Re: [Elecraft] Buying a K4 in UK

[Peter Hall]

Thanks, but I'm not in need of advice on how to conduct transactions with 
Elecraft, and I have quite clear recollections of the discussions regarding 
delivery.  In the end it's up to Elecraft whether they take on board the 
experience of international customers.

For what it's worth, my experience with Kenwood equipment shipping has been 
very good, as has been the experience with the delivery of small-parcel 
express-post items from SDRKits.

73, Peter (VK6HP).



-Original Message-
From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net  On 
Behalf Of Jim Brown
Sent: Thursday, 3 August 2023 11:27 AM
To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Buying a K4 in UK

On 8/2/2023 7:40 PM, Peter Hall wrote:
> Unfortunately, Elecraft's preferred carrier - UPS - is certainly not
> Tier-1

Elecraft is a small enough company that the issue of shipment could certainly 
be addressed when discussing a purchase. I've long heard that DHL is well 
respected in the UK. They're not well known here (although they used to be 30 
years ago, and I used them in my biz to ship architectural drawings around), 
but Elecraft will probably know how to access them.

Again, ASK! Elecraft is not like Kenwood, ICOM, or Yaesu! Anyone who's been on 
this reflector for very long knows that Wayne and Eric (who does most of the 
management stuff) are both online and read this reflector, and the company is 
online friendly. So is SDRKits (in the UK), from whom I've made four purchases 
over about ten years, all of which arrived painlessly by USPS. One of their 
people reads the support reflector for their excellent VNWA and responds 
promptly and in a very positive way to any issues.

73, Jim K9YC


__
Elecraft mailing list
Home: 
http://secure-web.cisco.com/1hZ_9_rbk-L_8T3cUf4N8b8Ysg0mUJ7-OzOf0KFDl1ASFOumIybw4f11LQJXRvuMuDosnTutd4hzrYoNxdv6LG_M2iY4BUskJPnNqY6M7GdLJJIkmaxV1LUPC6yvTIYKgppqdWNxk_1F69wNfBdOGIpBEuddUXGlDtXsp-_L9TjayPYJ2uVhdVkFcqIQUxtoyNq2j3M94PM_u5sOMZyMiCET1GJlMud13-2lBM-EsHkQNmCD1B-pMO91qzxbrZJPvjemAiSPjlWrgVKUB-J6sa47yuZh1PE-sKb8q2lKxLkcAmJGvqxzBLNmdovTQEOspJ-alzKU4NgCChCvLdU9a6iAiFaOwpiOL2GjYnvA_M055S2pdSB-e7KVXJOCpJh5_zVxMvBe8FGj1VePb6vIEStY3_m3NeirYVWrs7xAzPdWYCGlyQhb4a3CFAhDE2v5qPnls4Eftje1Wgpx2MRR3tQ/http%3A%2F%2Fmailman.qth.net%2Fmailman%2Flistinfo%2Felecraft
Help: 
http://secure-web.cisco.com/1D_CVoqhKzIDm5oNrPVHjL5dSjPF_flfbYt86xslWc8_3_7Ab-rDESYRjGlYz89BtKQSmCkVWOUt3VCX8s8lchBiSitc1cK4nUrKBUEFCN020h0BOz1dn_zYNNhri3Xpv9YG3EHwdHYHaa2X6iUx4Wockwr2ynr6bpHrBN6HI-yNDZ0Qt5Fp_O7mk5BtGdHk7rubZp4SulNQMTJ10aDmZnRmgRNeVp8y1o0lD3ZS4MePf-fTXefyc5eH_9Es8nDfy0mmOlQokp_9qbQ5qZnBvUeCIxwPgvRNW9s54xKi89A2bp8VmJcKhVx0gJ0asDdI7g2PmyXDTHXXM1oS7CauMzq_rY3zQoW4_Dw34y_YmdUGzYxrrLvdRoGIVb_8xlKCMsCUjIIXK3Bneta0ZuVO5brlGS-P6RM0rLzap9KX_XyscxYp_iZlsQ5pfvn9tUj52pZ46ESr5HUtuKzd9icvUBg/http%3A%2F%2Fmailman.qth.net%2Fmmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net/
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Message delivered to p.h...@curtin.edu.au

__
Elecraft mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com 

Re: [Elecraft] Buying a K4 in UK

[Jim Brown]

On 8/2/2023 7:40 PM, Peter Hall wrote:

Unfortunately, Elecraft's preferred carrier - UPS - is certainly not Tier-1


Elecraft is a small enough company that the issue of shipment could 
certainly be addressed when discussing a purchase. I've long heard that 
DHL is well respected in the UK. They're not well known here (although 
they used to be 30 years ago, and I used them in my biz to ship 
architectural drawings around), but Elecraft will probably know how to 
access them.


