Gary,
Direct Sampling technology is not just for receivers.
The transmitters I have seen so far have all been significantly cleaner, at
least as far as broadband noise goes, than most of our recent transceivers out
of Japan. I don't know about their keying spectrum.
Good dynamic range with direct sampling radios is not a future, it is here
today.
However we need to understand that.
When we say "good dynamic range", it is because Rob Sherwood has moved our
focus to the 3rd order dynamic range of our receivers, which was the single
most important indicator of a radio's ability to copy a weak signal in the
presence of one or more near-by strong signals. At least it was in the old
heterodyning radios. But that has changed now.
With direct sampling, DR3 is not an indication of the ultimate performance of
the radio. There are other factors, like efficiency of implementing firmware
code. The 7300 is in position 12 (I believe) on Rob's list. This means it is
12th best in DR3. As far as being able to copy weak signals in the presence of
strong, it would be much further down the list. So DR3 is no longer an
indicator of a radio's performance.
I know of at least two cases where Multi-Multi stations have compared direct
sampling radios to K3 and found them significantly better in not crunching from
the local RF in the air from their other 5 transmitters. One case was the K3,
not the S. I don't recall which version the other compared to.
I jokingly say, Direct Sampling has made yesterday's tomorrow today.
It's not fair to accuse Flex of bringing out new radios every 6 months. They
do not do that.
Flex has had two families of SDR radios. The first ones (1500/3000/5000) were
not direct sampling and required computers to do a lot of the labor (number
crunching). The second family (6300/6500/6700) are direct sampling and the
computer is primarily only used for display and control, not for number
crunching.
The expectation level was that the first generation would make old heterodyning
technology obsolete. That did not happen and never will.
The current direct sampling radios have made old heterodyning technology
obsolete.
Unless some OEM has a brand new heterodyning radio just about to announce, I
doubt if we see any more. The market is in the middle of a full transition to
direct sampling radios. Prices will come down soon.
Those of you complaining about this thread not pertaining to Ten-Tec are
hopelessly lost. It has EVERYTHING to do with Ten-Tec's potential to survive.
We are discussing exactly the technology which Ten-Tec should be working on.
IMO, if they bring out old heterodyning radios again at this late stage in the
game, rather than direct sampling radios, they won't last another year in the
ham radio business. Well perhaps their service department will, servicing old
radios.
73 - Rick, DJ0IP
(Nr. Frankfurt, Germany)
-----Original Message-----
From: TenTec [mailto:tentec-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of Gary J
FollettDukes HiFi
Sent: Wednesday, August 17, 2016 7:34 AM
To: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment
Subject: Re: [TenTec] Reflector Buy-Back program
Dwelling on a mediocre product like the 7300 is probably not the objective of
this forum.
However, learning as much as possible about direct digital receivers is
relevant because that is the way things are going to go, for KenSuCom and for
Ten Tec (as well as Elecraft).
I look back at the old mechanical switch television tuners, many of which I
have repaired or replaced, and laugh because the television companies charged
EXTRA for the Varactor diode tuned sets when they began to replace the
mechanical tuners. In reality, the manufacturing costs for Varactor tuned
tuners were a fraction of the costs for the switch type tuners. For a while,
the television makers had the best of both worlds, lower manufacturing costs
cost and higher prices. It doesn’t get any better than that from a business
perspective.
This will happen with digital direct conversion radios as well, once the
improvements in real dynamic range are made and the selling prices fall into
line with manufacturing costs.
Imagine the driving force for manufacturers:
1) No expensive crystal filters
2) No bandswitches
3) Virtual knobs that can do any function you desire (for those who,
like myself, insist on a radio with real knobs)
4) Ability to improve function with a simple downloadable firmware
upgrade - something Ten Tec pioneered
5) Every feature you can imagine, including a band scope that puts
Orion (and most other radios) to shame
6) A natural course for obsolescence, driving new sales. Obsolete one
crucial part in the radio and panic drives people to liquidate the old and buy
new
The Flex business model of introducing a new model every time the seasons
change drives prices of previous models low enough that we bargain hunters can
buy pretty awesome performance for pennies on the dollar.
As a result, the only thing that depreciates in value faster than an SDR is an
open can of Coors Lite. That’s great for us bargain hunters…
Gary
W0DVN
> On Aug 16, 2016, at 10:50 PM, Joe Papworth via TenTec <tentec@contesting.com>
> wrote:
>
> Can we buy this forum back from the 7300?
> I'll chip in $5.00 for starters...
>
> Later,
> Joe, K8MP
>
> Sent from AOL Mobile Mail
> _______________________________________________
> TenTec mailing list
> TenTec@contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec
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