[Elecraft] Icom 7300 is available

[w7aqk]

I'm trying to "get my arms around" the following statement by Joe, W4TV:

"The observation I would make on this is that the poor performing Icoms
were good enough to capture all 3 of the top positions in the recent
WRTC. IIRC there was one Elecraft and 5 Icoms used by the top 3 teams."

Joe seems to concede that the Icoms are "poor performing", but that somehow 
they took the top 3 positions in the WRTC.  So what does that mean?  It 
seems to suggest that the dirtier your signal is the better you will do!!! 
I would agree that a dirty signal does tend to get your attention!!!  At the 
same time, the fact that there was only one Elecraft radio in use certainly 
assured the fact that Icoms would finish high.   I can also see why the 
Elecraft may not have finished in the top 3, since it really is not 
designed, with all the glitz and 500 knobs, to be a contest radio.  Rather, 
it is designed to be a modest sized, but highly competent radio!  That may 
not dovetail with what contesters are looking for.  However, when it comes 
to "nailing down" a difficult contact, one at a time, I'll put the K3 up 
against just about any radio.

The obsession with contests is a concern to me.  During those events I 
constantly hear signals that are obviously the result of over driving, etc. 
Some folks seem to be willing to sacrifice anything in order to just be 
"heard" better than the next guy.  They will absolutely squeeze the very 
last watt possible out of their equipment even though they know (and have 
been warned) that running equipment that close to maximum increases the 
probability that signal quality will deteriorate, and very probably outside 
required specifications.  It just seems to me that this is a subversive way 
of cheating!

Admittedly, not all of this is the fault of the operator.  Equipment 
manufacturers have increasingly ignored the importance of signal purity. 
Still, if you take a piece of equipment that is known to be deficient, and 
then run it at levels that accentuate the problem, I think you lose your 
innocence.

Even the K3 had a potential problem.  At one time you could run a stock K3 
at more than 100 watts, thus increasing significantly the odds of 
transmitting a dirty signal.  Elecraft dialed that capability back through 
firmware.  I may be kidding myself, but my rule of thumb is to never run 
anything at more than 90% of it's rated capability.  Maybe that's not 
dialing back enough, but it is bound to be better than what I could be 
doing.

Dave W7AQK