Again, ASK! Elecraft is not like Kenwood, ICOM, or Yaesu! Anyone who's 
been on this reflector for very long knows that Wayne and Eric (who does 
most of the management stuff) are both online and read this reflector, 
and the company is online friendly. So is SDRKits (in the UK), from whom 
I've made four purchases over about ten years, all of which arrived 
painlessly by USPS. One of their people reads the support reflector for 
their excellent VNWA and responds promptly and in a very positive way to 
any issues.


73, Jim K9YC


__
Elecraft mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com 

Re: [Elecraft] Buying a K4 in UK

[Peter Hall]

Fred,

The workaround is to recognize in advance that the combination of USPS+Royal 
Mail, USPS+Australia Post, etc. is essentially hopeless and will lead to the 
recipient of high-ish value parcels having to do considerable work in order to 
ransom the item from the customs folks in the receiving country.  The shipping 
process works much better when a Tier-1 courier is involved, since the customs 
and taxes can be arranged and paid during the transit stage.

Unfortunately, Elecraft's preferred carrier - UPS - is certainly not Tier-1 in 
this part of the world and, in my experience, the recipient still has to do 
quite a bit of hand-holding and monitoring to make sure the import process goes 
well.  My further experience over many years of shipping high-end scientific 
and test equipment leads me to prefer DHL but, unfortunately, shipping from 
Elecraft with DHL has been deprecated when I've suggested it.

I think it'd be useful for Elecraft to pay attention to the feedback from Lower 
Spewing, Kanga Valley, or whatever international destinations are involved.  
There's not much of value in getting commentary from California!

73, Peter.


-Original Message-
From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net  On 
Behalf Of Fred Jensen
Sent: Thursday, 3 August 2023 10:15 AM
To: G4GNX 
Cc: Elecraft Reflector 
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Buying a K4 in UK

G4GNX wrote on 8/2/2023 4:40 PM:
> "Supposing that USPS do their job correctly"

That might happen right after the pubs in the UK begin serving ice cold Guiness 
in frozen mugs, Alan.  The US Postal Service used to be the most trusted agency 
of our government.  Today, I put at least one and often more mis-delivered mail 
pieces into the do-over box for our carrier to get it right hoping that whoever 
got our mail is doing likewise.
Benjamin Franklin, where are you?73,

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




--
This email has been checked for viruses by AVG antivirus software.
http://www.avg.com/
__
Elecraft mailing list
Home: 
http://secure-web.cisco.com/1r935fz6TCfq7V-wRDrHwyFmL5X0RoZYQdkWeJKWQDDAEZjo_Zg_1Y5kyeXpBq1ogU_gvp_Hq8j4s6CUMlfsi_jsDNftrAXvWtj89OpjDSu9zXySw3_WIuH19E55zeS7dV_082ccjj5NMmDKUVlRgQWv-J0YlNWWOKkFcZl5thiBm5QncM01zl_bD2qgsbDM_FEmxTAeuWoF2GJX-rTzoOR7MqH4Hk05yA0h-D67eIKmigXDzYwRreO2rIuP4l37kQE_cSUFVX797D9pjnFSQIVbhgxAeVbOFnDCtdsuD2XP6GsmSf2IDf-7sqGoX_-qVeEIjoDl5hXjXPQ6S9yewjdtM2rtlLPGYvHKLOwhZNsEMYdb-NPRGc9NcotVJqkcHNVEP8tJ4CvT41sujytJviv6KYkDDMlPGXXM546kqMV85XR19cFlREKdIwvzGyBLAwJay2KSnffv3ITCmR_YvmQ/http%3A%2F%2Fmailman.qth.net%2Fmailman%2Flistinfo%2Felecraft
Help: 
http://secure-web.cisco.com/1tQTdHJcClKnkc7152Luud07dQEHPoIpMSpCgv-9G4RmSqhwNkwuuQ5ZT0Vokgk_kt5xe1TuZB7PH1868-b-toi0C8kxuEG1NKItkGK7Vh-fJk3fev0qbnmwSY_TIvQWzpIKowaPS8nhD5HsiJsptGe_r1b-s1RTjP2s3lt0BOwZ8O4bw62Bg8cQFVLQXJqTjsUoGk5amMh1WGDPquPqSI7ZqWu2wzBjrEuh8B8grWu_9-74_7Oy34UJiCrCzUebPkbDxO8rED4k5YhdcTaY1rodTyxQstAZtkpq-gjwTafgplcvh76G8RHexMmgzgZpUBz0XAxdfSC5qinww8W0ACjQFKQeo8BmtWAHfKutEY-SDd9o0r5iDX-iWgKycqQiEmb3_6YIjBxidiMVgGfTnZWFswzDyOUL3ek-Z4DKjQ4NRfWtitLpJ0gviUKXb-co3IbyIeK0iPCg12VMrZ48MeQ/http%3A%2F%2Fmailman.qth.net%2Fmmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net/
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Message delivered to p.h...@curtin.edu.au
__
Elecraft mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com 

