[TenTec] Re: K2 beats Orion

[Tracy, Michael, KC1SX]

Paul and the group,

Sorry for the out of sequence stuff, but I have been away for a week.

ARRL Lab test equipment is calibrated according to the manufacturer's suggested calibration schedule.  In most cases, the term is one year.  In a few cases (such as with the RF signal generators) the term is two years.  Calibration is NIST traceable, done by a certified lab in the Boston area (Essco labs, for the curious).

The budget here is such that equipment purchases are rare indeed.  However, there was a slight difference in test setups between the original K2 review and the Orion.  One of the signal generators for the K2 review was an HP 8640B.  It was replaced a couple of years back by an IFR 2041 (same as the Marconi of that model number).  The only other item purchased in the interim was a digital storage scope (early this year), but that has no role in receiver testing.

Realistically, much modern test equipment does not require any adjustment in a multiple year time span - at least the cal lab reports I have on file don't indicate such a need on the critical pieces used in receiver testing.

73, Michael Tracy, KC1SX