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Author Topic: Sherwood Review of the Elecraft K4  (Read 2335 times)

KC0W

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Sherwood Review of the Elecraft K4
« on: May 29, 2021, 05:59:05 PM »

 
 http://sherweng.com/table.html

 If you can't immediately find the K4 on the new updated Sherwood list keep on scrolling down. Look two rigs BELOW the KX3. Yes, the KX3..........Glad Elecraft hasn't held onto my money for the past 2 years while waiting for this dog.

                                                              Tom KH0/KC0W           
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K1VSK

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Re: Sherwood Review of the Elecraft K4
« Reply #1 on: May 29, 2021, 06:07:25 PM »

 I suspect none of us can discern any difference among all the radios listed which apparently makes them all “dogs”.
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KC0W

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Re: Sherwood Review of the Elecraft K4
« Reply #2 on: May 29, 2021, 06:26:23 PM »

 You are correct. "Dog" was probably the wrong word. Unfortunately I can no longer edit my previous post. 
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K1VSK

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Re: Sherwood Review of the Elecraft K4
« Reply #3 on: May 29, 2021, 06:59:39 PM »

You are correct. "Dog" was probably the wrong word. Unfortunately I can no longer edit my previous post.
Not a problem. Most dogs are great. And they're a lot smarter than a friggin cat. It's the cats you should avoid.
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N2DTS

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Re: Sherwood Review of the Elecraft K4
« Reply #4 on: May 29, 2021, 08:24:02 PM »

KX3 is piss pour without the roofing filter.
But I hope everyone cancels their orders so I can get mine quicker.
Beats the Flex 6400 which I thought was great.
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G4AON

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Re: Sherwood Review of the Elecraft K4
« Reply #5 on: May 30, 2021, 02:03:24 AM »

The Sherwood list is mostly only relevant for the tiny minority of hams who operate 160m CW contests with a fellow contest op a mile away. Unfortunately close in dynamic range seems to have become more important than any other transceiver parameter!

The most important parameter when choosing a transceiver is what job do you want it for? Price, size/weight, ability to run from battery power on a picnic table, smooth “click free” break-in CW, ease of use with transverters, clean SSB transmissions (low IMD), useful spectrum scope, ease of use without needing to refer to the manual, and ability to operate on the same band as a near neighbour (low transmit phase noise and strong receiver).

Take your pick of what is important for your needs, otherwise just buy a Yaesu FTDX101D, as it is currently top in the Sherwood list.

73 Dave

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N2DTS

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Re: Sherwood Review of the Elecraft K4
« Reply #6 on: May 30, 2021, 05:13:31 AM »

I am sure the HD model will be close or at the top when its out.
Silly to pay all that extra money if you don't need that kind of close in performance.
If you are at or close to 100 db of dynamic range close spaced you are good to go short of some really bad situations.

Some very top of the line radios from not that long ago are in the 70's!
With crappy phase noise as well!
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SWMAN

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Re: Sherwood Review of the Elecraft K4
« Reply #7 on: May 30, 2021, 06:29:52 AM »

 Are they all Dogs or Cows ?
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KF4HR

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Re: Sherwood Review of the Elecraft K4
« Reply #8 on: May 30, 2021, 07:36:49 AM »

Based on that logic the the IC-7610's, IC-7300's, Yaesu FT-5000, Flex-6600M and many others excellent radios are dog's too!  Oh, no, the sky is falling!

Some people put way too much consideration into the difference of a few db, when in reality it makes little to no difference in actual operation.
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W6MK

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Re: Sherwood Review of the Elecraft K4
« Reply #9 on: May 30, 2021, 09:35:41 AM »

The most important parameter when choosing a transceiver is...ease of use without needing to refer to the manual[?]

Just buy a Yaesu FTDX101D, as it is currently top in the Sherwood list.

From what I've read a common complaint about the FTDX101D is how awkward it is to use.

The bottom line for hams is the same as for all consumers: what sells is what offers the most "features," what promises the most "magic," what is the "latest and greatest," and what is at the top of someone's list of "the best."

