Topband: Silver Plated Conductor

[Michael Tope]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jim Brown" <jim at audiosystemsgroup.com>
To: <topband at contesting.com>
Sent: Wednesday, November 21, 2007 9:47 PM
Subject: Re: Topband: Silver Plated Conductor


> On Wed, 21 Nov 2007 19:55:50 -0700, Dan Zimmerman N3OX wrote:
> 
>>Now take your .wav file and mix it with the QRN until it's just
>>barely copyable.  Now reduce your signal by 1dB, and step downward
>>until you can actually hear a change!
> 
> The better test is to RAISE the signal by one dB after you've buried 
> it in the noise. Those of us working in pro audio have learned that 
> changes of a dB or so in the level of a signal that is near the 
> noise level are quite obvious, whereas it takes a 10 dB change in 
> signals that are well above the noise level to consider it twice as 
> loud. 
> 
> 73,
> 
> Jim K9YC
> 

It would be interesting to add fading into the mix. I am pretty 
convinced that 1dB can make or break a  marginal QSO on 160 my 
thinking being that the extra 1dB increases the amount of time your 
signal is above the other stations noise floor during signal upswings 
thus increasing the odds that his or her brain will correctly copy the 
information conveyed (callsign, RST, etc). 

73, Mike W4EF..........................................