Commradio CTX-10 tested by Rob Sherwood

[prcguy]

And it doesn't look good. Rob has been testing and rating receivers for many years and listing them in order of narrow spaced dynamic range. The higher the numbers in this category the better the receiver will perform in tough conditions like a mulit radio field day site. Radios with really low numbers can get blitzed quite easily with strong signals or when operating close to a strong signal. Out of all the receivers Rob has tested since 1976 the Commradio CTX-10 is at the very bottom of the list at 45dB. Last. Worst ever tested.

Even the 100KHz blocking test is the worst at only 49dB. And what's up with the sensitivity at 5uv with preamp off and 1uv with preamp on, thats also the worst of anything tested, although its not as critical on lower bands as the other tests. I guess its good these tests came out a year and a half after the radio was released and maybe they have sold out the first batch of 250 or so radios because if the test was published right after the radio was released I don't think they would have sold any.

 

[iMONITOR]

Thanks for posting. I always thought I wanted one of his similarly designed receivers but never purchased one as I thought they were over priced for what it was. Apparently it wasn't that great either as they didn't last very long on the market.

 

[vagrant]

Oh wow and the price they want for it. The KX2 crushes it for less. Hell, I wonder if my old 817ND or 897D beats the CTX-10. Seriously though, I do not understand why are they asking so much when the KX2 exists. Am I overlooking something?

 

[prcguy]

Your 817ND and 897D will run circles around it in receiver performance. The KX2 receiver will run circles around both Yaesu's. The KX2s built in 8 band equalizer and compression scheme will also run circles around the CTX-10 audio on transmit. The new Icom IC-705 is about $200 more than the CTX-10 and there is not enough space here to list all the things the 705 will do over the CTX-10. They are completely different radios with different missions, but you can fit the 705 with some stuff to make it more survivable in the field.

If they got all the bugs out of the CTX-10 and it performed anywhere near an FT-817 on receive, it would probably be worth the cost being designed and built in the US. But the Sherwood test results are grim. I even mentioned to the CTX-10 designer that a Sherwood test report could make or break sales and I was hoping one would be tested early on and test good. I'm actually shocked at how poor it did.

Oh wow and the price they want for it. The KX2 crushes it for less. Hell, I wonder if my old 817ND or 897D beats the CTX-10. Seriously though, I do not understand why are they asking so much when the KX2 exists. Am I overlooking something?

 

[vagrant]

Grim indeed with those particular Yaesu all-in-one radios beating it in receiver performance. I have yet to purchase the 705, but June is creeping closer. I'll purchase the 705 before I sell one or both of the 817 and 897 radios. They're both filtered up including TCXO's, but I'll probably never touch either one after I get the 705 and do some side-by-side testing for fun.

QRP HF only rigs never have a chance with my usage needs. I considered the KX2 for a while, but I cannot lie to myself. I'll get the 705 and a laptop or tablet to go with it and I may be fine for a decade.

 

[N4DJC]

Dang that price/performance makes the 705 look like a bargain.