[ICOM] QST Prod Rev Expanded Reports: a proposal

[Earl W Cunningham]

William Diamond wrote:

"What really matters is the "real world" and how they work there."
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"Truer words were never spoke".

In my own real world tests of my Icom 756Pro II, Yaesu FT-1000MP and
Elecraft K2 during CW contests when the bands are loaded knee-deep with
strong signals, I have to use 12 dB of attenuation to get rid of the
chirps and birdies and bleeps and bloops (due to IMD3) on the Icom.  It
takes 6 dB to get rid of them on the Yaesu.  The Elecraft is clean
without any attenuation.

These real world results tend to agree with the ARRL's lab IMD3 test
results for the three radios.

The other important parameter (IMHO), BDR, has never been a problem for
me with any of the radios.

Even though the IC-756Pro II is the worst of the three, requiring 12 dB
of attenuation to get rid of the IMD3 products, it has enough gain in its
later IF stages to still have ample audio out to hear those weak signals.
 Therefore, it is just as useable during contest operation as the better
receivers.

As far as ARRL's expanded test reports go, I feel that their 20 kHz and 5
kHz spacing for IMD3 testing is far too wide and that they should test at
1 kHz and 500 Hz spacing to be more meaningful for the CW DXer/contester.

73, de Earl, K6SE