Fellow hams. Fairly recent prolonged and carefully structured tests by
several renowned European hams have shown that our rigs are as good as they
have to be. Perhaps the most severe nasty strong signal environment in the
world is the European 40 meter band. Third order OIP, Phase Noise and filter
specifications have been shown to be thoroughly adequate to deal with this
environment. Therefore it is useless to continue harping on technical
specifications ad infinitum because nothing is gained. Instead, we should
begin selecting our toys based exclusively on subjective considerations.
After all, it is by 'look and feel' that we enjoy our rigs on a day to day
casual operating basis. Following is a suggested list of selection criteria
for starters.
Tuning knob smoothness.
Rotary knob wobble.
Push button tactile feedback.
Control placement and grouping.
Screen colors, resolution and glare.
Panel paint texture and color(s).
Machined metal or molded plastic panel.
Audio fidelity.
Number of functions you will never use but you think are good to have.
Telephone demeanor of the guy that answers the repair hotline.
Degree of function intuitiveness so you won't have to read the manual.
Number of positive reviews on e-ham.
QST contest results to see what rigs contesters are using.
Received signal 'illusion of presence'. This can mean whatever you want it
to mean.
Your perception of how well the receiver "pulls 'em in" and how well the
transmitter "gets out".
Number of programmable filters beyond 100. 100 considered a reasonable
minimum.
Number of pull down menus. The more the better. With many menus, more
functions are bound to be duplicated increasing your chances of finding the
one you want even though you pulled down the wrong menu.
Degree of realism of a non mechanical movement S meter.
Number of dimming steps provided for panel illumination.
Cost compared to that piece of junk on your desk otherwise you wouldn't be
looking for a new rig.
73, AL :)
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