[Elecraft] Elecraft K4 and Accessibility

[Wayne Burdick]

> On May 24, 2019, at 5:00 PM, hwhite1 at maine.rr.com wrote:


> Last week the K4 was announced so I rejoined the reflector. ... From all that I have read, the controls will be even more complex.


The K4's controls are actually quite a bit simpler, and more intuitive, thanks to the new display. 

We were limited to a small display with fixed segments in the K3/K3S, which constrained the ways we could provide visual feedback. Also, as the years went by, we added many new features that, in turn, were constrained by the existing switches/knobs/display. This evolution may not have been ideal from a UI standpoint, but it provided our customers with features they wanted, without the need to continually buy a new radio. 

We accepted a long time ago that we can't please everyone or satisfy every ergonomic requirement. Our business was forged at Field Day, so portability will remain a high priority. Lifting or carrying a K4 won't hurt aging backs.

We (and hundreds who tried the radio at Dayton, expressing delight at the new front panel) feel that the K4's UI is not just a significant advance over the K3/K3S, but also over most other transceivers in its class, regardless of their size and weight. 

I invite you to try the radio in person if you get the chance.

73,
Wayne
N6KR