[Elecraft] KX2 and Sherwood Eng. RX Performance Ranking?

[w7aqk]

Rick and All,

The Sherwood performance chart is strictly about RX, not TX!!!  If you want 
TX info, you need to go elsewhere.  That's what reviews like the ones in QST 
can give you.

Rob has been doing this for a lot of years now, and on a strictly volunteer, 
no pay, basis.  It has become somewhat "iconic", as a guide, but it's just 
another set of data that may, or may not, be helpful to you.  It's not the 
only thing you need, or should rely on, in evaluating a purchase.

you are right to be concerned about how clean a transmitter is, but there 
are regulatory requirements about that.  If you don't meet those standards, 
you supposedly can't sell it!!!  Besides, every rig is a QRP rig in part. 
The higher power rigs start out with a low power generation section, and 
step it up internally.  So, a K3, or a KX3, both start out at QRP levels. 
If that low power section isn't proper, everything after that will be crap 
as well.  So, everything in the chain needs to be operating within design 
limits.  whether the step up is internal, or external, it still needs to be 
in compliance with requirements.  You can hook a KX2 up to a KXPA100 up to a 
KPA500, and it sounds just fine--provided you don't get greedy!

Most of the bad signals I hear are, I think, because someone is running 
things at "maximum'!  There just seems to be a thirst for squeezing out the 
last watt, running the audio gain too high, or too much compression, 
whatever.  Maybe the regulatory limits aren't severe enough, but if you 
don't push things too hard, I don't think you hear much of a problem.  These 
days I don't hear that many rigs that sound bad unless there is some 
operator error involved.  You used to hear a lot more of it that was not 
self imposed.  Then again, some folks want a level of perfection that may 
not be all that realistic.

Dave W7AQK





From: Rick WA6NHC <wa6nhc at gmail.com>

You're correct.  But in fairness, those items should be based on a
standard output power (not everyone wants QRP) and we already know that
you're the only company concerned about those points and you're the
clear winner.  ;-)

As I had said, it's more than numbers.  There are many other factors
involved in the 'test'.  Sheer numbers only tell the science side of the
operation; useless if you have to go through layers of menu to make a
frequent adjustment.

To me, knowing how clean a transmitter is should be on the list as well,
what crud does it produce at a given output, in all modes. While some
don't care they spread all over the band, I'd rather put the energy into
a CLEAN signal to concentrate that one extra erg to make the contact.
It's also about being a good neighbor; do unto others...  ;-)

Rick nhc