Hi all:
Arrive in Dayton Thurday, left Sunday. Good time.
Comments:
K3: I bought one (paid in full). K3/100. I can add more later and
by the time I get mine (Sept build, maybe early Oct delivery?) the
"other stuff" should be sitting on the inventory shelf so no need to
make those decisions at Dayton.
Interesting method of demonstrating the QSK (turn off side town and
listen to the band "hiss" on receive, nothing recovery time. Not a
great demo, but better than nothing. I'll see for sure when it
arrives.
Reading about the features is one thing, seeing them all work together
("seeing" because not much an antenna was available) was much more
impressive. Got to see how things interact with other and how
flexible/easy they are to manipulate. Impressed.
IC7700: Rather boring. IC7800 without dual receive or dual watch
(which even the 756 does). Price point said to be between $5 and $7k.
Heard others say $6k (which is between 5 and 7 - LOL). Pretty to
look at, bummed about performance. Just think, you could buy 2 - 3
K3's (depending on how you configure them) for the same cost. I
don't think the pan display is worth that kind of $ differential. But
then again, I am motivated by performance and not looks.
With two K3's and "something else" (aftermarket) for the pan display,
you would still save a fortune compared to single 7800, have more
flexibility, better specs (likely), and still have $5K left over. No
brainer unless you like to brag about how much money you threw away.
Prior 7800 owners excepted as it WAS the best thing going (before).
FT9000: This was really funny in the extreme. It is so overboard.
If any of you (OTers) ever read MAD magazine, it is like the cartoons
they used to run. For example, the one where they showed a "new" car
from the 60's..it has 20 "rocket fins" on the trunk and 15 headlights.
I'm sure it is a nice radio, but gee whiz. Make sure you budget to
rent a crane to move it.
Flex 5000: GREAT specs, zero radio-ness. One method of "tuning the
band" is to use a "hand tool" (like you use on a pdf file) and you
"pull" the band across your display (like Goole Maps). Very, ummmm,
different. User interface (tactile) is all but lacking. There is
this external device with pushbuttons and a knob to use, but I like at
least two knobs (one for each VFO or one for VFO and one for RIT/XIT).
If they ever get a better (much better) human interface, this will be
one to watch.
The K3 fits nicely between the FT9000 (overkill on a grand scale) and
the Flex 5000 (a mouse). Can't beat a radio that you can lift up off
of the desk with one hand so the other hand is free to move other
stuff around.
Tokyo Hi-Power: 1.5KW output solid state amp. Very nice. Waiting
for type acceptance. Price proposed as $6K. This is the ONLY
brochure I actually took home. Not in my future, but nice to look at.
Still can't wait for the official specs to be published (within next
six weeks?).
de Doug KR2Q
PS
Great to meet Eric, Lyle, Wayne from Elecraft and esp enjoyed chatting
with Don, W3FPR. He is as nice in person as you would expect from
this 10,000 helpful posts.
PPS...best "other" Tee Shirt: "Power is no substitute for Skill." Love it.
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