TenTec
[Top] [All Lists]

[TenTec] GPS and Ten Tec Rigs

To: <tentec@contesting.com>
Subject: [TenTec] GPS and Ten Tec Rigs
From: efricha@dimensional.com (Eric F. Richards)
Date: Thu Aug 21 00:16:41 2003
At 07:18 PM 8/20/2003 -0700, you wrote:
>Here's a question... how frequency-stable are the top-of-the-line rigs from
>other manufacturers?

I don't know if you can call it a "top-of-the-line" rig, but the R-8500
from ICOM, a DC-to-daylight receiver, is astoundingly stable and accurate.
One of my two was dead-on at 15 MHz.  The other one was extremely close
to dead-on.  I don't recall the specified precision, but it certainly wasn't
that good!

Now, 7 years after purchase, they both are a few Hz off at 15 MHz, but less
than 10 Hz -- even less than 5 Hz -- off.

Interestingly enough, this rig has no crystal oven, just a TCXO.  The '8500
is a mix of the superb and the mediocre; a front-end like a brick wall, great
phase noise, and crappy filter widths and shape factors.

>   I ask this because I wonder if one would see any
>practical difference between a rig that was slaved to a GPS time standard
>and accurate to less than 1 Hz, and, say, an Omni VI that was accurate to
>within 30 Hz (and didn't drift during transmit).
>
>Would many people think it a good deal to spend about $100 to $160 (higher
>if a TXCO was needed) to get under 5 Hz accuracy with their Omni VI... or a
>little more to get the ability to add a 10 Mhz reference?

I bought two.  One because I'm picky about such things, the other for
radio astronomy.

If I were transmitting on HF, and, say, a regular participant in HF
nets, I probably would want the best accuracy I could get.  Doubly so
if I were HF net control.

Eric


>  - jgc
>
>John Clifford KD7KGX
>
>Heathkit HW-9 WARC/HFT-9/HM-9
>Elecraft K2 #1678 /KSB2/KIO2/KBT2/KAT2/KNB2/KAF2/KPA100
>Ten-Tec Omni VI/Opt1
>Alinco DR-605TQ
>Icom T90A
>
>email: kd7kgx@arrl.net
>
>_______________________________________________
>TenTec mailing list
>TenTec@contesting.com
>http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec

<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>