Actually no, the K3 isn't still being serviced within the limits of
parts availability, and hasn't for some time. When my K3IO board got
zapped I wrote Elecraft and asked them to repair it. The repair tech
simply and flippantly refused to so. I later went through the parts
list from the schematic and all the key parts were available in stock
from Digi-Key. Luckily Don had a spare set of boards from someone who
had swapped them out for the USB version.
In any case, age has nothing to do with it. The original claim was that
the modular nature of the K3 would allow it to have an almost unlimited
lifetime because redesigns would handle both part obsolescence and
technological improvements. Supply chain issues didn't cause that to go
by the wayside ... limited resources at Elecraft did. By all accounts
the K4 is a great rig, but why should its modularity offer any extended
life compared to other brands than the K3 did? It's a flawed premise
and a flawed commitment if the ability to follow through isn't there.
I don't mean to keep flogging this, but people like you keep dredging it
up and trying to convince me I'm wrong.
Dave AB7E
On 6/28/2022 7:17 AM, Rick Tavan wrote:
What do you mean, David? The K3 had a nearly 15 year run as Elecraft's
flagship transceiver and is still being serviced within the limits of
parts availability. K3S was a mid-life update, not a new design. It
had a few revised boards and they were available to retrofit to the
earlier K3 units. Other updated boards came along prior to K3S and
were also retrofittable. In my 60+ years of ham radio, the K3 stands
out as the longest-living, most modular, most upgradeable radio of
all, by a wide margin. I have no reason to expect anything less of K4.
73,
/Rick N6XI
On Mon, Jun 27, 2022 at 8:08 PM David Gilbert <ab7e...@gmail.com> wrote:
I remember that exact same statement being made about the K3 and K3s
(discontinued after 6 years). Other than the new synths, it wasn't
honored for the K3 series so I see no reason to treat that as part of
the value proposition for the K4.
On 6/27/2022 5:32 PM, Wayne Burdick wrote:
>
> - The K4 is designed in highly modular fashion so we can replace
modules in the future as technology changes, including the main
processor board, ADC boards, and DAC board.
>
>
>
> Wayne
> N6KR
>
>
______________________________________________________________
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 rta...@gmail.com
--
--
Rick Tavan
Truckee and Saratoga, CA
______________________________________________________________
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
