[Elecraft] Data mode and filters

[jim]

.

As some have pointed out, getting an email from someone you don't know, stating your signal is wide and not clean, would draw a reaction of "who is this guy"?  

Terms such as Cop, Dudley do Right, where is his badge, President of HOA do come up.  These types of comments are not surprising, but none the less, disappointing. 

It took decades for busy bodies to get it across to mfg.'s that the ham community wanted better receive performance on "close in" signals, but they finally got it.

The weak link in the "system" is now the transmitter.  Some may " go outside and find something actually productive to do".  Others may bring it to the attention of the ham community in an effort to get the mfg's to fix the poor design of synthesizers and amplifiers

If you have ever tried to work Sweepstakes CW, or the 160 meter CW contest, one would change their tune about "imaginary authority".  It is even worse in Europe due to the density of operators, and then when you add in contest conditions, it is VERY difficult to find some elbow room (that should be there) be it for poor designs.  It may not be intentional, but I have seen cases where it was CLEARLY intentional

Screen shots, data and math does not lie.  The facts are as presented.  I see NO reason that a mfg'er shud allow the end user to adjust the CW wave shaping, as Icom, and Yaesu have.  People have mentioned that a controlled test, using lab type setups would be more effective than an email.  I agree, to a point.  The ARRL has been publishing information on the performance of signal purity.  If you do not subscribe to QST (a majority of hams are not members), you would have to do a significant amount of research and/or testing that is beyond the scope or capabilities of most ham operators.  I challenge people to listen to the CWops Mini-CWT Test on May 14, 2015 at 03:00z to 04:00z (note the date and time is in UTC) and listen on 40m to a relatively packed band.  Use a receiver that is better than an SX-28 and you will quickly be able to pick up signals that are full of key clicks, and those that are wide.  Having a P3 makes it all the easier to also see these poor xmitters.

Elecraft was asked to have the ability to gain access to the code that performs the wave shaping function in their rigs.  

Elecraft declined to offer this, and for a very good reason.

Can you guess what that reason was?

Jim
W6AIM
.


.

-----Original Message-----
From: Elecraft [mailto:elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of GRANT YOUNGMAN
Sent: Saturday, May 9, 2015 3:38 PM
To: Elecraft Reflector
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Data mode and filters


> On May 9, 2015, at 4:50 PM, Matthew Pitts via Elecraft <elecraft at mailman.qth.net> wrote:
> 
> Phil,
> This is a good idea, … or they deliberately make bad adjustments for whatever reason, and don't want to accept the negative signal reports as fact.
> Matthew PittsN8OHU 
> 

Look .. some guy you’ve never heard of sends you an email telling you your signal is wide.  And sends a screenshot from somewhere.  I think it would be the reaction of most people to ask “who is this guy, where is his badge, why is he trolling me, and who the <deleted> does he think he is .. the president of my HOA”?  For those of you sending “friendly” emails, to presume that your "fabulous highly educated, K3-whatever-based signal measurement expertise” or the fact that you’re “famous” (real or imagined) as a signal quality control genius in your close-knit group  is going to push a concrete block out of the way is assuming too much.  After all, the guy receiving the email has a Wizeroo 1000 transceiver and Gozmodics 1500 amp, and .. well … they’re the BEST, and they’re connected together just like they’re supposed to be … and the score is everything anyway, which is why all the knobs are turned all the way up, and if there’s a problem it’s YOUR receiver.

So maybe the fellow sending you the report of how wide your signal is is tuning around on a SX-28(?).  After all, your contest score is fine, your sidetone is clean, and NO ONE else told you your signal sucks.  

What are you going to think?  You’re going to blow the guy off.  Of course you will.  I would, too — because I MONITOR my signal, and would know one way or the other (it’s amazing the number of hams that don’t own a scope, but that’s another issue).

Sending someone an email after the fact might make a difference in a minuscule number of cases.  Teaching someone new to it all how to properly adjust a transmitter/amp will help, too.  My cynical view is that an ever increasing number take the “open carry and it’s all about me me” society we increasingly live in into radio — if you think you can gain an advantage by screwing up your signal to <deleted>  everyone else … well …the score and potential for celebrity is everything.  Or some bit of all of the above.  Which is why during the seemingly never ending contests on the weekends, I go outside and find something actually productive to do … :)

Grant NQ5T

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