Date: Sat, 25 Dec 93 04:30:17 PST
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Subject: Ham-Equip Digest V93 #145
To: Ham-Equip
Ham-Equip Digest Sat, 25 Dec 93 Volume 93 : Issue 145
Today's Topics:
AOR AR-2500 Experiences anyone?
Heathkit DX-60B Mod?
IC229H Power connector
Timewave DSP-9 or 59?
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Date: 23 Dec 93 11:55:26 -0500
From: news.centerline.com!noc.near.net!eisner!lederman@uunet.uu.net
Subject: AOR AR-2500 Experiences anyone?
To: ham-equip@ucsd.edu
In article <Dec23.155538.28799@yuma.ACNS.ColoState.EDU>, galen@picea.CFNR.ColoState.EDU (Galen Watts) writes:
> After seeing the ads and calling to get the fax, the ACE Communications
> AR-2500 wide range receiver is looking pretty good, with computer operation
> software and an RS-232 port, not to mention the $450 pricetag.
> Has anyone out there bought or seen one? I have the tech specs, but how does
> it really do? I'm interested in any opinions on the BFO for SSB and how well
> that performs, how well it's put together and, of course, any mods.
> Galen, KF0YJ
I had one for a while (from ACE) and sent it back and got a
refund.
It came with a dead AC adaptor. They had to send me another.
To tilt the front up you put a little wire doohicky on the
front rubber feet. It kept falling off.
The display was poorly back-lit (actually side lit) and hard
to read: you had to be just about 90 degrees to the surface to
see it.
Some of the buttons had painted legends, others had what
looked like decals which might wear off.
I didn't try the computer interface. It was poorly documented
(some information was missing which ACE had to send separately).
It uses a VERY weird format, with a mixture of ASCII and binary.
You have to encode the frequency, mode, step width, etc, into a
binary format to program the unit. Possible, but not easy.
Performance on lower frequencies was very poor. It could pick
up the strongest AM and Short Wave stations, but not much else.
It picked up a LOT of noise from the internal microprocessor. You
could hear the background buzz change frequency each time you
pressed one of the keyboard buttons. An outside antenna didn't
help any.
Performance on higher frequencies was not much better. It
still picked up a lot of internal interference, and had very poor
image rejection. A lot of the 800 MHz band could not be received
because I got UHF TV station images.
I compared it with two Bearcat scanners (both hand-helds,
different models) in the middle of the parking lot where I work.
Both Bearcats clearly picked up signals I couldn't even find on
the AOR, even when I entered the frequency directly.
I have since bought an RS-2006 which has none of the above
problems.
Bart Z. Lederman
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Date: Thu, 23 Dec 1993 20:08:06 GMT
From: mdisea!mothost!schbbs!news@uunet.uu.net
Subject: Heathkit DX-60B Mod?
To: ham-equip@ucsd.edu
In article <CICJ44.8on@wang.com>, dbushong@wang.com (Dave Bushong) says:
>
>ncc2001@cwis.unomaha.edu (Michael Fortner) writes:
>
>>Hello all! I am wondering if there is anyway I can add SSB to my
>>Heathkit DX-60B (currently CW/AM) so I can do 10M SSB. I would prefer
>>a "black box" between the transmitter and the antenna, although a
>>hardware modification would be considered. If you have any ideas,
>>please e-mail me at ncc2001@cwis.unomaha.edu or packet at
>>N0YBC@WB0BLR.#SWIA.IA.USA.NOAM. Thanks.
>
>You could, but it would be a major rework. The ARRL handbook has (or
>had) schematics and plans for an SSB exciter. You might want to start
>there.
>
>I heard of a guy who added FM capability to a DX60, which is much
>easier.
>
>Regards,
>Dave
>
>--
>Dave Bushong, Wang Laboratories, Inc. Amateur Radio Callsign KZ1O
>Project Leader, Recognition products kz1o@n0ary.#noca.ca.na
>Internet: dbushong@wang.com ARRL VE // W5YI VE
It might actually be possible with a Heath SB-10 sideband adapter. I
seriously considered this option once. The SB-10 was designed to
work with the Heath Apache transmitter. It was a phasing type sideband
generator which was designed to be inserted between the driver and final
amplifier stage. It would require that you make some rather extensive
modifications though. I think I would recommend against it unless you
just want to try it for experimental reasons.
By the way the transmit audio quality from an SB-10 was amazing. Yes
I did end up using one with an Apache for many years.
Curtis
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Date: Thu, 23 Dec 93 02:08:28 GMT
From: netcon!bongo!skyld!jangus@locus.ucla.edu
Subject: IC229H Power connector
To: ham-equip@ucsd.edu
In article <dparkerCIE7E7.C9L@netcom.com> dparker@netcom.com writes:
> In article <2f4mn6$i3h@vanbc.wimsey.com> erik@vanbc.wimsey.com (Erik Skovgaard) > writes:
> >Apparently, you can buy the connector wired, but as I recall, it is very
> >expensive. I am looking for an alternative as well. Let me know if you
> >find any.
>
> The Icom connector is not compatible with anything Radio Shack sells, but
> the *pins* are. I replaced both connectors with the 6 pin molex from R.S.,
> using a cheap pin-pusher to keep the pin ears intact. The molex connectors
> slid right on. Much cheaper than buying an Icom cable!
Is one of the holes D shaped? Sounds like it is an Amp series connector.
They look similar to the Molex connectors, but rather than having the >
shaped ends for polorization, they use a D s haped hole in the connector
body.
73 Jeff
Amateur: WA6FWI@WA6FWI.#SOCA.CA.USA.NA | "It is difficult to imagine our
Internet: jangus@skyld.tele.com | universe run by a single omni-
US Mail: PO Box 4425 Carson, CA 90749 | potent god. I see it more as a
Phone: 1 (310) 324-6080 | badly run corporation."
------------------------------
Date: 22 Dec 1993 23:16:31 -0800
From: ucsnews!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!library.ucla.edu!csulb.edu!paris.ics.uci.edu!not-for-mail@network.ucsd.edu
Subject: Timewave DSP-9 or 59?
To: ham-equip@ucsd.edu
I am also interested in the Timewave DSP-9. I am especially interested
in how much real audio gets through the thing.....does it take the
audio and chop it up much when it gets to the speaker? I really like
my fidelity (such as it is from my 2.1 kHz filters), and would hate
to make it worse, though the auto notching is a very nice feature.
Would love to hear from owners!
Clark
WA3JPG
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End of Ham-Equip Digest V93 #145
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