[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
Will it be possible to keep a K2 working 35 years? I don't see why not, given
that almost all the parts are readily available, the documentation is wide
open and free, and expert assist is available from several sources. Plus when
Most of the documentation is closed, as, as you point out yourself, the
radio does a lot in software, and the software source isn't released;
not even the AuxBus protocol is documented. It's also the case that
component substitution, including piggy backed surface mount parts, have
had to be made already.
The impact of the closed software is that, even if you can get the PIC
chips, you won't be able to program them. Also, where the firmware has
restrictions for legal reasons, and these go away (e.g. the Thai
government permits use of additional amateur radio frequencies, or, on
my reading of the UK licence, and assuming the situation has arisen and
Elecraft have actually complied, if a UK Novice gets a Full licence and
is therefore allowed to operate equipment that is not restricted, by
design, to authorised frequencies, the user may have trouble getting an
upgrade).
Incidentally, making the software public domain is not a good idea, as
it will be ineffective in the UK, and most other countries, with the,
probable, exception of the USAb, and doesn't allow one to restrict
implied warranties. It's better to use a liberal and perpetual licence.
The other issue is that Elecraft is a small company and we have
discovered, this week, that one of their founders is turning 50 and
another key technician learned algebra in the late 1950s, it seems to me
that a lot of the key personnel are reaching the point where they think
about retirement. As well as losing the product knowledge, founders of
startup companies in that position often want to turn the value of the
company into cash to fund their pensions. To me, the K3 could well be
there in order to make the company sellable. My experience of
innovative startups, where the founders sell out, is poor. I've had to
leave my old ISP, because of the consequences of that.
From what I know of the hardware, I would be most worried about the K2
headphone jack, as it is not particularly generic and a known weak
point. I'm also somewhat concerned about the relays. They are almost
impossible for an individual to source and they have a limited life, and
the KAT2, in particular, hits them hard.
--
David Woolley
Emails are not formal business letters, whatever businesses may want.
RFC1855 says there should be an address here, but, in a world of spam,
that is no longer good advice, as archive address hiding may not work.
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