Hello Alexey, Very good that you have put up such an agressive title.
No worry, we often hear opinions from the opposite side in this mail reflector. I like to build as well and the building process will give me the chance to understand more about the architecture of modern radio. However, due to the wide use surface mount technology, it will be too difficult for an untrained amateur like myself to handle surface mount work for modern radio. The modular design of K3 is something that I can manage. I bought my latest K3 from the second hand market and I needed to do some upgrade modification myself. I find this minor soldering work is quite fun indeed. This is all I can handle. A basic K3 has already covered most of the functions of a fully fit K2 and in similar price range. Therefore, I would go for a basic K3 instead of a fully fit K2. cheers, Johnny VR2XMC ________________________________ 寄件人﹕ Alexey Kats <[email protected]> 收件人﹕ [email protected] 傳送日期﹕ 2011/3/6 (日) 9:30:54 PM 主題： [Elecraft] Why I won't purchase K3 Ladies, gentlemen, and all the other species of HAM community, I apologize for such aggressive and somewhat insulting subject of my posting. But after reading all the "why I purchased Elecraft radio" reasons I felt like chirping in. I like radios, I like to find out what I can do with it. I like building things with my own hands. I didn't have so much fun building fully loaded K1, K2, and KX1 in years... like... like.. like I had when I was assembling my own computer with nothing but pliers, 40W soldering iron and individually acquired spare parts back in 90es. It felt like I was giving birth to a baby or something - making sure that it is in the best state I could possibly make it. And I could also learn from it, a lot, in fact. Now, don't get me wrong, when it comes to the specs of K3 I bow my head to the designers of it - it's truly a one son of a gun radio. It's pretty much the heaven dream for CW. I know that. But there is one thing which makes me uneasy - it's not the radio I built. It's not even the radio I assembled. It's the radio someone else built, and all I am reduced to is plates arrangements and screwdriver turning. It's almost like I am not sure whether I should be thanking Wayne and Eric, or curse them. (Probably thank them more than anything...) My gripe with K3 is that even if I buy it, build it, and use it, I can't honestly say that I BUILD it. Simply because I didn't build it. With K1, K2, KX1 I learned a lot from its schematics, I was able to figure out what went wrong if something went wrong (just to prove to myself that it was me who was an idiot). I loved the process of making sure that I understand each and every piece of it, to the last capacitor, even if I don't understand the assembler code of its main controller (I spend enough time with computers to hate them thoroughly as it is). My problem is I can't do the same with K3. I'd love to own it. I'd love to use it. But I'd hate to build it. I am sorry if this posting makes no sense to all of you. I was simply trying to express my feelings... I think I'll try to find more money to build another K1 or K2. (Actually, I like K1 more, don't ask me why.) -- Alexey Kats (neko) ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[email protected] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[email protected] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