Re: [Elecraft] Buying a K4 in UK

[Fred Jensen]

G4GNX wrote on 8/2/2023 4:40 PM:

"Supposing that USPS do their job correctly"


That might happen right after the pubs in the UK begin serving ice cold 
Guiness in frozen mugs, Alan.  The US Postal Service used to be the most 
trusted agency of our government.  Today, I put at least one and often 
more mis-delivered mail pieces into the do-over box for our carrier to 
get it right hoping that whoever got our mail is doing likewise. 
Benjamin Franklin, where are you?73,


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




--
This email has been checked for viruses by AVG antivirus software.
www.avg.com
__
Elecraft mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com 

Re: [Elecraft] Buying a K4 in UK

[G4GNX]

There are some anomalies that need to be cleared up, both in your post and in 
Geert’s post. Both of you are partly correct and of course entitled to your 
opinion. I’m also not happy with curt one-liners. If you call Elecraft, what 
are they going to tell you? The cost of a K4, the cost of shipping and possibly 
a choice of courier? Things we already know.

As far as USPS is concerned they actually contract with Parcel Force in the UK, 
not Royal Mail. I won’t pretend to know all of the vagaries of USPS, I leave 
that up to you guys on the US side of the pond. Supposing that USPS do their 
job correctly, any problems are likely to be with Parcel Force. They have a 
vast hub in Coventry (Midlands - England) which also houses HMRC (Customs) 
staff, who vet all packages that pass through the hub and that’s where most of 
the issues are. Last time I heard, the hub was not fully automated - they had 
staff using bicycles to get from one end of the vast warehouse to the other! 
HMRC are grossly understaffed and it usually takes them at least a week 
(sometimes a lot more) to clear a package through Customs and calculate the 
duty payable. Parcel Force will then take a couple of days to move the package 
to the delivery depot and in the meantime they will send the recipient an 
invoice for taxes and for handling the taxes. Until that’s paid, they will not 
deliver.

My K4 was sent via UPS who either managed to ship it back and forth between 
different airports, causing some delay, or their iT and tracking are total 
crap. At least it took them less than a week, door to door.

I would have preferred FedEx or DHL, both of which seem more reliable and 
consistent in the UK.

Geert is incorrect on who’s responsible for screw ups. It may be the case in 
other countries, but UK law states that it’s the sender’s responsibility to 
ensure that any item is delivered correctly and on time (if stated). None of 
the shipping companies operating in the UK will entertain a claim from the 
recipient for loss or damage and the goods do not become the property of the 
recipient until they’re delivered in good condition. I’m sure that Elecraft 
know this and know how to ship their products safely. However, once the goods 
have left the shores of the USA, they have no control when things go awry, 
especially when the shipping agent is insisting that all is well, while the 
recipient knows it darn well isn’t!

ISTM that there’s very little difference in shipping costs between the various 
companies, for a given service. Obviously premium services will cost more. 
Everything but everything is getting more expensive these days, including 
shipping and it’s gonna get worse.

Comparing the cost purchasing direct from Elecraft and from elsewhere in 
Europe, for me was a no brainer.The distributors in non-USA countries are bound 
to charge more, to cover the cost of shipping from the USA and the cost of 
shipping to the end user and some cash to cover any possible warranty claims 
which they have to repair, plus they’re entitled to some profit.

AFAICS the main consideration isn’t initial cost or shipping costs. The real 
concern is where you would send your $6000 pride and joy for any repairs and 
how long it would take.

