[Lowfer] Selective level rcvr VS receive converter???

[Lyle Koehler]

The original posting asked if there was a benefit to using a selective level
meter vs something like a TS-440 with a receive converter for LF. My 1.5
cents worth:

Many modern ham transceivers, including the TS-440, already cover LF. There
is no need for a receive converter. In general you'll need a preamp in front
of a ham transceiver to receive LowFER signals, but that is also true of a
selective level meter.

Not all selective level meters are created equal. I believe the HP3586C is
the "Cadillac". Some of the others may also be quite good -- the only
experience I have is with a Sierra 303B that I bought at Dayton for 40 bucks
a few years ago. It is OK for CW, except that the nominal BFO pitch of 1800
Hz is no good for listening to really weak signals, and the 80-Hz crystal
filter rings badly on static crashes. With a loop antenna and a high-gain
preamp, plus an external active audio filter and audio down-converter to get
the pitch down to 400 or 500 Hz, it becomes a pretty good LowFER CW
receiver. Unfortunately it has a frequency resolution of 100 Hz and is not
stable enough for LowFER weak-signal modes. I only use it if I want to make
accurate signal level readings on local LowFERs who are strong enough to
provide a meter deflection. For serious listening, I use a ham transceiver.
But I would like to own an HP3586C if I could find room in the ham shack for
it :-)

Lyle, K0LR