[Elecraft] DSP, design advances, and the open mind!

Fri Mar 14 08:57:01 2003

Hi all -
  Here's my little essay on the subject hi hi! I agree with George. I
recently sold a Pro II, but not because it wasn't one dynamite radio! The
Pro II will forever remove the average ham from the "crystals forever"
mentality - it is a phenomenal machine. I now operate an Omni VI+ and am
building another K2 - but that is pure operator preference. There are things
the Omni can do that the Pro could not seem to do and vice versa. You would
be surprized out how quickly you come to expect that screen/scope on the Pro
to be a "normal" part of ham operating - as well as the using the variable
filter widths VERY frequently. Past reflectors have discussed the notch - so
I'll leave that one hi hi! To my mind the K2 is the most pleasent of the
three rigs mentioned for listening - but that is subjective. For operating
controls I prefer the Omni - but that again is purely my own taste. As
George says. differrent rigs with different architecture. Add in the
objective differences as well as our subjective preferences and you have a
number of variables.
  Here is what I think is most important:   One thing, of many, that I have
learned from George, is that a person is really missing out if they blindly
ignore the cutting edge advances in radio design - such as the Pro II.
Modern rigs are simply way, way better than their predecesors. Give the
radio community, government and private,  a chance to absorb the cost of
putting an even faster chip rigs on the market and I am sure you will see
rigs that will eventually make the Pro II look like a Model T. The
technology to do this is already here. Once we have sampled it, perhaps we
will choose to drive a Model T because we just happen to like Model T's -
but at that point we are making an informed objective choice - which is
different than totally ignoring technological advances and, for instance,
clinging to a Drake C line out of sheer uninformed stubbornness! Just my two
cents worth for the day! Have fune all!!  My K2 is coming along slowly and
beautifully - geez I love building these things!!  73/Tim NZ7C
----- Original Message -----
From: "George, W5YR" <[email protected]>
To: "Dave" <[email protected]>; <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, March 14, 2003 12:11 AM
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] DSP...


> Dave, comparing your '570 with a real IF DSP radio like the Icom
IC-756PRO2
> is about as apt a comparison.
>
> Believe me, tacking some weak audio DSP on the tail-end of a conventional
> analog receiver is not the same thing as designing a completely different
> architecture built around a core DSP transceiver that performs all signal
> operations mathematically and uses analog circuitry only for up and down
> conversion and amplification.
>
> I fear that you have formed a rather erroneous concept of what real DSP
> receivers are capable of doing on the basis of your experience with the
> Kenwood. Please make an effort to operate an Icom 756PRO or PRO2 or the
new
> IC-746PRO (or IC-7400 in EU?) before condemning all DSP receivers.
>
> And please keep in mind that a K2 is yet another totally different
> architecture and implementation. It has some strengths compared to the
PROs
> and quite a few weaknesses, but it is a very good radio that occupies a
> place on my operating desk right next to an original PRO, a PRO2 and an
> IC-765.
>
> They all "sound" different because they *are* different in many ways.
There
> are some times and instances in which one will be preferred over another,
> but that does not mean that the others are inferior - just "different."
>
> And the bottom line is that the PRO2 remains the best of the lot under all
> conditions - other than tossing a rig into the bag and heading for the
> field! There, the K2 shines in very bright lights.
>
> 73/72, George
> Amateur Radio W5YR -  the Yellow Rose of Texas
> Fairview, TX 30 mi NE of Dallas in Collin county EM13QE
> "In the 57th year and it just keeps getting better!"
> <mailto:[email protected]>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Dave" <[email protected]>
> To: <[email protected]>
> Sent: Friday, March 14, 2003 12:36 AM
> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] DSP...
>
>
> > Hi Gang
> >
> > If having DSP involves listening to a rig like my TS570 (DGE), then I'll
> > stick with my K2 without DSP! My thoughts are that up conversion
> > transceivers with wide roofing filters add DSP in a failed attempt to
> clean
> > up the artefacts, comparing my '570 and K2 only takes 5 minutes of 80m
CW
> on
> > an evening... that's about the length of time it takes to become
fatigued
> by
> > the audio on a TS570.
> >
> > Oh, I didn't mention current consumption....
> >
> > I'll stick with a plain vanilla K2 thanks.
> >
> > Dave, G4AON
> > k2 #1892
>
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