I design products like I compose music: equal parts intention and exploration. While my goal in both cases is to create something unique, the enjoyment comes from taking a path I have not traveled.
An interest in both music and technology seems common among engineers, perhaps reflecting the way our wetware works. In my case it was revealed early on. My father, after watching me rend TVs and radios into bits, bought me a Radio Shack electronic organ kit when I was eight. I stayed up hours past bedtime completing it, and when it was finished I was surprised to find some notes out of tune. The relationship between resistor values and pitch was obvious. I inserted small resistors in series to correct the problem.
Years later, an interest in amateur radio kicked off my design career. I was fascinated with low-power communication in particular. A 9-V battery and a wad of scavenged parts with their leads twisted together produced a 200-mW, 7-MHz CW signal that reached L.A. from our San Diego suburb. After this success I read extensively about radio and electronics, built a lot of Heathkit gear, and took a stab at designing my own kits. I used an etch-resist pen to lay out my first pc board, then etched it in an aluminum ice-cube tray and got an inadvertent high school chemistry lesson. I also discovered that parts could be expensive—$5 TTL decade counters doomed a digital tachometer idea. The dream was on hold.
During a subsequent stint in the U.S. Coast Guard, I worked for a talented engineer named Gordon Shillito. Together we designed Loran-C simulators and related gear. I learned a great deal about RF and digital circuit design, but I found that packaging—making things visually appealing as well as easy to use—was equally interesting.
Along the way, I obtained a cheap single-board computer and tinkered with hand-assembled 6502 code. This led to a second realization. Firmware, like packaging, can be used to enhance product appearance and usability. By the time I left the Coast Guard at 22, these two areas of design had become my passion.
I worked my way through college as the engineering equivalent of a general-purpose infielder, reinventing myself continuously, living proof that Moore's law applied both to ICs and those who use them. But a twist of fate landed me in the Cognitive Science track at the University of California, San Diego, rather than in EE. The program was weignhted toward neural networks and cognitive engineering, which in hindsight provided just what I needed to do effective product design: tools for modeling human-machine interaction.
By the time I completed my degree, I already had a decent résumé, having worked for companies in several disparate fields. Meanwhile, on my own time, I had designed a series of miniature HF radios, setting the stage for future opportunities. But things took another unexpected turn when I accepted a position with Paul Allen's technology incubator, Interval Research. As a researcher and implementer at Interval, I built prototypes sublime and ridiculous, from inductively coupled body-area networks to a telephone that rang with the call of the Oropendula bird. It was a great experience, but something was missing. I still wanted to start my own company.
PORTABLE HF COMMUNICATIONS My goal was to design portable HF communications gear. Because of my early encounters with electronics, I hoped to offer them as kits, picking up where Heathkit left off. I was fortunate to find a like-minded business partner, Eric Swartz, a fellow radio enthusiast and Silicon Valley veteran. After a year of night and weekend design, we quit our day jobs and launched our present company, Elecraft.
Our first product, an HF single-sideband/CW transceiver called the K2, included several innovations in hardware and firmware design that yielded high performance as well as light weight and low power consumption. My outside-the-box engineering background led to unusual solutions to keep costs down, and our focus on user interface and modularity proved very appealing to customers.
True, HF radio is a small niche compared to the cellular and networking industries. But this is its appeal. As a small company, we've been able to adapt quickly to changes in technology as well as to our customers' needs. Eric "designs the business," he likes to say, and though we've added engineering resources, I retain close creative control over R&D and spend 90% of my time designing critical new products.
For me, the best part is being able to innovate at my own pace. I wear lots of different hats, and on a given day, I might work on hardware, firmware, modular packaging, documentation, and even advertising. The reward, as always, is the exploration.
If you wonder who and what Elecraft really is, this article introduces the company's sole. And to those of us thinking we recognized a true gem in the vast offerings to the Amateur Radio market place, I for one state profoundly how keenly this gem does sparkle.
The basic K2 HF radio transceiver, when completed according to the standard instruction manual, provides its owner an instrument grade piece of equipment that takes only basic tools to build.
Even though I originally purchased the K2 with the KPA100 amplifier, with recently completed improvements to my experimental all band vertical, I prefer to run CW QRP at 5w and less and doing pleasingly well. The high performance of this little radio really shines in this period of noisy propagation during the end & beginning of solar cycles.
W. Isherwood W4HEX -March 20, 2007 (Article Rating: )
A most interesting article. Building and using my K2 #5219 has given me a renewed enthusiasm for ham radio. Thank you Eric and Wayne 73 Rob G3RCE March 11 2007
Rob G3RCE -March 11, 2007 (Article Rating: )
I just completed my K2 and have been amazed at what a thorough job was done in creating this kit. The assembly proceedures are described so accurately that my K2 worked the first time up as it was designed to do. You have to love your work to do a job like that. My complements to everyone at ELECRAFT including the crew that counts and bags the parts. The count was right on.
