[SCCC] Which Brand/Model Will Your Next Contesting Radio Be !?

Tue May 30 12:18:24 EDT 2017

The 7300 is a poor performer in multi-xmtr environments as it easily overloads at -10dBm and only has a 14 bit ADC with about 11.7 Effective Number of Bits (ENOB) Icom even includes an overload light so you are not surprised when it stops working. Icom cut corners such as using the 36KHz IF Audio chain from the IC-706 era to save money.  Icom is still learning about SDR's and the lack of sophistication of its software and especially its remote control features shows it's inexperience. 

The Elad has better preselectors and overloads around 0dBm but has a 16 bit ADC with and ENOB of around 15. Elad software (in SDR's the SOFTWARE IS THE RADIO) is significantly advanced and more sophisticated than the rather pathetic Icom product. Yes it's a QRP radio but for about $600 you can add an Amp. Elad is a test instruments company and its software is the result of 20+years of development. 

The Gold Standard of SDR is Flex Radio. They have by far the most sophisticated SDR software and hardware but they cost more. 

The Flex 6300 overloads at +7dBm with a 16 bit ADC and an ENOB of around 15.9.  

The Flex 6500 overloads at +10dBm with a 16Bit ADC and an ENOB around 18 due to decimation

The Flex 6700 overloads at +17dBm with a 16Bit ADC and an ENOB around 20 due to decimation.   

The 6500/6700 have preselectors and will run SO2R and Full Duplex in one box. 

Almost impossible to overload the 6500 or 6700 so they are found in numerous multi-multi Contest stations that now are winning many contests. 

The new Flex M6400/M6700 are specifically designed for multi-multi contesting with 7th order filters so they can operate SO2R in one box with be a 16Bit ADC and an ENOB around 20 due to decimation.  Too early to measure the overload but with the 7th order filters should easily be unaffected by multi 3KW next to it.  Likely these are the radios going to Bouvet. 

No measure yet on the IC7610 SDR but it's specs seems to reflect similarities to the Elad at 3x the price. FYI. The M6400 is less expensive than the IC-7610 and appears to have much better performance specs.  In fact, I am expecting Icom will have to drop their price to compete with the M6400. 

I have bench tested a IC7300 and I was disappointed by Icom's first attempt at an SDR 

I just purchased an Elad for bench testing but I won't be testing it until July. 

I am an Official Elmer and Alpha Tester (unpaid) for Flex Radio

The point Rob Sherwood was making is that SDR's have finally become more cost effective and better performers than Legacy Superhets 

__________________________________________________________
Howard S. White Ph.D. P. Eng.,  KY6LA 
Website: www.ky6la.com 
"No Good Deed Goes Unpunished"
"Ham Antennas Saved Lives - Katrina, 2003 & 2007 San Diego Fires, 911
Sent from my iPad Pro

On May 30, 2017, at 5:14 PM, Bruce Horn <bhorn at hornucopia.com> wrote:

Hi Howard,

It would be helpful if you provided more detail as to why you believe the Elad FDM Duo is more advanced than the 7300 and outperforms it. I didn't see any performance specs on the Elad web site. I'm not sure it's less expensive since the Elad is a QRP xcvr and one would need to add a 100W amp to make it functionally equivalent to the 7300.

I'm also curious how any of these "low end" SDR-based transceivers perform in a multi-transmitter environment since their ADCs are exposed to the entire HF spectrum.

Thanks.

73 de Bruce, WA7BNM   (bhorn at hornucopia.com)

----- Original Message -----
From: "drpaper" <drpaper at kleega.com>
To: "Dennis Vernacchia" <n6ki73 at gmail.com>
Cc: "SCCC Reflector" <sccc at contesting.com>
Sent: Tuesday, May 30, 2017 7:18:07 AM
Subject: Re: [SCCC] Which Brand/Model Will Your Next Contesting Radio Be !?

While I have always been impressed with Robs technical analysis I was rather disappointed with his visible lack of knowledge of modern SDR XCVR's on the market 

He seemed to be fixated on the 7300 while seeming to be unaware aware of the much more advanced and less expensive Elad FM Duo or the Russian Expert MD-1 ..Both have knobs and easily outperform the 7300.

He also chose to ignore the Maestro on the 6300/6500/6700 which all are Better than the 7300

Rob likely was unaware due to timing of his Talk of the just released Flex M series 6400/6600 which are designed to be Contest radios with built in conresr filters and SO2R 

__________________________________________________________
Howard S. White Ph.D. P. Eng.,  KY6LA 
Website: www.ky6la.com 
"No Good Deed Goes Unpunished"
"Ham Antennas Saved Lives - Katrina, 2003 & 2007 San Diego Fires, 911
Sent from my iPad Pro

On May 30, 2017, at 7:30 AM, Dennis Vernacchia <n6ki73 at gmail.com> wrote:

In case you didn't make the trip to Dayton Hamvention

Watch "Contest University Session 8 -- Disruptive Technologies, How they
Change our Hobby - NC0B" on YouTube

Well worth listening to for 45 minutes...

You may also want to go to

http://www.sherweng.com/table.html

and look at Rob Sherwood's Receiver test ratings which he references during
his talk

Watch "Contest University Session 8 -- Disruptive Technologies, How they
Change our Hobby - NC0B" on YouTube

https://youtu.be/owaaT6u4XkY
_______________________________________________
SCCC mailing list
SCCC at contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/sccc
_______________________________________________
SCCC mailing list
SCCC at contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/sccc