Pappy127 wrote:
Hi Bob, I use my kenwood ts-570 for short-wave receiving.

Why buy what you already have unless your interested in monitoring
several frequencies at the same time.

Exactly. If you're going to buy a modern hf ham rig, you will
automatically get a good general coverage shortwave receiver.

While ham transceivers won't have *all* the features of a
top-of-the-line receiver, it will provide solid performance in terms
of dynamic range, sensitivity, selectivity, frequency stability, etc.
Sure, synchronous AM is a nice feature, but is it worth shelling out
$500 to $1000 dollars in addition to what the ham transceiver costs?

Having said that, some ham rigs are better suited to SWLing than
others. Make sure you get one with appropriate AM filters and good
audio quality.

BTW, Bob, your old equipment is very similar to the stuff I had. My
first receiver was a Lafayette HE-40 (a clone of the S-120), and I
also progressed to an HE-80 which I used as my first ham receiver. I
also have an SX-117, and a not a TS-820, but a TS-830S transceiver.

Art Harris N2AH

In article ,
(Art Harris) wrote:

Pappy127 wrote:
Hi Bob, I use my kenwood ts-570 for short-wave receiving.

Why buy what you already have unless your interested in monitoring
several frequencies at the same time.

Exactly. If you're going to buy a modern hf ham rig, you will
automatically get a good general coverage shortwave receiver.

While ham transceivers won't have *all* the features of a
top-of-the-line receiver, it will provide solid performance in terms
of dynamic range, sensitivity, selectivity, frequency stability, etc.
Sure, synchronous AM is a nice feature, but is it worth shelling out
$500 to $1000 dollars in addition to what the ham transceiver costs?

snip

I say yes but maybe that's because I live where signals are weaker and
fade more often.

Even the AM broadcast band is a problem around here evenings. Examples
are 640 KFI in LA and 600 KOGO from San Diego, which put in strong
signals daytime most evenings have terrible interference between the
ground wave and sky wave. On other stations and short wave it's just
the usual selective fading problem.

--
Telamon
Ventura, California

Auteur wrote:
...

With steady internal carrier supplied by the receiver when in ECSS
mode, the problem goes away ENTIRELY. Then, under the worst
fades/boosts of carrier, the volume may indeed occasionally change
but it does not severely jerk and nearly squelch on the first few
tens of milliseconds of a sudden carrier level peak. So, I use ECSS
mode most of the time, though this necessitates pretty critical
adjustment of the frequency offset to avoid pitch shift, and often a
careful setting of the IF passband tuning to maximize clarity by
moving around the very distinctive region of frequency/phase ringing
at the sharp filter cutoff.
...

FWIW, with extremely careful operation, the R75 is an extraordinary
DX machine. But obtaining its full potential of performance requires
diligence.

Yours,
AUTEUR

Great post Auteur. I had noticed that nearly all R75 users seem to prefer
the manual ECSS mode to AM and I assumed it was due to the nearly
non-functional sync detector and the poor AM audio. You may have hit on the
real reason. I do not know if the KIWA mods really help the AGC issues and
I would not trust any response unless it came from Kiwa and someone with
your technical background.

I do not own the R75 as I have been put off by the need for all the mods and
optional filter costs BUT it does have a very nice price point.

--
Brian Denley
http://home.comcast.net/~b.denley/index.html

wrote:



While ham transceivers won't have *all* the features of a
top-of-the-line receiver, it will provide solid performance in terms
of dynamic range, sensitivity, selectivity, frequency stability, etc.
Sure, synchronous AM is a nice feature, but is it worth shelling out
$500 to $1000 dollars in addition to what the ham transceiver costs?



That's a good point. Assuming the transceiver has a small enough tuning step
size (or analog fine tuning), synchronous detection can be reasonably
simulated by tuning an AM signal in SSB mode.

