PW Reviews

Dear Don,

I enjoyed the review of the Yaesu FTdx10 in the July edition, as I did much of the rest of the magazine.

While I’m sure the review is entirely objective, it’s obviously rather open to criticism when we allow those producing the magazine, reliant as they are on big-brand advertising, to review the products that manufacturers and their sellers want to promote (and do) within that same publication.

It’s important to all readers, contemplating an expensive purchase like a transceiver, that reviewers not only uphold strict objectivity and independence, but are seen to display those characteristics, too. That is best achieved, I would suggest, by using a range of reviewers who have no direct involvement in the magazine’s production, other than as an occasional contributor.

Beyond that, it is also required of any hobby magazine to go ahead and publish reasonable criticism of a product, and not censor any such criticism. It’s a challenge, I know. But standards and the appearance of standards do count. John Rowlands MW1CFN Anglesey (Editor’s comment: Thanks John. While I take your point, no reviewer is going to be totally exempt from the possible accusation of pandering to the magazine’s advertisers. And finding reviewers who are consistent in their approach, can write well and understand the requirements of potential users of equipment is easier said than done. But I must also admit a degree of self-indulgence here because I enjoy HF operation and the opportunity to try out new transceivers that come along – a perk of the job, if you like. In the case of the FTdx10, though, I was unable to get my hands on a loan transceiver from either of the UK importers because units were selling as quickly as they arrived. So, in this instance, I actually bought my own in order that PW could be first in the UK with a review.)