[Central-Electronics] new 20A owner follow-up

[Robert Nickels]

On 12/7/2016 11:45 AM, Stan McIntosh wrote:
> As I mentioned yesterday, the 20A was a windfall.  To be a bit more honest,
> I wasn’t sure what to make of it or whether it would be anything that I
> would make use of

If you're interested in learning and willing to invest a little time, 
the 20A can not only become an excellent transmitter but also a teaching 
tool for understanding how the phasing method of generating single 
sideband signals works.  And if you don't know why that matters,  it's 
the same method used in modern SDRs!   The difference is, the pioneers 
like Don Norgaard and Wes Schum (founder of CE) had to use analog 
circuits to generate their I and Q signals, whereas today it's done in 
software.    But once you understand how the 20A works, you'll be able 
to see the parallel in SDRs even if you don't care to leap in the the 
complex math.     The entire ham industry took almost 50 years to return 
to the methods pioneered by Central Electronics in the 1950s. Books like 
"Single Sideband for the Radio Amateur" published by ARRL,  Don Stoner's 
SSB Handbook, and others are invaluable resources, plus now you can 
access a lot of information about phasing SSB online.

That learning will be important as you set out to set up the required 
phase shifts and align the 20A for optimal performance. But many of us 
here know a few tricks and will be happy to help, just holler!

73, Bob W9RAN