[Elecraft] Elecraft's source code

[na5n at zianet.com]

The success of food franchises, from McDonald's to Pizza Hut for example,  
is based on the fact you get the exact same yummy product whether you are  
in Seattle or Boston.  That success is called consistency.  Without that  
consistency, your product reputation suffers.  I see no difference with  
Elecraft or any other equipment manufacturer - all products need to  
function consistently with the same specifications.  Even in the used  
market.  There is no control over your product's performance once outside  
modifications are allowed and under a variety of skill levels, which could  
inadvertently degrade other performance factors of the radio. Pretty soon,  
people are buying used, hacked radios at ham fests or online and find them  
to be a piece of junk.  That seriously hurts a company's reputation for  
their products through no fault of their own.

I think Elecraft's decision for closed-source code is a smart engineering  
and business decision.  It ensures consistency in that every radio, whether  
new or used, functions properly and within specifications.  They keep full  
control of their product's performance and reputation.  And, as we have  
seen, they respond well to customer suggestions for new features or  
capabilities, which are fully company backed.

If you want to hack or custom program an SDR radio, there are platforms out  
there that allows you to do that which can be fun and educational in their  
own right.  If you want an Elecraft radio that works perfectly right out of  
the box, and stays that way, don't mess with it.  If you think it's lacking  
a feature, let them know.

72, Paul NA5N [KX2]