"Does price buy performance or satisfaction in an HF transceiver?" - now on YouTube

-145 dBm/Hz corresponds to a noise figure of 30 dB or a system temperature of about 290000 K, which is a reasonable value for a wideband spectrum analyser.

On frequencies below about 15 MHz, the sky or atmospheric noise is about the same or above this level, depending on time of day and season.

Why people do not get the notion of "ambient noise limited" systems probably is due to lack of scientific curiosity, suitable mentors and reference literature.

Finally, I wonder if the Rydberg in the article is somehow related to Anders Rydberg SM5BRL Professor Emeritus at Uppsala University and former associate in the Swedish National Committee for Radio Science,
or his great-grandfather Janne Rydberg, the discoverer of the Rydberg constant.

73/
Karl-Arne
SM0AOM

 

Janne.

Also--the noise figure of wideband RX systems is now so low as to be competitive with any alleged 'laser' demodulation system.

Even the largest radio telescope systems have system temperatures ( not counting Tsky) of 15 degrees K or less....

 

The IC-705 is an excellent example of a new radio that is NOT coveted because of its 'performance to price ratio'.

It is desired for its 'FEATURES to price' ratio.

It's SMALL
It's LIGHT
It has a touch SCREEN
It has a COLOR SCREEN
It has a SPECTRUM display
It has a low CURRENT DRAW
It covers all BANDS
It covers most MODES
and much more...

I am sure there are other FEATURES that make this a HOT radio to others.
Performance? Certainly 'good enough' for what people want. Both in RX and TX.

None of these above amount to a distinctive 'performance' metric.

Hams aren't stupid. They know what they want. Performance is a 'switch'. The radio either has acceptable 'performance' or it doesn't. Beyond that the decision is based on FEATURES to price.

MO's. Your opinions may differ.

 

I guess its a matter of priority? If I spend 5-8K on a new rig. I better have already spent at least 8K on the antenna. The greatest rig is garbage with a crappy antenna.

 

Which reinforces my earlier-expressed view that the entire exercise in that video is based around operating at home, with a good environment, and plenty of AC power available. It entirely ignores operating away from home, which is what most non-retired, not-very-rich operators increasingly have to do to escape the modern RFI-blighted living spaces. This needs energy efficiency, not power-hungry rigs and laptops (a Raspberry Pi is an exception, of course).

An expensive receiver in a typical environment is only going to give you better reception of RFI, even if it has 'world-beating' DSP.

The sad aspect of this is that merely pointing it out often brings howls of denial. I ask those people to take a simple transceiver down to their local beach, see what they can hear from there, as opposed to home...

 

True. It also has the level of frequency stability we should expect from every modern radio today, but that only a few actually have as standard.
Not only that, but a single USB digital modes/CAT connection, or even a wireless connection for the same thing.

That means I can take it to the beach. It will outperform an inland 3-4 ele Yagi on the same power setting, easily.

Not convinced? Try it!

 

I have the Kenwood TS-890S in my shack. One of my best radio decisions. I do not contest so the single RX is not a problem. Big bang for a good price of $3300.

I have a Ten-Tec Eagle for POTA, camping and other portable ops. Bought it new during their "Inventory Reduction Sale" for $1099. Great price on an excellent small transceiver. It has a 10:1 tuner, a great receiver and a good transmitter based on my POTA activations.

My friend Mark uses the $450 G-90 for portable ops. It performs great and he is very happy with it.

Get what makes you happy. Get what you can afford (or your XYL will let you spend).

Read the manual.
Learn how to operate the radio and make full use of the features of said radio.

 

This is called "Response to Market Demand" or "Customer Feedback".

 

What $12K Kenwood?

 

He must have 3 TS-990s's....

 

I use a $120 3 year old uBITX and a 1300' wire loop antenna. Works great. Always fun when getting through a pile up.

 

That is a huge fallacy expressed by many with insufficient experience or technical knowledge. You also have not defined "crappy"

Carl

 

When people invest more money into a thing they think they have to enjoy it more. There is a study out there that shows their pleasure centers of their brain show more activity when they think they are supposed to enjoy something more.

 

Ham radio has never been cheaper, $10 in 1971 the same as $64 today (BLS / CPI)

For example, todays mid level $1500 Icom rig would have been $220 in 1971.

 

I have had my best contacts with my Ft-891 and a homemade Delta Loop.

BTW: I saw your profile. I enlisted as a 33S in 1984. Then went on to jumping out of planes later in my career I remember going to the Field Station in ROK and watching some of the Morse Code intercept operators at work. Pretty fascinating how fast they could copy code while having a cup of coffee and talking to me about my plans for the ville were going to be....all at the same time