[UK-CONTEST] Was NFD originally an emergency capability test?

[Bob Henderson]

Dave

I remember my Q5er very well.  It was used to augment existing IF
performance.  It was not used to expand the number of frequencies monitored
at one time.  Although when stand alone, a Q5er had the capability to be
used as a receiver this was not its purpose when used as a Q5er.

SDR hardware architecture is theoretically capable of supporting unlimited
SDRs at the same time, although in practical terms the number of receivers
is limited by hardware capability and processing capacity.  A single piece
of relatively low cost SDR hardware can already receive greater than 30MHz
bandwidth which may be resolved at will into usable chunks.  SDR hardware
might be deployed to monitor all six HF contest bands simultaneously with
several physical operators monitoring different signals on each band.  On
the other hand, why bother with the operators?  Skimmer can largely fulfil
that need on its own.

Surely the key issue requires definition of the character of FD and
similarly so any other contest. Once defined it then becomes possible to
give contextual consideration to whether current and forthcoming technical
innovations are compatible.  The alternative appears to be the "anything
goes" school of amateur radio, which I fear will rapidly reduce events,
hitherto rich in their requirement for operator skill, to generic technology
challenges.

Frankly I can't see any upside in that.  I'm pretty sure you don't either.

73 Bob, 5B4AGN

On 8 June 2011 11:04, Dave Lawley <dave at g4buo.com> wrote:

> Yes but I'm not talking about a mixer, only a feed from the IF
>
> In the old days when you used a Q5er did you really consider that a
> second receiver?
>
> And you haven't answered the point about an SDR with all this built in.
> How many 'IF strips' does an SDR have? How many could it have?
>
> 73, Dave
>
> Bob Henderson wrote:
> > Oh Dave...... the glorious shades of grey.........
> >
> > If an outboard unit comprising mixer, IF, demodulator and AF stages were
> > attached to a broadband RF amplifier within your transceiver, wouldn't
> this
> > too count as NOT a second receiver?
> >
> > Just what extent of independence would a second receiver need to qualify
> as
> > such?
> >
> > 73 Bob, 5B4AGN
> >
> > On 8 June 2011 08:56, Dave Lawley <dave at g4buo.com> wrote:
> >
> >>> From the rules as currently drawn, it appears local Skimmer use is
> >> precluded
> >>> in both the Restricted and QRP sections due to only one receiver being
> >>> allowed.  (Two in the case of a transceiver with built in second
> >> receiver)
> >>> The limit of a single antenna would anyway provide a further challenge.
> >> Not true Bob, as I put in my G3RCV/P writeup you could run a Skimmer
> >> from the IF of your rig. Pausing from TX for say 30 seconds would give
> >> it time to find a great number of CQing stations. Further, I suspect
> >> this capability may become standard in SDRs in a few years' time.
> >>
> >> Ironically, a tight first IF roofing filter will limit the range of the
> >> Skimmer. So, you make it switchable.
> >>
> >> 73, Dave G4BUO
> >>
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