My comments on the Sherwood list utility as a decision aid, are based on
personally listening to Sherwood's presentations, and respect for his
careful analysis. If he finds a receiver superior, it is. He has been
evaluating them for a long time. Certainly however, you narrow your
choices by a charting of the major specs of importance to the way you
operate. Then you try to see if it fits your personal likes. If you
are left handed, the placement of certain controls can ease or take away
from enjoying the use of a set. If you have large hands, you don't want
to work tiny toggle switches, and so on.
A trial period is best for anyone trying out a new rig. Particularly if
you can see a new rig used in a contest or Field Day, you can quickly
form some ideas as to how it would fit your shack and antenna set up.
Just by looking at the Eagle and its straight forward lay out based on
the good ergonomics of the Argonaut V; I knew it would be a good radio,
and easy to learn. My Argonaut V has been a pleasure to use. It uses
the dual function controls and a simple
function selection button, rather than long scrolls thru menus. Buttons
are spread out enough to be easily found. The form factor is clean and
fits most shacks well. The Eagle seems to look this way as well.
One thing a person could do before they get a live view and hands on
with a new radio design, is to make up a cardboard mock up and see how
it fits your operating position.
Some radios just don't fit our concept of radios for some. Those that
use other than knobs are not my favorites. I suspect the Kachina
transceiver would have had a better reception if it had
had a knob as a standard control rather than an accessory. It was ahead
of its time, before the Flex radios came on the scene, but you had to
have a then bulky computer also.
-Stuart
K5KVH
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