[Elecraft] Numbers, Numbers, Numbers

[KW4H]

Well, at some point making a choice becomes less about the specifications
and test results, and more about features and personal preference.  And
muddying the waters even further is that the lines in the sand that separate
performance and need from preference is different for all of us.  Here's an
analogy that I think applies:  for certain people, purchasing an extremely
high-performance car is beneficial.  They may, for example, live in a
location (near an Autobahn, maybe?) where sheer speed and acceleration can
make the difference.  I happen to drive a Volkswagen diesel car -- a vehicle
not known for extreme performance, but it sure is cheap to drive on the
Interstate at highway speeds.  While a peppy sports car may be "better" in
many ways, does that make my VW diesel a poor performer or a poor choice on
my part?  No, of course not!  The "performance" I'm looking for is fuel
economy and comfort.

Similarly, in the world of ham equipment there's a variety of reasons to own
transceiver or another, and often it isn't because one radio is "better"
than another in test results.  For example, although I build a lot of
Elecraft kits for others and admire every product they make, my primary
radio is a Ten Tec Omni VII (my portable is of course a KX1).  I chose the
Omni VII not because I thought it was superior to the K3, but at the time I
was shopping and ready to spend, the K3's were new and on a significant
backorder.  I considered selling my Omni-VII to "upgrade" to the K3 at one
point, but in the final analysis I couldn't justify the cash outlay because
the differences in performance would serve no purpose to me.

So, for some the numbers matter.  For others, not so much and sometimes for
viable reasons.  In the end, I think that Elecraft wins hands-down but not
solely because of the high performance numbers.  It's because they are a
top-notch, kick-butt company that cares about every customer and every
build.  If I have a problem in a build or a missing part, I know where to
call and that the part will be on the way shortly.  If it was Y or K, or I
we were dealing with, I think their parts and service department would care
less.

Steve, KW4H

On Thu, Dec 2, 2010 at 9:59 AM, Lee Buller <k0wa at swbell.net> wrote:

>
> Some people here on the reflector have already stated this...but what do
> the
> numbers from the Sherwood web site really mean?  Are these numbers so close
> together that you just start picking nits?
>
> Two guys want to buy a vehicle.  One went to Ford, the other went to Chevy.
> (You can see where this is going)
>
> They can look at the vehicle...sit in it...turn the knobs on the dash...but
> they
> cannot run the engine or take it out for a test spin.  (Just like we cannot
> take
> a rig on a test spin - we can look at them in hamfests, but we can't take
> one
> home for a week to really give it a test drive.)
>
> So, these two guys take a look at the specs between the two cars.  They
> have the
> "numbers."  The only real difference is 1 inch on the wheel base, one car
> has 5
> more cubic inches of displacement, and one has 10 more horse-power than the
> other.
>
>
> They both have nice paint, finish, chrome, and all the basics one needs for
> a
> car...4 wheels, steering wheel, AC, power this and that, and automatic
> transmission.  Just a few things are different.
>
> Price is different...the Ford cost $5,000 more than the Chevy.
>
> So one guy picks the Ford and the other pics the Chevy?  Why?  One
> certainly
> costs less but the specs are "oh so close"
>
> As ham radio operators...are we that competitive that every DB of this or
> that
> matters?  What do the numbers really mean?  All this is lost to me because
> of
> "the noise of the numbers."  Where does operating skill come in?
>
> Now, look on down the Sherwood list and you see some older rigs coming in
> pretty
> good.  Have we lost perspective in this number numbing battle for the best
> receiver?  The Drake 4C looks pretty good.  The 765 looks good too.
>
> >From my perspective...the K3 is the best rig I have ever owned...it beats
> my
> Ocean Hopper, my NC57, my HR-10B, my HW100, my TS520, 820, 830, 850, my
> .....
> and the list goes one.  Remember from whence we have come!
>
> Numbers....the din is deafening!
>
> Lee - K0WA
>
>
>  In our day and age it seems that Common Sense is in short supply.  If you
> don't
> have any Common Sense - get some Common Sense and use it.  If you can't
> find any
> Common Sense, ask for help from somebody who has some Common Sense.  Is
> Common
> Sense divine?
>
> Common Sense is the image of the Creator expressing revealed truth in my
> mind.
> -  J. Wolf
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