I installed the just released, R36 firmware on my Elecraft K4 transceiver this morning. This new production release is apparently welcome news for many enthusiasts who have been longing for some new remote features to improve their experience.

There must be more than a hundred reasons why so many folks want the ability to use their equipment from remote locations, and these are certainly valid. I’m just glad I’m not one of them. At least not at this moment. I’ve gone to some considerable lengths to build the ham shack of my dreams and I’m perfectly happy to operate from right here.

In fact, I like to think of it as my radiotelegraph office when I walk in with the first of many cups of coffee ready to settle down for an hour or two of traversing the planet by VFO while getting comfortable in my antique cherrywood office chair. The notion of spending hours, days, or weeks getting software drivers working so I can leave my beautiful shack and go elsewhere to run my station over an internet link is anathema to the atmosphere I’m trying to create.

I understand why remote operation is such a popular feature. I’m simply thankful that the only impact it has on me at the moment is tripling the number of queries to the mailing lists as those remote operators seek answers and solutions to their myriad of technical challenges in making it all work…