I understand your comment but, for me, gradual degradation is somewhat hard to detect and I dont fly it every weekend so I forget the "feel" sometimes. I'm not good at "it seemed easier before "....I can talk myself into anything []. I'm sure I'd notice a sharp decline but I feel more comfortable using a tester if possible. Plus, I'm no engine guru (it's my first gasser) so it's an easy diagnostic aid, if it's applicable.

If I notice a lack of power or hard starting it would be nice to be able to correlate that to poor (or lesser than before) compression measurements. Nothing necessarily absolute but just comparitive.