Re: [Elecraft] Buying a K4 in UK
Eric, Many thanks for giving this your attention. Moonraker is potentially an excellent choice as the UK market is rapidly becoming a duopoly, with Moonraker emerging as one of those two. I am not aware of any UK repair persons that are already familiar with Elecraft products. An outfit like Castle Electronics, suggested by G3UNA, most likely has the technical skills, but would need training on the Elecraft product line. In my previous note I renamed Carlo Bianconi as Claudio – my apologies. It is Carlo that demonstrated first class repair and customer skills for multiple members of our 6Gs DXpedition group. I spoke with Lutz at some length while at Friedrichshafen. They have special arrangements that allow shipping either to Germany or direct to their Swiss HQ. The difference from the UK in the cost of shipping to Germany, Switzerland or Italy is negligible, but the cost and admin complexity is substantial; a K4, fully insured, will cost $520-600 to ship to Italy or Germany, depending on which carrier is chosen. The cost to ship to Watsonville is the same. This is clearly one of the drivers that causes me and others to encourage Elecraft to appoint a UK distributor/service centre. The confusion over the Elecraft US list price and the landed price in the UK is a very familiar one. Many people really don’t understand the calculations/requirements. In particular, there are frequent complaints about having to pay ‘duty’ when in fact the charges are simply VAT (required by law) and customs clearance costs (levied by the carrier to help cover their admin costs in clearing the shipment through customs). Amateur radio equipment has an import duty rate of zero in the UK. In my previous post I mentioned that ordering direct from Elecraft had always delivered a savings relative to buying from the former UK dealer. That calculation was to add the Elecraft list price and shipping cost in $ (converted to GBP at the best rate I could find (hint: few credit cards will give you this)); then add VAT at 20% to this GBP total; then add the clearance fee also in GBP. It is the sum of all those items that must be compared with the UK dealer price. I’m likely to be preaching to the converted on this reflector, but I am constantly having to educate folks on this simple arithmetic. 73, David G3WGN M6O From: Eric Swartz Sent: Saturday, August 5, 2023 1:49 AM To: David Aslin G3WGN Cc: Dave ; Elecraft Discussion List Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Buying a K4 in UK I am currently in contact with Justin at Moonraker. We also met at the Friedrichshafen Ham Radio show in June. I'll report here as soon as I have additional information on both the local sales and service for our products in the U.K. One note - For the reasons others have noted, we are also interested in supporting independent repair persons inside the U.K who are familiar with our products. Please contact me directly. eric(at)elecraft.com<http://elecraft.com> Also, in addition to our in and out of warranty repair center for the Eu since 2011, Carlo Bianconi in Bologna, Italy, who has an excellent lab and does expert work, we have also added our Swiss Distributor, Lutz Electronics as an additional repair center for in and out of warranty products. The feedback from customers who have repairs done there has also been excellent. Lutz speaks vey good English, German and French and also has an expedited method for shipping to them from Germany. On buying directly from us, one area of confusion among some international buyers in the UK and elsewhere in the EU is that while quoted prices for our products at local retail stores in Eu and the UK already include the addition of your local VAT and the cost of shipping and insurance to them from the U.S., the on-line prices on orders shipped directly from us do not include the VAT or import duty. That is required by the international authorities on your end to be paid by the buyer upon receipt. (Shipping cost and insurance is also added by us to the invoice at the time of billing prior to shipment.) 72, Eric elecraft.com<http://elecraft.com> On Wed, Aug 2, 2023 at 2:05 PM David Aslin G3WGN mailto:da...@aslinvc.com>> wrote: 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
[Elecraft] Buying a K4 in UK
That is excellent news Eric that you hope to appoint to appoint Moonraker as the UK agent and that they might have a UK service centre. 73 Ray G3XLG __ 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
I am currently in contact with Justin at Moonraker. We also met at the Friedrichshafen Ham Radio show in June. I'll report here as soon as I have additional information on both the local sales and service for our products in the U.K. One note - For the reasons others have noted, we are also interested in supporting independent repair persons inside the U.K who are familiar with our products. Please contact me directly. eric(at)elecraft.com Also, in addition to our in and out of warranty repair center for the Eu since 2011, Carlo Bianconi in Bologna, Italy, who has an excellent lab and does expert work, we have also added our Swiss Distributor, Lutz Electronics as an additional repair center for in and out of warranty products. The feedback from customers who have repairs done there has also been excellent. Lutz speaks vey good English, German and French and also has an expedited method for shipping to them from Germany. On buying directly from us, one area of confusion among some international buyers in the UK and elsewhere in the EU is that while quoted prices for our products at local retail stores in Eu and the UK already include the addition of your local VAT and the cost of shipping and insurance to them from the U.S., the on-line prices on orders shipped directly from us do not include the VAT or import duty. That is required by the international authorities on your end to be paid by the buyer upon receipt. (Shipping cost and insurance is also added by us to the invoice at the time of billing prior to shipment.) 72, Eric *elecraft.com <http://elecraft.com>* On Wed, Aug 2, 2023 at 2:05 PM David Aslin G3WGN wrote: > 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 eric.swa...@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] Buying a K4 in UK
