For the most part hams love helping each other to improve our rigs and we easily volunteer reports to each other. It's in our nature to help. We all need on-air help at times. I'd like to expand on this idea.
There's four types of on-air reports: Never Given,
Hi-Hi FB,
Somewhat Useful,
VERY Useful.
1)
Never given: (Thinking) "I'd better not say anything about his hum or this guy will get POed at me and I'll look like a complainer."
2)
Hi-Hi FB "Everybody is loud here tonight and Everybody sounds great!" (FB, OM)
3)
Somewhat Useful: "Moe, this is the best I've ever heard you! Nice audio balance and a very quiet background since you made those changes!"
4)
Very Useful: "Shemp, I could be wrong, but you might have a little too much mid-bass. Could you try rolling off the 150 Hz muds a bit?"
"Jacques, you have a loud 60 Hz hum that I never heard before... do you hear it in your monitor too?"
"Elmer, I notice your signal on my SDR waterfall is extending with some splatter past +- 13 KHz. Did you know this?"
"Fabio, you sound like you have a sock in your mouth! What happened to your highs?"
"Rico Suave, you seem to be drifting up 2 KHz when you first key up... did you know this?"
"Dr. Love, looks like you fixed that tearing highs problem from the other day... goooood job!"
You get the picture. Useful info is needed by all of us.
But here's the problem: It's human nature, but subconsciously we don't forget the people who gave us unfavorable reports. We may not forget it for a long time. Whereas, a good report is usually forgotten in a few days... we may remember it but not who gave it.
So, we take a risk of offending our buddies by being critical of problems when they are not good. But everyone says they want to hear the truth - but do they really?
One example of telling it like it is is the TimTron. I can axe a few audio-experienced people in a group how we sound with a new lashup and get hi hi FB reports. Then we axe Tim and he may say we're too bassy and have little highs. Or he hears some distortion. Tron takes the heat/hit for the team. It's also possible some guys don't have the critical ears Tron has... I get it.
I'm not saying we need to be complainers and piss off everyone with reports... just that when we are asked or hear a problem, we should speak up. It's too easy to be politically correct and hide. We take no heat and it is safer. But a well placed critique once in a while is VERY useful to the other guy and deep down we know it is the right thing to do. Emailing a follow-up recording is possibly one of the best ideas to show exactly what you mean and show your genuine concern.
It's a form of hard love. I try to make a point of thanking anyone who has the BAs to tell me something is not quite right with my signal. And don't worry that I will hold a grudge... Anyone who takes the time and effort to let me know is a hero in my book...
Again, for the most part hams love helping each other to improve our rigs and we easily volunteer reports to each other. It's in our nature to help.
T