Joe and all: > >Comparing processing issues and transmitter IMD are mixing apple and >oranges. Processing issues generally affect the quality of signal >*on channel* - the ability to understand the audio - whilst IMD is the >"off frequency" splatter up/down the band that interferes with everyone >*except* your own QSO. > >While both are important it is the IMD that represents a "spurious" >signal outside the bandwidth required for communication - typically fie >to ten KHz above and below the desired RF. >
Yes, I understand completely. From a "Real World Practical" standpoint, if I have a really clean transmitter with lovely IMD specifications and I stuff over compressed, highly processed, all compressor-limiter knobs to the right audio into it I will get completely unintelligible audio with wonderful technical specifications and still bother my neighbors. And don't forget. Some contesters *WANT* the scenario you described above. No sense in sweeping that under the rug! That's my point. I'm being responsible in keeping my IMD products from raising the noise floor on the bands, but the OB down the street with his FT101E, "Power Mic" and 4 EL509 sweep tube amp promptly blasts me out of the pileup. I'm not saying that the pursuit of technical excellence in amateur transmitters is a bad thing, but life is a constant compromise between technical excellence and "good enough". Sometimes "close enough! Now ship it so we can make a profit!" is the true measure of excellence in the real world. That doesn't mean we should accept poor engineering, all it means is that excellence is always a tradeoff, and not only about "numbers". Will the OB down the street care enough to change? That's the ultimate variable in the equation, isn't it? -lu- ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[email protected] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to [email protected]
