[Elecraft] new KPA1500 Manual

[Fred Jensen]

Yes, the USAF Technical Orders for a system could fill a bookcase if 
printed, and they were printed then.  I don't remember many of the 
volumes but the -1 was "How to fly the airplane" [or operate the radio], 
-6 was the Illustrated Parts Breakdown, I think -5 was the parts list.  
There was usually a volume describing packaging for shipment of the 
myriad of modules in the system, and maybe one for storage requirements 
of various parts.  The well-worn joke was, "When the weight of the paper 
equals the weight of the airplane, you're cleared for takeoff." And, 
updates, in the form of page changes, could have life/death consequences 
if not done.  [see Boeing]

However ... tech data for a ham transceiver is light years removed from 
that environment and comparison really isn't fair or sensible.  
Elecraft's manual, like all manufacturers', approaches the radio from 
the perspective of, "Here are all the controls and here's what they 
do."  There's some information about how the radio works, but it's not 
anywhere near exhaustive.  KE7X's books approach it from the perspective 
of "Here are the things you may want to do with your radio, and here's 
how to do them."  Again, there's information about what's inside and how 
it does it, but it's not exhaustive.  No ham manufacturer that I know of 
publishes page changes.

Most of what I write in my station notebook is stuff I've learned about 
my radios ... how to set up RTTY, how to switch from local to remote 
operation, anomalies such as the P3 span issue when changing bands via 
SW commands, TX/RX EQ and AGC settings, etc. It's not info Elecraft 
sends out.  I annotate the PDF manual with the volume/page in my 
notebook where the item is described.  For me at least, the Elecraft 
PDF, KE7X spiral-bound book, and notes in my notebook work fine.  I 
would have liked a printed spiral-bound K3 manual that lays flat on the 
desk, but the PDF works.

73,
Fred ["Skip"] K6DGW
Sparks NV DM09dn
Washoe County

On 4/9/2019 4:46 AM, Bill Mader wrote:
> I agree with your comments on the amplifier's manual Peter.  Getting tech
> data right is a challenge.  I spent my last six years in the USAF at a
> Major Command HQ where I would visit our primary depot twice a year to
> discuss product improvement.  Tech data was a key part of those meetings.
>