IMO the K3 firmware gets the grade of "A". It would get an A+ if major revisions (these happen in the product development cycle) needed no followup updates. The followup updates come from the beta test group not being a large enough sample, not going long enough, or both.
* If the benchmark is Orion - K3 shines. Read the archives. * If those that have legitimate issues would report them through [EMAIL PROTECTED] rather than running them up the reflector flagpole - whether it be "where's mine" or "Oh no malfunction???", none of this would -appear- so gloomy. The venturi effect is working quite well here, which does not bother me, but I don't take such a negative look at the firmware from it either. * From a programmers perspective, legitimate complaints about any firmware are amplified when the coders are working in a common area. Quite often the left hand does not know what the right hand is doing, quite often there are unintended consequences. With K3 you have Wayne and Lyle - each one 100% in control of their own area. Each one will get it right, and understands each issue backward and forward because it belongs only to themselves. YMMV ... [Elecraft] Firmware Fatigue - was K2 v K3 Lee Buller k0wa at swbell.net Wed May 7 10:26:12 EDT 2008 Previous message: [Elecraft] K2 v K3 Next message: [Elecraft] K3 Band switch Messages sorted by: [ date ] [ thread ] [ subject ] [ author ] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mike.... I too am somewhat dismayed with the firmware issues surrounding the K3. I love the k3, but it seems that something is added the new firmware breaks something else. I think that it is just going to take time to bring it all together. Elecraft says they are not programming to the "niche" players but they seem to be quite vocal in their desire for features in the K3. The old addage, "the squeaky wheel gets the grease" comes to mind. Reading the list serv tends to make me a little piqued from the stand point that there are so many "niche" requests. I do not care about ESSB or AM or bouncing signals off the Moon or working VHF contests in Europe. Oh, those are all fun things to do, but I think it just becomes overwhelming to the user and to the programmers. In time it will get there but give me basic functionality that works as a world class transceiver. And that is something that we should all remember....in time the firmware will get there. In a year from now, the firmware will be mature and all this should be behind us. It just is going to take time. The K3 development is a work in progress and the users are providing valuable data to the engineering team to make the K3 the world class transceiver it is designed to be. We just have to wait for the firmware to mature. Thanks Elecraft for a great product and listening to all of us. Lee - K0WA _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [email protected] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
