[CQ-Contest] Elecraft size

[K3BU at aol.com]

In a message dated 3/10/04 1:36:45 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
btippett at alum.mit.edu writes:
K3BU wrote:
>>Incidentally, IC7800 passed FCC certification and is being shipped to US
customers. Looking at the specs, it appears superior to Orion, for about
double price. Anyone got it yet? It would be interesting to see the first
impression opinions. I am eager to get my hands on one.<<

>>       What specs are those?  If you click on ACTUAL specifications (bottom
left menu choice on the page below), you will find very typical Icom
"specifications", which say very little about receiver performance other
than sensitivity, filter selectivity and spurious/image rejection.
http://www.icom.co.jp/world/products/amateur/7800/index.htm<<
Looking at specs of K2, Omni and IC7800, preamp off/on, in that order [dB]:
MDS             -130/136         -128/136       
BDR  5 kHz       135                130
BDR  20 kHz      134/126      129/128
Ip3   20 kHz        21/8            23/13                   40
Ip3    5 kHz         21/8            22/11                   40 (?)
They specify 110 dB dynamic range, sensitivity 0.16uV and 40 dB IP3
They use 5 kHz wide roofing filter for HF, so it could be close to reality.

>>Beware of marketing hype like "Astonishing +40 dBm IP3" which is not 
qualified
with sensitivity or dynamic range.  If Icom is using the Rhode & Schwarz
technique of automatically switching in an attenuator for signals above a
certain level, the same "astonishing" result can be achieved on any radio
simply by pressing the attenuator button.  For $8-9k or whatever the street
price will be, I think I'll just press the attenuator on Orion and achieve
+43 dBm.  Time and independent 3rd party testing will tell, but I would
keep my hand firmly on my wallet until I saw some real measurements.

                                                 73,  Bill  W4ZV<<

Table shows that "cheap" K2 was beating Orion RX or is very close before 
Orion hit the shacks. Granted, it is not configured to be the contest killer 
machine, but for the money it puts to shame other radios. Orion marketing hype is 
not far behind, and as another contester put it: "It is a pity to have good 
contest radio (Orion) spoiled by really easy to rectify problems."

I wouldn't prejudge Icom. Let's see what it has. 

73  Yuri, K3BU.us