[Boatanchors] What! Making a SX-110 Better?

[Troglodite at aol.com]

In a message dated 3/10/2011 1:46:21 P.M. Central Standard Time,  
ka1kaq at gmail.com writes:

> My  xyl, who was licensed later in life, can't understand why I
> can  tolerate noise, QRN or QRM.
>
> So I'm grateful my parents didn't  give me a Collins 75A4 when I
> started... (sounds like heresy, doesn't  it?) ;-)


Sounds great to me, Perry, and explains why I was always  able to hear
signals through noise that inevitably had the YL/XYL asking me  "How
can you listen to that noise?". Wasn't listening for  some
broadcast-quality signal, merely plling out bits of  information
because I could. Never heard it referred to as mental  selectivity, but
it sure makes sense. You focus on what you're listening to  and ignore
the rest.



Todd,
 
In information theory, this phenomenon is called CPF, or "Cocktail Party  
Factor." It is the ability to distinguish one bit of information from many  
others. I always thought the name was a good one.
 
As a Novice in 1954, I struggled with a homemade regenerative receiver for  
a few weeks, then plunked down my $2.50 for an ARC-5 7-9 MHZ receiver. With 
the  addition of a volume control, headphone jack, tuning knob, BFO switch 
and small  power supply, I was in 7th heaven! My entire Novice station cost 
me less than  $8, since I salvaged a lot of parts for the transmitter from 
an old broadcast  radio. Those were the days. :-)
 
Doug Moore KB9TMY (Formerly KN6HWY / K6HWY)