73,
Alan - G4GNX
South Coast UK
Elecraft K4D / KPA500 / KAT500 / IC-9700



> On 2 Aug 2023, at 21:43, Jon Poland  wrote:
> 
> I agree with the comment to call Elecraft and take exception to Geert's
> comments.
> 
> There are other carriers besides the US Postal Service.  From my experience
> shipping hundreds of parcels from the US to the UK is that the USPS
> contracts with a commercial provider in the UK (vs the Royal Post), and
> that provider does not do a very good job.
> 
> On the other hand, you can choose FedEx, UPS, or DHL.  I've had
> particularly good experience with DHL - especially using a discount
> provider called Parcel Hero.  I guarantee that these big companies are
> absolutely up to date with the complexities of foreign import and VAT.
> They know how to safely deliver high value items while complying with
> current laws and regulations.
> 
> I am confident that Elecraft has experience exporting into the UK (and
> EU).  I'm sure they have done it more than a few times already.
> 
> jon N0WL
> 

__
Elecraft mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com 

Re: [Elecraft] Starting to Ship K3 & K3S Option Last Time Buy Orders (3/1/23)

[Wayne Burdick]

Hi Dave,

Eric is drafting an update to this as we speak. It'll probably be posted 
tomorrow -- Friday at the latest. 

73,
Wayne
N6KR



> On Aug 2, 2023, at 3:41 PM, wb0gaz via Elecraft  
> wrote:
> 
> As several direct inquiries over the last several months to Elecraft (Eric 
> S., Madelyn G.) have not yielded any new information, I am asking here.
> 
> I believe below was the last official post regarding the order fulfillment 
> process.
> 
> Has there been an official update since?
> 
> Is there a way to obtain update information on status of an individual order 
> (placed in April 2021)?
> 
> Has Eric been providing individual updates (my particular order is for 
> K3EXREF, without which my K3 continues it's extended life in exile from the 
> operating position...)
> 
> 73 Dave WB0GAZ wb0...@yahoo.com



__
Elecraft mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com 

Re: [Elecraft] Starting to Ship K3 & K3S Option Last Time Buy Orders (3/1/23)

[wb0gaz via Elecraft]

 As several direct inquiries over the last several months to Elecraft (Eric S., 
Madelyn G.) have not yielded any new information, I am asking here.

I believe below was the last official post regarding the order fulfillment 
process.

Has there been an official update since?

Is there a way to obtain update information on status of an individual order 
(placed in April 2021)?

Has Eric been providing individual updates (my particular order is for K3EXREF, 
without which my K3 continues it's extended life in exile from the operating 
position...)

73 Dave WB0GAZ wb0...@yahoo.com

###

Date: Wed, 1 Mar 2023 19:04:01 -0800
From: Eric Swartz 
To: Elecraft list 
Subject: [Elecraft] Starting to Ship K3 & K3S Option Last Time Buy
 Orders (3/1/23)
Message-ID:
 
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"

Some good news now as we are beginning to ship K3 & K3S Option orders! I
apologize for the dearth of updates over the weeks since our last update -
We've had our heads down solving production issues and unexpected parts
shortages with the K3 & K3S options and our main products while managing
our regular product production flow.

On top of that, the large number of last time buy K3 & K3S option orders
now shipping is putting a heavy load on our sales department as we confirm
order info and work through the shipping process, which is on top of their
daily work managing all our our regular K4, KX products and Amplifier order
& shipping flow. (Madelyn and Michelle are amazing..)

*KIO3B & KSYN3A* - Now Shipping (finally!):
We received *100%* of both items late last week from our Calif. PCB
assembly subcontractor and we are testing, packaging and shipping them now.
This quantity will cover *all* of our deposit orders and most of our wait
list orders.

Please be patient with us as both the KIO3B and KSYN3A were extremely
popular and had a very large order response - they are at the very top of
our order list in quantity. Due to the large quantity of individual orders,
it shouldn't be a surprise that we will not ship all the orders instantly.
It will require a number of weeks as we step through the process of
contacting everyone to confirm shipping info, collect their shipping costs
(and additional funds for 1/2 deposit orders) and to ship their orders. You
will know you are getting close to shipping when we contact you to confirm
everything.

Once we finish the prepaid deposit orders, we'll be contacting our waitlist
orders and going through the same process to confirm shipping info, collect
funds etc. We will post here and via our newsletter much more often as we
work through the pile of orders. (% of deposit orders, and then the same
for waitlist orders. )

*The above process will repeat as we work throughout our other option
orders.*

*K144XV and K144RFLK:*
We have shipped 100% of our deposit orders for the K144XV and K144RFLK
options along with the majority of the waitlist orders who responded to our
emails. We have a few of these left. If you are on the waitlist for these
items and have not heard from us, please check your spam folder or contact
sa...@elecraft.com

*P3TXMON: *
We are contacting customers and shipping the first batch of these now. We
also expect a second assembled circuit board delivery in 3-4 weeks that
will cover the remaining order backlog.

*KAT3A:*
We have started shipping KAT3As and expect a second batch later this month
to complete shipping the backlog.

