After several months of preparation, Adrian Ryan (5B4AIY) recently
conducted a head-to-head engineering evaluation of several aftermarket KX3
heatsinks. His findings dispelled the long-running >>"best-performing"<<
claim of the PAE heatsink as unfounded, yet this claim is still being made
by the PAE website!
What's more, now there's a second measureable claim >>"The PAE-Kx31
offers the best performance value in any aftermarket KX3 heatsink,
delivering more cooling per $ than all others."<< which probably isn't true
either, although there's no way to know for sure based on the scant evidence
presented. And given PAE's (zero of one) track record thus far regarding
the validity of its measureable claims, the chances of this latest one
actually being true are at best 50-50.
(BTW, I know of one KX3 owner -- who prefers to remain anonymous -- who
needed to upgrade from the PAE heatsink to a Cooler KX(TM) heatsink. Thus,
even if this new "best performance value" claim happens to be true, that
fact won't console KX3 owners who find that the PAE heatsink fails to keep
their radio from overheating!)
Curiously, the only corroborating evidence for this newest claim is an
impressive looking graph -- see
http://goo.gl/6Zr4gW -- which appears to
have been derived from Adrian's test results using a methodology that can
best be described as a concoction of hand-picked data, analytical fallacy,
smoke, and mirrors. It certainly is interesting that PAE can make this new
claim based on Adrian's findings, while continuing to make their original
"best-performing" claim, which the same findings have since discredited.
Additional concerns about the validity of this newest claim include:
1) Cooler KX(TM) heatsinks are offered in three grades of finish (raw,
undercoated, and painted) to best serve KX3 owners interested in getting the
best performance for their dollar, as well as for anyone who wants to
operate in direct sunlight or prefers to paint their heatsink some other
color. The raw Lite model costs 23 percent less than the painted Lite
model, while the raw Plus model costs 30 percent less than the painted Plus
model; yet PAE has conveniently excluded the raw and undercoated finish
options!
2) No shipping costs or calculations are cited, only mysterious final
results. Furthermore, there are numerous international shipping choices and
the cost of international shipping varies by country.
3) Although they are repeatable, Adrian's test results don't come anywhere
close to quantifying heatsink performance. To use his findings as a basis
for any kind of measureable claim is wrong beyond comprehension!
--- - - - --- --- - - - ---
With regard to the comment "We see now why they changed the testing
goals." ... the reality is that Adrian's (purely qualitative) test results
do not support the kind of presentation that was envisioned.
See also:
o
http://www.ve7fmn.ca/this-is-cool/pdfs/performance_page/head2head.pdfo
http://www.ve7fmn.ca/this-is-cool/pdfs/performance_page/5b4aiy.pdfo
http://mailman.qth.net/pipermail/elecraft/2014-September/207068.htmlo
http://mailman.qth.net/pipermail/elecraft/2014-August/206333.html73,
Gary KI4GGX
webmaster
http://www.ve7fmn.ca/P.S. Apologies for the bandwidth and for posting twice in the same month.
I felt this needed to be said and couldn't wait until October. Also FYI, I
have no financial interest in the production or sale of Cooler KX(TM)
heatsinks.
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