[TenTec] Eagle 9MHz tap questions.

Tue Dec 23 16:51:22 EST 2014

Gary,

Agree, but it's not black and white.
Here are my comments (**):

Using CWSkimmer configured for a telenet server allows me to fill the N1MM+
bandmap with the stations running heard at my station rather than from the
Reverse Beacon Network with callsigns of stations I cannot hear.

**FULLY AGREE.  NO SENSE IN SEEING STATIONS WHICH YOU CANNOT HEAR.
Unfortunately with my ZERO COST solution, I can still see some. But is that
really a problem?   To get rid of that I would have to spend a lot of money
and add a lot of complexity.  If I had unlimited funds available for my
hobby, of course I would do it in a heartbeat.  Unfortunately the ham radio
piggy is usually pretty hungry.

I S&P by using mouse clicks on the  N1MM+ bandmap, which QSYs my OMNI-VII
and the
FLEX-1500 QSYs too, providing the panadapter info AND 20 kHz of I/Q stream
to CWSkimmer.

**I DO EXACTLY THE SAME.  But I also see some stations that I cannot hear.
-- Maximum 25%.-- NOT MORE.  Of those, most are obviously unworkable.
Knowing the time of day and band I am on, it is obvious I'm not going to
(for instance) work a VK station on 40m at noon EU time.  So I blow past it,
subconsciously acknowledging that he is actually there, just not workable at
this time of day. 

**Even the ones I can't hear... well it's good to know that they are there
because many are big contest stations and they are there the entire contest.
I know what time of day I can click on them and expect to hear them.  So it
is not useless information;  just premature information.  Later I will click
on them and work them.  No big deal.

You do need to have some computing horsepower to run the SDRs, panadapter,
soundcard, VAC, CWSkimmer, etc; I build my own quad-core or six-core CPU, 8
GB RAM and 64 bit OS for $700 US.

** I have a very tiny shack and run a laptop.  I do not have $700 to invest
in a computer that I need 3 or 4 times per year.  For the rest of the year
my laptop does just fine running my logging software, which is all I use it
for.
See my station:  http://www.dj0ip.de/my-station/current-2014/ 

**I don't have any room in the shack for a larger table.
The second transceiver is a hot standby but nowhere near the caliber of the
Eagle.  (current plan is a 6300 if I can save enough dough).
If the Amp goes out, I have a second identical amp out in the garage.  Takes
me about half an hour to haul the one away and the other one back in.
Hard to imagine blowing the Model 238 running just 600w.  But I have an MFJ
under the table that will do in a pinch.
I have redundant hardware for everything (most is on the shelf under the
table).

**What I don't have is space for one or two large monitors or money for a
high-end computer for the ham shack.

**Contesting on a shoestring budget is what I am faced with.  I will spend
money ONLY IF it brings tangible benefit to my contest score.  So far nobody
has convinced me that a band scope will bring a significant benefit to my
score in CQWW DX.

** 73 - Rick, DJ0IP

-----Original Message-----
From: Rick - DJ0IP / NJ0IP
Sent: Tuesday, December 23, 2014 1:22 PM
To: 'Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment'
Subject: Re: [TenTec] Eagle 9MHz tap questions.

Good input, Gary, tnx.

I may be able to borrow a Flex-1500 and try that out.
My problem is, the computer in my shack is a bit weak and won't cope with
too much additional software.

For a test I could move this computer (my business computer) to the shack
and run my business on the hot-standby computer.  But that could only be for
a couple of days.  Long term I am willing to invest in a more powerful
computer for the shack, if and only if I see tangible benefit.

The band scope may pretend to show you a clear frequency and you may hear
nothing on that channel but that could very well be the run frequency of
K3LR, W3LPL, or P40W.  The Band Map does tell me if there is one of the big
guns on the frequency or not... and as you know, the band map is totally for
free.  Of course if you run Unassisted, you are not allowed to run it.  I
always run assisted in order to optimize my points, which my club needs for
the club championship.

I think one of the problems here is, people do not understand the contest
going on within the contest.  It's not about winning myself - I'm too old
and out of shape to do that anymore, though I had my share of wins in the
past - but it's about helping my club win the club championship.  So if I
run assisted and run the band map, there is no real tangible benefit of the
band scope.  Sorry but the feature of "finding a clear frequency" is a drop
in the bucket towards the total score.  In 50 years of contesting I have
never needed more than one minute to find a clear frequency to CQ, using
just my ears.