Had Scott Malcom of Colville Washington install cap mods for a.g.c., audio, and
sync functions on my R-75 last year! They greatly improved performance on all
levels, although sync works better on medium wave than shortwave (e.c.s.s. is
the way to go, if needed, on shortwave)! Purchasing ICOM's R-75 is akin to
buying a Marshall amp stocked with Utah speakers! Ya just gotta spend a few
extra bucks and reload with Celestions or Electro Voices (sorry Eminence fans,
haven't experienced those drivers yet) to unleash its' full potential!

In article tVUwb.109792$Dw6.523372@attbi_s02,
"Brian Denley" wrote:

Auteur wrote:
..

With steady internal carrier supplied by the receiver when in ECSS
mode, the problem goes away ENTIRELY. Then, under the worst
fades/boosts of carrier, the volume may indeed occasionally change
but it does not severely jerk and nearly squelch on the first few
tens of milliseconds of a sudden carrier level peak. So, I use ECSS
mode most of the time, though this necessitates pretty critical
adjustment of the frequency offset to avoid pitch shift, and often a
careful setting of the IF passband tuning to maximize clarity by
moving around the very distinctive region of frequency/phase ringing
at the sharp filter cutoff.
..

FWIW, with extremely careful operation, the R75 is an extraordinary
DX machine. But obtaining its full potential of performance requires
diligence.

Yours,
AUTEUR

Great post Auteur. I had noticed that nearly all R75 users seem to prefer
the manual ECSS mode to AM and I assumed it was due to the nearly
non-functional sync detector and the poor AM audio. You may have hit on the
real reason. I do not know if the KIWA mods really help the AGC issues and
I would not trust any response unless it came from Kiwa and someone with
your technical background.

I do not own the R75 as I have been put off by the need for all the mods and
optional filter costs BUT it does have a very nice price point.

You could pay more and buy a good radio that does not have problems with
its sync or AGC.

--
Telamon
Ventura, California

On Sat, 24 Jan 2004 07:54:06 -0800, "Wilderness Keyboard"
wrote:

Maybe see what the owners think of the radios you listed.
See URL:
http://www.eham.net/reviews/products/8

I have a Kenwood TS-870 and find it adequate for SWLing as well as Ham work.

You also have a time machine, since your post comes from about 2
months in our future. More likely your PC's clock is set wrong.

73

-Jack-

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Telamon wrote:

You could pay more and buy a good radio that does not have problems
with its sync or AGC.

I did. Several times!

--
Brian Denley
http://home.comcast.net/~b.denley/index.html

elg110254 wrote:
(e.c.s.s. is the way to go, if needed, on shortwave)!

On that receiver, sure. On a real one, sync-AM is a treat.

(grin)
--
Brian Denley
http://home.comcast.net/~b.denley/index.html

Maybe see what the owners think of the radios you listed.
See URL:
http://www.eham.net/reviews/products/8

I have a Kenwood TS-870 and find it adequate for SWLing as well as Ham work.
Some features on the SWL radios not found on Ham transceivers might
influence you -- such as synchronous detection, audio response, etc.

The eHam reviews will elaborate on why folks chose a particular model.

--
73 From The Wilderness Keyboard
-------------------------------
"Bob Bonneville" wrote in message
...
I am interested in getting back into SWL (This is what lead me into ham
radio back in 1963.) I have narrowed my selection to four receivers over a
rather large price difference. My choices were the result of reading many
conflicting reviews, along with some bias from my days as a ham. I was
hoping that some of you may have owned various combinations of these over
the years, that could result in a first hand opinion.

The choices I have made are, in no particular order a
Drake R8B
Icom R8500
Ten Tec RX-350D
Icom R75

I was also considering getting back into ham radio (my license is still
active and I retire in about 18 months) and would like an opinion as to
how
the general coverage reception in most of today's ham transcievers
compares
to the dedicated radios listed above.

I started in SWL in 1961 with a Hallicrafters S-120. Later moved to a
Lafayette HE-80 when I got the ham license. Then had things like a Drake
2-B, a Hallicrafters SX-117, and finally a Kenwood TS-820S (None of which
I
have today.)

Thanks in advance......
Bob -- wa3cuj