Actually the K3 can sell a LOT less than 100Million and be on par with the number of IKY's sold. While Elecraft is a Ham Radio only organization IKY make a lot of money selling communications products to completely unrelated sectors.
~Brett On Thu, Jun 17, 2010 at 12:32 PM, <w...@w5ov.com> wrote: > You can't argue with the numbers. And while Eric and company would like to > be a $100 million company, I think they have some way to go to reach that > level. > > The reason you run into others with the K3 is that you are here in the > U.S. and many of those folks are like-minded with you and I, looking for > the best performing radio available. Remember, there are a lot of people > who are not even aware of the K3 and only consider I/Y/K radios. > > None of what I said in any way should be construed to be negative about > the K3 - it's just that the number of them sold in no way compares to what > Icom and Yaesu (and Kenwood) sell world-wide. $100 million in K3 terms = > about 25,000 of them annually. We all know that there are not even close > to 25,000 K3's out there. > > As further evidence of my personal perspective, my K3 occupies the spot > where my 756Pro3 used to be and I have no regrets. In fact, I just used it > for the first time on 6m last weekend in the VHF test and it worked very > well - even without the optional preamp on 6m. > > 73, > > Bob W5OV > >> First off my K3/10 is what most consider QRP. I use a used MFJ-945E >> tuner on 80-6m (also used when I ran my FT-847 on HF). Supposedly >> rated to 300w (?) but I do not have anything that runs that high built. >> >> But, mainly, I want to respond to the "K3 types are devoted and >> loyal, we're just a drop in the bucket of the world-wide amateur >> market" statement. Really? Then why do I run into all these K3 >> owners on the many e-mail reflectors, I inhabit? I can say the K3 is >> very well though of and gaining popularity with the VHF+, EME, and >> microwave crowd! To say they are in the lead for ultimate >> weak-signal operations, and the K3 is considered one of the best (if >> not the best) for that. >> >> and that is why I own one. >> >> 73, Ed - KL7uW >> "hint uW = microwave" >> >> ------------------------------ >> >> Message: 43 >> Date: Thu, 17 Jun 2010 08:14:31 -0500 >> From: "Bob Naumann" <w...@w5ov.com> >> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] LDG >> To: <Elecraft@mailman.qth.net> >> Message-ID: <013701cb0e1f$05dd5f00$11981d...@com> >> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" >> >> For a moment, consider that what the LDG rep says may be true. >> >> I suspect that it is, given the incredible advertising & promotional >> budgets >> that Icom and Yaesu apparently have from sales of their products. >> >> While Elecraft is clearly doing well and they're growing, it is also clear >> that these long-standing manufacturers (I,Y) are selling lots more radios. >> A >> quick Internet search shows that it is estimated that Icom USA (Note: This >> is USA only) has sales revenues on a yearly basis of between $50 million >> and >> $100 million. Then, add whatever Icom is doing in the rest of the world, >> and >> you begin to get the picture of how big these companies are in comparison. >> >> What this tells us is that while us K3 types are devoted and loyal, we're >> just a drop in the bucket of the world-wide amateur market compared to the >> "big two". (Kenwood doesn't count until they come out with a real radio - >> then it once again may be the 'big 3'). >> >> 73, >> >> W5OV >> >> >> >> 73, Ed - KL7UW, WD2XSH/45 >> ====================================== >> BP40IQ 500 KHz - 10-GHz www.kl7uw.com >> EME: 144-600w, 432-100w, 1296-60w, 3400-fall 2010 >> DUBUS Magazine USA Rep dubus...@hotmail.com >> ====================================== >> >> ______________________________________________________________ >> 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 >> > > > ______________________________________________________________ > 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 > ______________________________________________________________ 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