[Elecraft] K4 YouTube Video List by Date

Mon Dec 23 14:59:50 EST 2019

Ever since the 8086 XT processor where I 
could work 2 more MHz out of it, I have 
loved upgrading processors to get faster 
speeds. This being within the same family 
of processor, ones that simply drop into 
the existing socket & motherboard, some 
are much faster than others and have a 
more expansive architecture than their 
younger brother.

Perhaps that will be an option for the K4 
if the processor is socketed, say in 3-4 
years a replacement with ever greater 
speed and capabilities will come out. 
Maybe in the case of the K4 such a 
processor change would be inconsequential? 
Time will tell. 

One thing for sure, I really like the 
options for future expansion the K4 
modular system allows for.

Cheers to us all.

73,

Gary
KA1J

> John, that's the beauty of it all... you can play now (or rather in
> the near future) or you can wait and decide for yourself after all the
> 'glorious independent reviews come in' (grump around like the Grumpy
> Old K3 Grinch who stole Christmas). "When I was a young man we used a
> K3 or a K3S and by golly we loved it!!!!" You young whipper snappers
> with your new fangled K4 gizzo radios! :)  Is someone making you
> upgrade to a K4? Twisting your arm? You totally missed the point.
> 
> The K4 isn't ONLY about the receiver specs... maybe for you so you
> have no choice but to wait...  I get it...  However if that was the
> case, then you would have bought some other transceiver that has
> already exceeded some of the K3S's specs. No? The point here is that
> there is far more to the new platform than receiver specs alone and
> the potential truly leaves the exhausted K3's processing and now
> static capabilities in the dust (Elecraft is moving on whether you
> like it or not... that ship has already sailed!). Plus sensitivity is
> only as good as the noise floor your antenna system provides... I'm
> not aware of an HF antenna system that provides a ~-133dBm to -145dBm
> MDS noise floor.  So sensitivity is all relative to your antenna
> system.  Blocking dynamic range is far more important to me.  It's
> time for Elecraft to move on to a platform they can build on.  I'm
> sure many will shake their fist in the air, weep and wail and gnash
> their teeth, holding on to the K3s for years and years to come (a
> testament to K3 success), but many will be excited for what the K4
> will bring and are willing to go along for the ride right from the
> start.
> 
> You can stomp your feet and do what you like...bark at the moon and
> pound sand and continue to stick with the K3 until the end of times,
> nothing wrong with that... try to convince yourself that the creators
> of the K3 can't do any better.  I'm in the camp that they have already
> done better and I want to go along for that ride.  Doing better
> includes far more capabilities than dropping the MDS by a few dBm what
> will net nothing. Onward and upward I say... it's exciting to see that
> there is and continues to be a market to keep pushing the envelope in
> the HF transceiver market.
> 
> Max NG7M
> 
> On Mon, Dec 23, 2019 at 10:20 AM John Stengrevics
> <jstengrevics at comcast.net> wrote:
> 
> > POTENTIALLY better NR & NB will have to wait for hard data and
> > independent reviews.
> >
> > And, this will absolutely determine whether or not I transition from
> > the K3S to the K4 (along with improved sensitivity).
> >
> > 73,
> >
> > John
> > WA1EAZ
> >
> > > On Dec 23, 2019, at 9:43 AM, M. George
> > > <m.matthew.george at gmail.com>
> > wrote:
> > >
> > > It's not surprising that there many looking for all the
> > > information they can get on the K4 etc.. Here is a YouTube link
> > > that lists K3 related video 'Search for Elecraft K4 Sorted by Date
> > > for Video posted this year' <
> > https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=elecraft+k4&sp=CAISBAgF
> > EAE%253D
> > >
> > > :
> > >
> > https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=elecraft+k4&sp=CAISBAgF
> > EAE%253D
> > >
> > > Just use the filter option in YouTube in this case to narrow down
> > > the videos to the latest postings based on the search criteria to
> > > get the latest video by date.
> > >
> > > The first video in this list contains a lot of detail at 38
> > > minutes long (Eric). (ELECRAFT K4 IN DEPTH with WA6HHQ at Waters &
> > > Stanton Ltd Portsmouth UK).  Take the time and watch the whole
> > > video... there is a
> > lot
> > > of detail in this one.
> > >
> > > For the questions that seem to persist about how the K4 will
> > > compare to
> > the
