in an improvement, but the
> > resulting vehicle would always be an oddity that few would want to deal
> > with.
> >
> > Some who own / buy animals pay close attention to the genetics of their
> > critters, and sometimes someone's idea goes wrong.
> >
> > Then there's the added staff at Elecraft needed to deal with the code
> > alterations gone wrong in units sent in for "psychiatric" repair.
> >
> > We place a tremendous amount of confidence in Elecraft based on the
> > reputation of the company's products, and a major portion of that comes
> > down to the integrity of "the code".
> >
> > 73!
> >
> > Ken Kopp - K0PP
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > On May 11, 2017 20:38, "Mike Parkes" <mspmail2 at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > Hello Elecraft group,
> > I don't own anything made by Elecraft yet however I have been shopping
> for
> > an HF rig to get active again (I have been off the air for a number of
> > years for personal reasons). I really like Elecraft's products, and I am
> > intrigued by the 'software definable radio' possibilities in this new
> breed
> > of amateur radio equipment design.
> >
> > I have a question though, related to what can or can't be done with an
> > Elecraft SDR transceiver*. Is the source "code" able to be modified by
> the
> > End User?* Or is it proprietary in some way so that only those at
> Elecraft
> > can touch the code? I have been monitoring this list for while now and
> have
> > yet to read anything like, "hey check out this cool change I made on the
> > Elecraft KX3 code! Before the radio only did this - now it does this!"
> and
> > next thing you know there are some very cool user modified code being
> made
> > available. Like, the ham being able to add their call into the code? (see
> > this
> > example
> > <https://spacemodels.files.wordpress.com/2017/05/
> customized-display-kx3.jpg>
> > )
> >
> > 73's
> > Mike AB7RU
> >
> > PS I tried to send this with the image attached and it got kicked back
> with
> > an error message so apologies if is a duplicate email list submission
> from
> > me.
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