[Premium-Rx] Our receivers

[Michael O'Beirne]

Evening All,

I applaud Terry's sentiments as to the pre-eminence of the "big" famous 
names for RF design, but I fear, sadly, that so many of the professional 
receivers nowadays are not designed to be used by humans, particularly those 
for VHF and beyond.  They are driven by computers for computers listening 
mostly to data and scratchy noises.  In any event round here a human voice 
is a rarity on VHF outside the FM, amateur and PMR bands what with the 
emergency services moving to digital Tetra.

We poor devils can monitor two, may be three channels simultaneously and 
perhaps a few more with a decent spectrum display.  But the new breeds 
operate in packs like jackels monitoring groups of thousands of channels.

A quick look through my "Jane's Military Communications" of ten years back 
reveals a plethora of images of receivers HF and VHF with blank front panels 
apart from a power switch, perhaps a speaker and perhaps a meter for test 
purposes.  Lord knows what the situation is now.

Such radios do not interest me no matter how clever their electronics and 
physical construction may be.

What I want is an excellent design, perhaps a tarted-up Elecraft K3, with a 
nice big weighted tuning knob and decent sized other controls in a box made 
by WJ, Collins or Racal.
One day!
73s
Michael
G8MOB