Here is another point of view that I have yet to see expressed.
With the coming of SSB back in the late forties I lost all desire to work
phone...As a matter of fact I even let my license lapse for a few years.
However, I missed ham radio and soon was on the air again.
Now I work CW almost exclusively--the exception being a limited amount of AM
when the ten meter band is open.
For the past few years I have spent much of my time building regenerative
radios...I wanted to know how good I could make one work. After constructing
over twenty of them from scratch, I'll tell you...they work pretty darn
good--better than I expected. CW on a regen sounds terrific with 6V6's or
similar tubes in the audio output. Sure selectivity is poor, but I find
working CW a lot like driving a car. I do not drive down the road looking at
the bugs on my windshield---I look thru 'em. I do the same with CW QRM...I use
the filter between my ears...Most evenings I can copy from 20 to 35 staions on
the lower 50 Khz of the forty meter band.
What do I really miss on my more modern radios? I miss the sound of 8 to 14
watts of clean audio output. I never use the speaker built into a radio or
power supply such as TenTec. I plug a decent speaker into the jack. Still with
the anemic output furnished by all radios today there is really nothing there
to drive a speaker.
So, I use my home built or classic gear much of the time. I love the sound of
the NC183, the HRO's and my SX-16. I quit chasing DX years ago and never
found contesting interesting -- most of my QSO's are simple ragchewing.
Otherwise, I find my Omni V, and Corsair II, both do a fine job..Not a lot
better than my Kenwoods but the peace of mind is worth a lot. If they break
down I feel I have a small irritation. If my Kenwoods break down I am facing a
lot of frustration as well as a major repair bill.
What would I like to see TenTec manufacture? I wish someone would make an
external speaker with a ten watt high fidelity amp built into the speaker
cabinet...One I could attach to any of my radios and listen to good quality
sound. By making the speaker and amp seperate from the radio, those who do not
care what their radios sound like would not have to pay for better quality
sound. No DSP, memories, digital readouts, or computer interfaces....just a
good sounding small amplifier with a quality eight or ten inch speaker--plus
of course an attractive cabinet that more or less matched ham type gear. I
would prefer the power supply be included in the cabinet--I dislike having 12
volt power supplies strung all around the shack.
Bruce Vaughan, NR5Q
NR5Q@AOL.COM
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