Ever since the 8086 XT processor where I could work 2 more MHz out of it, I have loved upgrading processors to get faster speeds. This being within the same family of processor, ones that simply drop into the existing socket & motherboard, some are much faster than others and have a more expansive architecture than their younger brother.
Perhaps that will be an option for the K4 if the processor is socketed, say in 3-4 years a replacement with ever greater speed and capabilities will come out. Maybe in the case of the K4 such a processor change would be inconsequential? Time will tell. One thing for sure, I really like the options for future expansion the K4 modular system allows for. Cheers to us all. 73, Gary KA1J > John, that's the beauty of it all... you can play now (or rather in > the near future) or you can wait and decide for yourself after all the > 'glorious independent reviews come in' (grump around like the Grumpy > Old K3 Grinch who stole Christmas). "When I was a young man we used a > K3 or a K3S and by golly we loved it!!!!" You young whipper snappers > with your new fangled K4 gizzo radios! :) Is someone making you > upgrade to a K4? Twisting your arm? You totally missed the point. > > The K4 isn't ONLY about the receiver specs... maybe for you so you > have no choice but to wait... I get it... However if that was the > case, then you would have bought some other transceiver that has > already exceeded some of the K3S's specs. No? The point here is that > there is far more to the new platform than receiver specs alone and > the potential truly leaves the exhausted K3's processing and now > static capabilities in the dust (Elecraft is moving on whether you > like it or not... that ship has already sailed!). Plus sensitivity is > only as good as the noise floor your antenna system provides... I'm > not aware of an HF antenna system that provides a ~-133dBm to -145dBm > MDS noise floor. So sensitivity is all relative to your antenna > system. Blocking dynamic range is far more important to me. It's > time for Elecraft to move on to a platform they can build on. I'm > sure many will shake their fist in the air, weep and wail and gnash > their teeth, holding on to the K3s for years and years to come (a > testament to K3 success), but many will be excited for what the K4 > will bring and are willing to go along for the ride right from the > start. > > You can stomp your feet and do what you like...bark at the moon and > pound sand and continue to stick with the K3 until the end of times, > nothing wrong with that... try to convince yourself that the creators > of the K3 can't do any better. I'm in the camp that they have already > done better and I want to go along for that ride. Doing better > includes far more capabilities than dropping the MDS by a few dBm what > will net nothing. Onward and upward I say... it's exciting to see that > there is and continues to be a market to keep pushing the envelope in > the HF transceiver market. > > Max NG7M > > On Mon, Dec 23, 2019 at 10:20 AM John Stengrevics > <[email protected]> wrote: > > > POTENTIALLY better NR & NB will have to wait for hard data and > > independent reviews. > > > > And, this will absolutely determine whether or not I transition from > > the K3S to the K4 (along with improved sensitivity). > > > > 73, > > > > John > > WA1EAZ > > > > > On Dec 23, 2019, at 9:43 AM, M. George > > > <[email protected]> > > wrote: > > > > > > It's not surprising that there many looking for all the > > > information they can get on the K4 etc.. Here is a YouTube link > > > that lists K3 related video 'Search for Elecraft K4 Sorted by Date > > > for Video posted this year' < > > https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=elecraft+k4&sp=CAISBAgF > > EAE%253D > > > > > > : > > > > > https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=elecraft+k4&sp=CAISBAgF > > EAE%253D > > > > > > Just use the filter option in YouTube in this case to narrow down > > > the videos to the latest postings based on the search criteria to > > > get the latest video by date. > > > > > > The first video in this list contains a lot of detail at 38 > > > minutes long (Eric). (ELECRAFT K4 IN DEPTH with WA6HHQ at Waters & > > > Stanton Ltd Portsmouth UK). Take the time and watch the whole > > > video... there is a > > lot > > > of detail in this one. > > > > > > For the questions that seem to persist about how the K4 will > > > compare to > > the > > > K3... you quickly begin to understand that the receiver specs will > > > be similar to the K3S, especially once you understand the K4 > > > design approach with the hyrbird direct sampling approach and > > > superhet addition in the K4HD. At the same time, I'm not going to > > > underestimate the potential for some eye popping numbers when the > > > K4HD module is introduced. (think Third-Order Dynamic Range Narrow > > > Spaced rankings). However if the specs are similar to the K3S or > > > even a little better, it's becoming more clear > > to > > > me that the K4 platform and it's future potential with advances > > > and refinements in the software are where the real advantages are. > > > Big leaps here over the K3S. Leaps that the K3S can simply never > > > take do to the limited processing power. The K3 and K4 are not > > > even in the same league > > in > > > this area. > > > > > > You also begin to see the much higher potential the K4 has as far > > > as > > noise > > > reduction / noise blanking capability due to algorithms having > > > access to > > a > > > much wider bandpass with the SDR direct sampling approach. Just > > > my opinion, but I suspect there will be some big improvements in > > > these areas as compared to the K3/S line. The speed of the > > > processing power and > > access > > > to bandwidth will allow for better noise reduction etc... plus the > > software > > > improvements over time and head room for processing power sets up > > > the K4 for some big performance leaps improvements are made in > > > software (IMHO). You can glean all of this from the videos > > > (reading between the lines) in > > my > > > opinion. i.e. Elecraft potentially adding the capability with > > > diversity receive to do phase shifting to null out noise, similar > > > to the capability you get with a NCC-2 box for example. And > > > consider the design approach > > to > > > upgrade the ADC processing... the K4 seems to be setup for a long > > > life > > with > > > some interesting improvements down the road, not only with the > > > software, but think hardware processing upgrades too. > > > > > > I can't speak for anyone else, but since the K4 has been announced > > > I have gone through a phase of trying to convince myself that the > > > K4 isn't any better than my K3S, so why would I consider a K4? > > > ($4K to $6K for a new rig sure isn't chump change and could be > > > spent on other station improvements right?) As far as some of the > > > tell-tell specs like dynamic range blocking with strong signals > > > near your band-pass etc... I think > > with > > > the K4HD, the specs will be similar, but overall, what is > > > beginning to interest me is the amazing potential the K4 design > > > has. We are talking about two very different animals here. (with > > > the same linage) > > > > > > I have also spent a considerable amount of time looking at the > > > direct sampling competitors and as I start to dig in, I'm really > > > seeing some lacking features as they relate to a CW operator's > > > rig. I guess I'm > > biased > > > as a current Elecraft Fan-Boy / CW operator (I'll admit it), but > > > when I look at what I would be giving up in regard to CW operating > > > features that have become second nature to me, I think I would be > > > very disappointed. If you spend some time in the competitors user > > > groups you will understand > > what > > > I'm talking about, but that's just me. Owners in these other > > > groups have been begging for some common CW features that never > > > seem to materialize. However competition is good and it's great to > > > have options. You can't go too wrong with any of the high end > > > rigs these days, including any of the direct sampling designs that > > > are shipping now. > > > > > > So to end this tome of a post... if I had to place an order today > > > for a > > new > > > rig, it would be a an order for a K4. Wink / wink, maybe I > > > already did. ;) And if I did, I'm happy to wait X number of > > > months for the K4 to > > emerge > > > only when it is ready for prime time. My trusty K3S at my side as > > > I type away at the keyboard here will make the wait easy. Take > > > your time > > Elecraft. > > > > > > Max NG7M > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > M. George > > > ______________________________________________________________ > > > 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 Message delivered to > > > [email protected] > > > > > > -- > M. George > ______________________________________________________________ > 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 > Message delivered to [email protected] > ______________________________________________________________ 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 Message delivered to [email protected]