> > > K3... you quickly begin to understand that the receiver specs will
> > > be similar to the K3S, especially once you understand the K4
> > > design approach with the hyrbird direct sampling approach and
> > > superhet addition in the K4HD.  At the same time, I'm not going to
> > > underestimate the potential for some eye popping numbers when the
> > > K4HD module is introduced. (think Third-Order Dynamic Range Narrow
> > > Spaced rankings).  However if the specs are similar to the K3S or
> > > even a little better, it's becoming more clear
> > to
> > > me that the K4 platform and it's future potential with advances
> > > and refinements in the software are where the real advantages are.
> > >  Big leaps here over the K3S.  Leaps that the K3S can simply never
> > > take do to the limited processing power.  The K3 and K4 are not
> > > even in the same league
> > in
> > > this area.
> > >
> > > You also begin to see the much higher potential the K4 has as far
> > > as
> > noise
> > > reduction / noise blanking capability due to algorithms having
> > > access to
> > a
> > > much wider bandpass with the SDR direct sampling approach.  Just
> > > my opinion, but I suspect there will be some big improvements in
> > > these areas as compared to the K3/S line.  The speed of the
> > > processing power and
> > access
> > > to bandwidth will allow for better noise reduction etc... plus the
> > software
> > > improvements over time and head room for processing power sets up
> > > the K4 for some big performance leaps improvements are made in
> > > software (IMHO). You can glean all of this from the videos
> > > (reading between the lines) in
> > my
> > > opinion. i.e. Elecraft potentially adding the capability with
> > > diversity receive to do phase shifting to null out noise, similar
> > > to the capability you get with a NCC-2 box for example.  And
> > > consider the design approach
> > to
> > > upgrade the ADC processing... the K4 seems to be setup for a long
> > > life
> > with
> > > some interesting improvements down the road, not only with the
> > > software, but think hardware processing upgrades too.
> > >
> > > I can't speak for anyone else, but since the K4 has been announced
> > > I have gone through a phase of trying to convince myself that the
> > > K4 isn't any better than my K3S, so why would I consider a K4? 
> > > ($4K to $6K for a new rig sure isn't chump change and could be
> > > spent on other station improvements right?) As far as some of the
> > > tell-tell specs like dynamic range blocking with strong signals
> > > near your band-pass etc... I think
> > with
> > > the K4HD, the specs will be similar, but overall, what is
> > > beginning to interest me is the amazing potential the K4 design
> > > has.  We are talking about two very different animals here. (with
> > > the same linage)
> > >
> > > I have also spent a considerable amount of time looking at the
> > > direct sampling competitors and as I start to dig in, I'm really
> > > seeing some lacking features as they relate to a CW operator's
> > > rig.  I guess I'm
> > biased
> > > as a current Elecraft Fan-Boy / CW operator (I'll admit it), but
> > > when I look at what I would be giving up in regard to CW operating
> > > features that have become second nature to me, I think I would be
> > > very disappointed. If you spend some time in the competitors user
> > > groups you will understand
> > what
> > > I'm talking about, but that's just me.  Owners in these other
> > > groups have been begging for some common CW features that never
> > > seem to materialize. However competition is good and it's great to
> > > have options.  You can't go too wrong with any of the high end
> > > rigs these days, including any of the direct sampling designs that
> > > are shipping now.
> > >
> > > So to end this tome of a post... if I had to place an order today
> > > for a
> > new
> > > rig, it would be a an order for a K4.  Wink / wink, maybe I
> > > already did. ;)  And if I did, I'm happy to wait X number of
> > > months for the K4 to
> > emerge
> > > only when it is ready for prime time.  My trusty K3S at my side as
> > > I type away at the keyboard here will make the wait easy.  Take
> > > your time
> > Elecraft.
> > >
> > > Max NG7M
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > --
> > > M. George
> > > ______________________________________________________________
> > > Elecraft mailing list Home:
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> > >
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> > > jstengrevics at comcast.net
> >
> >
> 
> -- 
> M. George
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