*KBPF3A:*
In process and should arrive here and start shipping by the end of this
month.

*KXV3B: *
In process and should arrive here and start shipping by the end of this
month.

*K3EXREF:* In process. We have the raw circuit boards in house and are
sourcing a few remaining parts for this board. If all goes well, these will
ship near the end of this month.

*KDVR3:* In process. Currently sourcing the DVR flash memory.

*KPA3A:* In process. One delay is a sheet metal order delivery for the rear
fan panels used with this option. We are expediting this.

More updates soon (definitely sooner than this update) as we get closer to
the assembled circuit board and sheet metal delivery dates and get more
info on these and the other options.
73,
Eric
*elecraft.com *
  
__
Elecraft mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com 

Re: [Elecraft] WTB/trade for K3(S) CW filters

[David Hachadorian]

Maybe you can work a deal with K6RO, who has a sideline business dealing 
in used Elecraft radios and accessories.


Dave Hachadorian, K6LL
Big Bear Lake, CA

On 8/1/2023 10:09 PM, AB2E Darrell wrote:

Hi all,
Just picked up a K3 w/upgraded S synths, but the op was mostly SSB.
I want to pick up some CW filters, preferably matched pairs for main & sub.
500/400/200.
Here is the current lineup.

Main receiver roofing filters 13 kHz, 6 kHz, 2.70 kHz matched pair, 1.8 kHz, 
1.50 kHz
Subreceiver roofing filter ,,2.70 kHz matched pair
This K3 has the 2m xvtr, so the 13Khz filter was needed for FM. I will likely 
remove the 13Khz, and the 6Khz, along with the 2m xvtr.
If any of you are SSB ops and happened to have acquired a K3 or K3S with all CW 
filters, I would be glad to swap.

Email me offlist with what you have, or what you want to trade.

Also looking for a pair of P3 side panels to replace the scratched ones on the 
P3 that came w/ the package.
73 Darrell AB2E

__
Elecraft mailing list
Home:http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
Help:http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post:mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net

This list hosted by:http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list:http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Message delivered tok6ll.d...@gmail.com  

__
Elecraft mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com 

Re: [Elecraft] Buying a K4 in UK

[David Aslin G3WGN]

All my Elecraft kit (K3 + 'S' upgrades, P3, KPA500, KAT500, KX3, K2, W2 etc) 
was bought via mostly separate orders direct from Elecraft, so multiple 
experience of this buying route.  No hassles with any of the shipments, but a 
week or so delay while the VAT/customs process completed.  
Even at today's elevated shipping prices, cost was always less than the W & S 
price.

More concerning is the lack of accessible service facilities.  Claudio in 
Bologna is a great engineer and did an exemplary job of upgrading and checking 
over the the KPA500s owned by members of the 6Gs DXpeditions group; BUT, 
shipping a returnable item to Italy (or elsewhere in the EU) is now a huge 
bureaucratic nightmare.
I would hope that Eric and Justin Godefroy (who I do not know, but I understand 
owns & runs Moonraker) are in conversation.  If not, does anyone on here know 
Justin well enough to encourage that to happen?  Checking with Eric would be 
easy, but there may be need for 'encouragement' at the UK end.  Moonraker would 
get loads of brownie points if they hired an engineer and had them trained on 
Elecraft products - and given the lack of other service facilities in UK, could 
have them trained on other products too, to make the hire cost-effective.
73, David G3WGN M6O

-Original Message-
From: Dave  
Sent: Wednesday, August 2, 2023 1:12 PM
To: Elecraft Discussion List 
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Buying a K4 in UK

I bought my K4D from W 2 years ago, but they no longer list much Elecraft 
equipment and seem to have lost interest.

All my other Elecraft kit came direct from Elecraft. W are unlikely to handle 
warranty or repairs for items bought elsewhere, which is a pity as the only 
place outside of the UK for service is either Italy or back to the factory.

73 Dave G4AON
--
Sent from my iPhone SE

__
Elecraft mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com 

Re: [Elecraft] Buying a K4 in UK

[Jon Poland]

I agree with the comment to call Elecraft and take exception to Geert's
comments.

There are other carriers besides the US Postal Service.  From my experience
shipping hundreds of parcels from the US to the UK is that the USPS
contracts with a commercial provider in the UK (vs the Royal Post), and
that provider does not do a very good job.

On the other hand, you can choose FedEx, UPS, or DHL.  I've had
particularly good experience with DHL - especially using a discount
provider called Parcel Hero.  I guarantee that these big companies are
absolutely up to date with the complexities of foreign import and VAT.
They know how to safely deliver high value items while complying with
current laws and regulations.

