Topband: Rig Question

[Carl]

> Having just completed being host station for W1AW/5 and also a multi-op 
> for
> the ARRL June VHF Contest where we had several guest operators at W5ZN who
> ranged from highly skilled HF ops, some mid level ops and some Rookie ops 
> I
> have been reading this thread with both interest and humor.
>
> I have four K3's in the station here. I like 'em, best performing and best
> sounding radio I have ever owned but I have tweaked them for ME over time.
> Previous radios here (Yaesu FT1000 and Icom IC-7700) have also been great
> sound radios but I tweaked them for ME. After this past week it has become
> quite obvious, at least for me, that:
>
> 1. The factual results of performance tests by Rob Sherwood and others
> really can't be debated. Oh, you can debate facts just to hear yourself
> pontificate but it will not change the facts.


** Those tests are somewhat limited since the frequency used is seldom 
mentioned. IMO 10M is the place where RF performance falls for the HF bands 
and phase noise varies per band. A few tests appear to have operator or 
equipment error, they certainly arent the last word.


> So, when it comes down to "I don't like the way the RX audio sounds for me
> it is simply:
>
> 1. Put three hams in a room and you will get six different opinions about
> how the audio sounds. We're all getting old and our hearing is
> changing/deteriorating.

** We are not talking about hi fi audiophools here, if anyone cant hear 
300-3000Hz its not a radio he needs.

>
> 2. The Icom owners want the K3 to immediately sound just like the Icom at
> their shack that they have tweaked, peaked and pampered to their ear's
> audio pattern AND their shacks acoustic properties.
>
> 3. Ditto for Yaesu and Kenwood.
>
> 4. Most hams want to bring their own headphones that work great on their
> radio but sounds horrible on other radios.......so it is the radio's fault
> and not their headset. I actually had this debate with an op this weekend
> and he learned there is a difference.

** Why is that if they are the correct impedance? Ive yet to experience that 
problem among the KIY family; any headphone should be plug-n-play between 
quality rigs. At real contest stations the headphones come with the operator 
unless they are the same brand he uses at home. Some are strictly guest ops 
with no home station.
Ive been DXing and contesting since the late 50's where there was 
considerable variance, from high impedance off the audio amp grid, 500 and 
3.2-8 Ohms off the output transformer.


>
> 5. The station owner (me, in this case) gets pretty PO'ed when a visiting
> ham says his radios sound like crap resulting is a response from the
> station owner thanking the op for visiting the station for the first and
> LAST time.

** More power to the person for speaking up, if you asked him to operate you 
should be ready to make adjustments in your fussy non standard equipment.
Not being able to handle criticism is poor form as shown by many on the K3 
forum. When I go to a restaurant or hotel and the service/quality isnt what 
I expect and if it isnt corrected THEN I AM the one to not return.


>
> Just wondering if maybe poor RX audio quality is why some hams like to
> confirm they actually made a QSO in the "Chat rooms" rather then on the
> air.......just speculating, different topic but couldn't resist the urge.


** Wouldnt know, I wouldnt bother being in one.

>
> Now back to setting my K3's back to my personal hearing preferences.
>
> -- 
> 73 Joel W5ZN
> www.w5zn.org

** Thats what I like about my TS-950SD, it is high performance as in a Caddy 
CTS-V and not cranky as with many high end European cars or medium quality 
with a fancy option package. A guest is running DX here within a few minutes 
of sitting down.

Carl
KM1H