Elecraft Inc. has probably the most stellar customer communication record of any large or small company that comes to mind. Their record, in the amateur communication manufacturing and design arena - is pretty much unheardof.
When will Icom Inc. communicate how they are doing on their someday to be announced IC-7200? What is the story on R&D, new products, and development at Kenwood Communications, on ham gear? When was the last time Yaseu asked the amateur community what they wanted in the way of new communications products? When ever did Heath Company - ever communicate anything of significance to the ham community? Especially on matters of product development. Had you ever seen any customer communications - from Drake, Hammarlund, Hallicrafters, or Collins - on the status of their product development group? Did Millen Co. ever communicate their product ideas to us hams? You many not realize this, but most major players in the electronics and consumer products industries, got out of their way NOT to communicate to the public or customer base - until after all the dust and R&D and distribution has settled - and their product is on the store shelves. Then you just get glossy brochures. Greats like Eastman Kodak - went so far, as to NOT patent or disclose patent ideas to the U.S. Patent office, so as to not to communicate product or technology ideas or actions to competitors. This is a common practice in the R&D and engineering fields. They would rather chance patent infringement legal actions, than communicate what they were up to technically, to competitors. So IMHO - when the staff at Elecraft is working 24/7 to get their latest K3 offering out to the consuming public, us hams, they really do not deserve the remarks that have been posted by some, or complaints of poor communications. Rather, just the opposite, they have over communicated. I would say any Elecraft guilt - may be that they tend to over communicate their product ideas and specifications, and schedules - to competitors way too early, and way too much. Hey ......... we all pretty much agree that they develop and market some of the best communications products out there. Let's let them do their 24/7 job. If one can't wait, or thinks they are being treated poorly, cancel your order. Others are waiting in the wings. de Fred, N3CSY ____________________________________________________________________________________ Moody friends. Drama queens. Your life? Nope! - their life, your story. Play Sims Stories at Yahoo! Games. http://sims.yahoo.com/ _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net 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