I am confident that Elecraft has experience exporting into the UK (and
EU).  I'm sure they have done it more than a few times already.

jon N0WL

On Wed, Aug 2, 2023 at 3:20 PM Jim Brown  wrote:

> On 8/2/2023 12:55 PM, David Gilbert wrote:
> > That's a pretty simplistic and condescending reply to Geert's well
> > written post.
>
> Which ignore the obvious -- ask before assuming.
>
> 73, Jim K9YC
> __
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
> Message delivered to jonpol...@gmail.com
>
__
Elecraft mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com 

Re: [Elecraft] Buying a K4 in UK

[Jim Brown]

On 8/2/2023 12:55 PM, David Gilbert wrote:
That's a pretty simplistic and condescending reply to Geert's well 
written post.


Which ignore the obvious -- ask before assuming.

73, Jim K9YC
__
Elecraft mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com 

Re: [Elecraft] Buying a K4 in UK

[David Gilbert]

That's a pretty simplistic and condescending reply to Geert's well 
written post.


Dave   AB7E


On 8/2/2023 12:39 PM, Jim Brown wrote:

On 8/2/2023 12:34 PM, Geert Jan de Groot wrote:


For one, it is not obvious because Elecraft does not have (and can 
not have) expertise in the complex and fast-changing world of 
international customs regulations.


Management at Elecraft are not babes in the woods.

73, Jim K9YC


__
Elecraft mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com 

Re: [Elecraft] Buying a K4 in UK

[Jim Brown]

On 8/2/2023 12:34 PM, Geert Jan de Groot wrote:


For one, it is not obvious because Elecraft does not have (and can not 
have) expertise in the complex and fast-changing world of international 
customs regulations.


Management at Elecraft are not babes in the woods.

73, Jim K9YC
__
Elecraft mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com 

Re: [Elecraft] Buying a K4 in UK

[Geert Jan de Groot]

On 02/08/2023 20:54, elecraft-requ...@mailman.qth.net wrote:

Call Elecraft and see what they tell you. Why is this not obvious?


For one, it is not obvious because Elecraft does not have (and can not 
have) expertise in the complex and fast-changing world of international 
customs regulations. The post office says that this is "the 
responsibility of the receiver" even if the post office screws up, which 
often happens.


Just one example: a few years ago, a small item could be sent as 
"letter" and as long as the value was low, it just went through. These 
days, anything not on paper is a "parcel", requires a boatload of 
customs administration both at the sender's (USPS won't touch it 
without) and again at the receiver's end (that means *you* doing the 
complex customs admin paperwork!), and you get to pay the post office 
for the processing of said paperwork in addition to other charges, 
customs and taxes.


I also dare you to look up the costs of sending something trivial to EU 
or UK via USPS or any of the other carriers. You will not be pleased.


Having had some bad experiences with self-import I can see where the 
question comes from. Having been burned before I'm gladly paying the 
markup of a local distributor even though in some cases the cost goes up 
by as much as 3dB.


I have trouble with these offside remarks "just call elecraft". I dare 
you to ship something to the UK or EU, using current, recent regulations 
and see what happens.


Elecraft's supply problems have been hard, very hard on DX distributors. 
A customer orders something and then the distributor is told to wait for 
a year or more on the order. For a distributor, one way to make revenue 
is to get combined orders which doesn't work for these very long, and 
unpredictable lead times.
Meanwhile, while the customer is waiting, he may cancel the order and 
the distributor is left with very little way to make revenue. The one in 
Berlin I used to use, closed shop end of last year because the low sales 
volume made things unsustainable.


As to W - I think there have been some major changes. Note that W 
didn't advertize in the RSGB RadCom magazine for several months. 
Typically these are small, one or two-person shops and if something 
happens (circumstances or health) things quickly go sour.


In brief, "just call elecraft" is entirely too simple. I hope you see 
that now. And I, too, don't have a quick and easy way to order a K4 in 
the UK.


Geert Jan

__
Elecraft mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com 

Re: [Elecraft] WANTED: K3 or K3S

[Wes]

I have one of each.  Contact me off-list if still interested

Wes.

On 8/1/2023 1:40 PM, RVZ via Elecraft wrote:

Looking to purchase a basic K3 or K3S in good condition without the 2nd receiver.  
Thanks & 73, Dick- K9OM  (r...@aol.com)


__
Elecraft mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com 

Re: [Elecraft] Buying a K4 in UK

[Jim Brown]

Call Elecraft and see what they tell you. Why is this not obvious?

