Re ICOM-756 Contest Performance:
Nice writeup of subjective experience/opinion, but ....
We are lacking in depth analysis of the radio. To me (and I believe most of
serious contest and DX types) the most important features/qualities of any
radio, in order of importance are:
1. Front end overload, strong signal handling capabilities. I.e. while
listening to S1 signal, how close in kHz can 9+30 strong station get without
wiping out reception.
2. Selectivity, shape factor of filters, filter options. Ties in with point
1, factors involved are quality of filters, distribution of filters in the IF
chain, variable bandwidth capabilities.
3. 4. 5. .... everything else is bells and whistles, conveniences, nice to
have.
When I read "reviews" of equipment, everything is nice. But when i buy
"wonderrig" like TS870, then as claimed by Kenwood designers and engineers
(you heard them at Dayton), you have 50 Hz CW bandwidth (wow), wonder DSP in
the IF chain. But when I use radio on a real band, what I find? Radio fails
miserably on points 1 and 2. You get 10 db over 9 signal 5 or 10 kHz away,
and regardless of DSP setting, instead your wanted S2 signal you get S5
wipeout of scratchy sh^*&$#. So you keep putting attenuators on until you
lose your wanted signal, with garbage still dominating your passband scene.
Filters used inside? One regular (cheap) Kenwood SSB filter at 2nd IF 8MHz,
rest is half inch monolitic junk with no room for addition. (Kenwood says:
you don't need more or better filters, it's DSP perfect!) Yea, right,
ragchewing on empty band with spark plug or power line noise (that's what
they demonstrate DSP on). DSP becomes useless way down in the IF chain, when
it gets wiped out by strong signals getting through the first (8 MHz 2nd IF)
filter (no CW first filter or provision for it either, they use "overlapping
SSB magic" to create CW bandwidth).
Good points about 870? Bells and whistles, it's a nice rig to be used for
expeditioning, remote controlled station, but for me? Yes, only if I will be
able to modify/inprove the filtering scheme, otherwise I have "nice" radio
for you to buy. Well I am not going to continue on reviewing TS870 and
teaching Kenwood designers. I just got IC781 and I am going to start with
this one, I will dissect it, see what I can improve and perhaps write
something up. This appears to be the standard that other rigs will be judged
against. (Yea, it is "old" technology, but seems to be the best filtering
arrangement in stock ham radio rig. Ask anyone WHO HAS IT.)
I loved Kenwood from my 930 days and I still have it, I felt sort of loyalty
and offered Kenwood cooperation in design and testing of their rigs. Since
October 96 I haven't heard anything, so Kenwood: I GIVE UP!, GOOD BYE! (Have
fun in CB market, they don't know any better and don't do contesting.)
Hello ICOM, YAESU, JRC or anyone else willing to cooperate with top notch
operator/contester (VE3BMV - holder of about 14 world records in WPX and WW
CQ Contests), top notch engineer-designer and inventor (received highest IBM
award for Design and Development Excellence). My station is home designed and
brewed, except transceivers (impractical to build nowadays) and it
outperformed some notables like "old" W2PV. I am not going to beg anyone. I
don't need it, but decent manufacturer could benefit tremendously. Race car
industry does, ham radio industry must "know better", I guess. Normally smart
manufacturers invest in developing the mother of all things (like racing car,
contest radio), experience gained there then trickles down to regular stuff
(sports or regular car, DXer or regular radio) and translates to huge volume
sales. Hello radio manufacturers! Anyone there?
10 most wanted things contester would want in a rig (we came up with this
list back 15 years ago) are still not implemented. We keep modifying the
radios, but why should we? It is much cheaper and easier to do it first time.
Oh well, be carefull with "reviews" look under the skirt first before you
fork out the money.
Anyone wishing to send me a radio for honest review, I would be glad to do
it. Especially Yaesu 1000s, JRCs and IC 775DSP (haven't played with one yet).
I will keep you posted of any developments here, I am in process of selecting
my number one and two radio and then making them work with all the computer,
switching and contest friendly stuff. Any experiences out there would be
welcomed, might save me some effort and I will eventually massage it all and
make it available at the (Radiosporting?) home page, reflector or whatever.
To those who don't like the above stuff, I apologize up front, to those who
like it, thank you for your attention/support. Both of you can "punish" me in
the next contest by giving me a point. Which call will I use? I am not sure,
it will be the shortest one I can get, and from the best suited place to beat
160 records this year. CU, 73 and be nice!
Yuri, K3BU, VE3BMV, P40A, N2 dit dit, etc.
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>From Glenn Swanson <gswanson@arrl.org> Tue Mar 4 17:09:30 1997
From: Glenn Swanson <gswanson@arrl.org> (Glenn Swanson)
Subject: [CQ-Contest] AJ1I : QSL INFO--And any signal reports?
Message-ID: <331C5749.B0F@arrl.org>
Greetings to our friends across the pond.
Here is the QSL info for AJ1I, a YCCC contest club call sign:
AJ1I cards for the 1997 ARRL DX SSb contest (only) go to:
Peter Budnik, KB1HY
13 Gilbert Lane
Burlington, CT 06013
Or, to KB1HY via the buro.
Looking for signal reports from Europe, for AJ1I, from last weekend.
E-mail to: Glenn, KB1GW @ kb1gw-home@juno.com
TNX es 73!
Peter, KB1HY
Glenn, KB1GW
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