[Premium-Rx] Kicking the 8711A

[Terry O']

There is a fair amount of apples and oranges to the discussion on the 
8711A.  In all fairness, it was designed under very different 
requirements than many of the other receivers it is being compared with.

The WJ-8711A was developed to meet precise specifications, including 
cost, contained in the RFP from an agency.  Many of the other receivers 
mentioned were developed under generous budgetary conditions.  As most 
folks on this list know, WJ made amazing radios when they had adequate 
budgetary headroom to put what was best in the box.

The 8711A internal design choices were a shrewd move for the company.  
It was obvious at that time radios with knobs and buttons were never 
going to be big sellers again.  SIGINT systems had been on the road 
toward automated collection for a long time.  So they designed a good 
radio comfortable with a computer and wrapped it in a thin box  with 
inexpensive knobs and buttons, because they knew most future contracts 
would not call for those knobs and buttons.

So as an American taxpayer, the 8711A makes sense.  Fewer tax dollars to 
get the job done.  Isn't that how it's supposed to be done?

Terry O'