[TenTec] Waiting for Transceiver Nirvana

[John Clifford]

You can buy a 1w HF SDR now for $499.95.  I'm thinking of picking one up
just to play with it.

 - 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 at arrl.net


> -----Original Message-----
> From: tentec-bounces at contesting.com
> [mailto:tentec-bounces at contesting.com]On Behalf Of Dave Bernstein
> Sent: Friday, November 28, 2003 4:28 PM
> To: tentec at contesting.com
> Subject: RE: [TenTec] Waiting for Transceiver Nirvana
>
>
> Instead of assuming a dedicated microprocessor embedded within the
> radio, consider an architecture in which the software runs on your PC,
> which is connected to purchased (or home-brewed) external hardware via a
> Firewire (IEEE-1394) connection. The external hardware is the minimum we
> need to convert between RF and digitized data (I and Q): bandpass
> filters, RX and TX RF amplifiers, an A/D, a D/A, a synthesizer, and
> mixers.
>
> With the exception of a QRO TX RF amplifier, the only "expensive" parts
> of this system -- the firewire interface, the A/D, the D/A, and the
> synthesizer -- can be inexpensively implemented with high-volume parts
> from the consumer PC, digital imaging, and/or telecom worlds. You'll
> already own the PC.
>
> Much of the differentiation between competitive products will thus be
> software that runs on your PC. Hams will of course be free to develop
> such software themselves, either from scratch, or on frameworks that
> provide basic capabilities with support for customization and
> experimentation.
>
> My prediction: within 3 years, you'll be able to purchase a QRP
> transceiver in the above configuration for under $200.
>
>     73,
>
>        Dave, AA6YQ
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: tentec-bounces at contesting.com
> [mailto:tentec-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of John Rippey
> Sent: Friday, November 28, 2003 08:18
> To: tentec at contesting.com
> Subject: [TenTec] Waiting for Transceiver Nirvana
>
>
> While waiting for zero hour of the CQ WW CW contest, these thoughts
> occur
> on the recent postings re software-driven base station rigs.
>
> 1.  They are (with the odd exception of the IC-746PRO) damnably
> expensive.
> If it's not the chips that make them so, then it is the humungous
> engineering effort needed to make them work well.
>
> 2.  If Moore's law still prevails, then any chip chosen for a
> software-driven radio will be replaced in 18 months by one that is half
> as
> costly and that has twice the computing power. Ergo, much more so than
> with
> the analog rigs we know and love, rapid obsolescence of the latest and
> greatest software-driven rig is a given.
>
> 3.  Because the ham market is downscale with regard to pricing, we do
> not
> see the performance in ham market software-driven transceivers that is
> available up-market. Compromises in ham gear necessarily are made: in
> selection of chips, and in their engineering, to meet the ham market
> price
> point (ICOM obviously will be testing the upper limits of the ham market
>
> with its IC-7800). There are all kinds of compromises in the ICOM PROs,
> and
> so also in the ORION, hence the discussions on this and other
> reflectors.
>
> 4. Therefore, while we may like to think we are seeing in the latest
> rigs
> the absolute latest and greatest--we aren't, and we won't. After all,
> we're
> radio amateurs.
>
> 5.  The bad news is that as advances in this genre gradually trickle
> down
> to hams, the resulting rigs will be expensive (by ham standards), their
> performance will be markedly better than their predecessors, and we'll
> repeatedly have to dig into our pocketbooks to pay for that performance
> if
> we just cannot live without the next new thing.
>
> In short, chasing after transceiver nirvana is going to be an expensive
> fling. I may opt out.
>
> 73,
> John, W3ULS
>
>
>
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