On 8/3/2023 3:47 PM, G3WPF via Elecraft wrote: I would still rather travel one hour within this country to get things sorted. Your experience of Kenwood in the USD is a mirror image of the situation here with Elecraft. It seems a characteristic of US manufactured equipment over here going back to Heath, Drake, Swan etc which was always fraught with difficulties. As a result, it's always seemed to be considered as a "niche" market. I just hope it can change in the future. The possibility for change is in Europe, not at Elecraft. When Elecraft felt there was a suitable partner, the had the relationship. I'm not advocating for purchasing the K4 in the UK, but I can offer this. I've been running a K4 for about a year, and I love it. The only hardware issue I've encountered is a design issue, likely necessitated by discontinuance of the switching-type 3.5mm TRS jacks long used for headphones, which results in very strong susceptibility to RFI at one or more rear panel 3.5mm jack(s). And while firmware has yet to be released for some functions (like remote control, but also a few operational functions and behaviors), it is under active development, and all firmware updates/upgrades are free and easy to install, in a manner similar to their other rigs. I'd guess that there have been 3-4 upgrades since I've owned the radio, and while I've always been very happy with it, each upgrade has improved the performance. To get a full picture of the K4 and any issues, I suggest you subscribe to the dedicated K4 groups.io reflector. It's web-based, and can be set to send each post as an email, and if you join, you'll have access to the complete history of the group. 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
OK Jim. Yes, Doug has expressed his positive experiences and that is fine. I would still rather travel one hour within this country to get things sorted. Your experience of Kenwood in the USD is a mirror image of the situation here with Elecraft. It seems a characteristic of US manufactured equipment over here going back to Heath, Drake, Swan etc which was always fraught with difficulties. As a result, it's always seemed to be considered as a "niche" market. I just hope it can change in the future. At the moment, I am keeping my fingers crossed that my 2 K3 rigs continue to operate as I'm not inclined to buy a K4 in the present circumstances. Based on previous experiences with electronic equipment, the prognosis is not very good - a problem always seems to arise at some stage (irrespective of the manufacturer). 73 Reg G3WPF On 03/08/2023 23:04, Jim Brown wrote: On 8/3/2023 2:29 AM, G3WPF via Elecraft wrote: You are still missing the point Jim. The choice is simple. The customer can either go through the risk and rigmarole of conducting their business direct with Elecraft, several thousand miles away or driving an hour or so to buy/have serviced/repaired a broadly equivalent rig from other manufacturers. I haven't misunderstood at all -- indeed, I WOULD consider that issue. And I suspect that if Elecraft does not currently have a relationship with distributor or service in EU, it's because they don't know of a suitable firm. That said, EI2CN has responded to this concern in a positive way. And this observation from my experience: several years ago, I bought a Kenwood D74A VHF/UHF talkie from a US vendor, hoping it would be a replacement for the TH-F6As that I've used and loved for twenty years. The user interface was so bad that I had to refer to the manual (a pdf, which I printed most of) to do almost anything, so I rarely used it, sticking the TH-F6A instead. When I eventually did pick it up for some reason, it was dead, and out of warranty. In this country of ~340 million souls, Kenwood lists only one service center, and it took nearly a month to get an address or contact info. I've long considered Kenwood as the best of the JA rigs. 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 g3...@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
On 8/3/2023 2:29 AM, G3WPF via Elecraft wrote: You are still missing the point Jim. The choice is simple. The customer can either go through the risk and rigmarole of conducting their business direct with Elecraft, several thousand miles away or driving an hour or so to buy/have serviced/repaired a broadly equivalent rig from other manufacturers. I haven't misunderstood at all -- indeed, I WOULD consider that issue. And I suspect that if Elecraft does not currently have a relationship with distributor or service in EU, it's because they don't know of a suitable firm. That said, EI2CN has responded to this concern in a positive way. And this observation from my experience: several years ago, I bought a Kenwood D74A VHF/UHF talkie from a US vendor, hoping it would be a replacement for the TH-F6As that I've used and loved for twenty years. The user interface was so bad that I had to refer to the manual (a pdf, which I printed most of) to do almost anything, so I rarely used it, sticking the TH-F6A instead. When I eventually did pick it up for some reason, it was dead, and out of warranty. In this country of ~340 million souls, Kenwood lists only one service center, and it took nearly a month to get an address or contact info. I've long considered Kenwood as the best of the JA rigs. 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, As a many time direct purchaser, I can say I never experienced any horror story or great difficulty in direct orders to Elecraft shipping to EI via UPS, who handle all paperwork and charges. I must have ordered on ten different occasions.Me thinks you paint to grim a picture. I prefer to deal direct with Elecraft in fact. To each their own but again there is little need for such angst in my experience. 73 Doug EI2CN On Wed 2 Aug 2023, 20:35 Geert Jan de Groot, wrote: > 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 turnb...@net1.ie > __ 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
