You have the audacity to complain the Elecraft clock/charger is $140 yet you contrast it with a 60W PA and tuner for $957 + shipping. An expression involving the words kettle, pot and black springs to mind.
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What would SOTA be without audacity 
?
Seriously, I am not advertising the PA as a purchasable item, but as an example of the level of product design that isolated amateurs can achieve. This in combination with the advancement wrt online services for all aspects of the manufacturing at low cost with low minimal quantity requirements will make it likely that ambitious amateurs will fill a large share of the market for QRP transceivers.
In other words, I expect the FT817/818 successor to come from those origins. Thanks to SDR techniques and DSP for audio processing even on small CPUs (think Teensy), a lot of the calibration and testing that made analog rigs like the FT81x out of reach for amateur production has just vanished.
73 de Martin, DK3IT
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See it installed here on youtube.
Tim _ K5DEZ
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Coming along nicely. Yu has j ust upgraded to FX-4CR; 20W out - built in panadapter - is this what you’re thinking? No built in battery to fuss with. Oh, and a built in sound card for the digital peeps. Works great on FT modes. Haven’t tried it yet on Winlink/RMS express yet…
Todd KH2TJ
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All these TRX are intended in their size for /p…
What does not make sense to me… why then no built-in battery and why no ATU.
The series KX2 and KX3 is in my opinion just because of these features so popular. I have only once seen a KX2 without ATU. This stood as a receiver in the retirement home!
OK - the clock with the charging unit is nice … but also well paid. Does the clock at least continue to run independently? Since the battery of my KX2 reduces quickly to 5 W with my activations, for me the built-in battery anyway is only backup.
When I look at our SOTA database, the digital modes are not the preferred ones. Why should that be different in other /p activations. But these features for digimodes are probably easier and cheaper to realize, like a decent notch filter with decent display. Something that would really help me and many others.
I want a rugged allmode qrp-trx 160m - 2m with built-in battery, ATU, clear display and good filters… no digital mouse cinema… (so something like the KX3 with all options … improved and smaller - rugged !)
73 Armin
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In my dreams Yaesu will read this!
73 Chris
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With parts availability for years and years.
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of course - what else … and accessible repairable!
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I would add a good price too 
After the @K5DEZ video I think I’m not will installing the KXIBC2. I’m very clumsy with the solder. 
73
I’m halfway through the video and it’s glaringly obvious Jason hasn’t been paying attention to the discussions taking place on the dedicated email reflector for this product (which he would have been invited to as a field tester). The E-pin issues were sorted out very early with a number of options put forward.
Yes, it’s a thru-hole.
Yes, it’s filled with non-lead solder.
Yes, melting the solder is a PITA.
That is literally the only difficult part of the install, but as I said, work-arounds were developed. I personally used the “drill it out” method using jeweler’s drills. 
Chris
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I was interested in the L version, but the reports coming out of the first batch of the C variant is that it’s buggy. Auto-resetting RIT, non-functioning USB, etc. Yu seems to be well engaged and committed to fixing the issues, but if you haven’t ordered one yet, hold off for a while.
Chris
There’ll be a nice little earner for someone with a steady hand and years of soldering(*) experience to fit these. Probably there’ll be a mainboard or two that will need de-butchering and repairing as well.
(*) Please note the word is so-L-der not sodder like colder, bolder, folder, older. Just sayin’
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Sowder is my fav. US mis-pronnounciation.
As for the charging board, I won’t be investing. I’m fine with swapping batteries out and if one dies on the hill, i just plug the spare into the external power socket and get my 10 w back again. However, most of the time I’ll finish the activation on 5 w.
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TBH, I was on the fence about it, especially at the price, but I thought it might come in handy and it has. I wouldn’t recommend it universally, but I think most can look at their use patterns and determine if it would be beneficial. I especially like it while camping last weekend (did two summits while out there) as it let me keep the battery topped off in between activations and while operating at camp.
That said, swapping batteries and charging them externally was never a problem for me, I just like having more field-charging flexibility.
Chris
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Sounds like an FT818 Andy.
R
My KXIBC2 arrived Friday and was easy to install. The current instructions call for solldering the white wire’s pin to the base of the DC input jack rather than the solder-filled “E” hole in the board. Piece of cake.
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I don’t understand the demand for this…opening battery compartments has been a reality forever. Clock radios,smoke detectors, remote controls, etc etc etc. Is opening the KX2 any more difficult? But to spend $150 for a 30 second inconvenience, slower charge rate and possibly destroying your radio board in the process while soldering? I just don’t get it.
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Do you change your smoke detector or remote control battery every day?
We all value our time differently. If you’re worried about destroying the PCB then obviously this isn’t the thing for you. I was more concerned about the PVC-insulated speaker wires eventually failing from opening and closing the radio a zillion times to replace the battery.
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If I had a cell phone that you had to take the battery out every day and charge and it was $150 cheaper, I would get the cheaper cell phone and I’m sure many others would too.