Mike:
> On Mar 31, 2021, at 1:15 PM, W0MU Mike Fatchett <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> The point of all of this is why is Elecraft not on this list telling us these
> things like they used to?
>
> I hear lots of excuses. Sure there are supply line problems for everyone.
> HRO still has lots of product. Elecraft has a big competitor in FLEX are
> they having similar issues? I hear that some big box radios have some wait
> times but not in the years category.
Flex has similar issues. The Tuner Genius has been under development since
2017. They announced at the QSO Today Expo that those at the head of the line
(e.g. those that ordered the Power Genius XL in early 2017 when the tuner was
packaged with the amplifier0 should get theirs in 2nd Quarter 2021, 4+ years
after product announcement. My Power Genius was delivered in May 2018 and I
still can’t use it with a EFHW antenna without the tuner. Maestro is currently
on back order. Their website shows their transceivers on back order with no
expected availability times listed. Flex has gone through its own
’transition’ during Covid where final assembly was brought ‘in house’ on their
transceivers as their outside vendor shut down. The Power Genius and Antenna
Genius are built by 4O3A in Montenegro for Flex where they have their own
issues and ability to ship product to the US is constrained.
HRO may have lots of product but necessarily the product that I want. I
ordered from HRO last November the West Mountain Radio ‘PWRspeaker’ that is not
expected until at least May. It is produced in China. So between parts,
assembly, and transport across the Pacific there are plenty of reasons for
delayed deliveries. The Suez Canal debacle is but one part of the “supply
chain’ impacts that also includes container shortages, port congestion,
intermodal doublestack railcar availability, intermodal terminal congestion in
the interior, and drayage impacts.
Another example: I ordered three 4K 15” portable displays through Kickstarter
in July 2020 with expected delivery in October 2020 from China (Two will be
used with two GeoChron2 Digitial 4K devices that I had purchased through HRO in
January 2020) . Kickstarter charged my credit card in September and e-maiiled
on 22 OCT 20 "Production is in full swing and we expect to begin shipping by
the end of October.” On 6 NOV 20 I received an e-mail from Kickstarter with
subject line “Production Delays” ("It seems like many large electronics
companies locked up all the raw materials before the funds were released from
Kickstarter”) deliveries would not take place until February 2021. No update
received since then. I have no idea at this point where they stand with
expected deliveries. Next week I will start making inquiries again.
What we all took for granted regarding ‘immediate gratification’ on what we
ordered being immediately available “before Covid” is no longer the case. It
will be a ‘long time’ before we see a return to ’normal’ as economic activity
dramatically picks up as Covid-19 restrictions are eased (thanks to
vaccinations) and pent up demand for everything exceeds available supply.
Prices will consequently rise. Add in the proposed $2-3 Trillion in government
spending on “infrastructure” (further competing for scarce products/materials
that the private sector also needs) and the proposed $2-$3 trillion increase
in taxes (that will impact families and small business ability to ‘bounce back’
from the downturn) at the same time, and the nation will have so many “moving
parts” that impact economic activity resulting in further uncertainty. My
concern is that the unintended consequences will have far reaching impacts on
the economy from rising prices (inflation) to uncertain availability putting
even more strains on businesses such as Elecraft and Flex, not to mention the
rest of us.
FWIW,
Barry Baines, WD4ASW/5
Keller, TX
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