[Elecraft] Transceivers vs operators

[Fred Jensen]

"Your mileage may vary" and in my case it does and I respectfully 
disagree.  A number of years ago, I had inherited a completely stock 
Hallicrafters SX-28 [with the big bass reflex speaker] from an SK estate 
and decided to do a CW NAQP a la mid 50's when I was a teenager and new 
ham.  It was to be an SOSB entry, I had one ARC-5 left in the basement 
on 40.  Caps were a little dry in the power supply but took the 
reforming moderately well.  It was ungodly hard, my rate was maybe 5/hr 
and I packed it in after a couple of hours.  Skill matters, but so does 
the rig ... a lot! [:-)

73,
Fred ["Skip"] K6DGW
Sparks NV DM09dn
Washoe County
KN6DGW 1953, K6DGW 5 months later, Extra in 56 after I had the required 
2 yr on-air service.

On 11/1/2019 9:31 PM, Jim Danehy wrote:
> I read about all of the specs in the rigs
> I have been operating for 67 years.
> I got used to radios from the 1950s.
> My K3 has every option you can buy. Sub receiver and filters galore.
>
> I rarely use the narrow filters. I have a “software” defined brain. It is the best filter you can have. If you practice long enough you can do a lot of filtering in your head (brain).
>
> I am primarily a CW operator. I can copy up to 50 wpm too. Solid copy fades above that speed. The brain is what allows you to decode CW at those speeds. Done in various amounts of QRM/QRN. My K3 can’t decode at QRQ with QRN/QRM !
>
> Unfortunately you can tune the bands and not hear a CW signal. Hit the FT 8 QRG and there are stations.
>
> I can read a book / Newspaper and listen to a 45 wpm CW signal. I hear CW Contesters but they use keyboards to send CW. They can copy calls but don’t ask them a question at QRQ speed. Some can copy but not many.
>
> A transceiver is not the most critical element in a station. It is the brain. You can’t upgrade brains.
>
> My brain operates at a very fast speed too.
> When it becomes a reflex it is like human speech. It is after all just a different sound. That takes years to acquire
>
> Just a different perspective. It is almost 70 years of experience too.
>
> I own a K2, K3, KX2 and KX3. My DXCC TOTAL is 370. I have not used a beam in the last 30 years.
>
> It’s the operator ! !
>
> Jim
> W9VNE/VA3VNE
>