[Elecraft] Giving Up

[Dave Erickson]

On 6/8/2021 12:25 PM, KENT TRIMBLE wrote:
> Not so, Doug.
> 
> My K3, including accessories and filters, was $4,500 in 2007. That's 
> $5,722 in today's dollars.
> 
> A K4 with all its advanced technology at $4,600 (your quote) is a steal 
> compared to a K3.
> 
> The word "expensive" can be applied to the K4 (or any product) only when 
> answering the question, "compared to what?"  Otherwise it has no 
> meaning.  Nothing is expensive or inexpensive on its own.  The word has 
> relevance only when comparing the price of two or more products.
> 
> 73,
> 
> Kent  K9ZTV
> 
> 
> On 6/7/2021 9:33 PM, Doug Person, KØDXV, wrote:
>> ... With a tuner the [K4] price is $4600 making it one of the most 
>> expensive transceivers on the market ... When the K3 came out it was 
>> very competitively priced. I'm not sure I would describe the K4 with 
>> the same words. It is unquestionably an expensive radio.
> .

All,

I followed along this thread and I think it's not useful to compare the 
K4 to the K3. The K3 to the K2 makes sense, even a KX3 to a K3 as they 
are more similar.

I think the only radio on the market right now that can be compared to 
the K4 is the 7610 from ICOM. And frankly, it's not so good for the K4.

A little over a year ago, I was in the market for a high end transceiver 
and basically decided between waiting for a K4 or buy a 7610. I bought 
the Icom. While I am sure the K4 is a better radio in some ways, the 
question is: is it twice as good? (Add tuner, second ADC, etc.)

Looking at the specs, I am shocked the K4 is shipping with only one ADC. 
At the price point and with the 7610 on the market for $2900 all day 
long it's a serious flaw for me.

The K4 also has no pre-selector that I can tell and that is useful too 
me at times, especially on the low bands.

IMO the competition for the K4 is the 7610 as they are architecturally 
very similar.

Maybe an Apache ANON 7000 DLE would be in there as well but the Icom 
beats that too IMO. (Since it has buttons, and a tuner, and pin-diode 
QSK etc)

That said, I have since bought a K3 to go with the 7610 and will likely 
get a K4 and an ANON in the future so I am as hopeless as the rest.

73's all.

-- 
Dave Erickson
AB0R
73