[CQ-Contest] RX Heresy?

[W8FJ at aol.com]

Pete..
 
I feel that the radio has helped me make weak signal QSOs that I might have 
 otherwise missed, but
even if it hasn't gained me a single extra QSO, it's gone a long way  
towards reducing the stress of operating.
Constantly having to use one's mental filters is very  tiring.  I feel less 
fatigued after operating a contest 
with my K3 than I did with my 1000mp or my Pro3 (both with INRAD  filter 
mods and both very good contest radios).
 
John, W8FJ...
 
 
I have watched with some amazement as the Elecraft K3 has seemingly  
taken over the top dog's spot among contest radios, both among the top  
ops and the rest of us.

This impels me to wonder, though - how much  does improved RX strong 
signal performance really improve your ability to  score in contests?  My 
suspicion (showing my going-in bias) is that  most of us have long since 
developed responses to our receiving problems  that tend to minimize the 
damage they do. Knowing when to abandon a run  frequency, QSYing just a 
bit ("skootching"), riding the gain instead of  using AGC, all of these 
devices have been useful since the dawn of  time.

And so the question - how much do serious, full-time, top-ten  contesters 
feel that improve RX hardware has really improved their scoring  ability, 
compared to other improvements in their stations over the  years?

-- 
73, Pete N4ZR