[Kenwood] Yes! - Kenwood SM-220 Station Monitor is a great way to go!

[WD8ARZ]

Conrad, once you use a SM-220 with the Panadapter installed, you are in for 
a new enjoyable way of linking up to the 'ether'. Not even covering the 
other aspects of the SM-220 scope, but focusing on panadapter spectrum view 
only, makes the ownership of this grand piece of equipment a fortunate 
experience. Keep in mind that the IF connection point in the first IF must 
be wide and not limited by a front end roofing filter, or the panadapter 
feature is useless.

For those that can integrate what they see on the display, tune on their 
radio, and hear with their ears, the world of exploring radio gets changed 
forever. It is difficult to do with out this added dimension to our 
enjoyable hobby that explores what is out there, once you have opened the 
door and stepped through it with this visual add on. It becomes special to 
find that elusive special signal, to feel connected to world that we explore 
with our minds through our senses, not just hearing, but also now with our 
eyes.

Adding this visual mode to the tuning listening experience, is a added 
dimension that gives much more to the exploration of the radio spectrum. It 
can help absorb you into 'being out there' from your arm chair. How? Simply 
by expanding the bandwidth of the information that is going on around the 
area you are tuning, you will find much that is going on that is simply not 
detectable from the narrow slice of the spectrum you tune through.

Much of the utility stations, military broadcasts, and even laid back 
conversations with lots of pauses, are easily tuned through with even 
knowing the frequency is active. However with the spectrum display, you see 
signals pop up above and below the slice you are on, or tuning through. You 
instantly know which way to tune, and how far, to catch those elusive 
signals. Even if they are quiet when you tune to that general spot, you now 
are on a quest and will get them on a future transmission. By having the 
graticule in place, you can actually adjust the span of the display to allow 
calibration of the marks to represent frequency units. By noting where the 
signal was that popped up, you can actually add or subtract that amount to 
your display, and tune so close to the actual frequency, that you only have 
to do a fine tune on the next transmission to captured that signal.

The finding of active transmissions improved significantly with this visual 
aid. It is a must have for tuning the shortwave spectrum with the multitude 
of signals and modes to discover.

With practice, you will recognize the mode type of a signal, you will see 
sweepers moving up and down the band. You can actually see where the tuner 
upper moving around the dial found a spot to roost and is calling cq.

On wide mode, you can see the condition of the band. By seeing how much 
energy is above the base line for the whole spectrum, it provides a good 
indication of propagation condition. You can see how tight an antenna is by 
the decreasing signal strength around the listening sweet spot. Of course 
you can see how wide a signal is, and if it is related to the splatter your 
hearing ........ gosh, once you get absorbed into the panadapter display 
experience, it becomes so natural to relate what you see to what you hear, 
or will hear by tuning with the added information you now have about what is 
going on around the frequency of interest. Your situational awareness goes 
way way up!!! ... and with that, your enjoyment of a great hobby.

For the ham bands, it is a god send to see where the open spots are for a 
qsy, to look for transmissions of interesting to discover, to see those 
sudden meteor scatter signals pop on, and then fade out ..... I could go on 
and on.

The experience that is had with a spectrum scope is only limited by the user 
..... approach it with a open find and find your own relationship with this 
feature, and I bet you will not want to let it go!

73 from Bill - WD8ARZ
P.S. - If your favorite modern rig wont let you use the SM-220 due to a 
front end roofing filter, then dig out the old back up rig. Put the 
panadpater scope on it to do the exploring discovery and frequency 
finding.... then use your better rig to listen in that supports all the 
filters and modes of interest. Once tuned in on the better rig, go look for 
another signal on the old rig SM-220 combo ..... hi hi   Makes for a great 
multi tasking duo that is hard to beat Here, a FT-1000MP and a IC-720 with 
the SM-220 accomplish this very well.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Conrad & Kathi Nasatka" <konco at comcast.net>
To: "kenwood" <kenwood at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Friday, March 11, 2005 8:55 AM
Subject: [Kenwood] Kenwood SM-220 Station Monitor


Good day to all Kenwood aficionados:
I am trying to find or get in touch with someone that has a Kenwood SM-220 
station monitor with the BS-8 display option.  I presently have one without 
the BS-8 Pan Display Option.  However, I would like to speak to someone who 
has one and uses all the functions that the SM-220 has.  For Instance, there 
are 3 connection cables necessary to make them functioning according to the 
manual.  There is a specific graticule necessary when you put the BS-8 
option into operation.  I have tried to locate one on eBay but just missed 
one that had everything.  If I could speak to someone that weigh in on the 
specific benefits I would be most appreciative.  As I said I own one and did 
so specifically to monitor my signal when I had the Kenwood TL-922A in line 
to provide me with some idea of linearity.  I would appreciate it very much 
because I am missing something, sorry!
Regards
73
Conrad
WB3DQD
______________________________________________________________
Kenwood mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/kenwood
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.html
Post: mailto:Kenwood at mailman.qth.net