[TenTec] Birdies and noise

[Robert & Linda McGraw K4TAX]

High noise radios generally don't have "audible" birdies.  They're covered
up by the internal noise of the radio.  A low noise radio such as the Omni
VI+ and being a crystal mixing radio will have some audible birdies.  Get
used to it and accept it.  Connect it to an antenna and the atmospheric and
man made noise will cover the birdies.

I've never had a problem with birdies from either of my Omni VI+ radios
causing a problem in not not being able to hear a weak signal.  To that end,
the Omni VI+ will hear signals that other radios just can't dig out.
Birdies or no birdies.

73
Bob , K4TAX

----- Original Message -----
From: "Ken Brown" <ken.d.brown@verizon.net>
To: <tentec@contesting.com>
Sent: Sunday, January 12, 2003 5:45 PM
Subject: [TenTec] Birdies and noise


> I own an Omni VI +. It is the first and so far the only Ten-Tec
> transceiver I have owned. I bought it used about six months ago. I
> wanted it because I had read the it has one of the quietest (lowest MDS)
> and high resistance to front end overload receivers available, and
> because of the legendary Ten-Tec QSK. When I first powered it up and
> heard birdies (I do not remember whether I had an antenna or a 50 ohm
> terminator hooked to it) on 160 meters I was shocked. I feared I had
> made a big mistake, and that either all the good things I had read about
> these radios was false, or at least only true on the higher bands, or
> maybe I bought a lemon. Then I started making A/B comparisons with my
> TS-440. I tuned to weak signals (real ones from tha antenna), just above
> the noise floor on the Omni and tried to find them with the TS-440. I
> could not find them because the noise floor on the TS-440 was too high.
> Then by using weak external signals as amplitude references to compare
> the strength of the birdies in the Omni to the noise floor of TS-440, I
> determined that except for a few really strong birdies (which are at
> frequencies that don't matter much) all of the birdies on the Omni are
> lower than the noise floor on the TS-440.... Just so you don't
> misinterpret what I am saying, I am not listening for the Omni's birdies
> with the TS-440. What I am doing is listening to a real signal that is
> equal in strength to a birdie on the Omni, and then listening to the
> same real signal on the 440....So my conclusion is that while the
> birdies are bothersome they do not keep me from hearing any real signal
> that I would be able to hear with the TS-440. In my opinion a few weak
> birdies is much better than an overall higher noise level across the
> whole band. So the Omni is a major improvement for me. And in a crowded
> band with strong local signals I can pick out weak ones I would never be
> able to hear with the TS-440. I realize that the TS-440 is not a top of
> the line radio. So maybe if I were comparing with a TS-950, or an
> FT-1000 I would find the birdies in the Omni actually stronger than the
> noise floors of those radios. Those rigs are not available to me so I do
> not know. In any case I am quite happy with my Omni VI.
>
> DE Ken N6KB
>
>
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