Re: [Elecraft] Dayton review
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, u, 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. Just get three of those sexy USB knobs. There should be a way to bind them to the various knob-functions in software. OTOH, it wouldn't be hard to build a panel that had all the switches and knobs and then spoke to the software over USB. Use the CRT to make useful pictures like the pan display, metering, status messages, etc. This is an interesting User Interface (UI to us computer geeks) issue. One of the best things in the world to keep confusion to a minimum is a panel with knobs and switches that each do one and only one thing. Put labels on 'em and it is pretty hard to get confused about which mode the button is in. I got this from Jef Raskin who was in part responsible for the original Apple Macintosh. He is right. Frankly, this is where I think the K3 wins. OTOH, I wonder about the open-ness of the K3's software to allow hackers to add new modes and new modulations. Making the K3 open with some kind of SDK would clinch the deal hands-down. PPS...best other Tee Shirt: Power is no substitute for Skill. Love it. And to add to that, Power is no substitute for propagation. Sometimes it is better just to MUF it. Brian Lloyd 3191 Western Drive brianl AT lloyd DOT com Cameron Park, CA 95682 +1.916.367.2131 (voice) +1.270.912.0788 (fax) There is a time to laud one's country and a time to protest. A good citizen is prepared to do either as the need arises. PGP key ID: 12095C52A32A1B6C PGP key fingerprint: 3B1D BA11 4913 3254 B6E0 CC09 1209 5C52 A32A 1B6C ___ 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
[Elecraft] Dayton review
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, u, 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. ___ 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
[Elecraft] Dayton Review - now edited
Wow...does not pay to type so fast without checking. Let's try this paragraph again: Original: 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. Should be: Interesting method of demonstrating the QSK (turn off the side-tone and listen to the band hiss on receive, noting the recovery time. Not a great demo, but better than nothing. I'll see for sure how it works when it arrives. Sorry about that. Also: Speaking of the K3 with the whip at Dayton. While there, Wayne was able to tune in one station on CW (using a tiny whip INSIDE the arena!). He cranked the BW down to 50hz and it sound GREAT. No ringing, EASY tuning back and forth across the signal (did not just appear out of nowhere, which I like) so you could set the pitch the way you liked. I was very impressed with what 50hz sounded like (and even more about what it didn't sound like). de Doug KR2Q ___ 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
