[MRCA] Today's M&S Net Recordings

mstangelo at comcast.net mstangelo at comcast.net
Sat Apr 1 21:38:06 EDT 2023


Ray,

My biggest problem when operating from home is the noise. I've listened to the net with my Harris 5000 but the reception with QRM does not compare to a modern transceiver that has decent Noise Reduction(NR) and Noise Blanking(NB). Ironically I've found the popular IC-7300 Noise Reduction is not effective on my noise. A Kenwood TS-590 and my Elecraft K3 does have effective Noise Reduction and Noise Blanking. I've heard the Yaesu FT-DX-10 has effective NR and NB. I've found the Noise Reduction and Noise Blanking algorithms of the Airspy SDRSharp software effective and feed the baseband output of my 7300 to SDRSharp if I want to use the 7300.

I'm curious if the latest generation of Military transceivers has NR and NB options. I'm trying to find of the Harris RF-7800-MP manpack offer these options but have't received a response to my inquiry. While is is not a Mil Spec set Elecraft has indicated the KX2 is used by US Special Forces. It has excellent NR and NB capabilities.

The other option is to operate portable in a quiet area. I do this during the summer and am amazed of the low noise floor at a quiet site.

Regarding antennas, I have an inverted L and a low 80 meter dipole. The inverted L is more effective as a transmitting antenna for the net and even though it is noisier than the dipole it is a more effective on receiving when used with Noise Reduction. My inverted L is about 35 feet high and 110 long. I made it longer than a quarter wavelength on 160 so that it does not present a high impedance on 80 and 40. I find it does a good job 60 when matched with a tuner.

My portable 60 meter wire antenna is a quarter wavelength. I try to get the vertical portion as high as I can, with a 20 foot telescoping pole and string out the rest as far as I can. This is fed againse 4 short radials. I also use a Hustler whip when space is tight.

I"d recommend trying your vertical and connect a wire to the top if possible to make it at least a quarter wavelength.

Mike N2MS

> On 04/01/2023 2:31 PM Ray Fantini <rafantini at salisbury.edu> wrote:
> 
> 
> For some months now just aint getting any love from sixty meters! Tried different radios and antennas but between the almost constant S6 to S7 background noise on that band and the inability to hear Net Control it’s been rain no game for me. Have these dam Harris Falcons that I am going thru and between the 5022 that’s decided to stop working after I turned it off and the basket full of expensive memory cells that I have replaced just about have had a belly full of them but I do have one set up with a 5020, 125 watt amplifier and the 382 tuner and am thinking that maybe I can set up a thirty foot vertical out in the yard and try running that on sixty and see if life is any better?
> Liked Eugene’s sound recordings, allegedly he is working on a super sound distribution system for his shack. I can’t wait to see the video.
> 
> Ray F/KA3EKH


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