[TenTec] Jupiter Bashing/eHam Reviews

[Duane Grotophorst]

--- WA3FIY <wa3fiy@radioadv.com> wrote:

 <snip>

> 
> A communications system is about communications.  In
> our case 
> on CW, SSB, FM and AM, mostly by sound.   So sound
> is 
> important.  Digital modes are another matter.  To
> me, a radio 
> that sounds wonderful but collapses whenever another
> signal 
> comes on the band is just as useless as one that
> holds up well 
> on a crowded band but sounds horrible.  The dynamic
> range, 
> selectivity, etc can be measured and do indeed
> provide useful 
> information about a radio.  But the sound, the feel,
> yes, even 
> the appearance of a radio......items that cannot be 
> measured......also contribute to it's usefulness and
> users 
> satisfaction.

True indeed, so far most of the measured testing done
at the ARRL and their peers is focused on the RF
signal handling traits of a radio, little or no
testing is done with overall RX system distortion of
complex (voice type) audio signals. Nor is there any
meaningful measurements done to determine the overall
contributed noise of the RX's RF/IF and AF stages. The
tests they do are very valuable, but they only tell
half the story of how a particular RX really performs.
That unfortunately leaves some very measurable
parameters up to subjective interpretation.

<snip>
> 
> As I've said before, I have over a dozen radios
> available to me.  
> Many of them are not Ten Tec's, and most of them are
> more 
> costly than my Pegasus and Jupiter.  But for some
> reason I 
> cannot explain, I find myself almost always using
> either the 
> Pegasus or the Jupiter.  And I think that is the
> ultimate 
> verdict.   Put various radios at the disposal of a
> user and see 
> which one he or she gravitates toward after becoming
> familiar 
> with each, and that will tell you better than
> anything else how 
> good that radio is for that person.
> 

I would love to have all of the current radios on my
desk to play with and compare. Maybe when I'm rich :).
My experiences with the Pegasus have been similar; it
is clearly the best sounding and least fatiguing radio
to listen to in my shack. It's too bad that I can only
offer my own subjective view of the Pegasus RX audio
quality and not any hard numbers to support it.

<snip>
> We are halfway there in amateur radio with the ARRL
> and 
> RSGB measurements.  I think it would be useful if we
> could  
> find some independent organization with the
> qualifications to 
> do the subjective part.

True as well. Again part of the issue is that
parameters are being left to subjective
interpretation, things that can and should be being
measured. In reality the only things that should be
left to subjective analysis are items like cosmetics
and many of the ergonomic considerations.

Duane
N9DG

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