The new Elecraft K4
Today, prior to the open of the 2019 Hamvention, I had an opportunity to hang with the folks at Elecraft and grab some photos of their newest transceiver: the Elecraft K4 direct-sampling SDR (click here to read the announcement).
Elecraft has now published a K4 product page on their website with information about pre-orderswith information about pre-orders. In short, the base model—which includes two full receivers—starts at $3999 US.
Wayne Burdick told me that they expect to start shipping the K4 by the end of 2019.
I snapped a number of photos of the two engineering prototypes of the K4 this morning in Building 1 at the 2019 Hamvention.
Elecraft K4 Photos
Click on the images below to enlarge:
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- The new Elecraft K4
Very dissapointed. K4 release was delayed, with the 2nd RX and panadapter introducted, costs seemed to high, compared with a K3s and upgrade with these options. Well after the only comparision tests available from Sherwood the games over. Keep the K3s and buy higher up the list(Yaesu,Icom) “IC705 from Icom says it all 160-432 10 watts” $1200 US add KPA500 and your there.
Same old P3 panadapter resolutions, plastic cheapo knobs- and the same misaligned LED’s- LOL.
Now for 5000$ the Icom IC-7610 has it all.. But I will still buy one, cause I like Elecraft, an American company with great guys.
I was looking at the K4, turned out too expensive and too long to wait. I have a FTDX101MP ordered. 200w,
ingenious hybrid SDR system, 200w and over $2000 less than a K4 for me.
very nice device, hope that the results will be up to par.
But what worries me the most, I hope that Elecraft will not make us again the 1000 options, because $ 4000 BASE price has …
all these devices have the same design the first was the MB-1 expert electronic (wonder machine).
so who will win the IC7610, MBI Flex Radio or FTDX101D to name just a few? ? ?
kind regards
It’s an ugly radio though , Clearly styled on an Icom … But with much less finesse.
Very nice eye candy and plenty of options on the rear ?
I have to ask what differentiates the K4 from the K3, which was/is a great piece of equipment. How much more expensive is the K4? And what features do you think I will miss if I proceed with plans to get the KX3. And yes I am well aware that the purposes of these outfits is not the same. But if properly set up permanently in a home station, with a decent antennae, like the g7fek, what performance differences are there?
Thanks. Hoping to get my KX3 by end of summer.
“…starts at $3999 US”
Then again, a Collins S-line cost the equivalent of $9000 when introduced.
Of course, I couldn’t afford the S-line twins in 1962…and I’ll make do with my KX-3 and TS940S in 2019…
Beautiful rig, Thomas! I’ve seen mentions that it covers all the ham bands, but is the K4 general coverage for receive?
Yes, Guy. It’s my understanding that it’s general coverage. The interface is brilliant. I love the GUI. It’s also going to be snappy and the controls incredibly responsive. Inside, the controls will be Linux based.