I seem to be a hybrid ham. I like to tinker, build and experiment, but I don't like building kits. I recently built a K1 (SN1976) to see if I'd like to build a K2. I discovered I didn't like kit building. But I love the K1 and decided to buy a K2 already built that I am VERY happy with. But MOST of my hamming free time is used designing and building. I'm working my way through "Experimental Methods in RF Design" and breadboarding K1 circuits to play with) and learning PIC programming. To me, kit building is kind of boring (sorry, all).
Your last paragraph is right on the mark. I think Elecraft success came from beginning with kits. It generated the "buzz" you spoke of. If it had been just another off-the-shelf radio, it would have found itself competing toe-to-toe with much better funded and better known products. As a kit, it could play on the "resurrection of Heathkit" theme, and the novelty of a kit that ended up outperforming $3,000 radios. The kit niche only goes so far...the radios have to perform. And they do. Either you said it in a paragraph I snipped or a previous posted said, at some point they are going to have to start offering factory assembled radios. And it remains to be seen whether a K2 in its present form can successfully compete as a factory assembled radio. Ten Tec has struggled along for many years; I wonder if they would have survived without their non-amateur income. If anyone on here is a sailor, you know what a character boat is. Ten Tec and Elecraft are character boats in a sea of MacGregors, Columbias and Catalinas. Character boats are beloved by the masses, but the masses don't buy them. They buy MacGregors, and Columbias and Catalinas. The character boat builders depend on developing a profitable, but smaller niche among knowledgeable sailors. And some of them are highly successful if you measure success in terms of a high quality product, enthusiastic customers and respectable profit for its owners. Personally, I think Elecraft management knows all this and is on the right course. Eric KE6US -----Original Message----- YOU may be one who likes to tinker with everything you build or buy, but that's far from a majority opinion. If I might project MY opinions onto a majority of hams (most of whom aren't on this list, by the way) then I would say the universal definition of a ham is closer to "one who wants more radio than he or she can afford". Everything I've "tinkered" with is because I was too cheap/poor to buy something that was good out of the box or that wasn't used and in need of repair. If I've learned anything in business it's that the best products don't always win. The best *marketed* products win. This means things like "brand", "price", "good looks", "consumer buzz" and "advertising budget" are perhaps more important than "receiver sensitivity", "filter bandwidth" and other measures of quality. Craig NZ0R K1 #1966 _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [email protected] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [email protected] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
