[Hallicrafters] Opinions on the SX-110

Fri Aug 19 16:42:54 EDT 2005

Hey Glen, 	

Going along with the internal pre-amp on and cranked up, is the RF gain too high
and the 'noise limiter' on. Besides what external devices are connected to help
deliver the 'more is better' signal! You are correct, when much of this is
turned off, or turned down, things get much better.			

I use the original Icom 756 for NCS duties, but a SX-117 for receive. Because I
am totally blind, the speech output of the Icom is invaluable to me, even if it
is only able to speak the S-meter reading and current frequency. I use the
Millennium QSYER by W2FS, John Hansen, for direct entry of frequencies and it is
a fantastic product for use by anyone, as this is not made for the blind! I
installed the narrow SSB filters, but I have learned that if i use the features
of this radio properly, and in the correct combinations, it is rare that these
filters are needed.    	

I am constantly plagued by operators using compression incorrectly. Too much
audio drive and way way too much compression! They are six+/- wide and sound
like they are live from the bottom of the world's biggest dumpster! As you said
Glen, most have the mike gain cranked way way too high, if it is an amplified
desk mike, they have the gain set to maximum, have the compression level at no
less than 80%, have terrible room acoustics and a darn TV or scanner or Doom Box
blasting behind them.	

Then just to make that modern rig sound way cool, they jack up the bass on the
mike via the menus and sometimes the treble.	

then they ask for a signal report. I always tell whomever asks the truth, so if
you do not want the truth, never ask me! 	

I describe what I hear, sometimes even playback a few seconds of their audio so
they can hear what they sound like. (No computer, via magnetic tape!) Generally
they are upset, because they did not want to be told they sound like they had a
mouth full of oatmeal and were talking from inside the 7:11 totally empty
dumpster! Now some appreciate being instructed how to set their rig and get it
to sounding good, but some others leave in a huff. No loss. They are going to
get the same kind of report no matter whom they ask!	

Most who ask me do so because they know i will give them as accurate and
comprehensive of a description as I possibly can. They also know that I am blind
and I listen much closer to signals than the average sighted operator does.
Hence I may hear something that others heard, but glossed over.	

One thing that is very annoying to me is having to listen to the person while a
TV or radio or scanner is blaring behind them. Many times it is difficult to
understand what the Ham is saying because of the two equally loud noises mixing
together. There is one elderly Ham here who has two TV sets going, plus his
scanner, and makes his usual 9.85 minute 2M transmission. As far as I know he
does not have a hearing loss, but how he can hear with all of that racket in
that room is beyond me! I know I can't hear him half of the time. Then just as
you start to doze off from concentrating so hard on hearing him and not the
background distractions that you become sleepy, that cheap portable telephone of
his that he keeps right beside his 2M rig goes off and makes more noise than an
old wind up Baby Ben alarm clock sitting inside a metal dishpan! Which could
awaken the dearly departed in the next county!  	

I finally taped him and played a little of it back on the telephone. He asked
who that was with all that racket, as he couldn't understand what the fool was
saying! When I just chuckled. He realized who it was and has kept the scanner
off and the two TV sets down to a minimum ever since. But not that phone!	

Keep up the great work Glen, if you live long enough you may get the majority of
us straightened out - 

----------
From: Glen Zook <gzook at yahoo.com>
To: Duane Fischer, W8DBF <dfischer at usol.com>; carolew <carolew at bellatlantic.net>
Cc: hallicrafters at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Hallicrafters] Opinions on the SX-110
Date: Friday, August 19, 2005 3:52 PM

Now, Duane, my parents didn't have any idea as to what
a Collins unit was.  Of course there was a fellow who
lived down the block that operated a TV shop out of
his garage.  He did keep me in old TV chassis for
parts and a cabinet, or two, for whatever I wanted to
use it for.  He also gave me a television set for my
room that was much better than the one in my parent's
living room.

Now I have you know that I am definitely NOT a "dirty
old man"!  I am getting close to becoming a "sexy
senior citizen" but still have a few years to go.

Actually, I do go on crusades (at times) to get people
to learn how to use their equipment.  There are even a
number of the instruction manuals for various Japanese
made equipment that are just plain wrong in telling
the operator how to use the equipment, especially on
SSB transmitting.  Of course there are some mistakes
in the frequency allocation chart for amateur radio
that at least one of the manufacturers puts out (the
frequency limits for certain modes are incorrect but
are correct on the chart that is available from the
ARRL website).

It does "gripe" me when amateur radio operators
complain about "nearby" stations interferring with
"their" QSO.  There are all sorts of reasons why this
can happen, but, more times than not, the station that
is "suffering" the interference is running the
preamplifier wide open and are not using the proper
filter.  When the preamplifier is disabled the
problems generally drop to less than 10% of what they
were before.  Then when the proper filter is used they
generally go away completely.

That is just one of the many things that can be
avoided if the operator learns the proper way to use
his/her equipment.  Unfortunately, the tendency today
is to open the box, connect the microphone and
antenna, and then to start operating.  No need to take
a few minutes to actually learn how to use the
equipment.  Turn all the knobs fully clockwise and
have at it.

There are a few local (to me) fairly newly licensed
amateur radio operators that I have "taken under my
wing" and have shown them how to use their equipment. 
They have simply been amazed that by turning down the
preamplifier and doing other things that they can hear
and work stations that someone down the street doesn't
even have a "clue" that the station is even on the
air.

I have shown them that even though there are quite a
number of "locals" on the band that they can copy
stations without having "overload" problems from the
other locals.  It is all in learning how to use the
equipment properly.

By the way, my Novice Class rig was a Hallicrafters
S-107 (reboxxed S-53A) and a WRL Globe Chief 90A.

Anyway, enough crusading for now.

Glen, K9STH

--- "Duane Fischer, W8DBF" <dfischer at usol.com> wrote:

According to N6GJR, if Carl can be believed, GZ cut
his baby teeth on a Collins Am transmitter case his
family used for a coat closet!

Glen, K9STH

Web sites

http://home.comcast.net/~k9sth
http://home.comcast.net/~zcomco

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