The success of food franchises, from McDonald's to Pizza Hut for example,
is based on the fact you get the exact same yummy product whether you are
in Seattle or Boston. That success is called consistency. Without that
consistency, your product reputation suffers. I see no difference with
Elecraft or any other equipment manufacturer - all products need to
function consistently with the same specifications. Even in the used
market. There is no control over your product's performance once outside
modifications are allowed and under a variety of skill levels, which could
inadvertently degrade other performance factors of the radio. Pretty soon,
people are buying used, hacked radios at ham fests or online and find them
to be a piece of junk. That seriously hurts a company's reputation for
their products through no fault of their own.
I think Elecraft's decision for closed-source code is a smart engineering
and business decision. It ensures consistency in that every radio, whether
new or used, functions properly and within specifications. They keep full
control of their product's performance and reputation. And, as we have
seen, they respond well to customer suggestions for new features or
capabilities, which are fully company backed.
If you want to hack or custom program an SDR radio, there are platforms out
there that allows you to do that which can be fun and educational in their
own right. If you want an Elecraft radio that works perfectly right out of
the box, and stays that way, don't mess with it. If you think it's lacking
a feature, let them know.
72, Paul NA5N [KX2]
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