73 - Rick, DJ0IP
(Nr. Frankfurt am Main)

-----Original Message-----
From: TenTec [mailto:tentec-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Gary - AB9M
Sent: Tuesday, December 23, 2014 7:50 PM
To: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment
Subject: Re: [TenTec] Eagle 9MHz tap questions.

Rick,

I  have the N4PY sub-RX mod on my OMNI-VII with a FLEX-1500 with
PowerSDR-2.5.3 with VAC for CWSkimmer feeding N1MM+ Bandmap, or
PowerSDR-2.3.5 with VAC for WinWarbler 8.1.1 feeding SpotCollector. I use
the panadapter of PowerSDR tune signals, check the noise floor, and
determine S/N ratios on phone. Most any of the telenet DX-cluster or
DXSpider feed software will QSY both radios.

I use different skins for the different versions of PowerSDR, (I chose to
NOT upgrade beyond v2.5.3 as I have VAC and CWSkimmer working well with it)
so that I have the visual clue as CWSkimmer requires the Direct I/Q output
to VAC, while WinWarbler will not work if the Direct I/Q is output to VAC.
So I switch versions when I switch modes; to change PowerSDR versions does
not require much except to STOP then close the window (click on the X in the
upper right corner), open a new version and START.

Regarding the holes; there may not be holes, but I do avoid calling on freqs
where there are big signals. It works --- the local DX-pedition guys (FT5ZM,
N9W, ZL8R, VP8ORK, and others) say that they hear me in the clear (sometimes
its just 100 W and the HF-2V).

73 & DX,

Gary - AB9M
-----Original Message-----
From: Rick - DJ0IP / NJ0IP
Sent: Tuesday, December 23, 2014 8:29 AM
To: 'Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment'
Subject: Re: [TenTec] Eagle 9MHz tap questions.

Gary, which panadapter SDR are you using?

"Holes in the pileups?"
You must have poor antennas; there are no holes in the pileups.
You have to make your own hole!  (hi)

73 - Rick, DJ0IP
(Nr. Frankfurt am Main)

-----Original Message-----
From: TenTec [mailto:tentec-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Gary - AB9M
Sent: Tuesday, December 23, 2014 3:07 PM
To: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment
Subject: Re: [TenTec] Eagle 9MHz tap questions.

Rick,

Carl's mod and a panadapter SDR in synch are great combination! The Y
connector avoids a potentially problematic IF tap. I've been using the
similar N4PY modification on my OMNI-VII for several years and find its
great for DXing and Contesting; the panadapter lets me see the holes in the
pile ups, places to fit my signal in and on TX it acts like a station
monitor - I can see what my signal looks like.

73 & DX,

Gary - AB9M

-----Original Message-----
From: Carl Moreschi
Sent: Tuesday, December 23, 2014 6:51 AM
To: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment
Subject: Re: [TenTec] Eagle 9MHz tap questions.

Rick,

You can just put a Y connector between the two preselector jacks and run the
third leg to a panadapter radio such as the Softrock Ensemble II.
This works great.  My software will keep the softrock and Eagle on the same
frequency.

Carl Moreschi N4PY
58 Hogwood Rd
Louisburg, NC 27549
www.n4py.com

On 12/23/2014 1:18 AM, Drago wrote:
>
>
> -----Izvorna poruka----- From: Rick - DJ0IP / NJ0IP Sent: Tuesday, 
> December 23, 2014 5:32 AM To: 'Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment' Subject:
> Re: [TenTec] Eagle 9MHz tap questions.
> I was wanting to add a pan-adapter.
> I may have to replace a board in order to do that.
> My unit does not have the TMP jack with the 9 MHz out.
>
> Also I have to find a way to run the signal out the back.
> I already have two spare RCA Phono jacks in use for the pre-selector.
>
> 73 - Rick, DJ0IP
> (Nr. Frankfurt am Main)
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: TenTec [mailto:tentec-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of 
> Richards
> Sent: Tuesday, December 23, 2014 2:49 AM
> To: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment
> Subject: Re: [TenTec] Eagle 9MHz tap questions.
>
> Are you going to add a panadapter ?
>
> ================== K8JHR ==================
>
>
> On 12/22/2014 2:46 PM, Rick - DJ0IP / NJ0IP wrote:
>> Is it just a tap, like perhaps a Y-connection, or does it also have a
> buffer stage?
>> Unfortunately my Eagle fell out of the nest before that feature was 
>> added
> to the radio.
>> ____________________________________________
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