[CQ-Contest] SDR's have knobs too!

[Edward Sawyer]

Tor, I agree that this is a typical assumption.  Is there data to show otherwise?  All the comments that I see blend seamlessly in and out of dialog of things on band maps, RBN, and SDR.  

There is no specific reason that the 2 have to be blended - but in almost all cases - it would seem - they are.

Somehow, the Panadapter slipped though the unassisted cracks.  I don't agree with it, but that ship has sailed.

Ed  N1UR

-----Original Message-----
From: RT Clay [mailto:rt_clay at bellsouth.net] 
Sent: Friday, May 9, 2014 6:00 PM
To: 'Stu Phillips'; cq-contest at contesting.com; Edward Sawyer
Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] SDR's have knobs too!

"when the callsigns and signal strength are all there available" 

This is a typical assumption among the anti-SDR crowd: SDR users only operate assisted. This is not always the case! 

Why not use your eyes in addition to ears to find signals? BTW you can see things like chirp on a SDR panadapter :) 

Tor
N4OGW

--------------------------------------------
On Fri, 5/9/14, Edward Sawyer <SawyerEd at Earthlink.net> wrote:

 Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] SDR's have knobs too!
 To: "'Stu Phillips'" <stu at k6tu.net>, cq-contest at contesting.com
 Date: Friday, May 9, 2014, 3:13 PM
 
 Why bother turning the knob when the
 callsigns and signal strength are all
 there available for you in point and click fashion - or  worse - in automated  harvest and log and somehow think its still fun mode.
 
 The "magic of radio" is in the discovery process - in my  book.  Its much  like the difference of a road trip across country with GPS  and automated  info about the area vs discovering the road as you go. 
 
 
 The problem often occurs when you don't let yourself  "discover" - you think  you found everything because you found everything you were  looking for.  But  you will rarely find what you weren't looking for - unless  you give yourself  the freedom to "discover".
 
 If you have never waited around for the half chirpy CW  signal with Polar  flutter on 20M CW to sign as HS0XXX or the interesting  accent near the noise  floor on 15M SSB at 04Z to sign 3D2XX, you have not really  experienced DXing  or Contesting in my book.  And it’s a shame that  people have lost that  enjoyment out a well intended - but misguided (in my
 opinion) effort to look
 for efficiency over all else.
 
 73
 
 Ed  N1UR
 
 -----Original Message-----
 From: Stu Phillips [mailto:stu at k6tu.net]
 Sent: Friday, May 9, 2014 1:30 PM
 To: Edward Sawyer; cq-contest at contesting.com
 Subject: SDR's have knobs too!
 
 Ed,
 
 Software Defined Radios have knobs - and if you want, more  than one!
 
 So let¹s debunk this myth once and for all:
 
 1. Software Defined Radios can and do have knobs 2. Don¹t  let knob-itism get  in the way of appreciating the better capabilities
    offered by software defined radios.
 
 I respect folks who like their knob based radios - and  indeed, I use knobs  with my SDR based station and wouldn¹t be without it.
 
 But I would never go back to a non-SDR radio - the  experience and the  advantages are simply too compelling.
 
 Stu K6TU
 
 On 5/9/14, 9:49 AM, "Edward Sawyer" <SawyerEd at Earthlink.net>
 wrote:
 
 >There might be an app for sex too - but that doesn't  mean its better or  >more enjoyable than the real thing.
 >
 >
 >
 >A lot of us like turning the big knob.  And as SO2R  ops know - 2 big  >knobs are better than 1 big knob ;-).
 >
 >
 >
 >Just because its possible - doesn't make it better.
 >
 >
 >
 >Ed  N1UR
 >
 >_______________________________________________
 >CQ-Contest mailing list
 >CQ-Contest at contesting.com
 >http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest
 
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