DX RXThe Doctor of DX prescribes the |  |
DX RXThe Doctor of DX prescribes the | |
When choosing a new rig, the serious DX’er or Contester will be carefully evaluating the following points, not necessarily in order of importance:
Do your research. QST Magazine, begin- ning with the January 1996 issue, modified its Product Review articles and now publishes extensive technical information on the rigs reviewed. The ARRL also publishes separate extended reports which may be purchased for a few dollars. Most new state- of-the-art rigs go for better than $2500 (and up and up). It is worth your time, but more especially your money, to select “at leisure” and wisely. If possible, “test drive” the rigs you have under consideration. And don’t limit your “test drive” to several hours. Try a week or two if it can be arranged.
One of the best ways to evaluate any new transceiver is to use one during a major contest. Within our own club there are enough of us operating contests that you can have your pick of rig types to evaluate. Volunteer to be an operator. Besides being a welcomed addition to the operating crew, you gain first hand experience. Because band conditions and QRM can be expected to be at their worst during a contest (Murphy's 8th Axiom of Inevitability), and because you will be placed in a non- simulation mode where speed and the ability to yank the weak ones out of the muck are paramount, you will quickly discover the features you like or do not like with a particular rig. Little quirks or anomalies which you might ordinarily overlook are amplified in a contest, so much so in fact that they become major "differentiators".
Once your choices have been narrowed down to two rigs, it is often very helpful to be able to do side-by-side comparisons using the same antenna which can be switched back and forth between the candidates. If it is possible to arrange such a comparison, I strongly recommend it. Memory can play tricks on you, whereas comparing features side-by-side provides a vivid and valuable tool to aid you in the final selection process. Using the same antenna to compare the rigs eliminates variables associated with differences in antenna types, gain, height, etc. The evaluated rigs must then stand on their own merits or lack thereof as determined by you, the person who will be using that equipment for years to come.
While the foregoing has focused on procurement of a new rig, not everyone is in the position or inclined to make such a major purchase. What alternatives are there to enhance capabilities and which make good fiscal sense?
The primary emphasis in technological advancements during the past several years has been in the areas of Digital Signal Processing (DSP) and AGC for strong adjacent frequency interference and front- end desensing. While older rigs do not enjoy these advances, new life can oftentimes be breathed into them by procuring one of the new breed of external DSP boxes which are now readily available from a variety of sources. As an example, prior to purchasing my current transceivers, I bought an MFJ DSP-784 external filter for use with my IC- 735 and noticed an immediate and marked improvement in receive capability, particularly on CW and RTTY. The preset RTTY filter in that DSP was excellent. It allowed me to copy DX RTTY signals Q5 which previously I could never pull out of the QRM/QRN. The results on CW were similar. Altogether, it was a very satisfactory compromise, and my DXCC totals increased dramatically following that addition to my station. K2TE and I also operated in a RTTY contest using the filter and did exceptionally well, given the state of my antenna system at the time.
Now, several years later, the next generation of external DSP filters are even more sophisticated and intelligent, employing microprocessors to aid in the filtering, auto- notching, shaping and regeneration of output audio. Granted, external DSP filtering is a compromise, but that is what we are talking about. Depending on the DX’ing you do and how serious you are, this compromise is potentially a HUGE dollar saver.
One last item should be mentioned in considering a new rig purchase or current rig update: Don't forget to talk with your friends in the club. Seek out and evaluate their advice. We are extremely fortunate that, within our organization, there is a wealth of expertise and experience. Use those resources wisely.
73 es best DX… de NE1V