[TenTec] Question for Contesters:

[ac5e at comcast.net]

Indeed, Bill, we do need to go back to the original question - because the answers have gotten over the fence and into the bottomless swamp.  It's been a while since I stuck my nose in Webster's but when I did I learned the following.... 

Software, defined as,  among other things,  the operating system of a computer or other digital device.    

Radio, defined as 1.) A way to send and receive words, music and other sounds by electric waves without wires: and 2.) A device for receiveing and making it possible to hear sounds so sent.  Definition 2 makes it clear a radio is a physical device - hardware if you will. 

Defined;  as in the previous paragraphs, is to make clear the meaning of, to explain; to fix the meaning of; to settle the description of.  Establish and specify are synonyms for  defined. 

Now a "software defined radio" would obviously be a radio whose meaning is fixed or explained by a digital operating system.   To quote Mr. Spock, that does not compute. At least not in standard English. 

A software controlled radio would be a radio that uses a digital operating system, like most digitally controlled radios on the market. And I accept the quibble that SCR is a common acronym. 

A software established radio comes closer to the generally accepted meaning of SDR since the software fixes the operating parameters of the hardware.  

And the difference between a digitally controlled radio and a conventional radio to contesters would depend on two things. 

The first is how inherently well the hardware part of the digital radio compares with the conventional radio it is stacked up against.   No matter how excellent the software the ultimate level of performance of the radio depends on the performance of the hardware.  A rotten radio with wonderful software would still be a rotten radio. 

The second is how close to optimum the software sets the radios operating point.  Software that sets up optimum performance from the hardware will be a very substantial advantage to the contester, while software that fails to take advantage of the hardware will be a loser. A wonderful radio with rotten software is still a loser. 

Now - that's my two eighths of a real on the subject, so y'all argue it out amongst yourself. 

73  Pete Allen  AC5E





--
Never squat with your spurs on



> I thinks we need to go back to the question which started this whole mess 
> which was what advantage if any does a SDR radio have over a non SDR radio 
> in a contest.
> 
> 73,  Bill  kc4atu
> 
> 
> >From: Sinisa Hristov <shristov at ptt.yu>
> >Reply-To: tentec at contesting.com
> >To: tentec at contesting.com
> >Subject: Re: [TenTec] Question for Contesters:
> >Date: Wed, 09 Jun 2004 11:18:31 -0400
> >
> >Tony Martin W4FOA wrote:
> >
> > > I sure hope Sinisa doesn't waste his money by buying one of
> > > those "unfinished" Orions <grin>.
> >
> >Well, I have one with most of the options.
> >It did cost me ~$6600 to arrive here.
> >Describing its operation with the supplied firmware
> >as "unfinished" is actually a very mild way of putting it.
> >
> >
> >73,
> >
> >Sinisa  YT1NT, VA3TTN
> >_______________________________________________
> >TenTec mailing list
> >TenTec at contesting.com
> >http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec
> 
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