Tom's suggstion of a three tone test would be better than what we have - but
in my experience engineering departments get awfully good at designing
products to pass tests. Just as some testing organizations get awfully good
at "forgetting" to mention the bad points on a product.
That the latest MK IX Gogomobil will do 180 MPH is interesting. The fact that
it takes a half mile windup to pass Farmer Oberst's combine on a narrow road
is critical - not to say that it might well be life threatening. The fact
that the MK IX darts like a shot-at dove on irregular pavement gets ignored.
As does the fact that the thing rides like a Freightliner with an empty
trailer. The writeup on the heated leather seats is nice - but does not
mention that most of the upholstry is cheap plastic and the leather covers 5
MM of cheap foam and a stamped alumnum seat. Etc., etc. All the bad stuff is
irrelevant and immaterial. The Mk IX is the latest and greatest 'Bahn Burner
and the reviewer owns Gogo's back to the original MK 1a!
It would not seem too difficult to take an hour on a busy contest weekend,
convert the entire 20M CW band, or even the bottom 50 Khz, to baseband,
record it, and upconvert the recording for rig testing. Set the strongest
signal to some reasonable standard level, 500 microvolts perhaps, and see
how the latest and greatest rig on earth works on a replicated real life
situation.
After all, I'm interested in how well I can copy the weak new multiplier
under the Kalifornia Kilowatt, how easy or hard it is to pick my call out
under the DX Police, how tired the rig will leave me after a long days work
and a long night's contesting, how closely we can put the antennas at Field
Day and the contest sites, and a host of other things. Things tests could
cover but do not.
73 Pete Allen AC5E
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