73, Jim K9YC
__
Elecraft mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com 

Re: [Elecraft] A dumb question about lightning

[Fred Jensen]

Not sure you got an answer to your question ... two rules of thumb:

1. Follow the NEC, it's incorporated in building codes, essentially the 
law, and failure to do so could possibly invalidate your insurance claim 
should you need to file for damages.


2.  Read and use the techniques and procedures in the ARRL Grounding and 
Bonding book, don't make up your own.  I think the book is about $30.  
It is well worth the price.


3.  Avoid advice from internet lists ... see #1 and #2 above.

73,

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

jerry wrote on 7/31/2023 2:14 PM:

Interesting. Suppose the service entrance is at one end of the house,
and the ham shack at the other end?  I don't think it's physically
possible to provide a low inductance path that's 60 feet long, is it?

   Would a solution be to DC-isolate the station from the grounded 
antenna?
Say with a wideband toroid 1:1 transformer?  Then ground the station 
through the

3rd pin of the AC outlet?

   Here in the San Francisco Bay Area, lighting is rare.  It used to 
be entirely
unheard of - we just don't get the kind of convective weather that 
produces it. We're more about coastal stratus.  But with climate 
change, that might be changing.  There was quite a display once last 
year.


    - Jerry, KF6VB


On 2023-07-31 13:20, Fred Jensen wrote:

Be very careful of advice regarding lightning protection.  There are
some very good sources, starting with the NEC and including material
from ARRL.  Some is somewhat non-intuitive.  For example, the NEC
requires that any additional "earth electrodes" [aka ground rods] be
bonded to the service entrance earth electrode with a low inductance
path. There's been quite an array of advice circulating here recently,
much of it wrong, some dangerous.

73,

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

Geoffrey Feldman wrote on 7/28/2023 5:02 PM:
  First thing and foremost - switches are mostly not relevant to 
protection.
Energy that can travel 1000' through the sky is likely to continue 
across
most switches.   So, the utmost of safety is what you indicated you 
did -
disconnect.  By disconnect, I mean either disconnect outside the 
building,
leaving the feed on the ground or leave the feed connected to a 
copper plate
that is in turn connected to an 8' deep ground stake.  On the inside 
of the
house, disconnect the lines from that plate and leave them on the 
floor.
Another such stake near the feed point of the antenna is also a 
great idea.
If it's possible to lower the antenna when not in use, that's a 
great idea.

This should be the default when not in use.

  You have the belief that no grounding system is perfectly 
effective (for all
imaginable strikes) - maybe, but a good grounding system is far 
better than

foolishness.   A grounding system, or an antenna is not a "lightning
magnet". If it doesn't strike it won't. If it does it will and the 
grounding
system assures the energy will be less likely to cause harm. Some 
places and
circumstances are more or less likely but everywhere is possible. If 
that

possibility happens, a good grounding system is why it is likely to be
survived.

  A key thing to understand is that when Lightning strikes in 
nature, all the
energy travels along the surface of the ground.  It can do this for 
many
feet and be lethal doing it.  Anything that stands along the radius 
from the
point of the strike (one part closer and the other further) is in 
danger.
Four legged animals, having more distant contact points, more 
dangerous.

The purpose of a ground stake (8' straight down) is to channel the
electricity deep, rather than along the surface.

  Don't use emotional theories.  Read the lightning mitigation and 
grounding
books offered by the ARRL. Use UL approved conductors and stakes. Do 
not

use your homes electrical service ground stake. Keep that separate.

  All the above is a "cliffs notes" and so is anything else posted 
here. Read

the books.  Ask senior members of a local club,  to review your plan.

  W1GCF Geoff





--
This email has been checked for viruses by AVG antivirus software.
www.avg.com
__
Elecraft mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com 

Re: [Elecraft] Buying a K4 in UK

[G3WPF via Elecraft]

I recall seeing somewhere that W were now in some sort of relationship 
with Moonraker - though there hasn't been much publicity about it.  I 
notice their address is now the same as Moonraker's.


Moonraker's website now lists 122 products under Elecraft.  You are OK 
if you want a single thumbnut for a KX2.  Otherwise, you are out of luck 
- all other 121 items are "out of stock".  What a shambles!




On 02/08/2023 15:15, davidg3...@gmail.com wrote:

Andrew said:
" A few years ago I ordered various addons for my K3S and it took them
nearly 4 months to deliver despite phone calls and them confirming they were
in stock at the time of order."

I had similar experience, not just with Elecraft products.  I don't use them
anymore, nor do I use them for club purchases.  Other members have reported
similar experiences.

