[Premium-Rx] Rohde & Schwarz

Mon Dec 4 13:23:58 EST 2006

  Well, it´s like winning in a lottery. I dealt with many big companies not as radio amateur, rather
 on business. And there are also bright spots in my experience with Rohde und Schwarz.
 Sometimes it depends on a particular salesman/app. ingeneur´s preferences, say, he/she is also a
 radio amateur, or plays saksophone like you, etc. I have very good memories on my contacts
 with Rockwell Collins in 1995-1996 concerning their 95S1A untill it came in production in 1996. 
 This project was a mess for Rockwell. The price originally was set at $ 7,000.00 it ended up at
 $ 14,000 - 16,000, many upgrades and accessories were slashed (remember their advertising
 about external tuning knob controller? it was blind man´s bluff - that is, it was never produced), most
 probably government orders were less than anticipated. And when the receiver (at least stand-alone
 one, not a part of a jamming system) was discontinued, they stopped giving any support,
 information and substitute parts for it for any price. Try to enter 95S-1A on Rockwell Collins
 Search site and you will get no return!

 I tell this story not to discourage using 95S-1A. I was fortunate enough of having tested
 many modern premium receivers and it is my sincere opinion, that 95S-1A is still the best computer based receiver ever built. I have it and I love it. It was too far ahead of its time - the first truly software defined
 radio. And its misfortune has nothing to do with technology. It was a marketing failure. If Rockwell
 realistically estimated the market for 95S-1A they would never build it. And we coud never
 get a chance of owning a really good software defined radio.

 Many Collins fans name R390 the best receiver ever built. Far from that. Sorry. E52 designed in 1936
 was much better. Russian KROT designed for KGB in 1949 was also better. Compare them side-by
 side on the bench! I did it. But there is no receiver on both consummer and government
 market even close 95S-1A.

 As to Rohde und Schwarz, my experience is based on their government product line, maybe
 other divisions are more collaborative. Maybe. Maybe not.

 Regards
 A.W.

 -----Original Message-----
 From: n3jpu at speakeasy.net
 To: premium-rx at ml.skirrow.org
 Sent: Mon, 4 Dec 2006 12:27 AM
 Subject: Re: [Premium-Rx] Rohde & Schwarz

  I must of had some luck. I recently acquired a R&S Sig Gen. I contacted R&S via their web and the following day they posted a full manual in .pdf free of charge.    Gary Mitchelson
 N3JPU Montgomery Co. MD FM19
 USAF MARS and SHARES: AFA1PU
 MD/DC State MARS Director AFF1MD
 USAF MARS Technical Services Manager AFN1TS
 http://www.mitchelson.org/
     -----Original Message-----
 From: premium-rx-bounces at ml.skirrow.org [mailto:premium-rx-bounces at ml.skirrow.org] On Behalf Of Geoff Fors
 Sent: Sunday, December 03, 2006 18:19
 To: premium-rx at ml.skirrow.org
 Subject: [Premium-Rx] Rohde & Schwarz

  Wow, I guess nobody has had much luck with small parts from Rohde & Schwarz! The company doesn't seem geared up for small orders, which isn't unique. I was quoted $ 600 for a photocopy of the manual for an ESR meter from Clarke-Hess, "if they could find it," $ 450 for a partial copy of a signal generator manual from Logimetrics, and similar prices from other firms for other things. Fluke charges $ 5 EACH for tiny stickers which go over the calibration initiate switch hole on their 8842 DMM's, Motorola wants $ 20 for a small plastic knob for one of their land mobile radios, and so forth.   In his defense, I have to say that Ulrich Rohde was truly a prince and personally obtained a manual for me for my 1951 vintage SK040 700 Watt AM R&S transmitter without any charge when I didn't have any luck with the front office. He shuttles back and forth between New Jersey and Germany.   It might not hurt to inquire of Helmut Singer Electronik in Aachen, Germany ( has website) or camp on eBay.de if you can translate the listings.   Geoff WB6NVH    _______________________________________________

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