[TenTec] So *That's* Why They Measure That

[al_lorona at agilent.com]

One of the customary measurements in the ARRL product reviews of amateur transceivers is a screen shot of the transmitted CW waveform.

In general, Ten Tec radios test favorably while other radios frequently suffer from a variety of maladies, including sometimes severe shortening of the first dit. Nearly every non-Ten Tec radio has something wrong with the first dit, whether it's shortening, a power overshoot, or rise time problems.

About five months ago, I began to receive QSL cards via my bureau from a number of DX stations, but I worked none of these stations. Some of the QSOs were from periods when I didn't even have my station set up, so I suspected that my call sign was being pirated, until I recently received a nice letter from W6ZX asking me if I had worked a certain Yugoslavian station. Apparently, 'ZX had worked the Yugoslavian, sent a QSL card to him, and received a 'not in my log' reply. Instead, the Yugoslavian explained, he had worked "W6LX" at that date and time. 

I think you know where this is going. The mystery was suddenly solved for me. W6ZX, an avid DXer, had been working up a DX storm, but unfortunately his non-Ten Tec radio suffers from shortening of the first dit, which frequently turns "W6ZX" into "W6LX".

We'd better put all the other technical discussions on hold until manufacturers get this one, simple, little thing right.

Al  W6LX