Topband: Receiving on Directional Antenna

[Tom Rauch]

> Tom is right about combining antennas or radios at RF and audio. Phase
> and amplitude effects will cause cancellations that negate the benefit
> much of the time. But my experience is different than his observations
> in points 2 and 3.
 
> With this arrangement, there is no inherent S/N degradation -- each
> ear is presented with the full S/N performance of its associated
> antenna. The "net" S/N will vary with each operator's ability to deal
> with the two sensory inputs. And you can always switch to a single
> RX/antenna to dig out a weak signal.

I'm sure that varies with a person's ability to separate signals from 
each ear when mentally processing signals, and we are certainly 
all different. 

What I am not sure is if this is a "learned thing" or we are stuck 
with what we have. The only thing that seems to be a "given" is 
that if people listen in stereo to the same signal in the same 
direction, there is an absolute enhancement that can approach 
having the signals properly phased.

George was nice enough to put some digital recordings on his web 
page and I'll try to send him one or two clips of mixed antenna 
direction recordings so everyone can judge for themselves how 
they handle the problem of mixed directions. If I could record in 
three channels, it would be better but I can't.

http://www.kkn.net/~k5tr/audio/w8ji/w8ji.html

73, Tom
(W8JI@akorn.net) 


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