Hi everybody,

we are currently considering to buy one of these two wideband receivers.
This is why I wanted to ask, if you can provide me some input that helps
me to make the right choice.

Our Application requires:

- RS232 Interface: We need to control the receiver via our own software
running on a PC. Are the command lists of both receivers public? Is one
software interface better (easier to handle) than the other?

- A 10.7MHz ZF ouput signal: We will mainly use the ZF output of the
receiver and then do our own signal processing. Both receivers seem to
provide a bandwidth of +/-5MHz, right?

- Filtering the ZF output signal: We would like to have the option to
filter the 10.7MHz output signal. It seems with the AOR receiver it is
possible to provide the following bandwidths on the ZF output: 3kHz,
6kHz, 15kHz, 30kHz, 110kHz and 10MHz (no filter) - is this correct?

Does the ICOM receiver allow similar filtering or does it even provide
more options?

It is important for us that there is an option to filter the ZF output.
Are all filters available for all frequencies (both receivers)?

- Sensitivity: The IC-8500 seems to have the better sensitivity than the
AOR 8500. Is there a significant difference in practice?

- General: Is there anything paritcular good/bad we should know about
the receivers?

Thanks for your inputs,

Stefan

The 10.7 MHz IF output on the IC-R8500 above
30 MHz is about 10 MHz
wide, though not necessarily within 3 db.
The 10.7 MHz bandwidth is much more narrow below 30 MHz.

The IF output is taken before the IF filtering and you cannot
adjust the IF output bandwidth.

The IC-R8500 computer commands are documented in the
user manual and I used them to write tk8500 open source software
(see http://parnass.com)

--
================================================== =======================
Bob Parnass, AJ9S GNU/Linux User http://parnass.com

The radio has an RS232 interface built in, no adaptor required and the
Command set for CI-V is published and available for download.

I got to play with three ICR-8500's for a special project I was working
on. The construction is beautiful. We were using as a logging receiver
with some custom software written in "C". One thing we noted was that we
needed a fast unsquelch indicate for our application. Unlike the R7000
receiver, the record indicate relay closure is very slow as it is
software derived. I was able to delve into the audio squelch circuitry
and pull out a fast unsquelch signal which we buffered with an optical
iso coupler. Since you are apparently doing outboard demodulation this
may not be relevent to you.

By the way, unlike the R9000 receiver this radio is supposedly to market
with, the construction is almost entirely SMD, so you will need to be
very cautious in making modifictions. Finding a via hole to connect a
wire to was the safest way to bring out the signals we needed.

You can probably get a service manual on-line or buy from ICOM. I would
get the documentation for both radios first before making your choice.

Joe

Stefan Mangard wrote:

Hi everybody,

we are currently considering to buy one of these two wideband
receivers. This is why I wanted to ask, if you can provide me some
input that helps me to make the right choice.

Our Application requires:

- RS232 Interface: We need to control the receiver via our own
software running on a PC. Are the command lists of both receivers
public? Is one software interface better (easier to handle) than the
other?

- A 10.7MHz ZF ouput signal: We will mainly use the ZF output of the
receiver and then do our own signal processing. Both receivers seem to
provide a bandwidth of +/-5MHz, right?

- Filtering the ZF output signal: We would like to have the option to
filter the 10.7MHz output signal. It seems with the AOR receiver it is
possible to provide the following bandwidths on the ZF output: 3kHz,
6kHz, 15kHz, 30kHz, 110kHz and 10MHz (no filter) - is this correct?

Does the ICOM receiver allow similar filtering or does it even provide
more options?

It is important for us that there is an option to filter the ZF
output. Are all filters available for all frequencies (both receivers)?

- Sensitivity: The IC-8500 seems to have the better sensitivity than
the AOR 8500. Is there a significant difference in practice?

- General: Is there anything paritcular good/bad we should know about
the receivers?

Thanks for your inputs,

Stefan



--
Joe Leikhim K4SAT


"Jazz is not dead. It just smells funny." -F.Z.

The 10.7 MHz IF output on the IC-R8500 above
30 MHz is about 10 MHz
wide, though not necessarily within 3 db.
The 10.7 MHz bandwidth is much more narrow below 30 MHz.

The IF output is taken before the IF filtering and you cannot
adjust the IF output bandwidth.

The IC-R8500 computer commands are documented in the
user manual and I used them to write tk8500 open source software
(see http://parnass.com)

--
================================================== =======================
Bob Parnass, AJ9S GNU/Linux User http://parnass.com

The radio has an RS232 interface built in, no adaptor required and the
Command set for CI-V is published and available for download.

I got to play with three ICR-8500's for a special project I was working
on. The construction is beautiful. We were using as a logging receiver
with some custom software written in "C". One thing we noted was that we
needed a fast unsquelch indicate for our application. Unlike the R7000
receiver, the record indicate relay closure is very slow as it is
software derived. I was able to delve into the audio squelch circuitry
and pull out a fast unsquelch signal which we buffered with an optical
iso coupler. Since you are apparently doing outboard demodulation this
may not be relevent to you.

By the way, unlike the R9000 receiver this radio is supposedly to market
with, the construction is almost entirely SMD, so you will need to be
very cautious in making modifictions. Finding a via hole to connect a
wire to was the safest way to bring out the signals we needed.

You can probably get a service manual on-line or buy from ICOM. I would
get the documentation for both radios first before making your choice.

Joe

Stefan Mangard wrote:

Hi everybody,

we are currently considering to buy one of these two wideband
receivers. This is why I wanted to ask, if you can provide me some
input that helps me to make the right choice.

Our Application requires:

- RS232 Interface: We need to control the receiver via our own
software running on a PC. Are the command lists of both receivers
public? Is one software interface better (easier to handle) than the
other?

- A 10.7MHz ZF ouput signal: We will mainly use the ZF output of the
receiver and then do our own signal processing. Both receivers seem to
provide a bandwidth of +/-5MHz, right?

- Filtering the ZF output signal: We would like to have the option to
filter the 10.7MHz output signal. It seems with the AOR receiver it is
possible to provide the following bandwidths on the ZF output: 3kHz,
6kHz, 15kHz, 30kHz, 110kHz and 10MHz (no filter) - is this correct?

Does the ICOM receiver allow similar filtering or does it even provide
more options?

It is important for us that there is an option to filter the ZF
output. Are all filters available for all frequencies (both receivers)?

- Sensitivity: The IC-8500 seems to have the better sensitivity than
the AOR 8500. Is there a significant difference in practice?

- General: Is there anything paritcular good/bad we should know about
the receivers?

Thanks for your inputs,

Stefan



--
Joe Leikhim K4SAT


"Jazz is not dead. It just smells funny." -F.Z.