[Elecraft] OT: For New Hams, How to Tell What an Amp Will Do For Your Signal

[David Gilbert]

Which has exactly been my point all along.  Ham radio is situational ... 
sometimes an amp is a waste of money and coal, and other times it is a 
necessity.  What you experience listening to beacons may be the same as 
what you find chasing a random contact on a clear band, but it is not 
the same as what you experience in a pileup, or in a contest, or when 
the guy on the other end has a lot of noise.

73,
Dave   AB7E



On 3/23/2013 7:56 AM, Vic, K2VCO wrote:
>
>
> The truth is, it depends on what you are trying to do with your radio. 
> If you are a DXer, especially on 160/80 meters, then even 1 dB may be 
> the difference between getting a QSO and getting a "?" from a DX station.
>
> If your operating style is to contact stations when signals are 
> relatively good, then who cares if you are S7 or S9?