Dear OMs, I previously replied to this post so will not repeat myself.I needed to return a KPA 1500 to Watsonville, Ca. It was determined that only the RF deck was required.I shipped FedEx by their premium shipping method and had no difficulty.It went straight through as a repair. No added charges in my case. The amp was out of warranty so of course service was charged for. US and EU repair costs, I suspect are not far out of line. As an aside I included a Samsung Smart Tag similar to an Apple Airtag and thus had additional reassurance. Not sure shipping to CA cost all that much more than Italy. Had my amp back within about a month. Elecraft can also dispatch sub-modules if there is a failure.On line or telephone support was excellent earlier in sorting a friend's K3. Do not be too worried about service. 73 Doug EI2CN On Thu 3 Aug 2023, 11:53 , wrote: > My club has used with satisfaction: > > Castle Electronics, > Unit2 Village Workshops, > Telerrddig Road, > LLANERFYL POWYS SY21 0AS > New Phone nbr 01938 820880 > > I haven't used them for Elecraft products but I wouldn't hesitate if I got > stuck. > > David G3UNA > > -Original Message- > From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net > On > Behalf Of David Aslin G3WGN > Sent: Wednesday, August 2, 2023 10:05 PM > To: Dave ; Elecraft Discussion List > > Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Buying a K4 in UK > > 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 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 turnb...@net1.ie > __ 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
[Elecraft] Buying a K4 in UK
In the past I have bought Elecraft transceivers and amplifiers both direct from USA and also through W with full satisfaction. On the one occasion in the last 14 years, when one of my Elecrafts (a KPA500) needed a repair, I had to send it to Italy, a not inexpensive solution. Sadly, it now appears that W and Nevada are no longer independent and have now amalgamated under Moonraker, not that I have a problem with Moonraker. To continue with a UK Elecraft agency, Moonraker/W/Nevada should recruit and set up a service centre which would alleviate the perceived problem plus it would provide an alternative service for other makes. The worst of all possible worlds IMHO, would be for the UK Elecraft agency to end up with so many other radio products in the Staines emporium. Sadly, ...they already have more than enough exclusives thus reducing any competitive pricing for us, the UK amateur. Ray G3XLG __ 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
My club has used with satisfaction: Castle Electronics, Unit2 Village Workshops, Telerrddig Road, LLANERFYL POWYS SY21 0AS New Phone nbr 01938 820880 I haven't used them for Elecraft products but I wouldn't hesitate if I got stuck. David G3UNA -Original Message- From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net On Behalf Of David Aslin G3WGN Sent: Wednesday, August 2, 2023 10:05 PM To: Dave ; Elecraft Discussion List Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Buying a K4 in UK 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 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
You are still missing the point Jim. The choice is simple. The customer can either go through the risk and rigmarole of conducting their business direct with Elecraft, several thousand miles away or driving an hour or so to buy/have serviced/repaired a broadly equivalent rig from other manufacturers. Some have dealt direct but I suspect that the majority would think that the apparent advantages of buying an Elecraft do not outweigh the issues currently being experienced in the UK. I appreciate that Wayne and Eric read the reflector and, of course, it is their decision as to what, if anything, they want to do about the current position. All I can say is that dealing direct with Elecraft for orders and repairs is not the way forward when other alternatives are available to them. Maybe they consider the UK market isn't big enough for them to ensure there is a reasonable and proficient distributor in the UK. Even if that is the case then the consequence is a loss of sales/revenue opportunity. That may not be a problem at a time when it is difficult to meet (domestic) demand but . 73 Reg G3WPF On 03/08/2023 04:27, Jim Brown wrote: 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 g3...@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
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
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
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
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
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] Buying a K4 in UK
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
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
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
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
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
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] Buying a K4 in UK
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] Buying a K4 in UK
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
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
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
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
Probably direct from Elecraft. Paul W6PNG/M0SNA www.nomadic.blog > On Aug 1, 2023, at 12:22 PM, Edward wrote: > > 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 paul.ga...@me.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
[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 arch...@mail-archive.com
