[Lowfer] Will an LF UpConverter Really be worth the effort, and expense

[N8OOU]

Andy, I have an older Palomar LF up-converter that I use with the 
ICOM-706. I have two observations to share about that combination.

One is that the Palomar moves 0 - 500Kc to 3.5 - 4 Mhz. That is a good 
thing as the ICOM switches bandpass filters at 3.5 which makes  for good 
sensitivity.  It is also easy to mis-add the frequencies to get to the 
dial setting, compared to some converters outputting 4.0 Mhz.

The second is the Palomar has a simple crystal oscillator which is very 
sensitive to temps. It reacts very quickly to a small temp change, and 
will put the signal out of the Argo window as JD has said.

What I can hear with the Palomar/706 is about the same as my Kenwood 
TS-480 which the specs rate at 4 uV.

I also have the "Ham-it-up" converter to put in front of an RTL-SDR 
dongle.  That converter is plagued with frequency drift, as well as the 
dongle itself. It has no input filtering so it is open to overload, and 
IM.  It's fun to play with but it's more a toy than a tool.

I hope that helps a little.

73   de   N8OOU - Mike Meek

On 12/05/2014 04:48 PM, KU4XR wrote:
> Greetings all:
>
> I have nothing to compare the performance of my Kenwood TS450S to..
> Factory Specs say
> that the receiver sensitivity below 500 KHz is 4 µV, and above 1.7 MHz
> is .2 µV ..
> I'm sure that the radios own Noise Floor is quieter in the HF range
> versus LF, But I think that
> The radio has done a pretty good job receiving directly at LF.. It is
> a Triple Conversion system..
> SO... what are the experiences of those who have travelled this road
> before ? I have a cheap
> Jackson Harbor LF UpConverter, and I'm sure that it will leave a lot
> to be desired in performance..
> Is it " Worth " the expense to purchase a " good " converter ?? And.
> what converter would that be ?
> Will it be worth the effort to put a system together, for any Gain
> over what I currently have ?
> Thanks for sharing your thoughts, and experiences, I look forward to
> reading them, and then
> deciding whether, or not, an LF UpConverter will be an asset for me..
>
> 73 : Andy - KU4XR
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