The new Elecraft K4 has been added to Rob Sherwood's much-vaunted list and many will be surprised at the placement at #13 of this new flagship radio.
Above it are the K3S and KX3.
Also above it are direct-sampling SDR radios from Flex (from 2014 and still #2 on the list!) and Apache Labs.
Two things about Sherwood's list: if your favorite radio ranks high, you use this fact to brag about your rig and your astute purchase decision. If your radio is low on the list, you dismiss the criteria used to rank the radios and talk up the other specs that don't contribute to the radio's placement.
This if, then interpretation allows any radio to be Awesome! no matter where it is on the list.
Elecraft's official position on the K4's placement on Sherwood's list: "We're quite pleased with his test results...".
I'll admit to being surprised at the K4's position on the list but I'm even more surprised that Elecraft has chosen to be a one-radio company, no longer offering the higher-performing K3S.
The K3 became the rig of choice, not just for top contesters and DXers, but for DXpeditioners too. It was small, lightweight and reliable. I seriously doubt the K4 will be as reliable to take along on a DXpedition to some remote location. Added complexity = reduced reliablity.
- Will the K3S make a return to Elecraft's line-up?
- Will Elecrafters be happy knowing that the latest offering from Elecraft is, in a big respect, a step down from what had been available?
- Will the flexibility of the K4's SDR architecture compensate for its lower performance and higher price?
My prediction: Yes (well, hopefully). Maybe. No.
My recent post of Elecraft K4 lab measurements has resulted in some inaccurate conclusions by some readers of my long form report and my web table. The “notes” portion of my report made some comparisons to the Icom IC-7610 and Flex 6000 series transceivers. All three have similar architecture. One must first realize that the measured values for dynamic range, ADC overrange (overload) and RMDR (reciprocal mixing dynamic range)/ phase noise values (as listed on my web table) are all relative to the noise floor of a given radio. All transceivers currently in production have adequate sensitivity on 10 meters, let alone 6 meters. All direct sampling transceivers have a similar dynamic range. This is simply physics. An ADC by itself has a given noise floor, and a maximum signal voltage it can handle without overload. This dynamic range is about the same for all ADCs in amateur radio equipment. The ADC in the K4 is the same one used in the IC-7610. The Flex ADC chip is different, but it has similar performance.
