Well, that’s a great question but angled to a non answerable solution. My take, and remember I live in New York, when companies put out a new model, some run to try the new flavour of the day. Now that the bloom is off the rose so to speak, we look back and see or ask ourselves being the times we live in…do we really need the new unit to begin with. My grandmother, or Bubbi for those in the know, always told be the devil you know is better than devil you don’t. That’s why I have always used Geico and it works for me. My K3 is a fit for me, like a denture, custom fit as Elecraft is an Ala carte kind of company as one size doesn’t fit all. I have the Panadapter to go with it and an MH4, a K2, and a KX# with Panadapter. No amp as I don’t speak to people on other planets…100 watts is just fine. New rollouts are sketchy and costly, constant changes, recalls, and beta versions. Parts…I thought it was law to keep parts in production for 7 years, and…since the line is lean to begin with, why not stockpile, not everyone has the money to upgrade. I have had Icom and Yaesu, but purchased Elecraft as I could and wanted too. Old stuff…I have a massive collection of vinyl…4k+, my equipment MacIntosh 4100, Klipschorns, LaScalas, Cornwalls, Heresys, SOTA Saphire TT…old stuff by today’s comparison. Would I sell any of it???…NO. It can be repaired and I love the sound, custom fit like dentures. I am 74 years of age as well with no known warranty, thus I am enjoying and focusing on what I own. I know, I’m rambling but I’m sure you get the point.
W3RKI aka Rick who is still out having fun…Concerts…tomorrow my friend George Winston, and Monday Jack Casady and Jorma Kaulonen. Life is go > On Apr 21, 2022, at 2:48 PM, Rick Bates, NK7I <rick.n...@gmail.com> wrote: > > One simple question (with no implied or stated answer): > > What would make a K3 a poor choice now, compared to other (used) brands? > > It still works better than many (most) other brands, the only real risks are > lack of parts when repairs are needed, as with any other brand and no more > updates (which only a FEW brands offer at all, if ever). > > With the jump to the K4, some K3 are available for sale and STILL sold within > minutes to hours of posting. > > The question is simple; the answer is personal and complex. > > 73, > Rick NK7I > K3, P3, KPA500, K4, KPA1500 (and Kenwood, Icom, others) > > > > On 4/21/2022 10:33 AM, Bill Davis via Elecraft wrote: >> This is my first post since I became an Elecraft owner back in 2009. I made >> the move to Elecraft after visiting with Gene Zimmerman the then QST VHF >> editor at the Elk Grove IL Central States VHF convention. Gene was a friend >> and was "over the moon" with his K3 and I had been looking for several >> months. I liked that it was American made, plugin boards that should assist >> in making the radio more maintainable and the history of the company. Then >> there was the performance! K3 SR #3460 arrived shortly after that followed >> some years later by K3s SR#10644. >> I have been a ham for 63years and was very late joining into the solid >> state world when it came to my ham gear. I had a TS-700 from Kenwood that >> was solid as a brick! That rig is 46years old and still works like the first >> day it was purchased back in 1976. I bought my first Icom in 1991 followed >> over the years by 3 other Icoms rigs. Every single Icom I ever had , had >> issues. Always fixable except for a mysterious 2m SSB distortion issue in a >> IC-746Pro that haunted me from the first 2m SSB QSO I had with it to when I >> gave up on it 9yrs later. >> I was convinced that Elecraft was "THE ANSWER". How naïve I was. I >> expected a longer run for the K3 in years and the same with the K3s. >> Software upgradeable, never obsolete, a "new" radio every update! But >> technology marched on and "everyone" wanted the latest bells and whistles >> even if the bottom line performance improvements were minimal. >> How can we be to a point where a $4,000 radio should be considered a toss >> and replace? Do the K3 and K3s really contain components that are truly >> unobtainable? If that is the case, why would we expect the K4 to be any more >> maintainable? Did Icom, Kenwood and the rest stockpile more of the non-run >> of the mill components where they could be more maintained for a longer >> period of time? >> IF SOMEWHERE the parts are out there, it looks to me like an independent >> shop repairing Elecraft gear could fly. It sounds like depending upon >> Elecraft to keep us on the air is close to a thing of the past. Looking at >> my Elecraft "investments", much smaller than many, that is a very hard pill >> to swallow. >> 73 Bill K0AWU (Weak signal VHF and above for 63 years) >> ______________________________________________________________ >> Elecraft mailing list >> Home:http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft >> Help:http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm >> Post:mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net >> >> This list hosted by:http://www.qsl.net >> Please help support this email list:http://www.qsl.net/donate.html >> Message delivered torick.n...@gmail.com > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > Message delivered to goldporsche...@aol.com ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
