loosecannon,
Just to muddy up the question a little bit...
If you don't have both radios, 'new'/'old', sitting side by side during the comparison, but are depending on memory to supply the 'differences', it will be a very rare person who can make a really 'fair' comparison. Our memories are always subject to modification by our prejudices, not to mention the changes in sunspot cycle, propagation, etc. The 'problem' being that the time span for that 'old'/'new' comparison is just too long for a legitimate 'memory' comparison, too many things have changed in that time span that are usually not comparable taking it only from memory.
Having said that...
There definitely are differences between old and newer radios! Some very good, some maybe not so good. There have been advances in technology. Unfortunately, there have also been about the same 'degree' of advances in greed, or manufacturer's making the 'same' product a little less expensively (nicest way I know to put it, sort of).
For instance (more 'old war stories' type thingy).
I once used a radio (good manufacturer) for weak signals type stuff. It did very well considering it was sort of 'state-of-the-art' for it's day. I had an accident with it (dropped it down three flights of stairs, don't ask, it's still painful) and had to replace it. They didn't happen to make that particular model anymore, so replaced it with a 'new' (and different) model from the same manufacturer. I honestly couldn't believe the performance was ~that~ much better, but it was! All that was at least 10-15 years ago. Still have the 'better' of the two radios, but got another new one. I can't believe the difference between that 'old' radio and the new one, it's a big difference, even better. I'm in the process of donating that 'older' radio to a non-profit organization I'm a member of. (Right! It's because of my "good heartedness", not because I get an income tax deduction. You believe that too, don't you?)
End of 'old war story'.
What's the point of all of this? Just that if the manufacturer is even sort of 'legitimate', they are going to change things to make a bigger profit. If they've got any sense at all, the performance of their 'thingy' will at least stay the same as it was. That second 'if' is the biggy. And I only know of one way to determine that, not a good way, but the only one I can be sure of. (Buy the 'new' thingy and make a direct comparison with the 'old' thingy.)
- 'Doc
I hate things like that, I always seem to get stung, you know? Unless it's Kenwood! Then you know it's better. (Couldn't resist.)
