[Elecraft] K3. RX too sensitive for me - S-meter/RFgain/absolute mode...

[Ron D'Eau Claire]

My apologies for offending you Nate. 

I didn't mean to imply that the receiver was a sentient being. 

But sometimes it helps others understand if we describe a behavior as if it
were. 

I have written and edited many technical papers used in the various
engineering disciplines that use the same conventions. 

As an engineering writer I recently worked on one where a physicist talked
about a phenomenon that "fooled" his spacecraft during its mission and
caused it to behave unexpectedly, and he'd be very upset to hear that his
mechanical spaceship could not be "fooled". After years of living with it
day and night it's become a real, sentient being to him emotionally although
intellectually he absolutely knows it is a collection of circuits and
mechanisms. I would never have considered rewording his sentence. Using
words like "fooled" is far more than a "vernacular" to him. 

I can tell you that many Hams feel that way about their rigs too, so when
communicating with them I follow the same convention. 

OTOH I have worked with many scientists who feel exactly as you do and even
refuse to allow an inanimate object to take a possessive. They'd cringe at
what you find in the Elecraft documentation, e.g. "... the K3's VFO A
knob..." (working with Wayne on Ele-manuals, it took me a while to get used
to that :-) 

It's a matter of choice.  

Again, my apologies for crossing the line for you but, with all respect, on
this reflector I might do it again, Hi!

73, 

Ron AC7AC

-----Original Message-----
From: elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net
[mailto:elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Nate Bargmann
Sent: Wednesday, May 18, 2011 4:44 PM
To: elecraft at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3. RX too sensitive for me -
S-meter/RFgain/absolute mode...

* On 2011 18 May 16:31 -0500, Ron D'Eau Claire wrote:

> So turning the RF gain down simply fools the receiver into acting as if a
> very strong signal was being received.

Please, could we refrain from using the venacular of "fooling" an
inanimate object when it comes to electronics?  No such thing is
happening.  What is happening is defined by physics and engineering
principles.  Nothing is being "fooled" except the poor amateur who lacks
the technical background and accepts that such tom-foolery of
electronics is possible.

I have yet to find the term "fooled" in technical documentation outside
of amateur radio.  Unfortunately, it's use is too widely and sadly
prevelant in our hobby especially with regard to antenna matching
networks.

This is not personal, just a pet peeve.

73, de Nate N0NB >>

-- 

"The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all
possible worlds.  The pessimist fears this is true."

Ham radio, Linux, bikes, and more: http://www.n0nb.us
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