Actual operating function is something entirely different.
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KX2T

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Re: Sherwood Review of the Elecraft K4
« Reply #10 on: May 30, 2021, 10:14:36 AM »

I have owned a 7610 since 2018 and yes I have had three trips out to the service center for displays so I guess I bought the big dog or as they say bite the bullet. I also sold off my trusty swiss army knife 7300 and picked up the FTDX10 in December before Mr. Sherwood had it in his lab and the QST lab numbers were out but comparing these two side by side there is very little differences between these two rigs even though the lab numbers show some differences were the FTDX10 should be better and that is comparing them both on a contest weekend when the bands are chock full of signals wall to wall. Both rigs do a very good job but I do like certain features between the two as far as ease of use, the Icom wins in this area but here again its a larger rig and the Yaesu was designed for a more compact size but the Yaesu is better than the 7300 was and I feel its a very good buy for under the $2K range, worth its now selling price cause on CW I find the Yaesu as good as the 7610. I don't have a big antenna farm anymore but have a modest tribander just under 50' and some dipoles up 60ft so I can feed both with enough signals for good comparisons but maybe with a larger antenna system those lab numbers may equate to some differences but I don't think it would add that much.
Bottom line there are a whole lot of radio's that are in the top 25 to 30 on that list that are dam good rigs so I think in regards to the K4 or K4D its kind of like a slightly newer 7610 type SDR rig with knobs, the numbers are better but not by a whole lot and the MDS figures are more like the Flex, Anan and Yaesu were the Icom and kenwoods have MDS numbers that if you wanted to compare you gotta place about 10-12Db of attenuation in line. The K4 seems like another good sdr but the HD might best the Yaesu's 101D's spot. As Mr. Sherwood states in many of his talks about radio's there is allot more about buying a rig then were it stand on his chart so that is were the rubber meets the road cause there are lots of great rigs in our marketplace.
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KB7TT

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Re: Sherwood Review of the Elecraft K4
« Reply #11 on: May 30, 2021, 10:52:27 AM »

"
Re: Sherwood Review of the Elecraft K4
« Reply #9 on: Today at 09:35:41 AM »
ReplyQuote
Quote from: G4AON on Today at 02:03:24 AM
The most important parameter when choosing a transceiver is...ease of use without needing to refer to the manual[?]

Just buy a Yaesu FTDX101D, as it is currently top in the Sherwood list.

From what I've read a common complaint about the FTDX101D is how awkward it is to use.

Well, frankly I have used my neighbor's 7610 and I now have two FTDX101MPs.  Here say is inexcusable.  If you don't own a radio don't pass along cannon fodder...  I used the manual for the first few days and have not consulted it since then.  Get one to review it or don't pass on Urban myths. 

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W6MK

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Re: Sherwood Review of the Elecraft K4
« Reply #12 on: May 30, 2021, 11:07:19 AM »

Here say is inexcusable.  If you don't own a radio don't pass along cannon fodder...  I used the manual for the first few days and have not consulted it since then.  Get one to review it or don't pass on Urban myths.

I'm seldom inclined to take orders from quasi-literate forum Nazis.

"Here say" might approximate the term "hearsay." I suppose.

There should be plenty of room for vastly different opinions in a democratic forum.

Some experienced ops, like myself, have an intolerance for poor industrial or ergonomic design.

Others couldn't possibly have enough menu selections or depth.

I worked for many years in a design business. Yes, I have biases.

Some operating positions look like piles of junk. Others are lovely to look at.

People do vary.

And some have at least a small spot for a sense of humor.
« Last Edit: May 30, 2021, 11:17:24 AM by W6MK »
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N2DTS

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Re: Sherwood Review of the Elecraft K4
« Reply #13 on: May 30, 2021, 12:06:14 PM »

Unlike most Yaesu radios, the ftdx101 seems to have enough buttons and knobs to make it easy to use.
So does the K4.
The K4 will have features I find important that the 101 does not have.

Everyone is looking for something different from a radio.
I do not find the ranking on the Sherwood list important if a radio is on the first two pages really.
Low noise RX, fidelity and bandwidth abilities, display and ease of use are what is important to me.
Contest people want something different, as do CW guys, and digital guys.
For some its price or value.
Maybe for others its size or weight.

I really like Elecraft stuff, one place they did not do well is fidelity.
Another was the displays.
They may have fixed both.

They DO show the filter on the scope. They DO allow the use of a mouse on the entire screen.
They DO have a larger nice looking screen and the ability to project info onto a big monitor.
They DO make a good antenna tuner. They DO update the software. They DO have great support.

The others do NOT tick all those boxes.

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KA1CNK

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Re: Sherwood Review of the Elecraft K4
« Reply #14 on: May 30, 2021, 05:42:13 PM »

If I recall correctly from a youtube video interviewing Ron, the K4 is more or less where he predicted it would be for a SDR design.   It would next be interesting to see where the HD model ranks.
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