As a former DoD contractor: Both the FAR and DFARS have specific
sections defining the requirements for the DoD to purchase Commercial
Off-The-Shelf [COTS] hardware and software products. Much of those
sections is devoted to who owns the patents/copyrights and distribution
rights. It's nearly always up to the Program staff and Contracting
Officer regarding technical specifications, however the competition
rules still apply if there is more than one available product that meets
the specifications. A program can purchase "samples" for evaluation from
any mfr and I'd guess that the KX2 has little or no competition.
Products that are for general military needs [e.g. ruggedized vehicles,
flight and space qualified devices, etc.] are almost always purchased
via contract, often as Task Orders on IDIQ [indefinite delivery
indefinite quantity], multi-vendor contracts.
Personally, I think it's cool! In the 60's in SE Asia, our "portable"
A/G radios were 35 lb back packs [AN/PRC-10's] and the dry cell
batteries would last a few hours ... unless you transmitted. Can't
imagine how a KX2 would have changed things on mission for us. [:=)
73,
Fred ["Skip"] K6DGW
Sparks NV DM09dn
Washoe County
On 2/8/2020 4:08 PM, Wayne Burdick wrote:
Hi Mike,
Mike Morrow <k...@earthlink.net> wrote:
1. Is the KX2 supplied by Elecraft identical to those supplied to amateurs?
Yes. They may be using aftermarket accessories -- not sure.
2. Is the KX2 being supplied by external DC power?
I believe they use it with both internal and external battery.
3. The stock KX2 (unfortunately) provides no transmit coverage outside the ham
bands except 5.06 to 5.45 MHz for 60m. Is a special firmware load being used
to permit general coverage transmit?
Just the MARS enable.
4. Federal agencies (including CAP, but not MARS) normally use radio equipment
compliant with standards established by the National Telecommunications and
Information Administration (NTIA) ... [but] US military agencies have sometimes
adopted commercial radio gear with no changes.
I believe the KX2 was approved for COTS (common-off-the-shelf) military
purchase.
The point we were trying to make is that the KX2 fills a functional need that
is not presently filled by other gear, with or without compliance to specific
standards. They needed a 1-pound radio that covered all modes and all bands.
Someone showed them a KX2 and demonstrated that it did the job.
If the KX2 were EMI-hardened and ruggedized and waterproofed to the degree that
some manpack radios are, it would simply be another large, heavy, overpriced
piece of military gear. As it stands, it does the job they need it to, just has
it does for thousands of hams using it for SOTA, hiking, backpacking, etc. To
roughly paraphrase, it was a tenth the weight, a tenth the size, and a tenth
the price.
With all that going for it, they could afford to lose a few. But the rigs have
proven very reliable. (Wish we could post the entire, colorful history of what
their rigs have been through. It was scary! Amazing that the soldiers survived,
much less the radios.)
73,
Wayne
N6KR
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