Find the Right Rig: New Comparison Tool for ARRL Members
/ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio® is pleased to introduce a new member benefit: the QST Product Review Comparison Database. This online tool makes it possible to compare QST-tested amateur radio transceivers, receivers, amplifiers, and transmitters by allowing members to sort and filter equipment based on their own selection criteria.
“This tool, introduced by the ARRL Lab, offers a familiar experience for anyone who has shopped online in recent years. For decades, the Lab has been making standardised measurements that are published in QST Product Reviews. While those reviews have long been available online, finding and comparing products often required knowing exactly what you were looking for. The new database makes it much easier to discover and evaluate equipment based on the characteristics that matter most to you.”
The comparison database includes every ARRL Lab-tested device in the previously listed categories, dating back to 2012. ARRL members can apply filters to narrow results to specific types of equipment and then sort products using select specifications and laboratory measurements. Multiple products can be selected and compared side by side, making it easier to evaluate options before making a purchase decision.
Also for ARRL members only, the tool can sort the product name chronologically from newest to oldest published, and alphabetically. The data columns can be sorted by performance metric, and columns can be rearranged to display information in the order most useful to the user. If you know the name of the device you’d like to view, there is a search field available as well. When two or more products are selected for comparison, the results open in a new browser page, allowing users to keep their place in the main database.
Whether a member is purchasing their first radio or considering an upgrade to their current station, the QST Product Review Comparison Database provides an objective, data-driven, customizable way to evaluate equipment. A companion guide explaining the various measurements and specifications is also planned to help members better understand the technical data when making an informed purchasing decision.
To access this new member benefit, members should log in to the ARRL website and visit compare.arrl.org.
