What Use Is An F-call?

What use is an F-call? Curiosity is a wonderful attribute to have. While sometimes it kills cats, amateurs are better off using curiosity to learn new skills. Recently I had the opportunity to discuss in detail the differences between two radios which I thought I knew intimately, a Yaesu 857D which I own and a Yaesu 817ND, which a friend owned and until then I thought I knew just as well. Not so. We discussed in detail what the differences between these radios were from a functionality perspective and from a user experience angle. It's not the first time I've looked from my radio to that of a fellow amateur. I've looked at other brands, other models, other installations, even of the same radio, and each time I come away having learnt a little more about their set-up and often in passing I learn a little about my own gear. While you're likely to have a fair share of Holden vs. Ford type discussions, often it's simple to get beyond that by asking the other person what it was that decided for them to acqui