David G3UNA

-Original Message-
From:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.netOn
Behalf Of Andrew Hebden
Sent: Wednesday, August 2, 2023 1:53 PM
To:elecraft@mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Buying a K4 in UK

I have bought a few things direct from Elecraft, including my K4D, albeit
that I had to wait a couple of years for delivery as I was one of the early
birds. The only problem, as such, was the customs administration when the
parcels arrived in the UK. My K4D took 10 days to get it sorted as I needed
to pay the VAT and local admin charges before it was actually shipped to my
home.
W lost interest in selling Elecraft equipment some time ago. A few years
ago I ordered various addons for my K3S and it took them nearly 4 months to
deliver despite phone calls and them confirming they were in stock at the
time of order.
73 Andrew G8BYB

-Original Message-
From:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.netOn
Behalf Of Edward
Sent: 01 August 2023 12:20
To:elecraft@mailman.qth.net
Subject: [Elecraft] Buying a K4 in UK

What is the best way to buy a K4 from the UK ?   W still listed as the UK
agent they seem to have lost all interest in selling Elecraft products.
__
Elecraft mailing list
Home:http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
Help:http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post:mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net

This list hosted by:http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list:http://www.qsl.net/donate.html  Message
delivered tost...@ahebden.com  


__
Elecraft mailing list
Home:http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
Help:http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post:mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net

This list hosted by:http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list:http://www.qsl.net/donate.html  Message
delivered todavidg3...@gmail.com  


__
Elecraft mailing list
Home:http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
Help:http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post:mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net

This list hosted by:http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list:http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Message delivered tog3...@sky.com  

__
Elecraft mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com 

Re: [Elecraft] Buying a K4 in UK

[davidg3una]

Andrew said:
" A few years ago I ordered various addons for my K3S and it took them
nearly 4 months to deliver despite phone calls and them confirming they were
in stock at the time of order."

I had similar experience, not just with Elecraft products.  I don't use them
anymore, nor do I use them for club purchases.  Other members have reported
similar experiences.  

David G3UNA

-Original Message-
From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net  On
Behalf Of Andrew Hebden
Sent: Wednesday, August 2, 2023 1:53 PM
To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Buying a K4 in UK

I have bought a few things direct from Elecraft, including my K4D, albeit
that I had to wait a couple of years for delivery as I was one of the early
birds. The only problem, as such, was the customs administration when the
parcels arrived in the UK. My K4D took 10 days to get it sorted as I needed
to pay the VAT and local admin charges before it was actually shipped to my
home.
W lost interest in selling Elecraft equipment some time ago. A few years
ago I ordered various addons for my K3S and it took them nearly 4 months to
deliver despite phone calls and them confirming they were in stock at the
time of order.
73 Andrew G8BYB

-Original Message-
From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net  On
Behalf Of Edward
Sent: 01 August 2023 12:20
To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net
Subject: [Elecraft] Buying a K4 in UK

What is the best way to buy a K4 from the UK ?   W still listed as the UK
agent they seem to have lost all interest in selling Elecraft products. 
__
Elecraft mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message
delivered to st...@ahebden.com 

__
Elecraft mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message
delivered to davidg3...@gmail.com 

__
Elecraft mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com 

Re: [Elecraft] Buying a K4 in UK

[Andrew Hebden]

I have bought a few things direct from Elecraft, including my K4D, albeit
that I had to wait a couple of years for delivery as I was one of the early
birds. The only problem, as such, was the customs administration when the
parcels arrived in the UK. My K4D took 10 days to get it sorted as I needed
to pay the VAT and local admin charges before it was actually shipped to my
home.
W lost interest in selling Elecraft equipment some time ago. A few years
ago I ordered various addons for my K3S and it took them nearly 4 months to
deliver despite phone calls and them confirming they were in stock at the
time of order.
73 Andrew G8BYB

-Original Message-
From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net  On
Behalf Of Edward
Sent: 01 August 2023 12:20
To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net
Subject: [Elecraft] Buying a K4 in UK

What is the best way to buy a K4 from the UK ?   W still listed as the UK
agent they seem to have lost all interest in selling Elecraft products. 
__
Elecraft mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message
delivered to st...@ahebden.com 

__
Elecraft mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com 

Re: [Elecraft] Buying a K4 in UK

[Dave]

I bought my K4D from W 2 years ago, but they no longer list much Elecraft
equipment and seem to have lost interest.

All my other Elecraft kit came direct from Elecraft. W are unlikely to
handle warranty or repairs for items bought elsewhere, which is a pity as
the only place outside of the UK for service is either Italy or back to the
factory.

73 Dave G4AON
-- 
Sent from my iPhone SE
__
Elecraft mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com