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

[peter markavage]

Here's one:
http://www.trx-manager.com/Scopee.htm
Click back to Overview to see the equipment supported.

I'm sure there are probably other software products out there. The main
issue is whether your equipment is recent enough to be supported by the
software. If not, you'll might have to build the interface. Heck, I got a
band scope/panadapter on my 1948 made Hallicrafters SX-42 but I do it
with all hardware.

Pete, wa2cwa

On Sun, 13 Mar 2005 17:32:55 -0600 "Rob Atkinson, K5UJ" <k5uj at mc.net>
writes:

.  Seems to me that there ought to be a way to get a PC to do what the
220/230 does.
> 
> rob/k5uj
> 
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "peter markavage" <manualman at juno.com>
> To: <kenwood at mailman.qth.net>
> Sent: Sunday, March 13, 2005 2:51 PM
> Subject: Re: [Kenwood] Yes! - Kenwood SM-220 Station Monitor is a 
> great way
> to
> 
> 
> > SM-220 no longer manufactured. Average price in great condition 
> should be
> > around $250 to $275. Maybe $50 to $75 more if the BS-5 or 8 is 
> installed.
> > As a station accessory to monitor your transmit signal, it's a 
> nice
> > accessory. As a band scope/spectrum scope, it's only fair; maybe 
> cute is
> > a good word to describe it.  Not highly accurate and limited in 
> its
> > ability. Kenwood, SM-230, also discontinued, is also a good 
> replacement
> > for the SM-220, if you can find one. Better band scope/spectrum 
> scope,
> > but again limited in its ability. Both are great conversation 
> pieces.
> > Great spectrum analyzers can be found on the used market but 
> usually are
> > pricey but much more accurate and versatile.
> >
> > Anyone paying $850 to $900 for a SM-220 probably needs some 
> counseling.
> > External circuitry to emulate the BS-5/8 functions to interface 
> with an
> > external scope is possible, if one is willing to spend the time 
> effort to
> > design the interface.
> >
> > Pete, wa2cwa
> >
> > On Sun Mar 13 14:19:44 2005 k5uj at mc.net writes:
> > >
> > > I'm sure the kenwood station scope accessory is nice to have, 
> but is
> > > it still being made?  if so, what does it cost?
> > > I saw a used one for sale last summer at AES Milwaukee and I 
> think
> > > they wanted around $850 or $900 for it.  For a nonessential 
> station
> > > accessory, that seems like a hell of a lot of money for what 
> seems
> > > to me to be a specialized oscilloscope.  If it were generic 
> enough
> > > to work with a wide variety of rigs I'd think differently about 
> it.
> > > what would be needed in the way of external circuitry to get a 
> scope
> > > to do what a sm220 does?
> > >
> > > rob/k5uj, cheap ham.
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: wd8arz at ix.netcom.com
> > > To: k5uj at mc.net
> > > Sent: Mar 12, 2005  8:37 PM
> > > Subject: [Kenwood] Yes! - Kenwood SM-220 Station Monitor is a 
> great
> > > way to
> > >
> > > 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