"I find the reviews do nothing to accurately characterize or measure
the AGC
and QSK performance, two of the most important contributors to my
potential
love or disdain of a transceiver.
73, Barry N1EU"
Yes, indeed. I think the reviewers (as opposed to the lab) do not
devote enough time to really learn how to operate these new,
complicated rigs. A weekend spent in a contest is not going to cut
it. The review rig seems to get passed around the office so a bunch
of people get a few hours with it. I also do not understand why ARRL
has to buy one of the very early production units. One of the other
commenters noted that the early Orion had bugs. So do they all. Also,
Ten-Tec virtually rewrote the book a few months after Orion's
release, so to speak, with extensive new manual material explaining
how to use the rig. The reviewers did not have access to this
information.
It would be much better for QST to wait six months or so and then
have someone take time to really go over the rig. It should be a full
time job for someone. Then we would learn more about the AGC, QSK,
performance, etc. I've run through several Yaesu rigs and every one
of them has had annoying pops/thumps on the "break" of a CW signal
(sidetone)in the headphones. No review in QST ever mentioned this
annoying bug. I've given up on Yaesus. (How Icom, Kenwood and Ten-Tec
can produce quiet CW sidetones and not Yaesu is a question for the
ages.)
It's taken me a long while to appreciate how nice is the front panel
design and ergonomics of the Jupiter. The QST review years ago talked
about how it was a Pegasus with a front panel, but it did not mention
that it is about the best layout for a CW op one could wish for.
At best, the narrative of a QST review is a once-over lightly. Dave
Newkirk was the last in-depth reviewer that I can recall. However, as
Bill Tippett has pointed out, the FT-9000 Contest review provided a
wealth of data presented in bright graphics including 2 kHz IMD and
other results. This is a big step forward, due in part to Bill's
insistence. But does the 9000 click in your ear? THAT is the question.
73,
John, W3ULS
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