73, Kit -- W6ISO
H. Kohlmoos -November 17, 2006 (Article Rating: )
interesting article. There has to be the will, trust, drive and more. I like the note -innovating at my own pace. This is the only way to do something properly and learn. Homebrew stuff is better..
Dave va3diw -August 14, 2006
I could never afford those Heathkits, I was able to afford and build the little code practice oscillator, and a small variable power supply but I think that was a non-heathkit kit. I watched Heathkit decline and was not able to buy anything from them to do anything about it. But now I can afford some decent kits, and Elecraft makes better kits than Heath ever did. And I like the way they're modular, as one old guy told me, "No one can afford to get a k2 with all the bells and whistles all at once, you get it piece by piece", and that's the truth for a lot of people. Get the basic model then add stuff. See you guys at Radiofest, 73, Alex.
NS6Y -January 23, 2006 (Article Rating: )
I discovered ham radio as a kid more than forty years ago - it was the kick off point for a career that has shaped my life, and that experience will be shared by many in the technology arena.
But ham radio lost its interest over the years as the hobby became more and more commercialized. I discovered Elecraft a few years ago and built my K2, and rediscovered the passion once more for a great hobby. The K2 is truly a work of art, builds on the legacy of Heathkit and www.elecraft.com is a great place to go.
Phil Holliday, ZL3PAH -September 07, 2005 (Article Rating: )
As Wayne's friend for over 30 years, I remember the transmitters he built with 2N2222s in a tin shack behind his parent's house. His current tranceivers are a work of art, right down to the hole in the display module that is used to pry it out of its socket using a mounting screw for leverage. Pure art. Today's designers could learn from Wayne's technique.
Eric, WA6IGR -August 18, 2005
Wayne and Eric have renewed my faith in the corporate world. THey have taken pains to make their products completely operable by blind hams like me. They have earned my business, and shall receive it. Would that the other ham manufacturers paid as much attention to all their customers.
Gary Lee, kb9zuv -July 26, 2005 (Article Rating: )
An interesting article on a creative engineer. It gives the reader insight into how he developed his skills.
E.H. Lloyd -July 26, 2005
Elecraft makes great stuff; its simple but works quite well. The company is closely connected to its customers. Wayne and Eric are available and listen to what we want and the email reflector fosters a sense of community among customers.
Jim WA2UMP -July 25, 2005 (Article Rating: )
I have their latest inovation, a T1 automatic HF Antenna Tuner in a Great Pacakge. It was fun to build.
Karl K5DI -July 25, 2005 (Article Rating: )
Wayne and Eric have re-awakened the allure of building from kits state of the art ham radios. As a middle aged ham who grew up with the Heathkit catalog hidden under my pillow, I am indebted to them both for helping me build radios that are so rewarding to operate!
Howard Sawyer -July 22, 2005 (Article Rating: )
Wayne and Eric revitalized ham radio with their kit and coupled it with an outstanding manual.
I was priviledged to contribute to the first build of field test kits and development of manual improvements.
They have set a new standard of excellence in HF radio products. They demonstrate that quality products can be manufactured in the USA and compete worldwide.
Stuart Rohre, K5KVH -July 21, 2005 (Article Rating: )
In the past few years I have had the opportunity to get to know Wayne a bit. I work in a place where I am allowed to think out of the box. I came here to it as a kid and I will probably leave it in a box because every day is a new challenge and I choose what challenges I take. My employer and sponsor have learned that creative minds get very dedicated when they are given respect and freedom.
In a short exchange, one of the crowning achievements of my life, for which I was awarded the highest award a civilian can get in my area from the U.S. government, Wayne thought for about fifteen seconds and described the work. His is in possession of an amazing intellect and seems indefatigable in his pursuit and knowledge and results. I have watched him share openly ideas and talents and suggestions with friends and his own competitors. It is a joy to find such people in the world.
Bob McGwier, N4HY -July 21, 2005 (Article Rating: )
I recently discovered the universe of ham radio when building my Elecraft K2.... guess what... I love it !!!
J-F / VA2VYZ
J-F MENARD -July 21, 2005
A few years ago when i finally got my K2 ,i said then to Wayne he was too young to know so much ! Guess that includes Eric too ! Jerry Uhte K9UT
k9ut, Jerry -July 21, 2005 (Article Rating: )
Eric and Wayne are true modern day Thomas Edisons !
Anonymous -July 21, 2005 (Article Rating: )
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