Somehow, I don't see Elecraft coming out with a new transceiver in the near future. Their accomplishments in developing new products and innovations is pretty amazing. Tasking Wayne with the design of a new radio would be way too much overload. But if we were to do so, I second all the features that have been mentioned, but I would also include on the design list variable passband tuning, and a good notch filter. And K3 as a name? No way! There is no K3, there was but it is now known as Broad Peak. (Located about 5 miles away from K2 in the Karakoram range.) I think the radio Wayne is ultimately destined to design should be named McKinley. Joe N9JR
----- Original Message ---- From: Mike Scott <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net Sent: Wednesday, May 24, 2006 11:54:12 AM Subject: RE: [Elecraft] New Elecraft Products Now that the K3 has dual receivers (grin) and stereo audio it needs to be able to slave the two receivers to provide binaural I-Q receive. Mike Scott AE6WA Tarzana, CA (near LA) Elecraft KX1 4-Watts -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of N2TK, Tony Sent: Wednesday, May 24, 2006 8:40 AM To: 'Larry Phipps'; 'Tom Althoff' Cc: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: RE: [Elecraft] New Elecraft Products Hi Larry, Maybe they will need to do something like they are doing with the new amps - kit or assembled? And critical boards already stuffed and checked out. I built a K2 because that is the only way it comes. I bought it for the performance and the size. I enjoy putting kits together and I feel I do a good job at it. But I would rather be operating than soldering, especially if the price differential isn't great - an example is the KPA1500. For an additional 7% I get an amp assembled and checked out. I agree that some contesters and Dxers would rather buy it assembled and tested. And some will continue to like to build it. To me both are good choices to have for all of us. And while I am at it, here is my list of things I would like to see in a new rig. These are the minimum things I would want over a K2 in a K3: - Fast, quiet QSK - Dual receive - The ability to listen in stereo so when running split you can listen in one ear on the transmit freq and at the same time listen in the other ear to the receive frequency. - 6-160M - maybe even 2M? - Push button "clear" switch for RIT and XIT. - Better close in (2KHZ) dynamic range performance. - Switchable front end filters 73, N2TK, Tony #3481 -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Larry Phipps Sent: Wednesday, May 24, 2006 9:38 AM To: Tom Althoff Cc: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: Re: [Elecraft] New Elecraft Products Just my $0.02, but I think there is a problem looming for Elecraft as it concerns a new radio. The next logical step in terms of performance is a contest grade K3 with SO2R capability to match the new amps. The major problem with this is that is not compatible with a kit... IMHO. I just don't see the big gun contesters spending months building a radio with that kind of performance. It would have to be a kit in the same context as the new amps... in other words, not really a kit. Of course, there is no rule that says that all future Elecrafts have to be kits. I think there is a KIT market for a new radio, with bigger form factor, more knobs, fewer menus, but not all the bells and whistles of a contest grade rig. Maybe there is a modular approach that could be offered, with a motherboard and plug-in options... more like the venerable Drake TR-7 in terms of physical layout of the boards... with a loaded price tag of maybe $2,000. Larry N8LP Tom Althoff wrote: > As long as we are dreaming...I wish the KPA800 photo had a K2 or some > other way of determining the size/dimentions. > > If the KPA800/1500 is not much larger than a Ten-Tec Orion then I > would love to see a K3 that matched the amp in size. > > Make it modular and expandable. Have slots on the motherboard for 2nd > rcvr, 6M/2M/220/440 transverter modules etc. > > Include FM, SSTV etc as an "Optional Mode Module". Perhaps include > decoding of SSTV and text from other digital modes for display on an > optional flat panel display. > > Make the PA upgradable with choice of 20W or 200W output. > > Make it a 12V for mobile/battery operation but include a built-in > quiet switching supply. Maybe have the 20W be 12VDC and the 200W have > a built-in 50V switching supply for running on 120VAC. Just thinking > out loud here. > > And make some provision for split operation indicators such as putting > the sidetone into only one side of a stereo headphone so that > operators can HEAR the difference between when they are transmitting > split and when they are not. A visual indication such as having all > the frequency readouts turn red in transmit during split operation and > some other color when operating simplex. An operator would KNOW from > the first dit if he was intending to work a DXpedition split and > started to call simplex on the DX stations frequency. (Maybe a mild > shock to the keyer paddle is needed?) > > A low end version would be a 20W 160-10M CW only rig (although I > suspect SSB would not add that much cost). > > A high end version would run 200W with an internal AC supply and cover > 160-microwave all modes including general coverage on 2 receivers and > auto-tuning on all bands below 144Mhz. > > I think a K3 like that would be at least as expensive as adding up the > price of a 100W K2 with all accessories, options and converters and > doubling or tripling the total price. > > Tom K2TA > _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. 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